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AAP
AAP
Sport
Anna Harrington

Irrepressible North Melbourne want more in AFLW

Captain Jasmine Garner says North Melbourne aren't focused on their long winning streak in the AFLW. (Rob Prezioso/AAP PHOTOS)

North Melbourne are two-time defending AFLW premiers on a record unbeaten run.

And superstar captain Jasmine Garner believes they can still get better.

North Melbourne are on a 27-game winning streak and 29-game unbeaten run, with their most recent defeat the 2023 grand final.

"It's nothing that we focus on," Garner said at Monday's AFLW captains' day.

Jasmine Garner
Jasmine Garner says the Kangaroos know other clubs are coming after them. (Con Chronis/AAP PHOTOS)

"We've come into this pre-season with the mindset of 'all right, how do we keep getting better?' Because the competition is coming after us. We know that, we're not shying away from it.

"So we just keep continuing to build our brand of footy.

"There's little things that we've been trying to work on this preseason, and we've had good success in our (practice) games.

"We've got some younger girls coming through too, the likes of (recruit) Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner, she's been really exciting to see. So it's been an exciting preseason."

Garner, a seven-time All-Australian and three time AFLPA MVP and three-time AFLCA player of the year, is already a dominant force in the competition.

But the 32-year-old is also demanding more of herself.

Jasmine Garner
At 32, Garner continues to find ways to keep improving. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

"The best thing about our program is the coaches are always trying to find little things to develop every player, not just the younger girls coming through, but myself as well," Garner said.

"I've got PBs in my running again, so I'm always trying to find ways to get better.

"Crock (coach Darren Crocker's) really big on as an individual, if you get better then the team's just gonna get better."

Other players, like Adelaide captain Ebony Marinoff, can only marvel at North's dominance.

Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff
Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff praised the Kangaroos' desire to keep pushing themselves. (Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOS)

Marinoff relished the experience of playing under Crocker for Australia against Ireland on Saturday and can understand how the Kangaroos are set up for success.

"There's certainly so much respect there, what they've been able to do," she said.

"... I think anyone can be beaten. It's going to be hard to stop them. They have so much depth amongst their list.

"But I think for all of us, we've got to keep striving to be that.

"They know everyone's hunting them, so they're going to continue to push themselves. So it's just closing that gap."

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