North Melbourne has become the first male or female VFL/AFL team to win 24 consecutive games after prevailing over Hawthorn by 49 points.
The AFLW minor premiers broke a 72-year-old record after easily outclassing fellow top-four side Hawks with a 10.7 (67) to 2.6 (18) victory at a rain-soaked Frankston Oval on Friday night.
Tahlia Randall kicked four goals as Ash Riddell went to work in the midfield to help the Kangaroos mark captain Jasmine Garner’s 100th game in style.
North Melbourne last week steamrolled St Kilda by 46 points to equal the VFL/AFL consecutive wins record of 23 games set by Geelong through the 1952-53 VFL seasons.
The Kangaroos, unbeaten since losing the 2023 grand final, head into finals after completing a perfect season.
Last year’s round-two draw with Geelong is the only blemish on the reigning premiers’ record.
Solely fixed on becoming the first AFLW side to claim back-to-back premierships, North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker couldn’t help but lean into cliche.
“I spoke to the whole program, the players, about how proud I am of what we’ve been able to achieve, not just this year, but over the last 24 months,” Crocker said.
“It’s been pretty special, but now that’s all done. We finish in pole position, and now a new season starts.
“We’ve known we’ve had a target on our backs probably for two years now. It’s not something that we take lightly.”
League best-and-fairest favourite Riddell had her usual influence with 28 disposals and four clearances.
Garner led the Kangaroos with 13 contested possessions, and finished with 24 touches.
Eliza West (14 contested possessions, 30 disposals, seven clearances) was busy for Hawthorn, while the home side’s two goals came from 75-gamer Greta Bodey and Aine McDonagh.
Hawks coach Daniel Webster refused to believe North Melbourne were untouchable.
“The real thing with it is going to be, can you pressure them for long enough?” Webster said.
“When we were able to do that, you could see some little cracks.
“That’s something for us to learn, but I think every team’s gettable.”
Blues lock up finals spot as Eagles face nervous wait
Meanwhile Carlton has locked in an AFLW finals berth and dealt a massive blow to West Coast’s post-season hopes after sealing a hard-earned 20-point win.
With scores level at 2.4 (16) at three-quarter time and finals on the line, the Blues prevailed 6.6 (42) to 3.4 (22) on Friday night after the Eagles gave away a costly 50-metre penalty.
First-year Eagles superstar Lucia Painter had slotted the first goal of the fourth quarter before Blues captain Abbie McKay responded to wrestle back the lead.
It was Carlton forward Tara Bohanna who steadied the visitors after Eagles opponent Georgie Cleaver gifted the extra metres.
Roxanne Roux had given away possession for holding Bohanna in a marking contest, but Cleaver mistakenly dropped the ball to the ground instead of passing back to the Carlton player.
Erone Fitzpatrick then added to the buffer, before Darcy Vescio wound back the clock with an after-the-siren goal.
Carlton has snatched its first finals appearance since the conference system was phased out in 2021, having last reached the post-season in 2020.
Mathew Buck’s side sit fifth (8-4) ahead of the weekend’s clashes, with eight points separating the Blues and 10th-placed Fremantle.
But the Eagles are seventh (6-6) and will sweat on other results in their bid for a maiden finals berth under coach Daisy Pearce.
West Coast was forced to play the must-win clash with one player fewer on the bench after forward Kellie Gibson failed to finish the game with illness.
Gibson had taken just five touches before being ruled out after half-time.
AAP