Melbourne forward Jake Melksham kicked five goals as the Demons reversed their loss to North Melbourne in round two, winning by 36 points at the MCG.

Melbourne won 18.11 (119) to 12.11 (83).

DEMONS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Young forward Cooper Harvey kicked four for the Kangaroos, while Cam Zurhaar did all he could to haul his side into the contest, kicking three goals in the third quarter.

Zurhaar's third goal closed the gap to just three points, but the Demons responded with two goals before three-quarter time and secured the result with the first three goals of the final quarter.

Colby McKercher was a shining light for North Melbourne, continuing his outstanding season with 29 disposals and a game-high 542 metres gained.

The result was marred by a fourth-quarter incident in which Demon Tom Sparrow was knocked unconscious in a tackle attempt by Kangaroos ruckman Tristan Xerri.

Play stopped for several minutes while the Melbourne forward was attended to by medical staff before being taken from the ground on a stretcher. 

Little separated the sides in a first half which was marked by missed opportunities.

The dangerous Kysaiah Pickett helped the Demons jump to an early lead, getting the best of a one-on-one with Will Phillips.

Melbourne had two goals on the board before Cooper Harvey pumped through a set shot for the first of three straight Kangaroo goals.

The Roos had been controlling possession, but after Jack Darling kicked his second goal to open the second term, the Demons took control at the clearances. They dominated inside 50s and would have been several goals clear if not for a string of missed set shots; Pickett wasting perhaps the simplest of their opportunities from 15m out.

Harry Sheezel became more involved as the Kangaroos hit back, but they were also unable to capitalise on a period of dominance, finishing the half with four consecutive behinds. 

Mess with the Bull, get the horns

Cam Zurhaar kept the Kangaroos in it during a brilliant burst in the third quarter. With no Larkey, it was the 27-year-old nicknamed 'Bull' who troubled Melbourne the most, kicking three goals in the space of eight minutes to be the main man inside 50. Those three came after Zurhaar started the second half with two behinds in the first six minutes. He almost dribbled through a fourth just before the siren, but Caleb Windsor dashed back to touch the ball on the line, colliding with the goal umpire in the process.

Son-of-a-gun fires

Cooper Harvey had to wait until last Thursday for his first senior opportunity of 2025, but on Sunday, in his fifth game, the son of games record-holder Brent Harvey kicked four goals to stake a claim in Alastair Clarkson’s side going forward. The 20-year-old kicked three in the last quarter when North Melbourne were still fighting to be a big positive for the Kangaroos.

MELBOURNE                       3.3     6.5     11.9    18.11 (119)
NORTH MELBOURNE          4.2     5.6      8.11      12.11 (83)

GOALS
Melbourne: Melksham 5, Fritsch 3, Chandler 2, Gawn, Jefferson, Langdon, Petracca, Pickett, Sparrow, Tholstrup, van Rooyen
North Melbourne: Harvey 4, Darling 3, Zurhaar 3, Curtis 2

INJURIES
Melbourne: Sparrow (concussion)
North Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: Caleb Windsor replaced Xavier Lindsay (tactical) in the third quarter  
North Melbourne: Bailey Scott replaced Finnbar Maley (tactical) in the third quarter

Crowd: 35,844 at the MCG