With six consecutive wins, North Melbourne are storming towards a near-perfect 2024 AFLW campaign. But if you thought last year’s bruising premiership loss against Brisbane ignited a fire for redemption for the Roos, you’d be wrong.
“We don’t talk about it [the grand final loss],” North coach Darren Crocker said.
North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker during the 2023 prelim finals. Credit: Getty Images
“I really wanted us to move on. There’s no doubt we took some learnings from last year … but I want players looking at the present, not the past.”
The Roos are undefeated this season – excluding a week two draw against Geelong – and occupy top-spot on the AFLW ladder, with a league-high percentage of 313.1.
The club ranks top-four in nearly every facet of the game from disposals, stoppages and contested possessions.
Crocker highlighted a number of changes for the 2024 season including an improved game plan, organic growth from younger players and a strong pre-season.
“The players showed a great deal of diligence during the lengthy off-season,” he explained. “We gave them their space and let them have a really strong mental freshen up. They came in for pre-season, really eager and full of energy.”
He also noted key structural changes within the club’s administrative and coaching staff.
The club secured Melbourne dual premiership defender Libby Birch during trade negotiations and appointed former Giant Erin Lorenzini as their general manager of women’s football. They also recruited new line coaches and development staff.
However, Crocker said he hadn’t “sprinkled any golden dust”. ”It’s not like we are a different team,” he said. “But we’ve got a greater understanding of what our best football looks like.”
A few weeks ago, Crocker showed the team a snippet of tennis champion Roger Federer’s commencement speech at American Ivy League school, Dartmouth College.
During the address Federer reveals that despite winning almost 80 per of matches in his career, he only won 54 per cent of his points.
“When you lose nearly every second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot,” Federer said.
Crocker said Federer’s mindset showed the importance of “bringing yourself back to the present”.
“My message to my players, is everything we do, we do with purpose,” Crocker said. “But let’s enjoy the journey.”
Former AFLW coach and footy commentator Daniel Harford said North’s list management and talent pool were significant contributing factors to their stellar season.
Bulldogs and Kangaroos contest the ball during a week six game at Arden Street. Credit: Getty Images
“They’ve been pretty good for a few years, but they’ve been able to hold on to their talent and add to it, bit by bit and we are seeing the rewards of that this year,” he said.
“Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell are foundation players and the real nucleus of the team. There’s so much talent through the middle third, around the square and inside it … it’s a pretty good lineup, and very difficult to try and stop.”
North Melbourne have often been praised for their core group of players who have played together from the start.
Their ability to know their own and each other’s roles means they can seamlessly move the ball out of congestion.
Harford described Crocker as “the right coach personality-wise” to take over the team and commended the club for “setting the foundations early”.
AFL general manager Laura Kane previously worked for North Melbourne’s football operations team in 2016 and successfully launched the club’s bid for an AFLW license in 2017.
“People like Laura [Kane], Scott Gowans, Bruce Harwood and Josh Hare did a fantastic job setting it up and giving themselves a platform to build from,” Harford said. “They’ve been able to identify some key young talent”.
Despite North’s abundance of powerhouse players, Crocker said “top-end talent would only take you so far”.
North captain Emma Kearney with coach Darren Crocker.Credit: Getty
“I don’t see myself as a talent-based coach, I prefer to consider myself a system, method-based coach,” he said.
“I think our ability to have weighted numbers of players playing their role in a system is why we’ve had such a strong season.”
Roos’ midfielder Ash Riddell debuted in the club’s inaugural match in the opening round of the 2019 season.
Five years on, Riddell said the club and players are still “like sponges” and are eager to learn and continually improve.
Roos midfielder Ash RiddellCredit: Getty Images
She said the team came together during the six-month off-season to do strength programs – a communal effort that provided a “springboard into the season”.
“We’re a really well-connected team off and on the field … and hopefully, our connection shows in the way we play our footy,” she said.
Riddell said she wasn’t thinking of the possibility of a grand final yet.
“Come finals time, that’s almost like a new season,” she said. “All we can keep doing is just playing some good footy and learning from every game.”
