NORTH Melbourne continued its impressive form this AFLW season, this time defeating Essendon by 51 points at Windy Hill on Sunday afternoon.

Joining her coach Darren Crocker post-game, Jasmine Garner spoke about what were the key factors in the side’s victory.

“We wanted to make a really good first impression and we wanted to come out hot from the start and I thought we did that. We set the game up in the first half,” Garner said.

Crocker said the Kangaross had identified Essendon’s strengths coming into the match and had set about devising strategies around how to limit them.

“We know that they like to use the ball, they’re a bit of a kick mark team,” he said.

“The numbers showed us when they have been successful this year they’ve had over 60 uncontested marks. “That was a strong focus coming into the game that we needed to take that game away from them, which I thought the players did extremely well today.”

It was a history-making match for North, with it being the first time the Roos had met the Bombers in an official match. Like the classy team they are, the prospect of having to face a side for the first time in the upcoming finals did not phase them either.

“It’s really exciting,” Garner said.

“We hadn’t played Essendon until today and for us, we just worry about what we do and make good first impressions.”

“Any time, anywhere, any conditions,” Crocker chimed in with a laugh.

Looking ahead to a big match against the Adelaide Crows this coming weekend, Crocker said the midfield battle is where the match will be won and lost.

“We’ve had some great battles with Adelaide,” Crocker said.

“They’re a real robust team in around the midfield. It’s going to be a really important that the midfield battle, like a lot of games where it starts, but also if we can actually hold up really well defensively that’s been a real strength of ours this year.

“They’ll be coming to try take that away from us. “I think they’re going to be the two areas that really dictate the outcome of the game.”