PORT Adelaide has narrowly failed to send off Brendon Lade and Peter Burgoyne with a win after falling to North Melbourne by four points at AAMI Stadium.

The Kangaroos trailed by 20 points in the second quarter, but came over the top to win 10.11 (71) to 9.13 (67).

Port led by less than a goal at the final change after North managed the final three majors of the third quarter.

They made it four in a row and grabbed the lead when skipper Brent Harvey goaled as the heavens opened at West Lakes.

The dreadful conditions made attacking football almost impossible, and goals were at a premium and immensely valuable. Drew Petrie took a great contested mark almost in the goal square, but somehow contrived to miss.

Play ebbed and flowed until Burgoyne passed beautifully on his left foot to Brett Ebert, whose third goal gave the Power a four-point lead as the game entered time-on.

Harvey had a chance with running shot from about 15m, but he missed, and it took a 50m penalty, courtesy of a gentle Nathan Krakouer push after Scott McMahon marked, for North to regain the lead.

The next goal looked likely to settle the issue, and Harvey cleverly found Ed
Lower with a short pass. He pulled his shot, but as the umpire signalled for a behind, the siren sounded, and North had managed a brave come-from-behind win.

The Power were ahead by 13 points at the main break after a dour struggle in difficult conditions, but Josh Smith's goal five minutes into the second half gave the Kangaroos the perfect start to the second half.

Momentum, though, was hard to find for the visitors as heavy rain fell, and Brett Ebert, restored to the side after Warren Tredrea's withdrawal, kicked his second to even the ledger.

Hamish Hartlett then kicked well for his second goal for the night and a game-high 20-point lead to Port Adelaide.

It seemed as if the game had broken open for the home team, but the Roos fought back dramatically with three goals in four minutes through Josh Gibson, Drew Petrie and Brent Harvey to cut the margin to just two points.

A hard-won five-point lead for Port Adelaide at quarter time was threatened a couple of times early in the second term, but poor shooting for goal let down the Kangaroos.

A speculative shot from outside 50m by Hartlett that sailed through eventually extended the home side's margin to 10 points before Ebert took a fine grab and banged on another just a minute later.

Scoring stagnated for more than 10 minutes before Aaron Edwards snapped the Kangaroos' first goal for the quarter to bring them back within 12 points as the match entered time-on.

But soon afterwards a free kick to Matthew Broadbent, who goaled from a very tight angle, restored the Power's three-goal lead.

Port Adelaide 3.2 6.5 8.9 9.13 (67)
North Melbourne 2.3 4.4 8.6 10.11 (71)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Ebert 3, Hartlett 2, Lade, Salter, Brogan, Broadbent
North Melbourne: Petrie 3, Smith, Harvey 2, Edwards, Gibson, McMahon

BEST
Port Adelaide: Cassisi, K Cornes, Boak, Gray, C Cornes, Chaplin, Ebert
North Melbourne: Gibson, Rawlings, Petrie, Harvey, Anthony, Firrito, Thompson

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Petrie reported by umpire Avon for striking Carlile in the first quarter. Chaplin reported by umpire Avon for striking Swallow in the second quarter.
Gray reported by umpire Pannell for striking Thompson before the opening bounce of the third quarter.
K Cornes reported by umpire Avon for using obscene/insulting or abusive language after the final siren.

Umpires: Margetts, Meredith, McBurney

Official crowd: 17,284 at AAMI Stadium

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs