Port Adelaide Stun Roos With 21-Point Final-Term Win

Port Adelaide defeated North Melbourne 10.13 (73) to 7.10 (52) at Adelaide Oval on Sunday night, coming from 19 points down at half-time to win by 21 after kicking the only three goals of the final quarter. The result was confirmed in North Melbourne's official round report, which put the free-kick count at 37–33 in Port's favour and described the contest as lacking flow because of it.

How the Match Was Won

The opening term was tight and low-scoring, with both sides kicking 1.3 (9) the report noted both teams found scoring "a real chore" in the first quarter.

North Melbourne took control in the second term. Mitch Georgiades and Jack Whitlock had given Port an early sight of goal, but the Kangaroos answered with a run of goals through Jack Darling, Harry Sheezel, Luke Davies-Uniacke and Colby McKercher, with Darling adding a second late in the sequence. By half-time North led 5.6 (36) to 2.5 (17) a 19-point break, not the Port lead reported elsewhere.

Port turned it around in the third quarter, kicking five goals to North's two to level the scores at 7.9 (51) apiece at the final change. Nick Larkey, playing his 150th game, had opened the scoring for North in the first quarter but did not add another goal he was not part of the Kangaroos' scoring run, contrary to some reporting on the game.

From three-quarter-time, Port did not concede again. The Power kicked the only three goals of the final term extending North Melbourne's winless record at Adelaide Oval to seal the 21-point win.

Quarter-by-Quarter Scorecard

The sides were level twice after the first quarter and again at three-quarter-time. North's biggest lead was 19 points, reached at half-time Port's was the 21-point winning margin at the final siren.

Harry Sheezel's 40-Disposal Effort

Harry Sheezel finished with a game-high 40 disposals and one goal for North Melbourne, in a game the club's own report said he "had the ball on a string." Luke Davies-Uniacke added 31 disposals, seven score involvements and a classy snap goal, and was named among North's best alongside Luke Parker, Sheezel, Daniel Comben, Colby McKercher and Cooper Harvey. Harvey finished with 25 disposals and an equal game-high nine intercept possessions, though he was also penalised for a deliberate rushed behind that gifted Port an easy goal.

For Port, Jason Horne-Francis had 24 disposals and nine clearances against his old club. Zak Butters, who led Port as stand-in skipper in the Showdown win over Adelaide the previous weekend, added 26 disposals and seven score involvements. Darcy Byrne-Jones finished with 24 disposals and seven intercept possessions. Jordon Sweet was also named among Port's best.

Georgiades and Whitlock Lead the Scoring

Mitch Georgiades and Jack Whitlock kicked three goals each for Port Adelaide the game's equal-highest return. Jordon Sweet, Jackson Mead, Jason Horne-Francis and Corey Durdin added one apiece. Jack Darling was North's only multiple goal-kicker with two Sheezel, McKercher, Larkey, Jy Simpkin and Davies-Uniacke each kicked one.

The match produced a heavy free-kick count. North Melbourne's official report put the split at 37 free kicks to Port Adelaide and 33 to North Melbourne, and separately described the game's free-kick total as a new competition record, ahead of the 69 free kicks paid in a 2008 match between Sydney and Port Adelaide.

The 33,105-strong Adelaide Oval crowd watched the match play out at Adelaide Oval.

Nick Larkey's 150th Game

North Melbourne captain Nick Larkey marked his 150th AFL appearance by kicking the opening goal of the match, giving the Kangaroos an early lead. It was his only goal of the afternoon Port drew level by quarter-time before North took control in the second term.

Wardlaw Leaves with Hamstring Concern

George Wardlaw was North Melbourne's only listed injury, with a hamstring problem. Port Adelaide reported no injuries. No scan result, injury grade or expected return timeline had been made public at the time of writing.

Context and What It Means for Both Clubs

The result moved Port Adelaide to 6–10 for the season. It was their second consecutive win, following a 26-point defeat of Adelaide in the Showdown the previous weekend (13.19–97 to 9.17–71) Port's first back-to-back wins of 2026 under first-year senior coach Josh Carr, whose first game in charge was a 46-point Round 1 loss to this same North Melbourne side. The AFL's official Round 1 match report records North winning that opener 17.11 (113) to 9.13 (67).

North Melbourne dropped to 8–8 and 11th on the ladder. Port Adelaide has never lost to North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval Sunday's result extended that record to 15 wins from 15 meetings at the venue.