WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM LAST SEASON?

The Kangaroos were marooned in third place in Conference A behind Fremantle but four points and a whopping 24% above Conference B leaders Carlton.

The controversial system remains in 2020 (and for the foreseeable future) as the league undergoes its second expansion in as many seasons, this time from 10 to 14 teams.

Somewhat comfortingly for those clubs who missed out last year, finals places will also be expanded to the top three in each conference – however potential remains for a rerun of 2019’s heartbreak.

Better for the experience of top flight footy, the Kangaroos have retained most of their ultra-competitive list from last year whilst adding a few new faces and saying goodbye to a couple of higher profile players.

THE STRENGTHS

Scoring. North put up some big numbers in 2019; when on they regularly outscored their opponents by 20-30 points and averaged 43 points per game, which resulted in a percentage in the 140s before the devastating last round loss at Freo.

The potency of the Kangaroos was due to a well stacked side across the park, starting with arguably the best and most dominant ruck in the league, Emma King and flowing down through stars Jasmine Garner, Jenna Bruton and Jamie Stanton to skipper and 2018 AFLW Best and Fairest Emma Kearney among others.

Of these particular key performers, only Stanton is missing in 2020, having joined Gold Coast in the off season.

Having built a formidable partnership with Melbourne Uni in the VFLW over the past decade, North Melbourne-Tasmania will forge their own path from this year onwards while maintaining their strong presence in the Apple Isle with regular training camps and games in both Hobart and Launceston and helped by the late-draft addition of top class academy player Mia King.

Their off field presence in this regard has been exceptional and should assist one of the most exciting AFLW teams to push for glory in 2020.

THE CHALLENGES

Compared to most other sides, on paper the Kangaroos have relatively fewer obstacles to surmount in the season ahead. However premierships aren’t won on paper as last season’s pre-season favourites can attest.

Avoiding the cruel outcome that befell their debut year will be top of mind for North and their fans. They look again to be in the stronger of the two conferences (despite the shakeup of teams) with perennially in-the-mix Adelaide and the unknown yet potentially powerful Richmond and Gold Coast sides also in Conference A.

The losses of Stanton, Jess Duffin, Courtney Munn and the mercurial Moana Hope may also be more difficult for North Melbourne to make up for than many have predicted so far – their defensive mettle was rarely tested in arm wrestle contests (with the exception of the four point game against Melbourne – widely considered one of the best matches of the season) and in a slightly longer season against more and more-experienced opposition, the run-and-gun ‘Roos could be required to take to the trenches more often in their sophomore season.

ACCORDING TO GOWANS

With plenty of experience in coaching the women’s game, Scott Gowans seemed a duck to water in his first season of the top flight. Despite a season of tremendous highs, the bitter taste of missing out at the ultimate prize obviously lingers in his mouth.

In recent interviews Gowans asserted how assiduously Arden Street is taking the fourth season of the AFLW, explaining that the club avoided drafting too many younger players for more seasoned prospects in a quest to stave off similar outcomes to those two losses against Fremantle and eventual premiers Adelaide that took the wind out of North’s sails.