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

[Hatchy1992]

I really liked our performances against Adelaide last season, thought we did really well to hold out their offence both games and really grind out the wins.

But for me I thought my favourite victories were against Brisbane. The way we were able to just smother their gameplan both in round 1 and the GF and just dominate them in both games. Was amazing to watch.

 

[CURVE]

I really liked our performances against Adelaide last season, thought we did really well to hold out their offence both games and really grind out the wins.

But for me I thought my favourite victories were against Brisbane. The way we were able to just smother their gameplan both in round 1 and the GF and just dominate them in both games. Was amazing to watch.

Both were great games, the third quarter in round 1 where we outscored Brisbane 6.3.39 to 0.0.0 is one of the best quarters of footy played in the AFLW.

Brisbane's heaviest AFLW defeat up to that day was 39pts and we equaled it in one quarter.

 

[Hatchy1992]

Both were great games, the third quarter in round 1 where we outscored Brisbane 6.3.39 to 0.0.0 is one of the best quarters of footy played in the AFLW.

Brisbane's heaviest AFLW defeat up to that day was 39pts and we equaled it in one quarter.

I was at the round 1 game live and it was just as amazing to watch live as the replay the next day.

I'm pretty sure I heard myself live too lol.

 

[The Nostradamus]

The opening round of the 2025 VFLW season will begin the weekend of April 19-20, while the final round will be played the weekend of August 2-3. The finals structure remains unchanged, with the finals series to be played across four weeks.

The new VFLW season dates provide more alignment with the NAB AFLW competition. As announced last month, the 2025 NAB AFLW Season will commence the week beginning August 11 – two weeks earlier than in 2024.

a bit more overlap now with vflw season and our preseason, so aflw girls could play vflw during the preseason and then there is overlap between elimination vflw finals onwards and the first 3 aflw rounds

 

[CURVE]

The opening round of the 2025 VFLW season will begin the weekend of April 19-20, while the final round will be played the weekend of August 2-3. The finals structure remains unchanged, with the finals series to be played across four weeks.

The new VFLW season dates provide more alignment with the NAB AFLW competition. As announced last month, the 2025 NAB AFLW Season will commence the week beginning August 11 – two weeks earlier than in 2024.

a bit more overlap now with vflw season and our preseason, so aflw girls could play vflw during the preseason and then there is overlap between elimination vflw finals onwards and the first 3 aflw rounds

It would be better if there was actual overlap between the AFLW and VFLW seasons, but hopefully this will allow our youngsters to play some games in the VFLW ahead of the AFLW season. I'm not sure if players like Slocombe have played an actual game since being drafted, and if that's the case then surely it is hampering her (and others in a similar position) development.

 

[King Corey]

Rewatched the first final against Adelaide this week over a quiet drink - gosh that was a tough win, hardest of the finals by far.

Reflecting on this one, it was the flipside of the total north experience the last few years.

Dominate play, "feel" the better team then lose.

The feeling after that final was relief, for once we had an opponent all over us but we prevented them from capitalising.

 

[Liam Boy]

I really liked our performances against Adelaide last season, thought we did really well to hold out their offence both games and really grind out the wins.

But for me I thought my favourite victories were against Brisbane. The way we were able to just smother their gameplan both in round 1 and the GF and just dominate them in both games. Was amazing to watch.

As much as we were clearly the best team this year and I'm confident we would've won the flag either way, Adelaide were clearly the second best team and if there'd been a fair fixture they would've finished second and hosted Brisbane in week one, and eventually played us in the Grand Final. Would've been a much better matchup.

 

[Hatchy1992]

As much as we were clearly the best team this year and I'm confident we would've won the flag either way, Adelaide were clearly the second best team and if there'd been a fair fixture they would've finished second and hosted Brisbane in week one, and eventually played us in the Grand Final. Would've been a much better matchup.

Yeh we would have had the confidence leading into any potential grand final either way so I'm sure we would have won either way.

 

[CURVE]

As much as we were clearly the best team this year and I'm confident we would've won the flag either way, Adelaide were clearly the second best team and if there'd been a fair fixture they would've finished second and hosted Brisbane in week one, and eventually played us in the Grand Final. Would've been a much better matchup.

Even though it was almost four months between our round 1 thrashing and the Grand Final, I was very confident we would win the flag once Brisbane toppled Adelaide in the Preliminary, I wouldn't have been as confident if the Prelim went the other way. In the Grand Final Presser, Starcevich believed his Lions were the second best team in 2024 (a fair claim considering his team made the GF and defeated the Crows in the PF), but like you I think it was Adelaide, they were the only team that could compete for the full four quarters and wouldn’t totally crumble under our pressure.

 

[HongKongRoo]

I was reflecting on the list build of our Premiership 21. It’s a credit to Gowans and Crocker, as well as others like Rhys Harwood and Flynn Loft, how well we have done to incrementally piece the puzzle together, getting closer every season.

2019
Kearney, Garner, Bruton, Riddell, Randall, Em King, Bresnehan

2020
M King, Wright

2021
O’Loughlin, Eddey, Smith

2022A
Craven, Ferguson, Rennie

2022B
O’Shea, Wall, Gatt

2023:
Shierlaw, Tripodi

2024:
Birch

It also reminded me of the concern when Ashmore, Gilroy, Bannister and Bateman all left after 2022A. Fair to say that the eventual replacements were a significant upgrade.

Ashmore and Gilroy could have played a role but the AFLW mechanisms mean you have to keep turning over your list, especially when more teams were added. Someone had to go.

 

[HongKongRoo]

Rewatched the first final against Adelaide this week over a quiet drink - gosh that was a tough win, hardest of the finals by far.

It was the perfect game to set us up and make sure we didn't become complacent.

 

[Liam Boy]

Ashmore and Gilroy could have played a role but the AFLW mechanisms mean you have to keep turning over your list, especially when more teams were added. Someone had to go.

Brooke Brown was the one that concerned me the most because she looked pretty promising as an intercepting defender, and I think that's something we were missing in 2023 especially. But then we got Libby Birch, and Brown hasn't really set the world on fire at *.

 

[The Nostradamus]

looks like eilish sheerin has taken the number 4 according to her insta bio

 

[The Brady Bunch]

Brooke Brown was the one that concerned me the most because she looked pretty promising as an intercepting defender, and I think that's something we were missing in 2023 especially. But then we got Libby Birch, and Brown hasn't really set the world on fire at *.

Brooke has turned out to be another Kate Gillespie-Jones. She has good height and she has skills but she simply isn't a KPP which is disappointing. Brooke's best attribute was rebounding out of defence but we have better options for that specific role.

 

[CURVE]

Brooke Brown was the one that concerned me the most because she looked pretty promising as an intercepting defender, and I think that's something we were missing in 2023 especially. But then we got Libby Birch, and Brown hasn't really set the world on fire at *.

Brown was totally outplayed when we played them last season, and Bannister wasn't much better. I was upset when we let them go for about 5 minutes but overall, it was a brilliant decision by Crocks and the recruitment team.

We have lost a number of players that I initially felt could leave a hole in our lineup, but in every instance, we had a better option already on our list or brought in a player through the draft or from another club that turned out to be a better fit and a better player. Alice O'Loughlin was a young developing small forward when we let Bannister go, we delisted Abbatangelo and brought in Wall, we let Gilroy and Ashmore go to Hawthorn and brought in O'Shea and Gatt and also had Craven waiting in the wings. At the end of 2023 we let Gavalas go to the Dogs because we felt Tripodi could do a better job in the middle. Brown may have been a little more difficult to replace, but I don't think Shannon, who we bought in from Hawthorn, was a bad replacement in 2023 but bringing Birch the following season was the masterstroke that elevated the list from a top 4 quality list to the best in the league. And now we have bought in Sheerin.

Our recruiting team have done an amazing job over the last 3 or 4 seasons and probably should be transferred to our Men's recruiting team to teach them how to do it.

 

[Liam Boy]

I don't think Brown is to blame for their team getting flogged all over the park that very fun day at Windy Hill. Just saying that she hasn't ended up being a significant loss.