MELBOURNE has suffered a disappointing defeat at the hands of North Melbourne in a 50 point-loss at Casey Fields.
The Dees had the wood over the Roos for years, but have now lost two straight games, with Sunday's 3.3 (21) to 11.5 (71) effort also the team's second straight loss for the season after last week's defeat at the hands of Brisbane.
A four-goal second term performance did the bulk of the damage for North Melbourne, holding Melbourne scoreless at the same time.
Kate Shierlaw was far too tall for Gab Colvin in the opening minutes of the match, her marking prowess and agility at ground level on show with two first-quarter goals before the Dees had a chance to breathe, let alone settle.
She finished with a career-high five goals and was a clear point of difference throughout the match.
Dees small forward Alyssia Pisano had a golden moment in the first term, bursting through the field with a two-bounce effort which teammate Eden Zanker accidentally rushed through while attempting to gather, instead of letting the ball dribble through for a major.
Melbourne managed to stem the flow somewhat in the first, kicking two goals from its four first-quarter inside 50s, while the wasteful Roos had two from 16, before the second term onslaught.
The Dees looked rushed throughout the game, trying to move the ball at pace but running themselves into trouble time and time again.
Even the ball was against Melbourne, Eliza McNamara's on-target shot in the second term – in a rare bit of space – bouncing at right angles back into the field of play.
The Demons lifted their intensity after half-time, piling on the tackles in an attempt to halt North Melbourne's powerful run-and-carry game. It worked to a point, but the Roos still kicked two goals to the Dees' one point in the third.
Ash Riddell was at her very consistent best throughout the game, finishing with 32 and two goals, while Paxy Paxman was a fierce competitor in defence in game No.75, recording 18 and six marks.
Where to from here for the Dees?
After an off-season of change, Melbourne was tipped to slide a fraction in 2024, and injuries to key players haven't helped its cause. Ruck Lauren Pearce (wrist) remains six weeks away, Tayla Harris (shoulder) has been ruled out for the season, and there's still no timeline for tough midfielder Liv Purcell (face). The Dees will need to win at least two of their next three games (Fremantle, Essendon and Greater Western Sydney) to balance the ledger before Adelaide in week seven. The draw then opens up somewhat in the final month.
Welcome back, Libby
After crossing from Melbourne to North Melbourne over the off-season, premiership defender Libby Birch was likely to attract some attention from her former teammates in her first game back at Casey Fields. And so it proved in the third term, as tempers spilled over and a group of 10 or so players tangled in North Melbourne's defensive 50. Unsurprisingly, Birch was at the bottom of the pack.
MELBOURNE 2.1 2.1 2.2 3.3 (21)
NORTH MELBOURNE 2.1 6.1 8.2 11.5 (71)
GOALS
Melbourne: McNamara, Fitzsimon, Beasley
North Melbourne: Shierlaw 5, Riddell 2, Bruton 2, O'Loughlin 2
BEST
Melbourne: Paxman, Mithen, Goldrick, Fitzsimon
North Melbourne: Riddell, Shierlaw, M.King, Garner, E.King, Kearney
INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil
Crowd: 2,023 at Casey Fields
