AFLW North Melbourne Football Club AFLW - Season 2024

[Colby Cheer Squad]

There was suggestion their squad had copped covid which would be a reasonable explanation for their lacklustre output. Them's the breaks and it doesn't dimish the win for mine, just cautions expectations.

Obviously I hope it was because we've turned a corner and become a real contender.

"Rick Aylett will tell"

The Covid that hit their squad was a couple of weeks ago now. It was before the Brisbane game.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Should all make it. Only reason they wouldn't is if they go the "inclusive" approach, pretend the league is more equal than it is and try to cram a bunch of bottom 14 sides' best mids in there, snubbing Ash Riddell even though she'd win any of those sides' B&F.

Hopefully, the selectors got the inclusivity out of their system by nominating at least one player from every team for the extended squad. If they try to cram one in from each team, we will see midfielders filling in all the forward and defensive positions.

 

[Horace]

Will be interesting how much our great win was tempered by the opposition genuinely being subpar.

In a couple of plays dees ball movement was slick and we couldn't really address it.

Guess I'm just wary of meeting them again in a GF and finding week 1 was an anomaly.

Hope like heck not of course.

If they were affected by covid, then surely that should have been mentioned, if not before then after the game.

Surely also their whole squad did not catch it and if a large number had it then should they have had an almost unchanged team out there? Two out, one with concussion from their last H&A outing.

To get to the GF they firstly have to beat Geelong and then Brisbane, who beat them in that last H&A game. In Brisbane, who will (hopefully like us) be fresher for the extra week off.

Most importantly though we also have to get there before we start worrying about beating them in a GF.

Much water still to flow under the bridge.

 

[Sticksphat]

Au contraire. There was one person saying that, in a thread titled "100 Most Valuable AFLW Players" published on 3 December 2019.

And ohhhh what a wise person indeed:

(Only reason I didn't have her at no.1 was to counter accusations of bias--not that Antonio did a bad job of filling in.)

Hence I'm rather amused by people around here trying to lecture me about how good Garner is. The gumption!

Interesting comparison of male counter part given her role now. I agree is terms of her impact on games and importance to our side, but they played different roles with Jas being much more midfield.

I started trying to think of another comparison. JZ in his prime?, but she uses the football so much better. Wellsy but not quite as silky. I started having to go further back.

An interesting discussion for all our girls. (Ash Riddell is Swallow with a pony tail.)

 

[Tas]

The Covid that hit their squad was a couple of weeks ago now. It was before the Brisbane game.

Maybe they got the Bubonic Plague last week.

 

[gokangas]

It was the most rabid I have seen our girls. The dees had to earn every single touch. I loved it. Our AFL team could learn a lot from the attack our girls showed.

 

[King Corey]

The Covid that hit their squad was a couple of weeks ago now. It was before the Brisbane game.

Very encouraging then.

 

[shinboner magic]

An under-discussed aspect of the game: Gee Melbourne supporters are a funny bunch. They genuinely seem to have trouble with the basics of the game, far beyond the usual "just kick the bloody thing" type callouts. A guy near me kept saying "who was that to?" frustratedly at increasingly strange times, like when Melbourne weren't even disposing of the ball. Eventually he even said it after a throw-in.

Godees fans usually don’t make a noise till they hit the front

 

[CURVE]

A little reading from the ESPN AFL web page.

Have the Roos gone from perennial 'almosts' to legitimate contenders after beating Dees?

Have the Roos gone from perennial 'almosts' to legitimate contenders after beating Dees?​

• Elly McNerney

Nov 14, 2023, 01:19 PM

Over the last few seasons, North Melbourne has been a team of almosts. They almost made the finals in their inaugural season in the AFLW competition and have been regular finalists since, most recently falling at the final hurdle with a preliminary final loss to eventual premiers Melbourne in Season 7.

And after a 23-point loss to the Demons in Round 8 this season, and a subsequent defeat at the hands of minor premiers Adelaide the following week, it seemed the Roos were destined for another 'good, but not good enough' kind of year.

But a commanding win against premiership heavyweights Melbourne in last week's qualifying final -- securing themselves a place in the preliminary final -- means the Kangas have officially flipped the premiership race on its head.
Coming into the game, many thought it would be a repeat of that Round 8 performance and the Demons would be too strong, but boy were they wrong.

The performance is almost reminiscent of the Australian Diamonds' World Cup campaign, where they narrowly lost to England in the rounds before showing their dominance by taking out the title a few days later.

North Melbourne were comfortably beaten in that Round 8 battle, but visibly took plenty of learnings from the game and came out and knocked the socks off their rivals. This is North Melbourne's first win against a side in the top four, after struggling to knock one of their fellow contenders off in the home and away season.

One key difference? The Roos' efficiency inside 50 in skyrocketed from 24 percent in Round 8 to 54.5 percent in the qualifying final, while they also evened up the clearance battle after losing in their previous contest. They kicked the ball more, their uncontested game was far more clean, and let's not forget about their 104 tackles for the game (nearly 30 more than their season average!).

Normally the focus for the Kangaroos goes straight to the midfield, and rightly so, with players such as Ash Riddell and Jasmine Garner leading the way. Their defence was impeccable, too, led by Jasmine Ferguson and Sarah Wright who have both flown under the radar in a strong season.

Melbourne's forward line is widely regarded as the best attack in the competition, with dual leading goalkickers in Eden Zanker and Kate Hore leading a potent forward line that has destroyed teams across the last 12 months. But in this year's qualifying final, both players were left goalless, Zanker with just one disposal to three-quarter time.

The Demons were the top ranked side for points scored this season, averaging 65.3 per game. So for North Melbourne to limit the Demons to just one goal, which only came in the last quarter, left footy fans amazed. More often than not, the Kangaroos were able to have a tall behind the ball whether it was Kim Rennie, Emma King or one of the forwards pushing back, which saw any Demons surge deep inside 50 from mopped up by the Roos defence.

North Melbourne Coach Darren Crocker said the team have received a confidence boost now knowing the defensive system holds up on the big stage.
"We've got unbelievable faith in our defensive system," Crocker said post-match. "It's held up. It's been building, not just this season, but throughout the last few seasons.
"Players have gained more and more belief and confidence around it. It's a bit different than the way a lot of other teams play, but we think it suits us and holds up well.
"Today just gave the players some great evidence that it can hold up under finals pressure and finals football."

Work on the defence to stop the offense? Makes sense. But the Roos also have their own forward 50 potency that has given sides constant headaches. Tall timbers Tahlia Randall and Kate Shierlaw were once again dangerous; Shierlaw only scored the one behind, but she was influential around the ground and in the air, and Randall had a day out, scoring three goals including the opener.

It shows that even if you can contain at least one of the two key forwards, more often than not the other one is going to find the big sticks. Adding to that, you've got the small forwards and midfielders that can hit the scoreboard with Bella Eddey (two goals and five tackles) and Alice O'Loughlin (one and four) also kicking goals on the day. Garner and Lulu Pullar have found the goals this year, too.

As already touched on, while all the focus normally goes to Riddell and Garner, a few of North Melbourne's unsung heroes were able to put together strong performances and played their roles to perfection. Mia King (17 disposals and five clearances) and Taylah Gatt (15, nine tackles and two marks) were exceptional, with the latter often using her speed on the outside to get the ball inside 50.

Captain Emma Kearny was crucial across half back, picking up 22 touches and 495 metres gained, and always able to really create something out of defence. Garner wasn't racking up the astronomical numbers that fans are used to, due to attention from Shelley Heath, but her 26 disposals and three clearances were still more than serviceable.

It was also the little things, like being first to the contest and the furiosity that North Melbourne brought, which helped tie together almost the perfect game. Something they can work on? Accuracy perhaps, but their pressure and defensive set up was sound enough that it didn't matter on the day, although it can be improved.

The win means North Melbourne are firmly in the race for the premiership, if they weren't already, with just one more win required to make history and secure the club a berth in its first ever women's Grand Final.

 

[ferball]

I live in northern NSW Otherwise would love too!

Road trip?

 

[Hatchy1992]

Road trip?

Im in!

 

[ferball]

Immense Geelong/Dogs blokes team methods

Its a problem across both comps imo.

 

[ferball]

Internet here has been so shit. i haven't been able to watch a game for weeks.

So I watched the replay. It only took 3 hours.

Will be interesting how much our great win was tempered by the opposition genuinely being subpar.

In a couple of plays dees ball movement was slick and we couldn't really address it.

Guess I'm just wary of meeting them again in a GF and finding week 1 was an anomaly.

Hope like heck not of course.

I do get where you are coming from. There were multiple times when they broke away and looked good but it was never for a full possession chain to score. As H2H noted we always shut them down, maybe not immediately but if not straight away then down field toward their goal line.

It was fantastic play. It was a brilliant game plan and everyone brought into it. Credit has to go to the coaches and the players. It was the across the board stuff - unity, buy in and commitment - that Clarko is talking about all the time.

If we can maintain this standard for the rest of the season other teams come hard at us but the girls will give themselves every chance of going all the way.

 

[CURVE]

I do get where you are coming from. There were multiple times when they broke away and looked good but it was never for a full possession chain to score. As H2H noted we always shut them down, maybe not immediately but if not straight away then down field toward their goal line.

I thought the Dees best moment in the entire game was when they put a nice chain of handballs together down the far wing that we struggled to stop until Paxman kicked it into their forward 50 and it was intercepted by Rennie, then we ran it back in what was the best play of the entire game where Shierlaw run past Burch and handballed 25-30 metres to Randall before Eddey goaled in the square. It was actually nice, skillful end to end footy from both teams.

 

[Sillygit]

I thought the Dees best moment in the entire game was when they put a nice chain of handballs together down the far wing that we struggled to stop until Paxman kicked it into their forward 50 and it was intercepted by Rennie, then we ran it back in what was the best play of the entire game where Shierlaw run past Burch and handballed 25-30 metres to Randall before Eddey goaled in the square. It was actually nice, skillful end to end footy from both teams.

That shierlaw burst, an absolute thing of beauty

 

[sutcliffe's hotel]

That shierlaw burst, an absolute thing of beauty

Surely someone has done it as a meme with a Chariots of Fire soundtrack or perhaps Bust a Move.

 

[bengrina]

Assuming we win the pre lim final does that mean the grand final would be in melbourne and if so where would it be played?

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

That shierlaw burst, an absolute thing of beauty

And the 30 metre handball.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Assuming we win the pre lim final does that mean the grand final would be in melbourne and if so where would it be played?

Princes Park.

 

[gokangas]

Princes Park.

Arden Street.

 

[Liam Boy]

I thought the Dees best moment in the entire game was when they put a nice chain of handballs together down the far wing that we struggled to stop until Paxman kicked it into their forward 50 and it was intercepted by Rennie, then we ran it back in what was the best play of the entire game where Shierlaw run past Burch and handballed 25-30 metres to Randall before Eddey goaled in the square. It was actually nice, skillful end to end footy from both teams.

That felt like the moment the game turned from "North have been good but ah gee could turn at any minute" into "alright we're on here." I think it broke them emotionally to get one little gasp of the footy they love to play, only to have it blow up in their faces and immediately rebound. It was beating them at their own game in the most satisfying way.

 

[shinboner magic]

Still with all our domination in that first quarter and a half we didn’t really put the score on the board. That’s been our Achilles heel for a long time.
Got to make it count as it cost us in our losses against the bris/adel losses

 

[kool kangas]

Assuming we win the pre lim final does that mean the grand final would be in melbourne and if so where would it be played?

Ikon Park..........

 

[CURVE]

Still with all our domination in that first quarter and a half we didn’t really put the score on the board. That’s been our Achilles heel for a long time.
Got to make it count as it cost us in our losses against the bris/adel losses

True, but we didn't concede a score either. Melbourne is a very good side, you don't blow them out of the water in the first 20 minutes, it takes time and a huge effort from all the girls, which is what we got, and results showed in the third and fourth quarters.

Melbourne hadn't lost a fourth quarter before Sunday and haven't lost all four quarters for about 4 or 5 seasons, but that all changed on the weekend.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

And another W coach bites the dust. Not surprising after the Dogs’ season, but that’s three spots available now.