Adelaide v North Melbourne
Sunday, January 16 @ 3:10pm AEDT (2:40pm ACDT)
Norwood Oval

The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos travel to Norwood Oval to take on Adelaide in the second fixture of the season, with both sides entering the clash with a 1-0 record.

After a difficult week with Covid related issues in the lead up to their Round 1 clash against Geelong the Kangaroos were made to fight for victory, eventually overcoming a gritty and tough Cats side by eight points. Ash Riddell was the star of the show with 35 disposals, 22 contested possessions and 7 clearances, while Mia King shone with 15 disposals and a goal en route to a Rising Star nomination.

The Crows laid some demons to rest against the Lions in Round 1, defeating the Brisbane side that proved too good for them in last season’s grand final by five goals. Restricting the Lions to just nine points for the game, Adelaide has thrown the gauntlet down to the rest of the competition and, at this stage, look like they could well be the team to beat. Anne Hatchard found plenty of the ball, finishing with 26 disposals and 7 tackles, while Ashleigh Woodland kicked four goals in a stunning display of forward craft.

Last time we met:

Round 6, 2020
After not playing each other last season, there is very little recent form to help in predicting this clash. It was North who put on a dominant display when these teams clashed at North Hobart Oval in 2020, overcoming Adelaide by 42 points.

Kaitlyn Ashmore was in irresistible form as she kicked four goals straight, while Jas Garner and Sophie Abbatangelo chipped in with two goals apiece. Emma Kearney led from the front with 26 disposals and six tackles. Ebony Marinoff worked hard in midfield for the away side, finishing with 26 touches, while Anne Hatchard had 23 disposals of her own.

The matchup:

Tahlia Randall v Chelsea Randall
Round 1 saw Tahlia Randall used in a new role for the Kangaroos. After making her name as a key defender and earning a place in last season’s 22Under22 side at full back, she’s made the move forward to become her side’s key target inside the forward 50.

A booming kick with a strong aerial presence and defensive instinct,  Tahlia Randall is a strong candidate to become a real point of difference for the Kangaroos in 2022, and even though she finished last week’s clash with just 2 disposals, early signs are promising. After taking on All-Australian Meghan McDonald last week, Randall will once again be taking on one of the competition’s finest players this week, going head to head with Chelsea Randall.

Although she was listed on the half forward line in last week’s clash with Brisbane, Chelsea Randall is equally as capable shifting back and locking down some of the best key forwards in the competition. If her Kangaroo opponent is allowed a free run inside 50, she’s a dangerous threat for any team to deal with. If she doesn’t mark it she can provide her teammates with first use of the ball, however if the battle of the Randalls becomes reality on Sunday she’ll have to contend with one of the most intelligent players the competition has to offer.

The key women:

Jas Garner and Ebony Marinoff
Two of the top midfields in the competition will go head to head on the weekend, and whichever side comes out on top will more than likely have won the battle in the middle of the ground.

While Jenna Bruton and Ash Riddell may have taken the headlines for their performances against Geelong, reigning best and fairest winner Jas Garner was something of a quiet achiever in the clash. Garner finished the game with 22 disposals, and her class through the midfield shone through when the game was on the line in the final term. Ranked third in Sarah Black’s top 30 players Garner’s quality is there for all to see, and her production as a goalkicking midfielder is almost unrivalled.

The one-two punch of Ebony Marinoff and Anne Hatchard through Adelaide’s midfield is almost irresistable at times, with the pair often winning the midfield battle almost on their own. Marinoff has been a consistently strong performer since entering the competition in 2017, and at the age of 24 she’s primed to only improve. Adelaide’s club champion last year, her 23 disposal effort against Brisbane may not have set the world on fire, but her strong efficiency and decision making were still on show.

If either of these players get off the leash and are able to play the game on their own terms, it could spell trouble for the opposition.

THE NORTH Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos have suffered their first loss of the 2022 AFLW season on the road to Adelaide. 

The Crows won by 13 points at Norwood Oval on Sunday despite the best efforts of gun Kangaroos midfielder Ashleigh Riddell and returning captain Emma Kearney.

Goalkicking ace Ashleigh Woodland was the difference in Adelaide's 5.7 (37) to 3.6 (24) triumph over a spirited Kangaroos outfit.

Woodland booted four goals to go with the four she kicked in the Crows' season opener, leaving the Roos with one win and one loss so far in 2022.

The Roos trailed by just seven points with three minutes remaining before Woodland capped her remarkable match by scoring the sealer in a brilliant coast-to-coast team goal.

Riddell, who tied the league disposal record of 35 touches in round one, collected 27 possessions against Adelaide while the influential Kearney gathered 23.

Woodland kicked the sole goal of a frenetic opening term, pouncing on a loose Kangaroos handball and converting a classy snap over her left shoulder.

Adelaide led 1.1 to 0.2 at quarter-time and skipped clear early in the second term with two goals inside two minutes. When Stevie-Lee Thompson kicked Adelaide‘s third goal, the Crows had skipped to a 17-point advantage.

The Kangaroos quickly responded to the threat with their first major after Sophie Abbatangelo marked and goaled from 30 metres out.

Adelaide, with its dual AFLW best and fairest winner Phillips collecting 14 touches - one shy of North's Riddell - held a 3.3 to 1.3 halftime lead.

Woodland extended that advantage to 19 points early in the third quarter with her third goal coming after a strong mark when holding front position against North's Jasmine Ferguson.

The Kangaroos then rallied, with an Ellie Gavalas goal in the 13th minute helping to reduce Adelaide's lead to 11 points at three quarter-time.

And after a 14-minute scoring stalemate in the final quarter, the visitors had a sniff of an upset when Jasmine Garner goaled - only for Adelaide's standout Woodland to reply two minutes later to settle the result.

The difference

The Roos held sway in the numbers game on all but the scoreboard for most of the match and eventually ended up with one more disposal than their Adelaide counterparts. It was the Crows’ cleaner and more precise forward 50m entries that proved the difference between both sides, with Ashleigh Woodland (four goals) the only multiple goalkicker.

Welcome back Abba

Skipper Emma Kearney stole the show of the returning players but Sophie Abbatangelo was also a welcome sight back in the Roos’ forward 50. She kicked a goal of her own but it was her desperate tackling and aerial competitiveness in the absence of the team’s regular tall timber that almost got the Roos over the line.

Keep an eye on

Bella Eddey was a bit-part player for the Roos after being taken with the club’s first selection in the 2020 NAB AFLW Draft. On her showing today, Roos fans can expect her to be a permanent fixture in the team for years to come. She collected 16 possessions in her role in the wing, her speed and precise kicking regularly catching the eye.

What’s next?

The Roos take on Greater Western Sydney in the Pride Round at Arden St on Sunday at 1.10pm AEDT. The Roos will be sweating on the return of ruck-forward Kim Rennie (concussion) and Danielle Hardiman and Sarah Wright (both COVID health and safety protocols).

ADELAIDE                           1.1    3.3    4.4.   5.7 (37)
NORTH MELBOURNE        0.2    1.3    2.5.   3.6 (24) 

GOALS 
Adelaide: Woodland 4, Thompson
North Melbourne: Abbatangelo, Gavalas, Garner

BEST  
Adelaide:  Hatchard, Phillips, Thompson, Woodland, Allan
North Melbourne: Riddell, Gavalas, Kearney, Garner, Eddey

INJURIES  
Adelaide: Randall (knee)
North Melbourne: Nil

LATE CHANGES 
Adelaide:  Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil