North Melbourne defeats Adelaide Crows by 10 points in Round 1 at Etihad Stadium

NORTH Melbourne’s veterans proved the difference in the club’s gripping 10-point win over the Adelaide Crows on Saturday night.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Todd Goldstein of the Kangaroos celebrates a goal during the round one AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Adelaide Crows at Etihad Stadium on March 26, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

THE long drought is over.

Winless in Round 1 contests since 2009, North Melbourne ended its miserable six-season sequence with a gripping 10-point victory over Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.

Seemingly out of contention when Adelaide extended its lead to 24 points early in the third term, North piled on 10 of the last 14 goals of the match to deservedly clinch the honours.

Sparking scenes of jubilation, last season’s preliminary finalists avenged a 77-point thumping at the hands of the Crows in the corresponding match last season.

North’s most recent win in a Round 1 contest came against Melbourne at the MCG seven years ago.

Eight players from that victory were involved against Adelaide - Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito, Daniel Wells, Andrew Swallow, Lindsay Thomas, Jack Ziebell - and Scott Thompson, who switched to the Crows in 2005.

Desperate to avoid another opening-round failure, North was hoisted to victory by the heroics Todd Goldstein, Ben Cunnington, Jarrad Waite, Ziebell, Sam Gibson and defenders Michael Firrito and Robbie Tarrant in a high quality clash.

The platform was partially laid, fittingly, by ageless Brent Harvey, whose third-quarter cameo changed the contest.

Brent Harvey celebrates a goal. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Harvey, one of only three players to participate in 21 seasons or more (Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher and St Kilda’s Robert Harvey are the others), was pivotal to the comeback with three majors in an electrifying eight-minute sequence.

The veteran’s crowning glory was a signature 50m bomb from tight against the boundary line as Adelaide lost composure and momentum.

Trailing by a point at three-quarter time, the Kangaroos withstood a desperate Adelaide charge to hang on in a cliffhanger, marking

The catalyst for the stunning turnaround stemmed from Adelaide defender Rory Laird’s uncharacteristic ill discipline.

He was penalised for interfering with Lindsay Thomas off the ball and, soon after, conceded a 50-metre penalty to Ben Brown by unnecessarily grappling the Roos’ forward.

Both acts cost Adelaide goals - and control.

Unstoppable once given a chance, North simply refused to yield despite Adelaide having more inside 50 entries and more clearances.

Hampered by first-half injuries to Jed Anderson (hamstring) and Lindsay Thomas (shoulder), North was desperate to avoid a repeat of last season’s nightmare against the Crows.

Left uncertain after an indifferent NAB Cup campaign, the Kangaroos trailed by a point at three-quarter time before adding 3.4 while restricting Adelaide to 1.5 when the contest was at its hottest.

Injury concerns for North Melbourne's Lindsay Thomas Picture: George Salpigtidis

Goldstein, celebrating his 150th match, Petrie and Taylor Garner ensured the Roos would prevail in a quarter where the lead changed three times and never grew to more than 11 points.

Burying the demons of an error-prone first-half, North’s third term showcased why it threatens again to push for September action.

It ran, harrassed and bullied - and Adelaide cracked.

Waite, Petrie and Ben Brown created mayhem in attack while the tireless Cunnington, Ziebell, Andrew Swallow and Sam Gibson provided plenty of drive.

And Tarrant and Firrito were outstanding in defence, nullifying Adelaide’s dangerous forwards.

NORTH MELBOURNE 16.11 (107)

def

ADELAIDE 14.13 (97)

GOALS

North Melbourne: Waite 3, Harvey 3, Brown 2, Garner 2, Petrie 2, Dal Santo, Thomas, Goldstein, Higgins

Adelaide: Jenkins 5, Walker 2, M.Crouch, Douglas, Jacobs, Betts , Lynch, Seedsman, Mackay

Best players:

North: Cunnington, Goldstein, Ziebell, Tarrant, Firrito, Waite, Gibson.

Adelaide: Jenkins, Thompson, Laird, Smith, B Crouch, Douglas, Sloane.

Votes

3 - Cunnington

2 - Goldstein

1 - Jenkins