Game Day North Melbourne Football Club AFLW - Season 2024 Premiers - First EVER (AFLM/W) UNDEFEATED PREMIERSHIP SEASON - The Invincibles

[The Nostradamus]

every player better be wearing screw in studs tomorrow

No slipping over

I think whilst the rain equalises the game a bit more we are better prepared to deal with it

 

[Chadwiko]

For what it's worth, the weather forecast looks like most of tomorrow's rain will stop around 6pm~.

Hopefully that's accurate.

 

[Blightys Barrel]

An ex Lions player is on the panel for the BOG. FFS!

I heard Cripps was favorite with the Bookies

 

[Friday Night Lights]

Sucks having to wait all day for this

 

[Nate7]

Will someone change to the gameday prefix?

Twinkletoes Flawed Genius

 

[Caracas]

Sucks having to wait all day for this

I have to wait all night!
All Friday Night Lights in Ireland!

 

[Caracas]

What’s the weather like in Melbourne this morning?

 

[Chadwiko]

What’s the weather like in Melbourne this morning?

Overcast and drizzling.

 

[Friday Night Lights]

What’s the weather like in Melbourne this morning?

Overcast, drizzly and very humid.

 

[CURVE]

Personally, I don't think she is one of the all-time greats, I think she is the GOAT.

All that Jas: Why Garner's one of the all-time greats

All that Jas: Why Garner's one of the all-time greats​

Widely regarded to be one of the best players in the AFLW competition, Jas Garner is a players' player. Gemma Bastiani speaks to some of Garner's coaches and opponents to figure out what makes her so revered
By Gemma Bastiani

Jas Garner poses for a photo at North Melbourne's 2024 team photo day. Picture: AFL Photos

AMIDST the celebrations at Monday's W Awards, there was one moment that stood out.
As AFL CEO Andrew Dillon read out North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner's name for the first time – in the fifth week of votes – a lengthy round of applause erupted around the room.
It was a different kind of applause. Not the loud whooping of teammates celebrating one of their own polling some votes. Not the generic applause afforded to those deemed best on ground.
It was a show of respect from Garner's peers.

Jasmine Garner and Ebony Marinoff after being named in the All-Australian team during the 2024 W Awards at Crown Palladium. Picture: AFL Photos

"I actually felt a little bit emotional," now Sydney, and former North Melbourne coach Scott Gowans told AFL.com.au.
"I just know how hard she's worked and what she's been through off field as well. I just thought to myself, 'How good's this?'"
Anyone that knows Garner will tell you that she hated the moment. Not for the message those around her were trying to send, but for the attention directed her way.

She is a famously no-fuss, get the job done kind of person. She wears simple white boots. Her hair is pulled back in a low bun. She isn't overly chatty on the field.
And the culmination of those things has seen her struggle to poll on the League's night of nights. But her impact on the AFLW should be considered alongside the likes of Daisy Pearce and Erin Phillips.
Originally selected as a key forward by Collingwood with pick 86 in the inaugural Telstra AFLW Draft, she wrote her name into the history books with the very first goal in AFLW history back in the opening game.

When North Melbourne joined the League, she was lured across in the clubs impressive first list build. Her intelligence and elite kick were clear to everyone who watched her play, but a suggestion from the club's then-AFLW list and performance manager Rhys Harwood after the 2019 season led to a pivotal decision in North Melbourne – and Garner's – journey.
Should Jasmine Garner play in the midfield?
"Well, I pushed for it a little bit, but (Gowans) was the coach," Harwood said humbly.
"She obviously played half forward for us and kicked goals and took marks, but she was just so clean, had so much time with the ball… that first year I reckon we had a bit of a one note midfield, we weren't batting deep through there and didn't have too many points of difference outside of (Emma Kearney).
"But she just kind of got herself to the point where she was fit enough to go through there and all the attributes she had, she just had more opportunity to use them."

Scott Gowans (middle) is seen during the 2020 semi-final between North Melbourne and Collingwood on March 21, 2020. Picture: AFL Photos

Harwood was on the money.
"Credit to Rhys, his keen eye saw it. He suggested it to me, we tried it, and it worked," Gowans said.
That shift from big bodied forward to permanent midfielder required hard work to get exceptionally fit. But in doing so, Garner re-determined what it meant to be a midfielder in the AFLW.
"She had to re-imagine her body, and build an engine. And what she's done is show that if you're tall, it doesn't mean that you've got to be a ruck, and it doesn't mean you've got to be the old traditional ruck-rover," Gowans said.
"It just means that you're going to become a mid that needs to impact forward and bring others into the game. So, I think what she has reshaped is the score involvements and the goal assists and all those stats.
"That it's not just the clearance and the inside 50, it's actually putting the ball to good spots and helping the team. And she probably invented that within the game, and then the other mids now follow that and try to be like that."

Jas Garner is seen ahead of North Melbourne's week eight, 2024 match. Picture: AFL Photos

With Garner sitting third on the all-time AFLW disposal tally, and also equal-third for all time goals kicked, her capacity to turn stoppage craft into genuine attack is unmatched across the competition.
But there is a clear imprint on other players around the country, who aim to play in a similar way. The likes of Gold Coast's Claudia Whitfort and West Coast's Ella Roberts have clear elements of Garner's attacking style of play, while
Geelong duo Nina Morrison and Becky Webster show similar traits in their distribution of the football.
Consistency in impact is what leaps to other players' lips when asked about Garner. Her skill, midfield work, and scoring prowess is all greatly admired by her peers.
"Jas is a really inspiring player mostly because of her consistency in brilliance. She shows up time and time again, and makes it all look effortless and easy. A joy to watch," Collingwood midfielder Sarah Rowe said of Garner.

Jas Garner in action during North Melbourne's preliminary final against Port Adelaide in 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

That is, when she's not cutting her own team apart.
"I think everyone considers her as one of the, if not the best player in the league. Her ability to win the ball speaks for itself, but she's such a classy user with ball in hand," Hawthorn star Greta Bodey said.
"And I think the thing that ets her apart is her ability to hit the scoreboard and kick goals consistently. She's easily my favourite player to watch in the game."

Jasmine Garner career snapshot

• 88 career games (=6th all time)
• 7x All Australian
• 2x All Australian captain
• 4x North Melbourne best and fairest
• 3rd for all time disposals (1,825)
• =3rd for all time goals (78)
• 2nd for all time clearances (367)
• 1st for all time goal assists (47)
• 1st for all time score involvements (386)

Meanwhile for Libby Birch, who has recently gone from foe to friend, the respect level was always there, but now she has greater insight into just what makes Garner tick.
"Jas is an ultimate competitor and teammate. One that humbly gets to work to put everything on the line for her team," Birch said.
"Jas has an unbelievable footy intuition to sense game changing moments and execute them. Her timing to hit the contest, receive, and launch from that is the best in the League."

Jas Garner refuses to give up on the play and pinches a stunning major for the Roos
Her ability to move from contest to contest, and repeatedly impact passages of play is credit to her elite fitness, but also her cool mindset. Able to shake off any potential concerns and remain focused on the task at hand.
"What her main characteristic is that she's probably the best player I've coached that can have the mindset of just never beaten," Gowans said.
"If she loses a contest, she doesn't get frustrated or frazzled, or if she's tagged, she's almost unflappable in that area, and that is the key ingredient to being involved in the game all the time."

North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner discusses the devastation loss in the 2023 Grand Final as how the Roos can bounce back
Most evident, however, when canvassing those across the playing and coaching cohort is the immediate reference to both her footballing ability, and who she is as a person and leader.
"I think Jas' off-field demeanour and her ability to just be likeable is unique," Gowans said.
"Kearney does it with aggression on the field. Erin Phillips does it with brute strength. Jas does it almost with a laconic athletic ability, and does it where everybody loves her.
"I just think she's the Robert Harvey of the women's game."

Jas Garner chats to fans during a North Melbourne training session on November 29, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos/Getty Images

So, the raucous applause at Monday's event makes sense. It was simply a showing of appreciation for someone who will forever leave a legacy on the game, whether she one day wins an AFLW best and fairest medal, or not.
"That's why she got that response the other night," Harwood said.
"She's just the most beautiful human ever. So humble, so kind."

 

[Outtatym]

Sucks having to wait all day for this

Agreed. Night grand finals suck.

 

[Luke72]

Agreed. Night grand finals suck.

If it means this weather has cleared then I’m ok with it.

 

[CURVE]

‘Much better’: Redemption on the cards as Roos put AFLW heartbreak aside

‘Much better’: Redemption on the cards as Roos put AFLW heartbreak aside​

Fox Footy from Fox Sports
November 30th, 2024 6:00 am

It’s not easy being a North Melbourne fan.

Heavy losses and star players packing their bags have meant the Kangas have been dwelling in the doldrums of the AFL ladder for quite some time.

The past five seasons have seen the Roos finish in the bottom two every year, combining for just 15 wins from 107 matches, a win rate of just 14 per cent.

But while the men’s side have been battling, the women’s team have been flourishing.

The Kangaroos are set to compete in their second consecutive AFLW grand final at Ikon Park on Saturday night, as Darren Crocker’s side aim to become the first ever North Melbourne AFLW premiership team.

And the boys are getting around it. The likes of Harry Sheezel, Will Phillips and George Wardlaw are big supporters of the AFLW side, often attending games throughout the season. Men’s coach Alastair Clarkson and co-captain Luke McDonald are also strong advocates for the women’s program.

Alongside the likes of Hawthorn and Brisbane, the cross-collaboration between North Melbourne’s men’s and women’s programs is as good as any club in the competition.

There’s often overlap in the gym, on the training track or in the common areas and hallways. Women’s captain Emma Kearney also helps out from a coaching perspective with the men’s program, only strengthening the connections between programs.

The men’s program are hoping to feed off the energy the women’s team are playing with and supoprters and fans are also feeling a bit of an extra buzz as the AFLW program embarks on the biggest game on the women’s footy calendar.

On Saturday night, the entire North Melbourne Football Club will be hoping the girls can make history.

Star midfielder Ash Riddell believes her side are better placed this year to win the ultimate prize than when they were last year.

“I think this year we’ve got a much better role clarity and consolidation of our game plan and with that comes adaptability, if things go wrong at certain times and we need to adjust things,” she told reporters on Wednesday.

“We’re much more sound in where we are going and our roles and what is expected of us,” she said.

The Roos have all the tools needed to secure the flag. Coach Darren Crocker was voted best in the business by his peers, Riddell has had a superb year where she polled second in the AFLW Best and Fairest and then there’s Jasmine Garner.

Garner is arguably the game’s best player but has constantly been snubbed by umpires throughout her career, despite being highly regarded amongst the playing group and coaches. At the W Awards on Monday night, the entire room erupted when Garner finally polled votes in week five.

Their forward half is dangerous. Tall forward Kate Shierlaw is in career-best form, Tahlia Randall is a handful for opposition key defenders and Irish woman Vikki Wall is a menace inside 50.

Alice O’Loughlin received her maiden All-Australian blazer and Bella Eddey is a quiet achiever, often doing work that goes unnoticed.

Through the middle of the ground, Taylah Gatt has developed into a crucial player on the wing, while Ruby Tripodi and Mia King get better with every game they play. Emma King and Kim Rennie are a strong double act in the ruck.

The acquisition of Libby Birch in defence has proven masterful, adding to what was already a strong backline group led by Sarah Wright, Jasmine Ferguson and Emma Kearney.

If the Roos go into the decider with the same 21 as they did in the preliminary final, there will be just three changes from the side that went down to the Lions by 17 points.

The Roos lured star defender Birch to the club during the trade period and she has immediately reinforced Crocker’s backline. Birch is aiming to become the first player to win a premiership at three different clubs, after her triumphs with the Western Bulldogs in 2018 and with Melbourne in 2022 season seven.

Their second change is gun forward Vikki Wall. Wall returned to Ireland last year to pursue her Olympics dream with the Ireland Rugby Sevens set-up but has returned to Arden Street and made an immediate impact.

Ruby Tripodi is the other change from last year, after taking her game to another level in 2024. Tripodi has added another layer of depth to the Roos’ star-studded on-ball brigade, complementing the likes of Garner, Riddell, King and Jenna Bruton.

Eliza Shannon, Lulu Pullar and Niamh Martin are the unlucky trio who have lost their place since last year.

Since last season’s heartbreak, the Roos have looked almost bullet proof.

An undefeated home and away season was followed by strong wins over Adelaide and Port Adelaide in their two finals.

But Wall says it isn’t something the club has focussed on internally.

“I don’t think that’s something we focus on, I don’t think we’ve gone into games looking at winning by certain margins… it’s looking at how we are actually performing. It’s external talking about the undefeated thing, I don’t think that’s something that plays into our game and our psyche,” she said on Wednesday.

Last year it was a whirlwind finish to the season. The Roos weren’t expected to make the decider and were running on adrenaline. But this year, they’re prepared.

They have been waiting for this moment since this time last year. A chance for redemption after last year’s heartbreak and a chance to write their names into the history books.

Bring on Saturday night.

 

[Amicalola]

Does Alice have a speech impediment? I don’t mean this harshly, I’m just curious. Her voice struck me as unusual, but I couldn’t figure out why.

I will be there tonight. Hope many north fans will be as well!

 

[spurs]

Go girls it’s our turn to win this today and make history.

 

[Harveysuth]

Bring it home Roos

 

[numchuks]

Hi , after tickets for tonight’s game?

Can anyone assist or does anyone have some spare that they’re no longer using?

 

[datakid]

The workload when you run a business must make it hard to juggle, wouldn’t blame her at all.

Didn't know she was a business owner! What is it?

 

[Chadwiko]

Does Alice have a speech impediment?

No.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Didn't know she was a business owner! What is it?

It was in that article and a couple of interviews - a family business she now runs, I’ve got warehousing in my head?

Saw her twin in the crowd after the last game, (obviously) they look very much alike.

 

[The Brady Bunch]

Hi , after tickets for tonight’s game?

Can anyone assist or does anyone have some spare that they’re no longer using?

Worth a try...

 

[wolvesRoos]

The weather has been shocking in Geelong this morning. Very heavy rain for last couple hours

 

[The Maestro]

Hi all, Happy Grand Final Day!

I said we wouldn’t miss it unless baby comes, but we’re excited to say that baby number 3 has joined us as of yesterday.

In saying that, we have a family ticket available for 2 adults and 2 children.

Happy for these tickets to go to some North fans who can cheer the girls on in person. Only thing I’ll need is your email so I can transfer you the tickets.

Paying it forward after [mention]The Brady Bunch [/mention] helped us out with tickets last year!

[mention]numchuks [/mention]would you be interested in these?

Go Roos!

 

[Orange Peanut]

Didn't know she was a business owner! What is it?

A commercial enterprise where money is exchanged for goods or services, but that's not important right now

 

[Liam Boy]

Hi , after tickets for tonight’s game?

Can anyone assist or does anyone have some spare that they’re no longer using?

I've got a couple, DM me