The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos have one foot in the AFLW finals after powering past top-six rivals Collingwood in Hobart on Sunday.

Red-hot midfielder Jas Garner kicked three goals and Tahlia Randall kicked two as the Kangaroos preserved their perfect record in Tasmania, easing to a 23-point victory, 6.2 (38) to 2.3 (15).

The win ensures the Roos will be at least two games clear of the seventh-placed team on the AFLW ladder with three games to play, with the top six set to contest finals. 

Ex-Magpie Garner backed up her best-afield performances against Fremantle and Richmond with 26 disposals, six marks and three goals.

She was ably supported by the prolific Ash Riddell (29 disposals) in the midfield, while captain Emma Kearney (24 disposals) was imperious across half-back. 

Another ex-Magpie in Emma King (20 disposals, 12 hitouts) was also outstanding across the ground as the Roos strolled to their fifth consecutive win.

Collingwood was left to rue the influence of its former charges. Star Chloe Molloy had a rare off-day, going statless to half-time, and although the ever-reliable Jaimee Lambert (18 disposals, nine tackles, one goal) produced a gallant performance, the loss leaves the Pies' finals chances hanging in the balance. 

Garner was the game's most important figure from the outset, winning the ball from the source and pushing forward from the contest to kick two of her three goals before half-time and helping North Melbourne gain the early ascendency.

Tahlia Randall also had two before the main break as the Kangaroos pushed their lead out to 25 points before Amelia Velardo stemmed the bleeding with a Magpie goal on the buzzer.

But the respite proved brief, with North Melbourne maintaining its control over the contest and extending its lead further just before three-quarter time when Mia King finally took advantage of the side's territorial dominance throughout the term.

It set up a comfortable final quarter, with Garner having one final say – courtesy of her strong mark and accurate set-shot late in the game – as the Kangaroos cruised to another convincing win.

The immovable wall

The Magpies toiled before kicking their first goal seconds before half-time, and their biggest source of frustration will have been Emma Kearney. The Roos skipper repelled attack after attack across half-back, making eight intercepts to half-time and a game-high 12 for the match. Kearney admitted during the week she suffered self-doubt when asked to reinvent herself as a defender. She has no grounds for further concern. 

Dancing King

Mia King left Magpies trailing in her wake as she kicked the goal of the day late in the third quarter. A dart to the left beat the first defender, a shimmy to the right wrong-footed the second, and she capped the play with a cool finish from a tight angle. It sent the Roos four goals clear at the last change and effectively put the result beyond doubt.

Did you hear that?

Chloe Molloy didn't mince her words pre-game, telling Channel 7 of her dislike of North Melbourne: "Back in my second year at the Pies, there were a couple of trades that went on. They had their reasons for moving on, but I was pretty loyal to the club … I'm a loyal person and it just hurt a bit, so that's probably a root of it." Perhaps it lit the spark for Jasmine Garner's best-on-ground performance, given she was one of those players who moved to the Kangaroos.

The ladder now

The Kangaroos keep their minor premiership hopes alive, moving level with Adelaide and Fremantle at 6-1 for the season. The winner of Brisbane and Melbourne, who battle on Monday night, will join the logjam for top position. Collingwood, now 4-3 for the year, is clinging to its spot in the top six. The winner of Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs, who meet on Tuesday night, will draw level with the Pies in the race for finals football.

What's next?

Another finals-like test looms for the Kangaroos against high-flying Melbourne. The Demons on their home turf at Casey Fields will represent perhaps the biggest challenge the Roos have faced since they suffered their only loss of the season against Adelaide in Norwood. The game is in prime time at 7.10pm AEDT on Saturday, February 26. 

North Melbourne Tasmania  2.1   4.2   5.2   6.2 (38)
Collingwood                           0.1   1.2   1.2   2.3 (15)

GOALS
North Melbourne Tasmania: Garner 3, Randall 2, M King
Collingwood: Lambert, Velardo

BEST
North Melbourne Tasmania: Garner, Kearney, Riddell, E.King, Brown, Eddey, Ashmore
Collingwood: Lambert, Schleicher, Bonnici, Newman, Rowe

INJURIES
North Melbourne Tasmania: Ashmore (finger)
Collingwood: Fowler (ankle)