Source : the age
Roos captain Jasmine Garner has praised her team and compared their past week to “COVID days” after flu went through the group, forcing the sick players to keep away from the group.
But the Roos still found a way to bounce back from their loss to Hawthorn in Cairns last week and their poor start tonight which saw the Dees kick the first three goals.
“[At] quarter-time, [it was like] we’ve been in this position before,” Garner told Seven post-game.
“I’m just really proud of the group. The hunger was there, the drive was there. That was a bloody great win.”
On grand final eve, North Melbourne’s AFLW side delivered a stunning reminder to the thousands of fans gathered at Ikon Park: We’re still the best and don’t you dare forget it.
Facing the ladder-leading Demons on Friday night, North were eager to rebound from their stinging loss to Hawthorn last week – a defeat that ended their extraordinary 1020-day unbeaten run.
But they were also vulnerable. Several teammates were struck down by the flu earlier in the week, and they were coming up against the Demons – a team that will likely meet them at the end of November.
Vikki Wall has booted a late goal for the Roos, is a nice way to cap off this celebration of Irish players in AFLW.
Wall has been one of the best for several years now.
Roos 65, Dees 34 Q4
The Dees have got some confidence back as Mia Austin boots her second goal.
That breaks their goalless streak, if nothing else.
Austin followed that up with her third goal of the match. The dancers are up and about, too.
Roos 59, Dees 34 with five mins left to play.
Jasmine Garner has booted a second straight goal and the Roos’ eighth goal in a row.
Then Alice O’Loughlin booted the ninth goal in a row. This has been some comeback from the Roos, and a hell of a statement to boot.
The Dees had Irish dancers in the stadium to perform after every one of their goals, but the poor dancers haven’t moved since quarter-time.
Roos 59, Dees 22 with seven mins to go.
Shelley Heath-Barker is done of the night with a calf injury.
This last term has been hotly contested, but Jasmine Garner has just snapped a goal for the Roos.
They are home now, it’s just a matter of whether the Dees can lessen the damage.
Roos star Taylor Gatt is also off injured in just her first game back this season. She appears to have an ankle issue and is also in some real discomfort.
Roos 46, Dees 22 with 10 mins left to go.
The Roos are well and truly back on top and now the Dees have to find something in the final term.
Melbourne haven’t kicked a goal since the first term and have barely had a shot on goal since early in the second.
The Kangaroos had a taste of losing last week in Cairns, and it obviously didn’t agree with their pallette because they are a serious force to be reckoned with right now.
North have obliterated their opponents to snatch a 19-point lead.
The Kangaroos have now kicked six goals in a row, with five of them coming from Melbourne turnovers. To put it simply, the Demons have no answers for the Roos, who are dominating possession and clearances and are capitalising on any tiny mistake the Demons make.
We’ve got one quarter left. Can Melbourne launch a sensational comeback from here?
Dees player Shelley Heath-Barker is having her calf strapped on the team bench and looked particularly emotional when she was on camera a few moments ago.
I watched her attempt some run throughs a few minutes before. It seems like she might be done for tonight, but we will see.
The Dees’ scoring has all but dried up as the Roos have locked down the corridor.
Jenna Bruton just kicked the sixth goal in a row for the Roos.
Roos 40, Dees 21 with two mins to go in Q3.
