North Melbourne’s VFLW team has continued its difficult start to the season, suffering a 20-point loss to Casey in Round 3.

AFLW-listed players were made available for the first time this season, and after being dropped from the senior side, young forward Daisy Bateman put her hand up for an immediate recall for this weekend’s clash with Brisbane.

Spending some time away from her natural forward position, Bateman finished the game with a game-high 20 disposals, as well as four tackles.

"Daisy was great on the weekend. She started up forward in the first half and then pushed onto the wing. She came into the side really wanting to work on her pressure game and she did that really well," VFLW senior coach Steph Binder said.

"She got her hands on the footy and was really able to drive us forward. She came into our side with a great mentality.

"I think our VFLW-listed girls would have got a lot out of playing with someone like her, and she really put her hand up to get back in the senior side."

With veteran AFLW ruck Emma King in doubt for this weekend's senior clash with the Lions, Lexi Hamilton put in a strong performance at VFLW level as she continues to push for another opportunity with the senior side.

Having made her Kangaroos AFLW debut in Round 2, Hamilton finished Saturday’s game with Casey with 16 disposals, eight hit-outs and one goal in a strong ruck/forward display.

"Lexi was great. She was probably one of our best on field. In terms of being a target she was everywhere and even if it didn’t fall to her she was crashing packs and being really physical," Binder said.

"In the forward line she was a great target and she also moved up and down the ground really well when she pushed into the ruck. There probably wasn’t much else she could do to put her hand up for selection. She was great."

Britt Gibson played her first game in North colours since the 2020 AFLW semi-final victory over Collingwood, with a serious hamstring injury keeping her sidelined for the entire 2021 season.

Playing forward, Gibson finished the game with three behinds, however the main aim was to come out of the clash injury-free.

"Gibbo was understandably nervous before the game but she worked herself into it well. She looked dangerous every time the ball went anywhere near her," Binder said.

"She had a couple of snaps that just missed, and those three behinds could have very easily been three goals if it wasn’t for the really strong wind.

"Having someone like her was invaluable for us, and her direction of our younger forwards is really going to help us down the track."

Ella Maurer and Perri King played their first game in North’s colours since being drafted, with the misalignment of the AFLW and VFLW seasons seeing them limited purely to training over the course of the year so far.

Maurer finished the game with 18 disposals and a goal, while King collected a game-high 12 tackles.

"Ella played inside mid all game and her ability to step into that role without having played for a while was really impressive. Her stoppage work was great and she was really strong through the contest.

"She was really composed on the ball, but the main thing for her is to work on her two-way running. That being said, she was a really impressive performer on the day.

"Perri’s pressure at the ball is second to none. I think we ended up winning the clearances for the day and out ability to prevent Casey from breaking through our midfield was a big part of that.

"When you combine Perri and Ella with the likes of 'Skin' (Sarah Skinner) and ‘Scotty’ (Annabel Scott), we’ve got a pretty formidable midfield, that’s for sure."

After strong performances in the first two games of the season, Jen Guy’s campaign looks to be over with a confirmed ruptured ACL.

Guy had already gathered 12 disposals and a goal before she went down, and Binder says the whole team is rallying around her as she begins the long road back to game fitness.

"We got the news on Monday that Jen’s done her ACL and that was a bit of a shock. I informed the girls and they were all naturally heartbroken for her because she isn’t just a great footballer, but she’s a great person as well,” she said.

"I know the girls want to reach out and support her as much as possible, and any way the club can be of any help is so important. I know our medical staff have already been in touch with her and are making sure she’s getting the best possible care."

The Kangaroos will take on Darebin in Round 4 as they continue to search for their first victory of the season.

Despite starting the season with three losses, Binder believes the team is building towards something special.

"There’s such a new playing group that the connection the girls already have is really quite beautiful to see. That’s going to start showing on the footy field and that first win doesn’t feel too far away," she said.

"I think it’s just a consistency and confidence piece to consistently play o the structures and trust in their own skills and abilities to execute. We’ll have some really nice passages of play but then we might retract back into our shells and go the safer option.

"We just need to be willing to be a bit more daring and brave and once we do that we’re going to be a really hard team to beat."

AFLW-listed player stats

Daisy Bateman - 20 disposals, 4 tackles, 4 marks
Ella Maurer - 18 disposals, 1 goal, 5 tackles
Lexi Hamilton - 16 disposals, 1 goal, 2 behinds, 8 hitouts
Britt Gibson - 7 disposals, 3 behinds
Perri King - 10 disposals, 12 tackles

VFLW-listed player stats (selected)

Sarah Skinner - 14 disposals, 10 tackles
Jen Guy - 12 disposals, 1 goal, 5 tackles
Annabel Scott - 16 disposals, 5 tackles 
Elizabeth McGrath - 12 disposals, 19 hit-outs