NORTH Melbourne racked up a 20th straight win and a number of all-time records in Round 8 of the AFL Women’s, but none of that matters to coach Darren Crocker who is solely focused on getting better with each match. The Kangaroos brushed a talented Sydney side by 68 points down at UTAS Stadium in Launceston on Saturday in another ominous message to the rest of the competition.

The Roos casually racked up a competition-high 369 disposals and 57 inside 50s in the 13.10 (88) to 3.2 (20) victory, while ball-winning midfielder Ash Riddell broke her own individual disposal record for a third time this season with 45. For Crocker, the fact his side ‘only’ kicked 13 goals from 57 entries – thus a 22. per cent goal efficiency – is in itself an area of improvement.

“The good thing is, the most disposals I just mention it’s not stat-padding, it’s actually our disposals take us forward as a team, or control the tempo of the game, which is I think really, really important,” Crocker said. “We spoke at half-time and also at three quarter time at probably getting a little bit more reward for effort of locking the ball in our front half.

“That’s probably an area we always look at ways to get better, we look at what we do well, but we’re always looking at ways to get better, so we’ll probably take a look at that and look at how we could have been better in that area.”

As for the importance placed on the records themselves, Crocker said the team did not even discuss them or worry about them given it was not important to the end goal – a premiership.

“Look we don’t ever talk about records, we don’t talk about targeting so many inside 50s or repeat entries or number of possessions, uncontested marks, we know that if we play to our identity, a lot of those numbers will just look after themselves,” he said. “Today we played to our identity for the majority of the game.”

As has so been the case most of the season, the Roos were challenged in the first quarter with the Swans only trailing by two points at the first break. However once North Melbourne flicked the switch, the Roos piled on 11 of the next 12 goals to run out 68-point winners.

“I thought it was a real grind early,” Crocker said. “Sydney do like to move the ball quickly and in the first quarter they were bouncing off our half-forward line and looked dangerous coming back at us. But some readjustments at quarter time just to control the speed of the game a little bit better, slowed them down a little bit more, and then we slowly surged our way on top.”

Though Crocker is familiar with the sight of an opposition standing up across the first quarter, it was a case of forcing them to do it for four quarters. He emphasised the tighter opening terms were “not a concern for us”.

“Well I think everyone gets themselves up for starts of games, and whether they try and take away what we’re trying to do, and apply what makes them a good team,” Crocker said. “Just sorting each other out a little bit, it’s not a concern for us, I feel like we’re a pretty professional outfit that turns up ready to go ready to go every time we put a performance out.

“It’s not a concern, but the good thing from a coaching perspective is when we can have a reset, it’s in a pretty calm manner and the players then go out and are able to execute really well.”

Amy Smith had 24 disposals, seven marks and six inside 50s in the game, and joined Gowans at his press conference. When asked about how the side was so focused on winning so comprehensively each week, Smith said it was about internal improvement.

“With our group we’re always looking for ways to get better,” she said. “We never go complacent, and we don’t really talk about the win itself, it’s what we did well and what we can keep doing well, and what little areas we can continue to improve and keep growing as a team.”

North Melbourne face 17th placed Richmond at Ikon Park this Saturday night in what looms as potentially one of the most lob-sided clashes of the season. Fortunately for the underdogs, they did grab their first win against finals-bound Adelaide that will give the yellow and black confidence going into the match. North Melbourne then face the Crows, before finishing off the regular season with St Kilda and then Hawthorn.