Round 14 2000
North Melbourne 3.3 (21), 13.7 (85), 16.11 (107), 17.14 (116)
Brisbane 4.2 (26), 8.3 (51), 10.7 (67), 17.10 (112)
Goals: Carey (5), Motlop (3), Sholl (3), Clayton (2), Harvey (2)
Brownlow Medal: 3 - Clayton (NM), 2 - McCartney (NM), 1 - Harvey (NM)
In a scene that was repeated far too often during 2000, North Melbourne almost blew a significant lead. This time it was a 40-point three quarter time advantage against a side that was a little more than 12 months away from winning three successive premierships.
During the game, Wayne Carey kicked his 600th career goal.
Did You Know? This was the only game of Shane Clayton's career in which he polled Brownlow votes. The 117 game veteran was a lock in the North side at the turn of the decade.
Round 11 1997
North Melbourne 2.5 (17), 6.7 (43), 10.12 (72), 15.15 (105)
Fremantle 3.3 (21), 6.5 (41), 10.5 (65), 12.7 (79)
Goals: Sholl (4), Harvey (3), Archer (2), King (2), McKernan (2)
Brownlow Medal: 3 - McKernan (NM), 2 - Black (FRE), 1 - King (NM)
North Melbourne was in the middle of a stretch of six wins in eight games. After the loss of Wayne Carey to a shoulder injury in Round 1, the Kangaroos initially struggled before finding their way.
In a tight match, it was the class of the reigning premiers that emerged victorious thanks to a strong last quarter.
Did You Know? In Matthew Burton, Gary Dhurrkay and Peter Mann, Fremantle had three players with a North Melbourne affiliation.
Round 11 1986
Carlton 7.4 (46), 11.7 (73), 14.8 (92), 22.10 (142)
North Melbourne 4.3 (27), 5.4 (34), 9.6 (60), 9.10 (64)
Goals: Spargo (3), Holt (2)
Brownlow Medal: 3 - Dorotich (CAR), 2 - Madden (CAR), 1 - Bradley (CAR)
After North's defeat of Carlton in the previous year's elimination final, the Blues came out determined to make amends. This loss to Carlton would turn out to be the first of eight in succession. North Melbourne would not beat Carlton again until Round 19, 1990 behind Darren Crocker's 29 disposals and John Longmire's six goals.
Did You Know? North Melbourne only had seven hitouts in the game. As a comparison, the lowest tally in any game in 2011 after Round 1 for North was 30.
Round 10 1973
North Melbourne 1.6 (12), 4.7 (31), 7.12 (54), 11.14 (80)
St Kilda 1.1 (7), 4.6 (30), 5.9 (39), 7.12 (54)
Goals: Nolan (3), Goodingham (2), Schimmelbusch (2)
Playing against a side with two debutants, the up and coming North wore St Kilda down in the second half. Some players in the Kangaroos side were just starting to taste success before their run of successive Grand Finals through the mid-to-late stages of the 1970's.
Round 8 1962
North Melbourne 1.1 (7), 3.6 (24), 4.6 (30), 7.10 (52)
Collingwood 6.4 (40), 9.7 (61), 13.17 (95), 15.19 (109)
Goals: Gaudion (2), Jenkins (2)
A recurring theme that begins to emerge as we travel further back in time is how inexperienced the North side was at times on this day. Six players in the side (Darby, Goode, McCarthy, O'Brien, Steward and Woolley) still had not cracked the double figure mark in games played.
With that in mind, it was no surprise Collingwood was never troubled.
Round 9 1956
Hawthorn 2.4 (16), 4.5 (29), 6.10 (46), 7.13 (55)
North Melbourne 0.3 (3), 3.8 (26), 3.9 (27), 3.12 (30)
Goals: Dugdale (2)
Much like the game in 1928 on the same day, North struggling to put scores on the board shouldn't come as a shock. It was a lack of experience that stood out for North; more than a third of the team had played 15 games or less.
Round 8 1945
North Melbourne 2.2 (14), 5.4 (34), 9.5 (59), 16.10 (106)
Hawthorn 1.5 (11), 4.6 (30), 6.7 (43), 10.8 (68)
Goals: Findlay (7), Crump (3), Dyer (2), Fairweather (2)
Against a Hawthorn side that had only won one of its first seven games, North Melbourne slowly extended its lead over the first three quarters before putting its foot down in the last. Seven goals in the term turned a close game into a rout, with the final margin reaching 38-points.
The impressive last quarter also carried into the following week, as North piled eight goals to two against Essendon.
Round 6 1934
Carlton 3.5 (23), 9.11 (65), 13.18 (96), 20.25 (145)
North Melbourne 3.5 (23), 4.5 (29), 6.8 (44), 12.11 (83)
Goals: Fitzmaurice (4), Llewellyn (3), Allen (2)
June 9 has not been kind to North Melbourne when playing Carlton. This is its second loss to Carlton of more than 10 goals. However, it would have been hard to expect too much given it was a winless side playing one who was just out of the Top 4.
Round 9 1928
North Melbourne 3.2 (20), 5.4 (34), 7.5 (47), 9.5 (59)
Essendon 0.1 (1), 3.5 (23), 6.6 (42), 10.10 (70)
Goals: Kavanagh (2), Tyson (2)
It was no surprise that North Melbourne struggled for goals in this match against Essendon. With the exception of Charles Tyson, who had crossed over from Collingwood at the end of the 1926 season, no North player had kicked more than 23 goals.
