Last time they met, Melbourne took down North Melbourne by 23 points. The round 8 scoreline might not sound like such a horrible loss for the Kangaroos, but it added to their woes when it comes to taking on the premier AFLW clubs. Historically speaking, the Roos have a record of 2 wins and 14 losses against the best of the best in AFLW – Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Melbourne (Naarm) were too good for North Melbourne in their round 8 clash. Photo: North Melbourne Football Club
Leading into week one of the finals series, North are on the hunt and ready to make a statement. Though their previous record against the top sides certainly doesn't position them as favourites for the Sunday showdown, there’s room to dig a little deeper and look at the numbers that could lead to a famous victory against the more fancied Demons outfit.
Does everything come in threes? Well, no, that saying is not true in this case. It’s happening in twos. That's right, sets of two. Melbourne have dominated inside 50, with the two league leading goalkickers donning the red and blue. Eden Zanker and Kate Hore have both kicked 20 goals apiece. They’ve had a total of 81 shots on goal between them (Hore 44, Zanker 37), and Kate Hore leads the league in score involvements (70). They’ve also combined for 42 marks inside 50 (Hore 22, Zanker 20), the only club in the league with two players inside the top 10 for that category.
Kate Hore takes a kick for Melbourne. Photo: AFL Photos
And the others? Yes, Hore and Zanker have led the Demons inside the forward 50, but what about the rest. Some might say they are the most consistent of the AFLW teams when it comes to spreading the load. If we can all agree that the numbers don’t lie, then this is absolutely the case. Melbourne don’t have one player in the top ten league leaders for kicks, handballs, disposals, marks or tackles. That’s right, not one Demons player in the top 10 in any of those five categories.
This makes it all that much tougher for North Melbourne. There isn't one player they need to negate in order to get the upper hand, the spread is across the ground. Olivia Purcell has had a stellar season, averaging 21.8 disposals per match, and 4 clearances per game, her best since landing at the Demons from Geelong at the start of 2022. She was Naarm’s leading disposal getter last time they took on North Melbourne (28).
And when we’re talking about working in sets of two, Tyla Hanks is a great side kick. Hanks is averaging 21.6 disposals per game this season, with a staggering 5.7 clearances each week. That’s close to double her best clearance average per game back in 2021 which was 3.4.
Tyla Hanks playing for Naarm. Photo: AFL Photos
As we continue listing pairs of damaging Melbourne players, it's not doing much for our case as to how North Melbourne can topple the Demons. But we'll get to that soon.
For now, we have to mention returning stars Maddy Gay and Paxy Paxman. Both are Premiership players who have experience that will play a part, and they are proven players in big games.
And although we’ve mentioned some inside 50 star power already, how about adding Alyssa Bannan and Tayla Harris to the equation. Sure, Harris has only featured in 6 out of 10 games during season 8, but she took 5 marks and kicked a goal in the final round of the season against Brisbane, and her ability to take a big pack mark or kick an important goal can’t be disregarded.
Bannan has played all 10 games, and though she hasn’t kicked a goal since round 7, she’s kicked a handy 12 for the season and could be a difference maker for the Dees playing as a half forward.
Alyssa Bannan kicked three goals in the Demons AFLW preliminary final against Brisbane in 2022. Photo: Newcastle Herald
Okay, so what about North? Sorry, it’s been a bit of a wait, but we’re getting to it. Given we’re talking all things pairs, we can’t go past what is potentially the toughest duo in women’s football. Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell are the heart and soul of the Kangaroos. This week named the AFLW Coaches Champion Player award winner for the third time (includes 2020, 2022 and 2023), she is the only player to have received the accolade more than once.
Top two in the league for total disposals (300), clearances (71), metres gained (5,422), contested possessions (155) and centre clearances (22), the 29 year old just keeps getting better.
Jasmine Garner has been a force for North Melbourne across season 8. Photo: Getty Images.
However, she continues to work in tandem with another standout Roo in Ash Riddell. They compliment each other, racking up disposals week in, week out to keep North Melbourne in the hunt. Riddell has had a season for the books as well. Leading the league in total disposals (320) and uncontested possessions (181), she’s also top 5 for contested possessions (145) and inside 50’s (48).
Ash Riddell gathers another possession for North Melbourne. Photo: AFL Photos
Last time the Kangaroos took on the Demons back in round 8, Riddell starred with a game high 31 disposals, though it wasn’t enough to get the Roos across the line.
If form is anything to go by, however, in the final round of the season versus the Bulldogs, Riddell’s 36 disposals were the most of any player on the ground – next best, Garner with 31.
It makes sense that we consider a 67 disposal haul by two of the best in the business as good form going into finals. And they could well be the difference come Sunday afternoon.
It won’t be just the mids who steal the game though. The North Melbourne forwards might not be sitting at the top of the league leaderboard, but they have amassed some decent numbers of their own across season 8. Kate Shierlaw and Tahlia Randall are another two-some who have delivered for North.
In fact, both have seen improvements in their career averages this season. Shierlaw has improved in every statistical area, notably averaging 4 marks per game and just over a goal (1.1). Her goal accuracy has also improved which has made a difference on the scoreboard.
Stats courtesy of AFL.com.au
Randall has also made a case as a game changer for the North Melbourne team. She’s averaging more than 1.5 goals per game in season 8 (1.6) and has increased when it comes to average number of disposals per game.
Stats courtesy of AFL.com.au
So there’s mids with decent numbers, some tall timber making waves in the forward line, what else is at play here? Well, Melbourne may have a couple of veterans returning, but North are getting back some firepower too. Mia King has been superb this season. She’ll be back in North’s midfield to support Garner and Riddell. This is King’s fifth season in AFLW, and it’s her best statistically yet.
Mia King representing North Melbourne. Photo: AFL Photos
King is averaging a massive 9.3 tackles per game in 2023, close to double her number from 2022. That’s fifth in the league and the best numbers at North when we consider tackles. She’s also averaging 5.6 clearances per game (up from 3.2 in 2022), with only Jassie Garner and Ash Riddell above her from North.
Add in the ever-reliable Emma Kearney, an 8 season AFLW veteran and we start to see a few sparks that might launch the Kangaroos from one end of the ground to the other quickly. Kearney might be 34, but she is consistent, and she’s reliable. She’s improved on her career average disposals per game this season, up past 20 (20.7), 13.5 of those kicks. Funnily enough, she had her season best stats when she gather 23 disposals versus Melbourne back in round 8.
Emma Kearney handballs versus Adelaide Crows in 2021. Photo: AFL Photos
A case could be made that Melbourne are simply too well-drilled and best placed to defeat North Melbourne on Sunday, as they have done on a number of occasions before. But this game has a lot more to it. With a record of 7 wins and 3 losses for the season, just 1 loss more than Melbourne, North are coming off a win in round 8, Melbourne had a 25 point loss against the Lions.
Though it could be suggested a victory over the lower placed Bulldogs is less significant, North got it done, and their stars were firing in the final game of the season in the lead up to the finals series. The time is now for North Melbourne, and with their duos of Garner and Riddell, Shierlaw and Randall, King and Kearney ready to make a statement, Melbourne be warned, the Kangas are coming.
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