THE ‘ROOS ARE OUTSTANDING ON A SLICK DECK

They’ve promised a lot and most pundits have them pushing for the top come finals time, but this was the first time in 2020 we’ve seen anything like the dominant performance the Kangaroos are capable of when on song.

Sure, they seemed to have an edge on their Round 1 opponents Melbourne during the first quarter of that game, but when the wind turned from blustery to near-cyclonic, the Dees adapted better to the conditions and snatched the points.

In Launceston too, while they were able to best the Giants without much trouble, the performance wasn’t enough to elevate them to the loft climes enjoyed by Fremantle and Collingwood as the teams to beat.

Enter Round 3. Playing the winless and at times seemingly rudderless Tigers helped of course, but with the sun shining and not a breath of wind to be felt, the conditions were cherry ripe for a North masterclass.

Emma King mixed imposing ruck work with deft taps and secondary groundwork, Jasmine Garner kicked the first goal and was swiftly followed by Emma Kearney who played the quintessential captain’s knock. It actually took them a quarter to work their way through the gears, but in the second term the Kangaroos were irrepressible.

Adding to the usual suspects, Sophie Abbatangelo, Kaitlyn Ashmore, Daisy Bateman and Jenna Bruton did what they liked for the most part–goals were easy to come by, handballs precise and tackling coming back the other way fastidious.

All without mentioning the best player on the ground.