NORTH Melbourne gave the Demons a reality check yesterday, beating them all too easily at the MCG.

The Demons' lacklustre performance will no doubt force another round of soul-searching at the Junction Oval, after Dean Bailey's side once again failed to show a convincing grasp of their new coach's run-and-carry game plan, going down by a flattering 48 points to a sharp and effective Kangaroos outfit.

After earning itself a reprieve with an almost competitive 30-point loss to a less-than-impressive Geelong at home last week, Melbourne was back to its hesitant, fumbling worst in the first three quarters, scoring just three goals from eight shots to half-time and five from 15 at the final change.

More damning still was Melbourne's misuse of the ball — it had 363 disposals at the final siren, almost 50 less than its opponent, yet had 12 less scoring shots. Of those disposals a full 90 — almost 25% — were either ineffective or clangers.

In the end Melbourne was saved from yet another resounding walloping by the relative inaccuracy of its opponent, which kicked 18.19, and the fact that North Melbourne, for the fourth week in a row, was outscored in the final term.

Russell Robertson and Daniel Wells were two apparently unlikely starters on the bench, though with the way the rotations are evolving this year there was no doubt it would not remain the case for long.

Alas, for Robertson, he may have wished he stayed there. He finished the game with 3.1, all scored in the final term, with only one that could be said to have been earned through merit rather than opportunism. That came in the opening minutes of the fourth, when James McDonald found him one-out against an opponent and Robertson took a strong mark and converted truly.

The story was very different for Wells, who showed the characteristic speed and instinctive skill that has won him so many fans on the occasions that he brings it into the game. His effort was given in the reverse order to Robertson's, turning in a fantastic first three-quarters, for a return of 14 disposals, three tackles, and five inside 50s, before going quiet in the final term.

The first quarter was a feast of errors for both sides, best illustrated by the scoring efforts of the Kangaroos, who over the first 20 minutes managed seven behinds — only one rushed — through four different players, while their even more hapless opponents remained scoreless. It was not until the six-minute mark that Aaron Davey, who was really the one shining light for the Demons, found the ball and took two bounces to deliver it inside Melbourne's 50 for the first time in the game but, as was the pattern throughout the day, his teammates were unable to capitalise on his efforts and convert.

Then seconds before time-on, Lindsay Thomas broke his side's goal drought after gathering the loose ball that was forced by a courageous chase and tackle by Wells, and snapped truly.

From there the feast turned ominously for the Dees, as the Kangaroos put on three more goals through three separate scorers in the next six minutes — including one from Aaron Edwards after a beautiful strong overhead mark in the middle of a pack.

But, just minutes before the siren, the Demons did finally find some endeavour in the centre, and worked the ball into their 50, where, after a boundary throw-in, Davey let his instincts take over and found Lynden Dunn one-out at the top of the square. Dunn marked and converted, saving his team from the ignominy of conceding its first scoreless opening term since 2003.

Davey continued to impress, showing flair and endeavour throughout the four quarters and finishing with 20 disposals and 2.2. Unfortunately it did not seem enough to inspire his teammates who, with the exception of a few younger players — particularly Cale Morton and Austin Wonaeamirri, who kicked his first goal in AFL football in the final term — left supporters to wonder about their commitment to the game.

There were the occasional flashes of cohesiveness from the Demons, such as when they found first use of the ball out of the centre midway through the fourth quarter and went direct to David Neitz, who outmarked Michael Firrito 30 metres out from goal only to unselfishly give it off to Robertson in the square. But too often they were left to rely on individual efforts, which were few and far between.

Ill-discipline also cost the Demons in the third term when they gave away seven free kicks to one, while the Kangaroos ran away to a 53-point lead at three-quarter-time.

NORTH MELBOURNE 4.8 8.11 13.15 18.19 (127)
MELBOURNE 1.0 3.6 5.10 11.13 (79) Thompson 5, Edwards 3, Thomas 3, Jones 2, Campbell 2, Grant, Smith, Harvey. Melbourne: Robertson 3, Davey 2, Wonaeamirri 2, McLean, Dunn, Wheatley, White.

GOALS North Melbourne:

BEST North Melbourne: Harvey, Thomas, Power, Wells, McIntosh, Rawlings, Campbell. Melbourne: Davey, Wonaeamirri, Bruce, Dunn.

INJURIES North Melbourne: Gibson (knee).

REPORTS Melbourne: Miller by field umpire McInerney for alleged rough conduct against Pratt (North Melbourne) in the first quarter.

UMPIRES Farmer, Armstrong, McInerney.

CROWD 23,427 at MCG.

THE UPSHOT Last week's "admirable loss" against Geelong was not the turning point Melbourne supporters would have been hoping for. Judging by yesterday's form, it should be a very long season.

TALKING POINT Aaron Edwards will take the mark of the year, or die trying. He took seven grabs yesterday, three of them contested, and tried for at least a couple more.

HOT AND COLD Aaron Davey was really the only hot spot for a very cold Melbourne side. He had 20 touches, six of them contested, for 2.2.