Kate Shierlaw kicked a career-high five goals as the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos continued their unbeaten start to the 2024 NAB AFLW season with a thumping 50-point win over Melbourne.

After being held to a disappointing draw against Geelong last week, the Kangaroos hit back in style, winning 11.5 (71) to 3.3 (21) at Casey Fields.

DEMONS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Scores were level at quarter time but the Kangaroos then put the Demons to the sword, kicking eight unanswered goals.

The Roos' final haul was the highest score Melbourne has conceded in its AFLW history and firmly establishes the Kangas as one of the contenders for this year's premiership.

Veteran forward Shierlaw has kicked more than two goals only once before in her long career, but had two on the board in the opening minutes as the Roos made a lightning start.

The Demons hit back with some free-flowing football before the first break, but from then on it was all North Melbourne. 

The Dees looked rushed throughout the game, trying to move the ball at pace but running themselves into trouble time and time again.

Even the ball was against Melbourne; Eliza McNamara's on-target shot in the second term – in a rare bit of space – bouncing at right angles back into the field of play.

Shierlaw added two more goals before her captain and partner Emma Kearney laid on a perfect pass to set up her fifth.

Midfield dynamo Ash Riddell was outstanding for the Roos, winning 32 touches and kicking two goals, while Paxy Paxman was a fierce competitor in defence in game No.75 for Melbourne, recording 18 touches and six marks.

Prized Kangaroos trade recruit Libby Birch endured a bruising afternoon against her old team, spending periods of the final quarter on the bench after copping some heavy knocks. 

Welcome back, Libby

After crossing from Melbourne to North Melbourne over the off-season, premiership defender Libby Birch was likely to attract some attention from her former teammates in her first game back at Casey Fields. And so it proved in the third term, as tempers spilled over and a group of 10 or so players tangled in North Melbourne's defensive 50. Unsurprisingly, Birch was at the bottom of the pack.

Next up

North Melbourne hosts the improving Port Adelaide at Mission Whitten Oval in a Friday twilight clash, taking advantage of the broadcast-quality lights which aren't in place at Arden Street.

MELBOURNE                   2.1   2.1    2.2    3.3 (21)
NORTH MELBOURNE  2.1   6.1    8.2    11.5 (71)

GOALS
Melbourne: Beasley, Fitzsimon, McNamara
North Melbourne: Shierlaw 5, Bruton 2, O'Loughlin 2, Riddell 2

BEST
Melbourne: Paxman, Mithen, Goldrick, Fitzsimon
North Melbourne: Riddell, Shierlaw, M.King, Garner, E.King, Kearney 

INJURIES
Nil

Crowd: 2,023 at Casey Fields