Blog log from R1 of 2026: North Melbourne vs Port Adelaide

Byrne-Jones snaps from a pack 30m out on a slight angle to an empty square, bounces high but true for the opening goal. (Q1 3:24)
Curtis marks a Simpkin pass in front of Marshall 45m out on the flank but misses near side right. (Q1 5:02)
O’Sullivan is involved twice in a careful rebound by foot that ends with Zurhaar marking in front of Jones 30m out in front, but he misses to the left badly. (Q1 6:48)
Georgiades draws a contact free on Logue leading for a Horne-Francis pass to 35m on a slight angle, he boots his first goal. (Q1 8:15)
Logue spoils Georgiades skilfully at half back but then burns the rebound kick straight to Richards, pass eventually to Watkins who doesn’t score from 40m on a slight angle. (Q1 11:00)
Curtis leaps on Marshall sitting in the hole for a hanger on the HFF, he jumps up and goes quick to the pocket for Trembath to draw a front-on free on Ratugolea…. point. (Q1 15:22)
Port gets into trouble running through the centre, Butters beats a flying tackle by Simpkin but shoots to the right from CHF. (Q1 20:18)
Watkins is stuck one-on-one with Larkey at the hotspot and can’t stop the mark for the first North Melbourne major, belatedly. (Q1 21:15)
Zurhaar rises in front of Burgoyne for a majestic mark from a Parker kick to 45m on the flank, he curls in a quality set shot. (Q1 23:45)
Xerri clears himself from the next centre contest, ball falls at 45m where Curtis marks and hooks to the right. (Q1 25:29)
Rozee runs from the kick in but then slips over and gets claimed HTB by Zurhaar, albeit he did handball it on replay. The free for karmic justice is converted. (Q1 26:30)
Butters clears from the centre to Lord 50m out on a slight angle, QT siren goes and Lord misses near side right. (Q1 28:01)
Drew delivers a lovely pass from the centre to the lead of Whitlock in front of Pink 40m out in the corridor, he kicks truly. (Q2 1:41)
Rebound through the corridor by North Melbourne is chaotic and hurried, but it results in Stephens on the opposite wing to receive from Sheezel and ram through the goal from 45m. (Q2 6:17)
Drew takes a link mark in the centre after a slow rebound and kicks long inside 50 to Durdin running forward to 40m in the corridor. The ex-Bagger hits the left post. (Q2 10:13)
Trembath catches Farrell HTB 30m out in the corridor and gets the set shot on line. (Q2 14:33)
Byrne-Jones gets a 50m penalty on Daniel on the HBF and gives off to Bergman who launches from 60m on a slight angle for a monster goal! (Q2 20:03)
Whitlock has a snap touched off the boot for a behind from 30m. (Q2 24:32)
Comben gets a 50m penalty to bring him from members wing to 50m on a slight angle, he loads up for bear for a crowd-pleasing goal! (Q2 28:22)
McKercher zooms past for a give from Zurhaar after the next centre contest to complete a surge play with a goal from the hotspot at full tilt. (Q2 28:49)
Another North surge from the next centre bounce, McKercher’s snap is limp and so is Simpkin’s, but the crumb falls nicely for Duursma who checksides another one from 5m! (Q2 28:49)
Simpkin skids through the first goal of Q3 from the hotspot after Aliir just manages to spoil Zurhaar. (Q3 0:53)
Curtis is at the foot of a pack 40m out on the flank and gets a high contact free on Visentini for an arm over the shoulder. He hits the left post. (Q3 3:03)
Larkey rolls through his second goal from the top of the square after fighting with his man Ratugolea for the crumb from a contest they halved. (Q3 4:38)
Comben roves in the back pocket but dithers and is caught HTB by Bergman 30m out, who shoots across the face to the left. (Q3 5:57)
Horne-Francis catches Daniel HTB on the boundary 30m out, crowd hoots then cheers as he misses across the face to the right. (Q3 7:03)
Powell intercepts Marshall’s dump rebound kick 50m out and chooses a pass to the fat side for Parker zoning up from defence to 40m on the flank. Parker slots it. (Q3 10:48)
Georgiades marks a Berry pass from members wing to the hotspot to stanch the Roo flow with his second goal. (Q3 13:34)
Whitlock flies on the line for a Byrne-Jones snap from the pocket, comes down with it but the umpire rules he juggled it over the line and it’s just a point. (Q3 15:05)
Aliir is whistled for an arm over the shoulder of Larkey in a contest 20m out, Souva steers through his third goal. (Q3 18:25)
Aliir puts Ratugolea off an intercept mark in the back pocket, Darling stays down to rove and give inside to Zurhaar who snaps the goal. Just about the sealer already. (Q3 20:12)
Ah, but a late review shows Jones got a fingertip to it off the boot, just a point for the Bull. (Q3 21:14)
Farrell’s kick in to CHB is to the feet of Aliir who fumbles, eventually Powell snaps off a step from 45m to an empty square… sneaks inside the right post! (Q3 22:06)
The nature of that goal, more than anything, makes it the official sealer. (Q3 22:49)
This one also reversed from the Edge, it did nick the inside of the post. (Q3 23:49)
So we still await the sealer! (Q3 23:59)
Stephens misses a snap after a feed by Xerri. (Q3 25:02)
Port goes coast to coast from that kick in, Watkins finding Durdin 40m out on a slight angle who kicks his debut goal for the Power. (Q3 26:15)
Darling pounces on Wehr after a throw-in to 20m to win a HTB and curl in a goal. (Q3 29:57)
Burgoyne goes long from members wing over Logue to Georgiades to mark on the boundary 20m out, who curls in his third goal. (Q3 31:30)
Curtis floats in front of Aliir to clunk a McDonald kick to the flank 40m out. 3QT siren goes, Curtis’ kick is short and rushed. (Q3 35:33)
Rozee bombs long to the square, Georgiades tries to shepherd it through but the ball bounces on its point and sits up for Logue to rush! Did Josh Carr kick a cat this morning? (Q4 2:14)
Durdin marks 35m out on the flank and steers through some junk. (Q4 3:29)
Whitlock gets a free at a throw-in 10m out and converts. (Q4 6:02)
Bergman roves at half back but is whistled for a throw, Zurhaar gets the free kick 40m out in the corridor and hits the post. (Q4 7:47)
Curtis roves a throw-in to 20m, breaks a Marshall tackle and snaps off his left for his first goal, belatedly, to settle North fan nerves. (Q4 9:02)
Larkey drops a mark at the top of the square, three Port defenders converge but one of them catches him high for a free kick and Souva’s fourth goal. (Q4 10:42)
Trembath takes a pack mark at the hotspot from a long Dovaston speculator from members wing, North members loved that one! He goals, the Roos have this in the pouch. (Q4 13:21)
Butters rolls a behind from a mid-range stoppage. (Q4 18:02)
Byrne-Jones misses from the pocket. (Q4 20:58)
Trembath marks a Sheezel pass on the HFF and passes to the pocket for Zurhaar 25m out. The Bull misses OOTF. (Q4 22:14)
Bergman misses from a set shot just inside 50m on a slight angle. (Q4 24:52)
Trembath draws an arm chop free on Lord 40m out in the corridor going for a Darling pass, he goals. (Q4 27:18)
Georgiades misses a set shot after the final siren from 45m in the corridor. (Q4 30:20)