North Melbourne promise to play an attacking brand of football in debut AFLW season

North Melbourne recruited established AFLW players for its debut season and coach Scott Gowans has revealed the club had a clear plan — sign players who are attacking weapons. Now, the Kangaroos are set to unleash on the competition.

North Melbourne coach Scott Gowans with recruits (from left to right) Nicole Bresnehan, Emma Kearney, Daria Bannister, Moana Hope and Emma Humphries. Picture: Richard Jupe

North Melbourne coach Scott Gowans has promised his side will “put on a show” in the AFLW this season, determined to play his part in helping the competition grow.

New kids on the block this year, the Kangaroos focused their recruiting efforts around finding offensive weapons and have similarly put a major focus on the attacking side of their game over pre-season.

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Gowans, who served as an assistant coach with Carlton during the first AFLW season, said he believed the competition would struggle to take off if coaches did not have an attacking mindset, as had been the case with many over the first two seasons.

Moana Hope will spearhead North Melbourne’s forward line. Picture: Patrick Gee

“I think we’ll play a very open style of footy, fast-flowing and try and score a lot because that’s the way we’ve been training the girls,” Gowans said.

“Defence is very important but it’s how we score. We want to play a game of footy that not only does us proud but helps the competition grow and all the coaches have the game in their hands at the moment. We need to make this product grow and be successful.

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“We kicked nine goals in the practice match (last month), which was a good start, but now we need to do it when we’ve got four points on the line.”

Gowans said he did not have an issue with the AFL’s memorandum to clubs last year which asked them to adjust their tactics in the hope of producing higher-scoring games.

North Melbourne coach Scott Gowans with recruits (from left to right) Nicole Bresnehan, Emma Kearney, Daria Bannister, Moana Hope and Emma Humphries. Picture: Richard Jupe

“I think we need to keep in mind where the girls are at with their footy and in 20 or 30 years’ time we need to look back and say that we helped grow the game,” Gowans said.

“I just think if you take the defensive mindset you’re not helping the product overall.

“As much as we all want to win, and there will be times to defend, as a general rule we need to put on a show and that’s what we want to do. When I got the job here I said to the list manager I want a team that can kick the ball, move the ball quickly and get it into a really good forward line.

“That was the criteria and I think we’ve done really well with that, but now it’s a matter of showcasing that.”

The Kangaroos meet Carlton in their first game at North Hobart Oval on Sunday.