In a nail-biting finish, Melbourne narrowly escaped defeat, holding off North Melbourne in the final minutes to become the second team in two weeks to deny the Roos a victory.

Cam Zurhaar’s fourth goal cut the margin to just three points with four minutes remaining, but despite a scoreless last quarter, the Demons clung to a thrilling 11.4 (70) to 10.7 (67) win at the MCG on Saturday night.

**DEMONS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats**

Rookie Kynan Brown made a crucial tackle on a charging Nick Larkey with 90 seconds left, while Harry Petty cleared a loose ball in the final seconds to seal the game.

North Melbourne, a fiery young team, kicked six goals around the three-quarter time break, narrowing the margin as the Demons struggled to score.

The win propels Melbourne back to eighth spot on the ladder after a rough stretch of losing four out of their last five games before the bye.

In a game filled with tension, a rare full-team brawl erupted at halftime, prompting all the umpires to rush in and circle the 36 players, while young Auskickers watched in amazement from the sidelines.

The game dragged for nearly two quarters, with a flock of seagulls providing more entertainment at times, until Trent Rivers broke through several North defenders at half-forward and scored a spectacular goal from 50 meters out, just four minutes before halftime.

Melbourne appeared to establish a solid four-goal lead late in the first term, capitalizing on their forward-50 entries, but the Roos, despite their inaccuracy, refused to back down and steadily chipped away at the margin.

North Melbourne defended resolutely across half-back but struggled with slow ball movement after turnovers, frequently kicking down the line to waiting Melbourne players like Max Gawn or Steven May.

The Demons finally broke free late in the third term, with the game opening up and the home side finding some much-needed fluidity in their ball movement. Without a standout key forward, Melbourne’s numerous attacking players managed to overwhelm the young Roos’ defense.

Eddie Ford was unlucky during Melbourne’s charge, conceding a free kick for a dangerous tackle on May, who stayed down holding his head despite no apparent contact with the turf.

North Melbourne dominated possession, with Luke Davies-Uniacke, George Wardlaw, and Harry Sheezel all making significant contributions, while Jack Viney was unstoppable in the clearances.

Melbourne celebrated its 20th year of partnership with the Breast Cancer Network Australia with its annual Pink Lady match, featuring players from both teams wearing pink boots and beanies before the game.

**Tagger Phillips drives Clarry up the wall**
Will Phillips faced the tough assignment of shadowing Clayton Oliver after a challenging game against Nick Daicos last week. Though Phillips wasn’t overly physical, he stayed glued to Oliver, who struggled to break free. Oliver had just two disposals in the first term and three in the second, giving away four free kicks by halftime and finishing with only 14 disposals.

**Life without Trac**
Melbourne is facing the remainder of the season without superstar Christian Petracca due to internal injuries. In his absence, defender Trent Rivers stepped up, spending significant time in the center bounces alongside Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver, and occasionally Tom Sparrow. Draftee Koltyn Tholstrup also made his mark, playing across half-forward in Petracca’s place.

**MELBOURNE** 5.2 6.4 11.4 11.4 (70)
**NORTH MELBOURNE** 1.2 3.7 5.7 10.7 (67)

**GOALS**
**Melbourne:** Turner 2, Pickett, McDonald, Chandler, Petty, Rivers, Neal-Bullen, Sparrow, van Rooyen, Gawn
**North Melbourne:** Zurhaar 4, Sheezel 2, Ford 2, Simpkin, Davies-Uniacke

**BEST**
**Melbourne:** Viney, Rivers, Gawn, Sparrow, May
**North Melbourne:** Davies-Uniacke, Wardlaw, Sheezel, Zurhaar, Phillips

**INJURIES**
**Melbourne:** None
**North Melbourne:** None

**SUBSTITUTES**
**Melbourne:** Kynan Brown (replaced Christian Salem in the fourth quarter)
**North Melbourne:** Dylan Stephens (replaced Toby Pink in the third quarter)

**Crowd:** 28,774 at the MCG