Walyalup (Fremantle) Dockers humiliated by North Melbourne as AFLW premiers kick record score in 100-point win

Craig O’Donoghue
The West Australian
Ash Riddell of the Kangaroos is tackled by Kiara Bowers.
Ash Riddell of the Kangaroos is tackled by Kiara Bowers. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos

Walyalup (Fremantle) have been humiliated in a Sunday afternoon horror show at Fremantle Oval, losing to reigning premier North Melbourne by 100 points in what marked the most lopsided margin in AFLW history.

Fresh from a 70-point loss to last season’s runners up Brisbane last week, the Dockers copped a brutal lesson in how big the gap is between the best and the rest.

The result was beyond doubt in the blink of an eye as the Roos won 18.6 (114) to 2.2 (14), with a late goal to the reigning premiers sealing the record for largest-ever AFLW score.

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North Melbourne’s skill stood out and when they got the ball in space, Walyalup simply couldn’t get it back.

The Dockers had more possessions in the first quarter but they were constantly under pressure. In contrast, the Roos went inside 50 nine times and kicked 6.1. They were a class above.

Six goals from six individual goalkickers and they came in a range of ways. Everywhere the Dockers looked when they got the ball, they found trouble.

North Melbourne celebrate.
North Melbourne celebrate. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Every time they looked up when North had the ball, they saw an opponent in space.

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Someone suggested Walyalup call for a head count because the Roos were so dominant it looked like they had more players on the field.

Walyalup desperately needed something to change but the only difference in the second term was that North didn’t make them pay for their dominance.

The Dockers didn’t get the ball inside 50 for the entire quarter. North just kept banging it in but couldn’t get through the vast numbers of Dockers in the backline.

The Roos had 19 inside 50s for the quarter yet kicked 1.5. Their goal came from a stroke of luck as Blaithin Bogue bombed a ball forward while being tackled, it carried the pack and kept on rolling through. It wasn’t planned but it was richly deserved.

Tess Craven in action.
Tess Craven in action. Credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Kangaroos star Jasmine Garner hobbled from the ground with an ankle injury during the quarter but the Dockers lost Emma O’Driscoll to a head injury, putting them under even more pressure.

They couldn’t get the ball out of Ash Riddell’s hands. She had 21 possessions for the half and finished with 38. Tess Craven wereaked havoc every time she touched the footy, Bogue finished with four goals.

The questions from there was when Walyalup would kick their next goal and how big the margin would be.

The Roos kicked five goals to none in the third term and slammed home another six in the last quarter. Bella Smith kicked Walyalup’s second goal with two minutes remaining in a ugly day for the Dockers

NORTH MELBOURNE 6.3 7.6 12.6 18.16 (114)

WALYALUP 1.0 1.0 1.2 2.2 (14)

GOALS - NORTH MELBOURNE: B Bogue 4 T Randall 3 A Smith 2 A O’Loughlin 2 R Tripodi E Sheerin A Riddell M King T Gatt J Garner T Craven.

FREMANTLE: H Miller B Smith.

BEST - NORTH MELBOURNE: A Riddell T Craven A Smith B Bogue E Kearney A O’Loughlin

FREMANTLE: M Strom, A McCarthy, G Newton.

INJURIES - NORTH MELBOURNE: J Garner (ankle). FREMANTLE: E O’Driscoll (concussion)

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