IT IS the match-up fans have been waiting for all year.

North Melbourne v Melbourne. Jasmine Garner v Kate Hore. The winner moves on with the hope of landing their club's second ever AFLW flag, and it's all over for the loser.

Where and when: Ikon Park, Saturday November 22, 3.05pm AEDT

Head-to-head: North Melbourne – three wins, Melbourne – six wins

Last time they met: North Melbourne 11.5 (71) def. Melbourne 3.3 (21), week three 2024

It was the first game in North Melbourne's record-breaking 25-game winning streak, as the Roos beat the Demons by 50 points at Casey Fields. Melbourne struggled to adapt to the in-close pressure from North Melbourne, collapsing in, which allowed the Roos to break away from the contest with ease. It was emblematic of the control game that the Roos have made their brand – winning the footy and maintaining forward territory. Ash Riddell earned the three AFLW best and fairest votes for her 32 disposals, 10 tackles and two goals, while Kate Shierlaw was awarded the maximum 10 coaches votes for her career-best five goals. 

KEY MATCH-UP

Jasmine Garner v Kate Hore

While it is unlikely there will be any direct assignments, given both teams' focus on system, but people will no doubt be tuning into this one expecting to see the captains face off for parts of the game. Garner and Hore are similar players – tall midfielders who hit the scoreboard and can reliably take a contested mark.

Melbourne arguably relies more on Hore to shift or gain momentum in game than the Roos do with Garner, given there is more of an even spread at North Melbourne. The latter tends to gain more ground with her disposals (averaging 416.6 metres gained from 27 disposals per game), and sends the ball forward five times a game, while Hore is required to provide coverage across more lines. Often, she will head behind the play when things are getting out of hand, leading to her intercept marking becoming important, and there has been more expectation of her at the contest this year given Liv Purcell's ACL injury thinning out the line.

WHERE IT WILL BE WON

North Melbourne has been excellent at starving the opposition of the footy, averaging 82.2 more disposals than its opponent (an AFLW record), and much of this is uncontested ball. This largely starts at the source – stoppage – and then the control rolls from there, so it is imperative that Melbourne maximises it contested ball strengths. Where the Roos are the best uncontested ball team in the AFLW this year, the Demons are winning more contested possession than any team before. Fighting it out inside the contest is one layer of disrupting North Melbourne's control game.

Another thing Melbourne does especially well is force turnover from the opposition, which is another layer of disrupting the Roos. North Melbourne uses its record disposals numbers at an AFLW-first 67.6 per cent disposal efficiency, so if the Demons can keep that pressure game that forces turnover up, they are well placed to compete.

Notably, North Melbourne is only averaging 1.7 more shots on goal when compared to Melbourne, but the difference is just how efficiently it converts those shots.

Melbourne has gained a lot of confidence from how it managed to battle out last week's semi-final against Adelaide – challenged significantly, and able to turn the tide – and it must carry that into Saturday's match. While there will be a general consensus that this is simply another team the Roos will brush aside on their way to another flag, the Demons need to go in with the belief that they can be the team to end the Roos' streak.

PREDICTION

Unfortunately for the Demons, the road ends here. North Melbourne by 12 points.