North Melbourne has secured a coveted double-chance in the AFLW finals with a 46-point belting of wooden-spooner Western Bulldogs.
The finals-bound Kangaroos held the Bulldogs scoreless in the first half of their 7.13 (55) to 1.3 (9) victory at the Whitten Oval on Saturday.
Decorated duo Jasmine Garner and Ash Riddell played starring roles as the Kangaroos took third spot on the ladder.
The Bulldogs finish their season last with just one win from 10 matches.
Five-time All Australian Garner collected 31 disposals and kicked two goals in a dominant display.
And Riddell was the architect of a first-half blitz, her 18 disposals to the main break logging 407 metres gained, almost double the next-best on the ground.
The Kangaroos’ club champion finished with 36 disposals and Emma Kearney (20 disposals) and Amy Smith (14, five tackles) were also influential.
Kangaroos star Garner was a constant roaming threat and joined Emma King, Kate Shierlaw, Ellie Gavalas, Tahlia Randall and Erika O’Shea as goal kickers.
The Bulldogs’ sole goal came from Britney Gutknecht’s opportunist left-foot snap early in the last quarter.
Despite the efforts of Ellie Blackburn (30 disposals), Elisabeth Georgostathis (23), Jess Fitzgerald (17) and Gabrielle Newton (18), the Bulldogs slipped to a ninth loss from 10 matches.
In stark contrast, the Kangaroos bounced back from two losses and enter the finals brimming with confidence.
AAP