Roos on roll after big debut by Munn

NORTH Melbourne moved clear at the top of the AFLW ladder last night after Courteney Munn drilled four goals on debut to help tame the Western Bulldogs with a 31-point hiding at UTas Stadium in Launceston.

Watched by 3123 fans, the Kangaroos broke a tight game wide open in the second term with a stunning burst, drilling five unanswered goals while keeping the Dogs goalless.

Munn’s first three kicks in the AFLW reaped 2.1 and she ended a cracking debut with a game-high four goals, including a sensational inside-out dribbled goal as her fourth major early in the fourth.

A product of the club’s VFL program, Munn said her first goal was the most memorable.

“When I marked the ball I turned around and hoped I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “It went through and I was pretty stoked with that. “It was just a special night. “I was pretty nervous before the game, but the girls got around me and I owe them so much for their support.”

After a dry spell in the opening quarter, the Kangas went to the long break up by 31 and looking dangerous.

The Dogs barked after the break, kicking the first goal of the third through Aisling Utri and the next goal of the match was by teammate Katie Brennan, which pulled the Dogs back to within 16 points.

Munn torpedoed the resurgence with back-to-back goals within two minutes and the Kangas were sitting pretty on top of the table.

Jenna Bruton, Jamie Stanton and Emma Kearney dominated for the Kangaroos, and Tasmanian Britt Gibson was impassable in her new role as fullback after playing as a midfielder at Brisbane.

The previously undefeated Bulldogs have a nine-day break and coach Paul Groves said they needed time to deal with the reality check.

“They [Roos] are a good team, strong all over the ground,” he said. “Apart from a period of seven or eight minutes in the second term, things were pretty even.

“The main thing we take away from the game is that we can compete with the best teams.”