North stay top, Hawks crash the eight in AFLW Round 9

North Melbourne finished AFLW round nine on top of the ladder after beating Fremantle by 28 points at Arden Street on October 11. The Kangaroos won 9.4 (58) to 4.6 (30). In footy notation, that is goals.behinds (total points).

The margin matters. North banked the four points for a win and held first place. Fremantle slipped out of the top eight after the loss, according to ABC News.

Hawthorn took its chance in the mid-ladder scramble. The Hawks beat Brisbane 9.11 (65) to 6.4 (40). That is a 25-point win.

The result moved Hawthorn into eighth spot. AFL.com.au headlined its official report "Hawks move ahead of mid-ladder scrum with win over Lions", per AFL.com.au.

North's midfield did the heavy lifting. Ash Riddell collected 38 disposals, had four clearances and kicked a goal. A disposal is any kick or handball, and a clearance is a clean win of the ball from a stoppage.

Jasmine Garner was close behind her. She had 33 disposals, four clearances and a goal. Fremantle had no answer once North got the ball moving.

Hawthorn's win was built on efficiency up forward. Aine McDonagh kicked three goals from 20 disposals. She found space where there was not much to work with.

It was also a milestone day for Kaitlyn Ashmore. She played her 100th AFLW match. Reaching a century is rare in the competition's short history.

Carlton completed the set with a 27-point win over Sydney at Henson Park. The Blues won 8.11 (59) to 4.8 (32) in the Round 9 meeting on October 11, per ABC Sport ScoreCentre.

Nell Morris-Dalton kicked a career-high four goals for Carlton. Sydney stayed in the contest early but could not close the gap. Carlton steadied after half-time.

There was one concern for the Blues. Captain Abbie McKay limped off with an ankle injury in the second half. No further detail on the injury was given.

What makes this stand out is the squeeze. One round changed who is in and who is out. North look secure, but eighth to tenth is tight.