REIGNING premier North Melbourne is gearing up for its toughest finals series in recent years with the competition at the top “at its tightest”, according to skipper Jas Garner.

With just three weeks left in the home and away season, all eyes are turning towards a tough battle for the top eight, with just percentage currently differentiating the best from the rest.

“Teams have improved so much, and it's so good to see, the competition's definitely at its tightest,”, North Melbourne captain Jas Garner said at the launch of the 2026 Toyota AFL Open on Monday.

“Even just yesterday playing against Freo, I mean, the turnaround for them. Last year, I think we beat them by 100 points, and then yesterday it was roughly around 30 (points), but just to see the way that they're moving the footy.

“I feel like the top four, top six, even top eight, all those teams, they can come up against each other, and maybe in the past, you could probably predict who's gonna win. But I feel like now, you just don't know what's going to happen. I think if a team turns up and brings their best footy on any given day, they can really put up a fight, and anyone can win.

“I know it's really tight in that top four, so anything can happen. You don't want to slip up and drop the game, but yeah, looking forward to the next few weeks.”

North Melbourne’s 2026 already looks tougher than previous years, having dropped its first game since 2023 with a round six loss to Hawthorn up in Cairns.

“The Hawks were great that night, and it's probably been the best thing for us,” Garner said of the loss.

“We've probably been letting a few things slide that we didn't really review too much, and then we had the loss, and I felt like since then, we've been able to really deep dive into it and fix a few things up. The girls have responded really well since then.”  

With the 12-week fixture, the only side in the top eight the Roos have not, and will not, face before finals is Gold Coast.

The Suns' rapid rise from bottom four to top four in just 12 months means its possible the Roos will face them for the first time since 2024. Without a recent match up against their competitors, Garner says they’re closely watching from afar in anticipation for November.

“Gold Coast has been awesome to watch. Fit, strong, fast, they play an exciting brand of footy as well,” she said.

“I think a lot of the teams are trying to do that now, that exciting brand, and you know, the forward handballs, and it makes it really hard to defend.

“It's good. It's nice when it's like this. You just, you just don't know what's going to happen, and you have definitely got to keep an eye on those teams that you don't face during the year.”

The Roos kicked their season off with a 73-point win against Geelong in round one, which has turned out to be the only loss the Cats have suffered so far this season. Now sitting one spot below the Roos on the ladder on percentage alone, there’s a high chance the two sides could also face off again come finals.

But despite the demolition over two months ago, Garner says the Roos are not expecting a repeat result.  

“They've definitely improved a lot since round one,” Garner said.

“I feel like as the season goes on, teams work a few things out and you can definitely improve as it goes. But yeah, I think the Geelong that we played round one, is definitely a different Geelong to where they are now.”

Garner also spoke of her love for the AFL Open, which is the AFL's national event for elite footballers with an intellectual impairment and wheelchair players.

For the first time, the 2026 competition includes a dedicated Women and Girls Inclusion division.

“Yeah, it's so good to see,” Garner said.

“I think it's so similar to ‘you can't be what you can't see’ and I think for young people seeing this and growing up, playing for your state is so important. And I guess it's similar to AFLW and what that's done to a lot of young girls and having their career with a pathway there.

“I know that meant so much to me, growing up playing VIC footy. I just loved it. I made the best memories when I did it. Made so many friendships along the way, and you just want to win as well. It’s so competitive and at the end of those few days, you want to be holding that cup up for your state.”

The 2026 Toyota AFL Open will be held at La Trobe Sports Park in Bundoora, Victoria, from Monday, October 12 until Wednesday, October 14.