A gritty North Melbourne have extended their AFL winning streak over Melbourne to 17 games in a sensational four-point upset in Hobart.
The second-last Kangaroos looked more at home at a blustery Blundstone Arena, holding on for an 11.10 (76) to 10.12 (72) victory on Saturday.
The defeat is a significant blow to the Demons' top-four chances, which were dealt a further hit by the loss of key forward Jesse Hogan to a broken collarbone.
Hogan collided heavily with North Melbourne's Liam McDonald midway through the third quarter and took no further part in the game.
He'll undergo surgery on Sunday but Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin is hopeful his star won't be out for the season.
"He's had a difficult year and this is just another challenge," Goodwin said.
"Obviously we'll be guided by our doctors and get all the information but I wouldn't say it's season-ending.
"He knows there's a lot to play for the rest of the year and he wants to be a part of it."
Kangaroos big man Ben Brown was best on ground, with the Tasmanian finishing with a game-high four goals in a match that ebbed and flowed depending on who was running with the wind.
North Melbourne led by nine points heading into the final term and were expected to be run down by a Demons side with a huge breeze at their backs.
But they scrapped, holding the Demons to just two goals.
Brown's most influential play was a shanked kick from the boundary as his side trailed by a point 10 minutes from fulltime.
It was marked by Jy Simpkin, who slotted the goal from in front to give the Kangaroos the lead in what proved the final major of the match.
"We knew hanging on wasn't enough. We had to go forward and score," coach Brad Scott said, adding pre-match talk of tanking should be thrown out the window for good.
"You just bang your head up against a brick wall ... all you can do is respond with actions," he said.
Scott praised skipper Jack Ziebell for an inspirational fourth quarter.
While North Melbourne were frantic around the ball in the closing moments, Goodwin admitted his side didn't show enough intensity.
"It was a meat-and-three-veg day where you've just got to get your hands dirty and fight and scrap your way," he said.
"In the last quarter, Melbourne did it better than we did."
Remarkably, North Melbourne's last loss to the Demons was in 2006.
They'll be sweating on the fitness of veteran Jarrad Waite, who succumbed to an ongoing calf problem in the third quarter.
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