The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos blew away Adelaide by 40 points in front of a record AFLW crowd at Arden St Oval on Saturday.

The league-leading Kangaroos won 10.11 (71) to 5.1 (31) to extend their winning streak to 22 games, one shy of Geelong’s V/AFL record.

KANGAROOS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

In blazing spring sunshine, 3282 fans packed out Arden St Oval, breaking the attendance record for an AFLW game at the Kangaroos’ historic home.

The Roos put the Crows to the sword from the opening bounce. They had five goals on the board by quarter time, while keeping Adelaide scoreless.

Tahlia Randall took a towering mark inside 50 in the first quarter, and converted for her 75th career goal in her 100th AFLW game.

Irish breakout star Blaithin Bogue kicked one goal and set up another to take her season tally to 18 goals.

Captain Jasmine Garner threatened her teammate Ash Riddell’s disposals record of 45, collecting 41 from just 74 per cent game time, while adding another goal to her season tally of 19. 

North Melbourne’s appetite for the contest was extraordinary, brushing aside opponents with ease – much in the same way Adelaide used to in the early seasons of the AFLW – and creating overlap run, with Erika O’Shea and Emma Kearney particularly damaging off half-back.

The continued absence of Chelsea Randall (concussion) and Caitlin Gould (wrist) didn’t help Adelaide’s scoring woes, and their marking prowess was missed across half-forward, but the ball simply didn’t get inside its forward 50 with any real purpose.

The Crows finally recorded their first point with a rushed behind late in the second quarter, before Teah Charlton took advantage of a holding free kick in front of goal to open the third term with a major.

Only a string of missed Kangaroo opportunities prevented the margin expanding, before three consecutive goals in the third term put the result beyond doubt.

The Roos were very disciplined when Adelaide did manage to win the footy, forming a stiff zone that panicked the Crows, who were unable to move the ball with any fluency or accuracy.

Eloise Jones kicked three goals for Adelaide, but that merely brought the margin back in to 37, before the Roos dabbed the accelerator again.

Ball-hungry Roos feast

Such was North Melbourne’s dominance, at an early point of the fourth term, the Roos had 11 of the top 15 in the disposal charts. With Anne Hatchard required to play in attack for the Crows, Ebony Marinoff played effectively a lone hand through the midfield, with Sarah Goodwin, Danielle Ponter and Teah Charlton struggling against the stronger North bodies. Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell were at their usual sterling best, with Ruby Tripodi providing great support.

Next up

St Kilda stands in the way of the Kangaroos matching the V/AFL record of 23 consecutive wins held by Geelong’s men’s team across 1952-53. The Roos host the Saints at North Hobart Oval on Sunday, October 26. The opening bounce is at 1.05pm AEDT. 

NORTH MELBOURNE         5.1    5.8   8.8    10.11 (71)
ADELAIDE                           0.0    0.1   1.1    5.1 (31)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Bogue, Bruton, Craven, Garner, E King, Randall, Riddell, Shierlaw, Tripodi, Wall
Adelaide: Jones 3, Boileau, Charlton

BEST
North Melbourne: Garner, Riddell, Randall, Kearney, O’Shea, Tripodi
Adelaide: Marinoff, Prowse, Newman, Jones

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Adelaide: Nil

Crowd: 3,282 at Arden Street Oval