North Melbourne thump Power to charge into AFLW decider

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North Melbourne thump Power to charge into AFLW decider

Rampant North Melbourne have charged into a second consecutive AFLW grand final after steamrolling Port Adelaide by 57 points.

Darren Crocker’s North, chasing a maiden premiership, will host either reigning premiers Brisbane or Adelaide, who play on Saturday night, in next week’s grand final.

In sweltering conditions at Ikon Park, the Kangaroos booted three goals inside the opening seven minutes to set up their 12.6 (78) to 2.9 (21) preliminary final victory in front of 4387 fans.

After a heartbreaking loss to Brisbane in last year’s decider, the minor premiers will host next Saturday night’s clash at Ikon Park as red-hot favourites after an ominous dismantling of a young Power team.

As expected, star North midfielders Jasmine Garner (25 disposals, eight clearances, six tackles and a goal) and Ashleigh Riddell (27 disposals, five clearances) were typically prolific around the ball.

Powerhouse forward Vikki Wall snagged three goals, while Alice O’Loughlin, Tahlia Randall, Kate Shierlaw and Taylah Gatt kicked two majors apiece.

North skipper Emma Kearney successfully returned from a hamstring injury, but was rested for most of the final quarter.

Port’s Piper Window (15 disposals, eight tackles), Abbey Dowrick (18 disposals) and Shineah Goody got to work throughout.

Lauren Arnell’s Power, who had made a gutsy run to their first preliminary final, looked lost for answers as North smashed them around the ball and kept them goalless in the first half.

North won clearances 12-4, contested possessions 33-20 and inside-50s 17-3 in a dominant first quarter that set up the game.

The Kangaroos got off to a perfect start when they went coast-to-coast before Wall picked out Garner in the goal square for the opener.

Randall added another, before a quick-***** double from O’Loughlin, including a sensational snap, put the Kangaroos in firm control.

When O’Loughlin kicked North’s fourth goal, Port had just seven disposals across their entire team.

Port stemmed the bleeding in the back half of the quarter but couldn’t hit the scoreboard.

Quickfire goals to Randall and Gatt put the game almost out of Port’s reach.

North’s Tess Craven got crunched by Goody midway through the second term but returned to the fray.

North nudged their half-time lead out to 50 points via two well-taken Shierlaw goals.

Despite the extreme heat, the Kangaroos didn’t let up in the third quarter, with Wall striking twice to help extend the margin to 65 points.

The Power kept fighting and Gemma Houghton snagged Port’s deserved first goal early in the final term.

But Wall launched her third goal, this time from outside 50, to put an exclamation mark on North’s victory.

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