North Melbourne skipper Jye Simpkin has choked back tears paying tribute to his late grandmother in an emotional post-match interview after his side won its second game of the AFL season.

The Kangaroos beat Richmond by four points in a thriller at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, just days after Simpkin and his family said their goodbyes to his nan.

“Will miss your smile nan, you’re with pop now. I love you,” Simpkin wrote in a post on Instagram during the week.

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Speaking to Fox Sports after Sunday’s win, Simpkin was clearly emotional.

“Tough week, yeah. Obviously nan passing away was tough on myself, the family, everyone back home,” said the Roos captain, who is from Mooroopna in northern Victoria.

“But it happens and it’s life, and I’m just so glad, as a family, I got to be there with her for her last few breaths and her last couple of hours.

“And I’m just super proud the boys got the job done for me today, and I know nan and pop will be up there looking (down) very proud.”

His side ended an eight-year MCG drought with a tense four-point victory over Richmond, with Cam Zurhaar kicking four goals.

Zurhaar was the most prolific forward on the ground as the Kangaroos hung on for a heart-stopping 12.6 (78) to 11.8 (74) triumph on Sunday.

Tom Lynch cut the margin to six points with his second goal late in the final quarter and the Tigers had two further shots in time-on, but Kane McAuliffe and Tim Taranto fired wide.

Kangaroos defender Toby Pink took a goal-saving mark opposed to Lynch in the final minute to help seal the result.

After close losses to Port Adelaide and Essendon, then a draw with top side Brisbane, North (2-7-1) finally franked their improved form with a win.

It was their first at the home of football following nine straight defeats in a barren run since 2017.

Tristan Xerri won a titanic tussle with Toby Nankervis, both men shouldering a massive burden at ruck contests in a game littered with 137 stoppages.

Xerri had 19 disposals and 52 hit-outs, helping his side to a 54-33 win at clearances.

Luke Davies-Uniacke (27 disposals), Colby McKercher (22) and Simpkin (20) were also important contributors, with Nick Larkey and Jack Darling kicking two goals each.

Taranto (30 touches, 10 clearances) worked tirelessly for Richmond and Seth Campbell kicked three goals, while Kamdyn McIntosh added two.

But there was no fairytale finish for two-time premiership hero McIntosh in his 200th game.

North were top at stoppages in the opening term and Zurhaar contributed two early goals to help his side lead at quarter-time - 6.0 to 2.1 — for the first time this season.

It was the Kangaroos’ second-highest first-quarter tally in 46 games under Alastair Clarkson.

But a game-high 24-point lead evaporated as the Tigers turned the tables in congestion and dominated territory in the second term, reaping the benefits of their improved pressure.

Richmond’s Hugo Ralphsmith produced a goal-of-the-year contender when he shrugged off Colby McKercher, thought about kicking a banana, looked inside for a better option, then turned towards the boundary and dribbled a right-foot shot through from a tight angle.

McIntosh kicked go-ahead goals for the Tigers at the start of both the third and fourth quarters in a see-sawing contest.

But key forwards Larkey and Darling converted set shots to put the Kangaroos back in front in the last quarter and they held on in the desperate final stages for a morale-boosting win.

- With AAP