While North Melbourne’s Round 3 victory over the travelling Giants was largely clinical, prior results suggest that those sitting on Arden Street's eucalyptus laden banks need not have been surprised by Sunday's outcome.
Although a faltering final term was enough to have rankled each of these same Shinboners, North’s early flexes across all three portions of the ground saw an unheralded stretch of precision extended.
Since joining the AFLW competition ahead of the 2019 season, the blue and white-clad club have played 13 home games across two states and five venues for an 11-2 record.
And with this pair of defeats coming at Avalon Airport Oval and Marvel Stadium respectively, the expansion side can currently lay claim to being unbeatable at both their spiritual home in Melbourne and their pair of Tasmanian bases.
But despite remaining near perfect when hosting contests at either end of Bass Strait, it has been the Kangaroo’s failure to launch when the competitive bar has been raised that has seen each of their first three seasons end in anguish.
Even though the conference system and halts due to Covid each played significant roles in distancing the Roos from a debut flag, a stark inability to beat fellow contenders should take the brunt of the blame.
While Darren Crocker’s 2-1 mob are currently tracking towards a third straight finals appearance, a historic five wins and 12 losses when facing finals calibre clubs has seen North earn an unwanted tag.
Given the cavalcade of champions – both present and emerging – at Crocker’s disposal, a lack of personnel can hardly be the cause of this apparent disparity between contending and, for all intents and purposes, pretending.
Nevertheless, after falling short of their latest litmus test against the Crows in Round 2, why is it that the Kangaroos' struggle when asked to hop a higher hurdle?
Across the course of their home victories against Geelong and GWS this season, North Melbourne collected an average of 14 more contested possessions than their guests.
However, when asked to play an auspicious Adelaide outfit, this coal face dominance was reversed, with the Crows winning the hard-ball on 93 occasions compared to the Roos’ 86.
Although it can be argued that it’s unfair to apply heat from such a minute sample size, the fact that the Shinboners were also shaded when facing fellow finalists from last season has seen this tick develop into a tendency.
Throughout their six wins from 2021, North proved able to secure the Sherrin under duress an average of 106.6 times per game - nearly 12 more each week than their respective opponents.
Yet, when viewing their four losses to finalists Melbourne, Collingwood, Brisbane and the Magpies again, this figure fell to 100.7, with their trio of trumpers recording a collective mean of 105.5.
Despite the void between these statistics appearing minuscule, the gap between the scores produced in these contests is, no doubt, still a major cause for concern.
Within their eight wins so far throughout 2021 and 2022, the Roos have finished each with an average of 47.5 points on the board whilst only conceding a meagre 23.5.
Still, when their five defeats across this same period are studied, a mean total of 29.4 is all that is able to be produced in the face of their classier opponent’s 42 points per week.
As clear as this difference in output is to an outsider, it is absolutely crystal to those within Crocker’s locker room.
After proving able to correct the ills of their most loss to the seasoned Crows, the first-year coach stated openly that his troops had heeded his overarching demands for improvement.
“It was good to come out of the Adelaide game and have a look at a few areas that we needed to work on,” Crocker said after Sunday's win.
“We looked at those areas of growth and development still in our game and I thought the execution of it in the first three-quarters was super.
“It was really encouraging to rebound from last week.”
Even with this attitude towards change was lived out by every member of his playing group, the fourth-quarter fadeout that saw GWS eclipse their hosts for contested possessions, clearances and on the scoreboard will necessitate this same message being imparted again.
“Sometimes it’s a really big mental challenge when you’re well up on the scoreboard and then still being able to find a way to continue to play the way you want to play,” Crocker continued.
“We’ll drill down on that last quarter. The numbers tell me that we just started losing the ball around the contest and then the post-clearance stuff wasn’t great either.”
While an early dominance across all facets of the game saw his side go unpunished in spite of their scoreless last quarter, the chances afforded to North Melbourne for coasting are set to dry up before the end of the regular season.
Although expecting the current schedule to remain unimpacted is nothing short of a pipe dream, Crocker’s charges are currently fixtured to face stern opponents in Carlton, Fremantle, Richmond, Collingwood, Melbourne and Brisbane before the start of the six-team finals series.
And given the vast majority of sides along this run have previously caused migraines for the Roos both on the ground and in the coaches’ box, the message for bucking their trend for tripping remains simple.
“The biggest focus coming out of today’s game is being able to do it [control the contest] for longer,” Crocker told Zero Hanger.
“I think our best [football] holds up. The concepts we’ve really drilled down on throughout the pre-season hold up when we bring it together, but it’s just a matter of being able to do it over four-quarters.”
With a team sheet that routinely contains the ilk of Kearney, Garner, Duffin, Bruton, Riddell, King, Ashmore, Bannister, Abbatangelo and Hardiman, there is gold littered across all lines at Arden Street.
But with a confusing propensity for falling short when tested, this same group also runs the risk of having underachieved by season’s end.
As their run home is tougher than a cheap steak, the two-months of action left ahead of North Melbourne must be seen as the defining period in the team’s brief history.
If a return to the finals is to be earned, then it will be claimed after beating a concoction of contenders whilst also shedding any doubts surrounding their premiership credentials.
However, if the bar set by the competition’s elite teams stays unvaulted, will 2022 be a season in which North are viewed as the best side of those left south of the six?
Given five All Australians and a former league best and fairest winner will be leading the charge through the throws of this upcoming challenge, only a fool - or the most bitter of Bomber fans - would be willing to write the Roos off right now.
And in the face of the proverbial whips that will stay cracking across the course of February and March, you can be sure that those with their sights set north will be taking their mammoth, but achievable, task one contender at a time.
