With five wins from five games to open the year, the Power were flying under new coach Ken Hinkley.
They did receive a surprise pre-match though, as Hinkley stepped aside with a virus and Alan Richardson was forced to coach.
On the other hand, Brad Scott’s team was playing good football, but not getting the results. Three losses by three goals or less had the Kangaroos in 13th place with plenty of work to do.
North was without Brent Harvey due to suspension, while Will Sierakowski made his debut in the royal blue and white.
The Power fired the first shot through sixth-gamer Jake Neade, but the Roos quickly gained the ascendancy through the middle and took advantage.
An early goal to Majak Daw brought the crowd to its feet, while his fellow key-forwards were looking menacing.
By quarter-time Daw, Drew Petrie and Aaron Black had combined for four goals as the Kangaroos broke out to a 33-point lead.
Petrie pushed that out to 39 with an early second-quarter goal, before the Power produced a mini fight-back.
Chad Wingard banged through goals in quick succession, before Jay Schulz slotted another. Sam Wright got one back for the home team, before Brent Renouf and Matthew Broadbent made sure their side went into half-time with the momentum.
At the main break, the margin was just 15 points.
Dominance in contested possession helped North regain control early in the third quarter; Ben Cunnington, Ryan Bastinac and Andrew Swallow all excelled, while Daniel Wells was terrific in the clearances.
Three goals to one in the premiership quarter, including Petrie’s third major saw the Kangaroos with a 28-point lead at the final change.
A Lindsay Thomas goal followed early in the last and for many, the game was over.
It was not to be. Port struck back.
Robbie Gray and Matthew Lobbe kicked goals in quick succession to narrow the margin to 21, before Ollie Wines and Jay Schulz joined in the action.
What should have been an easy win could have been a disaster as the Power piled on the pressure.
Schulz’ third reduced the gap to 15 and when Angus Monfries kicked truly at the 26-minute mark, North fans were getting nervous.
But the Kangaroos did enough – their supremacy through the midfield got them over the line, with Bastinac (27 disposals), Swallow (26 disposals) and Cunnington (25 disposals, 8 clearances, 20 contested possessions) leading the way.
Petrie finished with three goals, while Todd Goldstein was the dominant ruckman on the field with 37 hit-outs.
North won its next game against the Bulldogs by 54 points before another heartbreaking loss against West Coast, while the Power had a mini form slump, losing their next four games, before recovering to play finals.
NORTH MELBOURNE 7.2 9.4 12.7 14.9 (93)
PORT ADELAIDE 1.5 6.7 7.9 12.11 (83)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Petrie 3, Black 2, Thomas 2, Adams 2, Ziebell, Wells, Wright, Goldstein, Daw
Port Adelaide: Schulz 3, Wingard 2, Neade, Renouf, Broadbent, Gray, Monfries, Wines, Lobbe
BEST
North Melbourne: Bastinac, Wells, Cunnington, Ziebell, Swallow, Gibson
Port Adelaide: Boak, Cornes, Cassisi, Ebert, Wines, Wingard
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Black (corked thigh)
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Majak Daw replaced by Taylor Hine at three-quarter time
Port Adelaide: Brent Renouf replaced by Paul Stewart in the third quarter
Official crowd: 10,265 at Blundstone Arena
