World Footy News

North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos triumphed to a four-point win over Melbourne at Casey Fields in the South East of Melbourne in the humid conditions. 

It was North's first real test of this years competition in what was one of the best AFLW matches skill and pressure wise.

Hope and King guided North to the tough victory.

Image Source: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

It was a tight defensive first quarter. This made it hard for either team to gain clean possession and score for the first half of the quarter.

North and the Dees scored a goal each late in the quarter.

Moana Hope slotted through the first goal of the match from the set shot after she was awarded for her tackle and forward pressure inside 50 for North.

The Dees quickly responded with a goal via Cat Phillips who caused the smother and booted through a nice running goal.

At quarter time, North were up by a point.

The difference in the match was that North continued to move the ball faster and capitalized with their limited opportunities when they had the ball inside forward 50 outscoring the Dees three goals to one.

Hope marked strongly and then kicked a good leading kick to Emma King who marked and booted through the goal directly in front.

King made her presence felt inside 50 as she used her strength to mark the ball over her opponent.

King slotted through her second consecutive goal of the quarter.

Tegan Cunningham took the contested mark and booted through the Dees first goal from close.

Sophie Abbatangelo was awarded with a free kick deep in attack for North and Abbatangelo made no mistake kicking the goal.

At the main break, North held a handy lead of 10 points.

The Dees came out all guns blazing in the third term and applied all sorts of pressure all over the ground.

North was truly tested by the Dees and it showed, as the Dees had majority of the attacking play and it resulted in the Dees outscoring North two goals to one.

Aliesha Newman used her electrifying speed after a string of handballs from the Dees and ran inside 50 to nail through a superb running goal.

Tyla Hanks curved through the Dees second straight goal after she received a nice handball from Maddie Gay.

Hope with an impressive contested mark inside 50 and she kicked a long goal.

It was a quick response to the Dees goal in the seesawing affair. At three quarter time, North held a slender lead of three points.

There was one stoppage after another in the final quarter and it was a tense finish with both teams only scoring a goal apiece.

It was a terrific pass from Lily Mithen to Newman who marked it well on the lead inside 50.

Newman slotted through her second goal of the match from a calm set shot.

King awarded with a free kick, as she was pushed in the back and she booted through the handy goal truly from the set shot.

North won by four points over a gallant Dees outfit at Casey Fields.

With the win, North remain the only team undefeated and the win sends a message to the rest of the competition that North can win even when they are not playing their finest football.

MELBOURNE                 1.0  2.3  4.4   5.4  (34)

NORTH MELBOURNE   1.1   4.1  5.1  6.2   (38)

GOALS

Melbourne: Newman 2, Phillips, Cunningham, Hanks

North Melbourne: Emma King 3, Hope 2, Abbatangelo

BEST

Melbourne: Paxman, Hore, Mithen, O'Dea, Pearce

North Melbourne: Kearney, Emma King, Stanton, Duffin, Hope

INJURIES

Melbourne: Nil

North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil