North Melbourne is on the verge of doing what only one different crew has achieved in AFLW historical past: full a home-and-away season with no loss.
Outdoors of its week two draw with Geelong, the Kangaroos have received their approach by means of the season.
One final victory on Saturday afternoon towards the Seventeenth-placed Gold Coast would see them higher the Brisbane Lions’ inaugural 2017 season, wherein they received each sport besides one, a draw — however that season was solely seven video games lengthy, versus 11 in 2024.
It comes off the again of the membership’s maiden grand remaining look in 2023, one it misplaced by 17 factors. However this 12 months, an already distinctive crew has set a brand new commonplace for the AFLW.
The Kangaroos have lit up the stats sheet this 12 months, main the best way in almost each key statistic recorded, together with factors for, tackles, clearances, contested possessions, and factors towards.
Traditionally, North Melbourne has been a very robust defensive facet. At all times touchdown within the high 5 groups within the competitors, and conceding the fewest factors throughout the league over the previous two seasons.
However what it has constructed this 12 months is a option to steadiness that staunch defensive mindset into devastating assault.
Put merely, the Roos are producing massive scores in two key methods – intercepting the footy and slingshotting into assault, and utilizing their power on the contest to ship the ball ahead.
Intercepting transition
North Melbourne is the very best crew within the competitors this 12 months at turning defensive half possession into scores. It scores a median of 17.3 factors per sport from the again half, with 10.8 of these factors coming from defensive-half intercepts.
Added to the common of 20.8 factors scored every week from front-half intercepts, greater than half of North Melbourne’s weekly rating is sourced from opposition turnovers.
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A big improve in strain, particularly tackles, has allowed the membership to fret its opposition into errors to create these intercepting alternatives.
The explanation the Roos have confirmed to be so lethal on turnover is due to their construction that’s diligently maintained forward of the ball. They make the bottom lengthy, that means there may be all the time a ahead or two staying deep as an possibility to focus on as soon as the ball has been received.
Sometimes, the deepest ahead is Tahlia Randall, who they like to isolate in one-on-one contests due to her bodily power and talent each within the air and on the deck. The following layer tends to be Kate Shierlaw, a deceptively quick and agile tall.
And smaller duo Bella Eddey and Alice O’Loughlin are good decision-makers, that means they are often relied on to press excessive up the sphere to assist create these all-important intercepts, whereas additionally selecting the correct moments to energy again into the attacking 50 to turn out to be targets themselves.
The quartet has kicked 42 targets between them up to now this season, and due to its dynamic mixture, can show very tough for opposition defences to include.
Stoppage energy
The Kangaroos are arguably greatest recognized for his or her highly effective midfield, most notably the one-two punch of Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell. However they added much more depth to the road, with Mia King rising by means of the ranks lately to turn out to be a sure starter, and this season Ruby Tripodi’s elevation to the on-ball brigade.
Such pressure on the contest is one factor, however the talent and effectivity with which the Roos flip their clearances into attacking alternatives is unparalleled this 12 months.
They’re profitable first possession of the ball extra usually than another crew, beating the opposition to floor balls extra often, and dominating contested possession counts.
Of the membership’s 57.8 factors per sport, a league-high 19.7 of these are scored straight from stoppage. This attacking prowess is essentially as a consequence of a willingness to exit out the entrance of stoppage, discovering a handball obtain possibility that’s already on the transfer – not flat footed – that means their momentum is harder to cease.
On high of such clearance energy, their midfielders are additionally getting ahead and kicking targets of their very own. Garner leads the best way with 12, whereas Riddell, and Tripodi, together with wingers Tess Craven and Taylah Gatt have additionally joined the get together this 12 months.
Boasting weapons on all strains, the Kangaroos importantly hyperlink these weapons dangerously to create a system that’s larger than the sum of its components.
They make it extremely tough for opposition sides to win possession, even tougher to take care of chains of possession, starve groups of scoring alternatives, after which pile on the scores of their very own.
Come finals, the place the warmth turns up one other notch, it’s a sport model that seems hardened, in a position to stand up to the barbs the very best sides within the AFLW may throw their approach, earlier than throwing their very own again, tenfold.
