NORTH Melbourne has rebounded emphatically from its humiliating round one loss to Adelaide by overpowering an undermanned Brisbane Lions by 82 points at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
After the Lions kicked three of the game's first four goals, the Roos put their foot down, kicking eight straight goals in less than a quarter and 19 of the next 23 to set up an imposing 20.13 (133) to 7.9 (51) win.
Former Blue Jarrad Waite bounced back from his goalless club debut against Adelaide to monster a Lions defence missing injured veteran Daniel Merrett to pile on a game-high seven goals.
But Todd Goldstein stood just as tall for the Roos, outclassing Lions duo Matthew Leuenberger and Stefan Martin in the ruck and finishing with 23 possessions, seven marks and one goal.
It was the Roos' sixth consecutive win over the Lions at Etihad Stadium, with the visitors' last win over North at the venue coming back in round 10, 2009.
The Lions' loss means it is the third consecutive year they have opened the season with two straight defeats.
Coach Justin Leppitsch said it was also the second week in a row that his team had been beaten in contested ball.
"When the ball was there to be won, we weren't," he said.
"We (were) pretty good at that in the pre-season but that's two in a row where we haven't been.
"What we've shown is our game style can hold up. We've done it and we've won (pre-season) games this year with the current group."
The Lions started brightly enough kicking three of the game's first four goals to lead by 11 points at the 13-minute mark of the first term.
They were able to prey on some haphazard ball movement from North early in the game, with the Roos intent on moving the ball as quickly as possible, more often than not by handball.
But once North got its kick-to-handball ratio right – it had 45 kicks to 57 handballs in the first term – it took complete control of the game.
Jack Redden (28 possessions), Mitch Robinson (25) Jed Adcock (16 and two goals) were the Lions' best on a tough day.
NORTH MELBOURNE 5.3 13.5 15.9 20.13 (133)
BRISBANE LIONS 3.2 4.5 5.8 7.9 (51)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Waite 7, Brown 3, Petrie 2, Ziebell 2, Thomas 2, Higgins 2, Nahas, Goldstein
Brisbane Lions: Adcock 2, Martin, Green, Christensen, Taylor, McStay
BEST
North Melbourne: Goldstein, Waite, Ziebell, Cunnington, Gibson, Swallow, Harvey, Higgins
Brisbane Lions: Redden, Adcock, Robinson, Martin
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Jamie Macmillan (soreness) replaced in selected side by Sam Wright; Daniel Wells (calf/achilles), Nick Dal Santo (left hamstring), Scott Thompson (left ankle)
Brisbane Lions: Michael Close (left knee)
SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Mason Wood replaced Daniel Wells at half-time.
Brisbane Lions: Zac O'Brien replaced Michael Close at quarter-time.
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Harris, Ryan, Mitchell
Official crowd: TBC at Etihad Stadium
