Pat Reidy had his best game for the season, posting 36 points as North Melbourne inflated a 20-point cushion and held on to get past the Falcons. Darryl McDonald added 10 points, eight assists and eight boards for the Giants, who improved to a league-best 6-1. Newcastle had six players in double figures, including rookie Greg Blake, who scored all of his 10 points in a third-quarter burst and former Melbourne strongman David Simmons who tallied 24 points.
North Melbourne: Reidy 36, McDonald 19, Mitchell 15, Shanahan 14, Stiff 11, Johnson 11, Goodwin 4, Reece 1.
