North Melbourne's finals aspirations have taken a hit, falling short to Collingwood by 66 points at the MCG on Saturday.
The Magpies got the jump on the Roos early, kicking out to a five-goal lead at quarter time before stretching it out to 45 points at the main break, then 46 points at the final break.
North has now lost its past two matches, and its percentage has dropped to 108.0 per cent with its finals bid that much harder.
Ninth at the start of the round, the Roos slid to 10th.
North's previous biggest losing margin this year was 37 points, against Melbourne in round three and Geelong in round 12, with its improved defence one of the features of its outstanding first half of the season.
The Magpies' score was the biggest the Roos have conceded this year.
Coach Brad Scott lamented his team's inability to take their chances in front of goal early in the match, but said Collingwood's pressure had been the decisive factor.
"It was disappointing in terms of taking our opportunities. To Collingwood's credit they took theirs early and the scoreboard pretty quickly blew out to a four-goal difference and then a six-goal difference," Scott said.
"From that point on, we were just completely out-pressured. I thought Collingwood's pressure was outstanding.
"I thought they really hunted us well. I think we were still in front in the contested possession count at the end, but it counted for little because every time we won it and gave it the receiver was under enormous pressure."
Ben Cunnington (30 possessions, five clearances and seven tackles) was North's best on a day to forget, while Shaun Higgins (33 possessions and seven clearances) never stopped trying and Robbie Tarrant was valiant in holding Magpies spearhead Mason Cox to one goal despite Collingwood's inside 50 dominance (57-44).
But it was Scott Thompson who summed up North's day. The veteran sported a bandage around his nose after a first-quarter clash and was forced from the ground under the blood rule on numerous occasions as he – and the Kangaroos – struggled to stem the bleeding.
MEDICAL ROOM
Scott Thompson (nose), Jed Anderson (forehead) and Luke McDonald (forehead) were forced from the ground under the blood rule late in the first term but came back on soon after with bandages. Thompson came from the ground several more times after his nose continued to bleed throughout the game, while Todd Goldstein (lip) and Jack Ziebell (eye) also came off temporarily with cuts in the second half.
NEXT UP
The Kangaroos host West Coast at Blundstone Arena next Sunday in the last of their three games.
COLLINGWOOD 7.2 13.3 15.5 20.10 (130)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.3 5.6 7.7 9.10 (64)
GOALS
Collingwood: De Goey 4, Mihocek 4, Hoskin-Elliott 3, Stephenson 3, Grundy, Adams, Phillips, Greenwood, Cox, Thomas
North Melbourne: Daw 3, Ziebell 2, Brown 2, Goldstein, Hrovat
BEST
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Adams, De Goey, Howe, Sidebottom, Mihocek, Hoskin-Elliott
North Melbourne: Higgins, Cunnington, Tarrant, Goldstein, Anderson, Clarke
INJURIES
Collingwood: Moore (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Daicos
North Melbourne: Thompson (nose), Morgan (lower left leg)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Hosking, Findlay
Official crowd: 50,393 at the MCG
