CALL it the Roo-print. 

On the eve of yet another finals campaign and a quest for North Melbourne's third successive flag, AFL.com.au has canvassed the opinions of current and former AFLW coaches and players on how to tackle the Roos.

The blue and white-striped juggernaut has won 39 of its last 41 matches dating back to the start of 2024, the only slips coming against a tenacious Hawthorn in the tropical heat of Cairns, and a draw in the rain with Geelong.

Everyone's been wanting to know how to beat North Melbourne, and we've come up with the solution… now it's over to the teams themselves to put it all together on the field.

Some sources have been anonymised in order to speak freely.

1. The forward line needs to be switched on

You might think a forward's only job is kicking goals, but think again. They also need to defend their defenders, and not leave them alone to snap up loose kicks. Making good decisions and short sharp kicks can also catch the Roos on the hop.

North Melbourne's backline is a strong, composed group, who is very comfortable with a zone intercept web, opening up to guard space, and closing in on the drop of the ball.

"There are key elements as to what goes on in your front half. Can you march the ball up to a dangerous launch position, like Melbourne did in the preliminary final last year?" one senior coach said.

"Can you maintain 5v5 in your front half? You can't let them drop off, or zone in their back half.

"This is all if they're not beating you in the middle, which is where some of their attack starts."

Former Port Adelaide coach Lauren Arnell came up against the Roos a few times at their blistering best in her time at Alberton, as well as once as a player herself.

"Efficiency once you're inside 50 is important. North Melbourne's work rate to support their back five means you're surrounded by so much pressure, that teams turn it over a lot," Arnell said.

"Having some dynamic players that can capitalise on your entries is really important."

2. Layers at stoppage and composure through the middle are key

Footy 101. Contest structure is like an onion (or, to paraphrase Shrek, an ogre), with layers. There's an "inside" circle of players around a ball, and an "outside" layer, who sit a couple of metres back from the contest. The inside players win the footy and handball it to the outside players. 

This point is for the footy nerds, and is all about balance at the contest.

Too many players diving for the footy? North will get you on the outside – where all this space has just been created, because you've all piled in on the one spot – because their players are too disciplined to join the rolling maul.

"They are so good at high-density and low-density decisions. If I'm a defender from North Melbourne, and I see a forward just go up to the contest, I'm just going to sit back and let them kick it back to me. Post-clearance, they are so strong because they're so good at making those decisions," a senior defender said.

"If you're playing against North Melbourne, and you go up to a contest as an extra number, you must make an impact. You can't afford to add a number and be irrelevant. Otherwise, they're going to set up behind the contest, chain the ball out with handballs and absolutely tear you apart.

"If you're at the contest, you need to pressure them, but you rarely can because they're that good. If you're on the inner layer, you need to win it and make good decisions – they know they can afford to lose it on the inner layer, because they always have good representation on the outside of the contest. 

"If you're on the outside, you cannot afford to collapse into the contest. They're just going to overlap you in the space you've created on the outside, and they're so good by hand and foot."

3. Don't get sucked into a bomb kick down the line

Win the ball at half-back and panicking about where to kick it? Often a player will end up executing a long kick down the wing to a contest, but that's prone to be intercepted. Mainly because the Roos are masters at making sure they've got a defender there waiting for that exact "bomb" kick.

As a smaller forward at the tail end of her playing days, Arnell knows exactly how pointless a long, aimless kick down the line can be, especially against the overhead marking power of North Melbourne. 

"If we talk game style, I really liked what Fremantle tried to execute (in round nine). I thought it was so gutsy, the way they avoided North Melbourne's defensive spare. They refused to go long down the line, and tried their hearts out to maintain possession. At this stage (of their development), it was just probably a bridge too far to do it for four quarters," Arnell said.

"When you do have controlled possession from your back half, or even through the middle of the ground, you absolutely have to change lanes. You can't go in a straight line, because that's where their spare is sitting, waiting to intercept and play really fast off the back of the turnover."

4. Keep up with the wingers

You've got a player who can run all day without tiring, and has equal doses of speed and endurance? Play them on the wing, the outside layer of the contest (or onion, or ogre).

They're the unheralded stars of North Melbourne's very deep squad – the tireless wingers.

Tess Craven, Taylah Gatt, Amy Gavin Mangan patrol the outside of the contest, running from point post to point post and setting up both rebound and forward entries. Even Jenna Bruton and Erika O'Shea have stints on the outside, with the variety of options making keeping up even harder for the opposition, given the number of fresh legs.

"The very best version of North, they use the width of the ground, and they like to get it out in open space," Arnell said.

"If your squad is fit enough – and there are teams closing the gap all over the competition – you want to encourage width in all areas of the game, particularly around the contest. If you can hold shape and not get sucked in, I think you can go a fair way in beating them.

"A lot of their extra numbers come from their wings, so you need to stay with them for the whole game."

5. Don't bother tagging

Tagging. The defensive dark art where one player sacrifices their own want to win the footy, and instead does everything in their power to stop their direct opponent – usually a superstar – from having an impact on the game. 

Everyone agreed that tagging against North Melbourne was a fool's game, given the depth of talent, with one person using the phrase "untaggable".

If Jas Garner is targeted, then Ash Riddell gets loose when you're not looking. Same goes for the forward line, where the variety of talls and smalls means the defence is spread thin regardless of paying special attention to one player.

6.  Remember not to get overwhelmed. This isn't an invincible machine, and the gap is closing

Take a breath. No football side is immortal, and North Melbourne has shown a few cracks this year. There's also no point in pouring all your attention into the opposition at the expense of your own strengths.

When it comes to the reality of your own normal game plan up against the opposition, there's a fine line between focusing on your own KPIs and getting too caught up in the North Melbourne of it all.

"When I would present oppo analysis to the players, you'd generally circle a handful of names and flag the best from each team, and with North Melbourne, it's an almost endless list," Arnell said.

"So you have to be careful to balance your messaging with what you're trying to execute, and not go too far into your opposition."

A player who has been in the league as long as North Melbourne believes the gap is closing, and the head start the Roos had in their disciplined and sound game plan is beginning to shrink.

"The education around those things is getting stronger, and the execution's getting stronger. I wonder whether teams in the past were a few years behind in terms of education – I feel like we've only just getting up to their level now," she said.

"When I talk about education, it's the education around decision-making. Structurally, there's only so much you can do with five forwards, six mids and five defenders. 

"It's the decisions you make from those starting positions that count, and North do it better than anyone. You've got to beat them at their own game."

Get two NAB AFLW qualifying final games for the price of one at Saturday’s Ikon Park double-header! Geelong takes on Melbourne, before North Melbourne hosts Carlton. All spectators need a ticket - adults $15, kids under 15 free. Get your tickets here