The ink may still be drying on the 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 the biggest coup of the trade period in its final 24 hours, adding Richmond star defender Eilish Sheerin in exchange for pick No.18 in next week’s draft.
They also added 25-year-old Ariana Hetherington from Fremantle as another tall and ruck or key forward option.
Eilish Sheerin will add pressure and strength to North Melbourne’s midfield. (Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
This rightly aroused some worry in opposition clubs and their fans.
The last thing anyone would want bolstering the Kangaroos after an undefeated and dominant season was a proven versatile and reliable player with star power in Sheerin.
After being held to just one goal in the grand final, Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich conceded they were “pressured into submission” by North Melbourne.
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Across the season, the Kangaroos led the tackle count with an average of 80.2 and in the decider, had 14 different players lay at least one a quarter.
Sheerin is only going to make those numbers go up.
While she earned back-to-back All Australian honours as a defender, this year she moved up the ground as a high-pressured midfielder. She averaged 7.4 tackles a game and was able to use her strength and athleticism to burst away from stoppages.
Sheerin will likely be a handy addition to the Roos’ midfield — particularly as veteran player Jenna Bruton was on managed games towards the back end of the season — but will more importantly give Darren Crocker further options to move around magnets.
For a hypothetical, let’s put her back in defence.
North Melbourne’s well-layered and structurally sound defence was a key component of their premiership year.
Opposition sides struggled to find a way through skipper Emma Kearney, Erika O’Shea and Nicole Bresnehan patrolling half back. And if they did, Jasmine Ferguson, Sarah Wright and Libby Birch were there waiting as the deepest trio.
In the grand final, the Kangaroos’ defence held Brisbane, a two-time premiership side and the then-reigning premiers, to just nine points.
Bella Eddey, Alice O’Loughlin, Jenna Bruton and Kate Shierlaw celebrate during the 2024 grand final. (Getty Images: Michael Willson)
Despite having the season’s equal leading goalscorer in Taylor Smith and scoring spearhead Dakota Davidson, Brisbane managed just three shots all game from their 20 inside 50s. Smith and Davidson only touched the ball twice each.
It was the fourth time in nine seasons the Lions had been restricted to just one goal.
Sheerin could provide depth to their layered system down back, even in spots here and there to adjust within games. This could particularly be handy if a player goes down, such as Kearney did this year with a hamstring injury.
Either way, her addition makes the strongest side in the competition even stronger.
Other key trades
In other trade news, after looking initially likely to be the story of the week, Melbourne’s Tayla Harris is staying put after the Demons and Hawthorn were unable to finalise a deal. That’s unless the marking star delists herself and nominates for the draft.
Hawks fans could have used some good news after many were left displeased in losing rising quality midfielder Mattea Breed to Collingwood. Hawthorn gave her up alongside pick No.26 in exchange for picks No.22 and No.28 in this year’s draft.
It could prove an important pick-up for the Magpies, who finished bottom of the ladder after just the one win.
Another side with significant additions is St Kilda, after adding youth in 20-year-old Charlotte Baskaran from Hawthorn and 19-year-old Amber Clarke from Essendon, along with the experience of inaugural GWS player Nicola Barr.
