SO LONG had it been since Essendon had beaten North Melbourne that Bomber coach Matthew Knights quipped after his team's stunning first-up win yesterday, "I think I was still running around myself".

In fact, Knights was still playing the season the Kangaroos' six-game winning streak over the Bombers began in 2002, most of those victories marked by the same common denominators, the Roos too strong in the clinches, and their midfield generals Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and Adam Simpson dominant.

And while the senior coach and much of the Dons' senior line-up was now different, for a tick over a quarter at Telstra Dome yesterday, it appeared the plot remained essentially the same. By then, the Roos' veteran trio had accumulated 24 possessions between them, pumping the ball forward to a dangerous couple of forwards in big man Nathan Thompson and Lindsay Thomas, who shared their team's first six goals.

The margin was 27 points, Essendon was being smashed for contested possession, key forward Scott Lucas was off the ground with a serious knee injury, and its overexuberance in the tackling department was being suitably punished with some costly free kicks.

Then it happened. Not so much a subtle shift in the balance of power in this game as a raging tide that rendered the first 30-odd minutes all but irrelevant. The Bombers would kick the final six goals of the second term to take a seven-point lead into half-time. Then seven of the eight scored in the third. And when Nathan Lovett-Murray booted his fourth to make the margin 55 points, Essendon had kicked 15 of the previous 16 goals.

Essendon tightened up significantly on those North troublemakers. Henry Slattery locked on to Grant, while Knights and the Bomber coaching panel kept faith with Mark McVeigh's capacity to handle Harvey in the middle and his teammates' ability to curb the champion Roo little man when he went forward.

McVeigh had kept the Bombers in it early, but rose to a higher level again as they took control, finishing with 31 disposals, five clearances and the inaugural Archer-Hird Medal for his efforts. Jobe Watson was almost as prolific with 30, but more damaging by foot than has often been the case.

When the ball did find its way into the North forward line, Mal Michael and Dustin Fletcher were there to bring it to ground, where an inspired Adam Ramanauskas and the likes of Bachar Houli and Courtenay Dempsey swept up the crumbs.

And far from hobble its forward set-up, Lucas' absence seemed only to spur it to greater deeds. Skipper Matthew Lloyd was having trouble with Michael Firrito early, but had it over Josh Gibson in the second quarter with three goals, kick-starting an eventual haul of half-a-dozen. Adam McPhee proved an athletic and hard-working replacement for Lucas, and Lovett-Murray a real surprise packet.

Eleven players shared the Dons' 19 goals. North, in contrast, had only four goalkickers — Thompson, Thomas, Aaron Edwards and Drew Petrie.

This was a desperately disappointing afternoon for the Kangaroos, who had built so much momentum off the field over the summer with their successful campaign to stave off relocation to the Gold Coast, then quickly built a record membership.

Thompson's successful return from a year out with a knee injury, finishing with four goals, was about the only positive coach Dean Laidley or Roo fans could take from the afternoon. North managed only three goals in the second half, and by the end of the game appeared to have lost all confidence in the fast-running and long-kicking game that had delivered such handsome rewards in 2007.

The loss of Lucas for the next three months will test the Bombers' long-term depth, while Sunday's Telstra Dome clash with Geelong provides a more immediate gauge of how much Knights' side has improved since last season.

But whatever happens, Knights was emphatic last night that his side would not be intimidated by the reigning premier, nor would he curb its creative licence. And on yesterday's impressive display, they're not just hollow words.

ESSENDON 2.0 8.2 15.5 19.8 (122) NTH MELBOURNE 4.3 6.7 7.9 9.13 (67)

GOALS Essendon: Lloyd 6, Lovett-Murray 4, Watson, Ramanauskas, McVeigh, Johnson, Hille, Lucas, Laycock, Davey, Fletcher. North Melbourne: Thompson 4, Thomas 3, Petrie, Edwards.

BEST Essendon: McVeigh, Lloyd, Watson, Ramanauskas, Houli, McPhee. North Melbourne: Grant, Thompson, Harvey, Simpson, Thomas.

INJURIES Essendon: Lucas (knee). North Melbourne: Jones (concussion).

UMPIRES: Stevic, K Nicholls, McInerney. CROWD: 48,100 at Telstra Dome.

FAIR RESULT? ABSOLUTELY. North was on top for about 35 minutes of this match, but from then, Essendon completely dominated, booting 15 of the next 16 goals.

TALKING POINT? SCOTT Lucas. Essendon's valuable key forward is out for the next three months with a serious knee injury.

HOT AND COLD? MARK McVeigh wasn't just hot but on fire yesterday, winning the Archer-Hird Medal. In contrast, the Roos' talented Daniel Wells was rarely sighted.