North Melbourne rose from the canvas to stop the ladder-leading Demons in a Grand Final Eve blockbuster at Ikon Park.
The Kangaroos needed all their steel and resilience to overcome the Dees and hit back from their first loss for the season against Hawthorn last week.
They trailed by 17 points at quarter-time before kicking eight unanswered goals to set up a 31-point win, 10.5 (65) to 5.4 (34).
DEMONS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats
Veteran Jenna Bruton had a career-best 32 disposals, lifting for her side in the third term with 10 possessions and a dribbling goal to extend North Melbourne’s lead.
Jasmine Garner (31 disposals, six clearances and five tackles) also grew into the game, kicking two final-quarter goals, while partner in crime Ash Riddell (33 disposals, six clearances, four tackles) held up her end of the bargain, and Eilish Sheerin (11 tackles, 10 clearances) got busy in the contest.
Flu ripped through the North Melbourne camp during the week, and the Kangas were made to look sluggish as the Demons made a blistering start.
Melbourne had three goals on the board by quarter time while North Melbourne went into the first break goalless.
Two of the Dees' goals were created by fast transitions which caught out the Roos' defence, enabling Megan Fitzsimon and Kate Hore to capitalise.
A 50m penalty awarded to Mia Austin after Emma Kearney remonstrated with the umpire worsened North Melbourne's woes.
The second quarter loomed as a major test for coach Darren Crocker and his team, and they responded.
Initially, they didn’t make it easy for themselves, with a chain of fumbling handballs finally finding Kate Shierlaw to snap and score their first goal of the match on her return from concussion.
The flair of the Irish played a major role in the comeback. Young gun Amy Gavin Mangan set up half-back Erika O’Shea with a short kick out to her advantage, O’Shea putting the burners on to run inside 50 and convert.
Minutes later, it was Vikki Wall on the end of yet another quick transition setting up Gavin Mangan for a goal of her own and extending their lead to seven points at half-time.
After coming from the ground nursing a sore shoulder late in the second quarter, Blaithin Bogue more than proved her fitness in the third term, snapping a goal off yet another chain of forward half handballs.
Melbourne simply could not get the game on its terms from there, forced to be reactive throughout the second half, losing uncontested possession 140-185 across the evening.
Post-game, coach Darren Crocker praised his side’s “unbelievable response” after the Kangaroos’ first loss in over 1000 days last week in Cairns.
“We spoke after the game last week that we hadn’t been in a position for a long time to get a response after a loss, but that was an emphatic response tonight," he said.
“I’m so, so proud of the players and the whole program,” he said, referring to the “challenges” faced this week after the program was forced to conduct their post-game review online and mask up due to a flu outbreak.
“For them to come out and perform the way they did, was just outstanding.”
In a late blow for the Kangaroos, winger Taylah Gatt, playing her first game of the season after a groin injury kept her sidelined, was ruled out in the final term with an ankle injury, after a tackle from Melbourne captain Kate Hore. Gatt will have scans to assess the injury in the coming days.
Next Up
The Kangaroos return to their Arden St home in Round 8 to host high-flying Sydney. The game is at 1.05pm AEDT on Sunday, October 4.
MELBOURNE 3.1 3.2 3.3 5.4 (34)
NORTH MELBOURNE 0.2 4.3 6.4 10.5 (65)
GOALS
Melbourne: Austin 3, Fitzsimon, Hore
North Melbourne: Garner 2, Bogue, Bruton, Gavin Mangan, O'Loughlin, O'Shea, Randall, Shierlaw, Wall
BEST
Melbourne: Hanks, Austin, Hore, Fitzsimon
North Melbourne: Garner, Riddell, Bruton, Sheerin, O’Shea
INJURIES
Melbourne: Heath-Barker (calf)
North Melbourne: Gatt (ankle)
LATE CHANGES
Melbourne: Nil
North Melbourne: Tessa Boyd (back soreness) replaced by Claire Mahony
Crowd: 3,105 at Ikon Park
