A match where the boys from North Melbourne completely outclassed the Hawthorn Hawks. They certainly looked the part, securing a decisive 39-point victory at Ikon Park on Friday night. The final score read 5.12 (42) to 0.3 (3), a historic win in what was one of the best seasons ever by the Kangaroos thus far.
On the ground, the North Melbourne Kangaroos celebrated a record-breaking victory, their 25th consecutive win, a league record for any sport. This milestone cements their place as an absolute dominant force in the AFLW. The Kangaroos played an unbelievable 60 minutes, keeping the Hawks scoreless in an entire quarter. It was the 50th time they’ve done that during their incredible streak.
The game, as they say, was played in the trenches, with a lot of heavy hitting action going on. Jasmine Garner of the Roos was a massive influence, racking up 26 disposals and four clearances. Teammate Ash Riddell levelled her with 26 disposals and two clearances, still a massive impact that carried her side to victory. Eliza West was the top performer as always with 24 disposals and four clearances for the Hawthorn Hawks. Unfortunately, her accomplishments proved inadequate in shifting the tide of the game.
North Melbourne wasted no time asserting their superiority from the opening bounce. When the quarter ended, they led by 10 and did not allow the Hawks to score. As the game went on, the pressure started to build, both teams playing with a high level of physicality and passion.
Erika O’Shea and Libby Birch shone defensively for the Kangaroos, thwarting many of Hawthorn’s attempts to find momentum. The Hawks struggled in other ways for the duration of the game, most notably with injuries to their two biggest stars. Captain Emily Bates was sidelined due to injury, and further setbacks occurred when Ashmore sustained a calf injury while Everist was assessed for a concussion. Elliott had to deal with a chest injury.
Besides Hawthorn’s McDonagh who had a head clash, but was cleared to come back before half-time after passing a test on the interchange. The injuries only added to the challenges the Hawks found themselves needing to overcome as they endeavored to keep up with their competition.
At three-quarter time, the mood reached a fever pitch as Emma Kearney attempted to fire up the Adelaide crowd. She met stiff opposition from Greta Bodey, who fearlessly lowered her shoulder in the run. This year it was this incredible common playoff history that fueled the growing animosity between the two teams. Their rivalry was characterized by spirited competition and aggressive clashes.
“North fans not happy with the state of things inside the fence, and we’ve got sparks and embers at three-quarter time of the qualifying final,” – Nigel Carmody
“We’re calling this one of the new-age rivalries in the AFLW and it’s well and truly living up to that with some of the stuff that’s going on off the ball here,” – Kate McCarthy
“Spot-fires everywhere out there, it’s really ramped up,” – Kate McCarthy
“We saw the push and shove at three-quarter time, there’s a fair bit going on,” – Kate McCarthy
“Yeah so what’s happened here, behind play Emma Kearney was trying to get the crowd involved and, behind play, Greta Bodey’s just dropped the shoulder,” – Kate McCarthy
Although they fought hard, Hawthorn could not get scoring chances, even going nearly a quarter without a goal. That loss leaves them cornered. They need to quickly regroup ahead of a dangerous sudden-death semi-final against the winner of next week’s Carlton-West Coast elimination final.
