Eilish Sheerin moves to Arden Street from Richmond. (Getty Images)
The ink may still be dry on North Melbourne players’ premiership tattoos, but the club is not resting on its laurels after claiming its first AFLW flag last month.
The Kangaroos pulled off their biggest coup of the final 24 hours of the trade period, trading the 18th overall pick in next week’s draft for Richmond star defender Ailish Shearing.
They also brought in 25-year-old Ariana Hetherington from Fremantle as another tall, centre or key forward option.
Ailish Shearing will bring pressure and power to North Melbourne’s midfield. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
This has rightfully caused concern among some opposition clubs and their fans.
After an undefeated, dominant season, the last thing anyone expected was to bring in an experienced, versatile, reliable star player in Sherin Lee for the Kangaroos.
After scoring just one goal in the grand final, Brisbane coach Craig Starcevic admitted they were “pushed back” by North Melbourne.
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The Kangaroos led the team in tackles with an average of 80.2 over the season, and in the decider, 14 different players had at least one tackle in each quarter.
Schelling will only make those numbers go up.
Although she won All-Australian honors as a defender two years in a row, this year she dominated the field as a midfielder. She averaged 7.4 steals per game and was able to use her strength and athleticism to break through opponents’ blocks.
Shearing could be a useful assistant in the Kangaroos midfield – especially with veteran Jenna Bruton getting some managed games in the second half of the season – but more importantly it would give Darren Crocker more options for moving magnets.
Suppose, for a moment, we put her back on defense.
North Melbourne’s well-organized and well-structured defense was a key factor in their league title success.
It’s hard for teams to penetrate the defense of captain Emma Kearney, Erika O’Shea and Nicole Bresnehan. If they succeed, Jasmine Ferguson, Sarah Wright and Libby Birch are there as the deepest trio.
In the grand final, the Kangaroos’ defence held two-time grand champions and then-defending champions Brisbane to just nine points.
Bella Eddey, Alice O’Loughlin, Jenna Bruton and Kate Shierlaw celebrate their victory at the 2024 Grand Final. (Getty Images: Michael Willson)
Despite having Tyler Smith, who is tied for the season’s leading scorer, and Dakota Davidson, who leads the scoring, Brisbane only managed three shots from inside the 50-yard line 20 times throughout the game. Smith and Davidson each touched the ball just twice.
It was the fourth time in nine seasons that the Lions scored just one goal.
Schelling can provide depth to their layered backline and even switch positions on the fly during a game. This could be especially useful if a player gets injured, like Kearney did this year with a hamstring injury.
Regardless, her addition makes the strongest side in the game even stronger.
Other key trades
In other trade news, Melbourne’s Tayla Harris initially looked likely to be in the spotlight this week, but she will remain with her current team after the Demons and Hawthorns were unable to reach a deal unless the star player quits the team and nominates for the draft.
Hawks fans should have had some good news as many were unhappy with rookie midfielder Mattia Breed being picked by Collingwood. The Hawthorns gave up her and the 26th pick in this year’s draft for the 22nd and 28th picks.
It could be a significant bonus for the Magpies, who sit bottom of the table with just one win.
Another team to make significant additions is St Kilda, which has added young players such as 20-year-old Charlotte Baskaran from Hawthorn and 19-year-old Amber Clarke from Essendon, as well as experienced first-year GWS player Nicola Barr.
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