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The symbolism was on display at Marvel Stadium.
With minutes remaining in the second half and Port Adelaide trailing by just seven points, former Roo Jason Horne-Francis sat on the bench to cool down in more ways than one as new Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr spoke to him.
As that conversation took place, North Melbourne podcaster (oops, defender) Charlie Comben gratefully accepted a 50-metre penalty that put him on the 50m arc. He tucked his mouthguard in his sock and lined up for goal with purpose. When he kicked, 150 seconds remained on the clock.
He belted the ball through the goals to score what Twenty20 cricket commentators might call a “maximum” and stretch the lead to 13 points.
The next 60 seconds were unexpected but brilliant, as North Melbourne finally showed the world what they were capable of, with two centre-clearance goals to two players selected inside the first four picks in the 2023 national draft.
The first came from left-footed Energiser bunny Colby McKercher after Luke Davies-Uniacke won the ball out of the centre. After a series of fumbles and handballs, the ball landed in McKercher’s hands. He straightened up and kicked a goal.
Jack Darling celebrates a North Melbourne goal.Credit: Getty Images
At the next centre ball-up Port Adelaide watched McKercher charge out of the front of the square again. But this time the ball dribbled from him to Jy Simpkin, to Zane Duursma, who kicked a banana goal.
All of a sudden, the lead was 25 points, the Kangaroos crowd was hopping, and it felt as though belief had been restored to a club bereft of it for so many years.
By the time Horne-Francis got back on the ground, the damage was done. He left North after just one season after the club used its No.1 pick to draft him in 2021, a memory that was top of mind for the Roos supporters who booed him when he turned the ball over in his first match against the Kangaroos in Victoria.
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The question after half-time was whether the Roos could keep their foot on the pedal – they had squandered similar positions in games many times before.
But this time they answered by stretching their lead beyond 40 points in the opening minutes of the second half. It could have been more but for a matter of inches, with two goals disallowed on review.
During this patch Davies-Uniacke was outstanding, weaving and winding his way from inside congestion into space as only the best players can. His eight disposals broke lines and Port Adelaide’s hearts.
Dylan Stephens was exceptional in the first half too, while Comben – although sometimes unpredictable – was very good. Finn O’Sullivan was given the difficult role on Zak Butters and broke even to play a significant part in North’s win.
Dual best-and-fairest winner Harry Sheezel was outstanding, too, with 31 touches.
Clarkson batted away questions about whether Sheezel needed support after the furore surrounding Sydney’s pre-game tribute in opening round that failed to mention the Jewish community.
“He and we don’t want to use AFL football to push any cause,” Clarkson said.
Port Adelaide were pathetic apart from a short burst either side of the final break. They let the Kangaroos players walk through tackles as though they were merely matadors. They fumbled ground balls and turned over kick-ins.
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Mitch Georgiades was reasonable in attack but Horne-Francis looked underdone, Butters tentative and Connor Rozee like a nice player. His efforts were not enough to inspire his team.
North Melbourne will be hoping this is the first step into a winning era. Cooper Trembath has added a strong dimension to their forward line and Tom Blamires is promising in defence.
They have a collection of talented midfielders, and their defence is reasonable if they get support from up the ground, which they did on this afternoon.
It’s a long season. We have been here before. It’s too early to call, but the Kangaroos’ first step was full of merit.
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