NORTH Melbourne has joined the round one winners' list with a 34-point victory over Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

The Kangaroos won 15.11 (101) to 10.7 (67) after the much-improved Demons produced a close contest in the first half, which featured six lead changes.

Four goals to one in the final term ensured victory for the Roos after they had led by just 14 points at three-quarter time.

Leigh Harding was terrific for the Kangaroos with 28 possessions and one goal, while ruckman Hamish McIntosh kicked three majors and Drew Petrie provided solid defensive pressure despite some wayward kicking.

First-gamer Jack Ziebell ended with 10 touches, four tackles and two clearances while Scott McMahon was handy in both defence and with a brief cameo up forward for a one-goal return.

For the Demons, debutant Kyle Cheney was a shining light with 22 touches while Clint Bartram tagged Brent Harvey and kept the Roos' captain to just 16. Brad Green was also influential with 18 possessions - 13 of which were contested – and two goals.

Melbourne also had three other youngsters playing their first games with Neville Jetta (16 possessions), Jamie Bennell (nine), and Jake Spencer (eight touches, nine hit-outs) all gaining senior experience.

The game started in typical round one fashion with skill errors and mistakes plaguing both sides. The contest was relatively even with the teams having plenty of the ball and the Kangaroos slightly outweighing the Demons in tackles.

After getting the early jump through goals to Lindsay Thomas and Matt Campbell, the Kangaroos had to absorb a Melbourne purple patch when Matthew Bate, Aaron Davey and Brent Moloney all kicked impressive majors.

A six-pointer to Roos' captain Brent Harvey and a late point to Demons' skipper James McDonald saw the team go into the first change locked together on 21 points apiece.

Michael Firrito continued with his new role in North’s midfield, starting in the square for the restart and running with Nathan Jones after the Melbourne midfielder collected the ball seven times in the first.

Jones was involved in an early piece of play when he boomed the ball forward where it eventually found Jetta, who kicked his first league goal and gave the Demons the lead.

The Roos regained it shortly through Thomas, but a straight kick from the impressive Ricky Petterd gave Melbourne the scoreboard advantage again. 

McMahon took a break from playing in defence against Bate and rushed forward to kick his goal 15 minutes in, which caused the fourth lead change of the term.

The Kangaroos didn't relinquish the advantage for the rest of the half with McIntosh and Harding adding further goals, but the Demons kept themselves in touch with a major to Green.

North held a seven-point lead entering into the third and was quick to streak away to a 20-point advantage with two unanswered goals.

But Melbourne kept coming. The Demons rediscovered the hard tackling of the first half and were unlucky to be behind by 14 points going into the final term.

The floodgates opened in the fourth quarter, the Roos finding scoring easy as the young Melbourne side tired and could manage just 1.1 for the quarter.

Melbourne now faces Collingwood next Saturday afternoon while North Melbourne will play the Western Bulldogs on Sunday. Both games will be played at the MCG.

Melbourne   3.3  6.5  9.6  10.7 (67)
North Melbourne  3.3  7.6  11.8  15.11 (101)

GOALS
Melbourne: Petterd 2, Green 2, Bate, Davey, Moloney, Jetta, Morton, Johnson,
North Melbourne: McIntosh 3, Thomas 2, Petrie 2, Campbell 2, Harvey, McMahon, Harding, Simpson, Hale, Firrito

BEST
Melbourne: Green, Cheney, Bartram, Moloney, Petterd, Warnock
North Melbourne: Harding, McIntosh, Rawlings, Petrie, Simpson, McMahon

INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Grun, McInerney, Mollison

Official crowd: 28,707 at the MCG