North Melbourne has gone down by 16-points to Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
North's third-gamer Nick Larkey kicked three majors in the 12.16 (88) to 11.6 (72) loss and captain Jack Ziebell (24 disposals) booted two, while Ben Cunnington (35 disposals) and Jed Anderson (26 possessions) were prominent.
Port's parochial 36,099-strong crowd booed Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard at every disposal - the pair joined North from the South Australian club at the end of last season.
Polec (17 possessions) kicked a stunning goal from the boundary line in the second quarter but, and Pittard had 23 posessions.
Luke McDonald limped from the field in the second quarter but returned with his right knee strapped and in clear discomfort in the last half.
Port jumped the Roos early, booting five goals to two to take a 17-point quarter-time lead.
The Power, with Gray slotting three first-half goals, extended their advantage to 28 points at half-time.
North booted the opening two goals of the third term to reduce the deficit to 16 points before Port again kicked away.
The Power held a 41-point lead 11 minutes into the final term before a belated charge from North, who scored the last five goals of the game.
Port's ex-captain Travis Boak was superb in his club's fourth win of the season, gathering a game-high 38 disposals including 11 clearances and nine inside-50s and was awarded the Peter Badcoe VC Medal.
Boak also scored a goal and, with his midfield partners Tom Rockliff (27 possessions) and Ollie Wines (26 touches), created a decisive advantage around the packs.
By half-time, the Power had won 26 more contested possessions than the Kangaroos. By game's end, the home side were plus-23 in the key statistic.
But Kangaroo spearhead Ben Brown was held goalless by Tom Clurey, given the task in the absence of co-captain Tom Jonas who was a late withdrawal because of a calf injury.
North playmaker Shaun Higgins (illness) was also a late scratching.
PORT ADELAIDE 5.2 7.7 10.9 12.16 (88)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.3 3.3 6.6 11.6 (72)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: S.Gray 4, Ebert 2, Ryder, Duursma, Westhoff, Boak, Rozee, Lycett
North Melbourne: Larkey 3, Ziebell 2, Hall 2, Zurhaar, Polec, Wood, Turner
BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, S.Gray, Rozee, Howard, Ebert, Wines
North Melbourne: Cunnington, Anderson, Ziebell, Goldstein, Wood, Larkey
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Tom Jonas (calf tightness) replaced in selected side by Jarrod Lienert
North Melbourne: Shaun Higgins (virus) replaced in selected side by Nathan Hrovat
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Nicholls, Gianfagna
Official crowd: 36,099 at Adelaide Oval
