North Melbourne wins third straight AFLW minor premiership with 68-point win over Richmond
North Melbourne has won the 2026 AFLW minor premiership, beating Richmond 15.11 (101) to 5.3 (33) at Windy Hill on Saturday afternoon. The 68-point win secured top spot on the ladder after the home-and-away rounds, and it is the first time a team has finished on top three seasons running, according to ABC News.
The minor premiership is the reward for finishing first across the regular season, before any finals. North Melbourne came in as the reigning AFLW premiers, and it made its intentions clear early. The club kicked seven goals in a row in the first half, and the game was largely settled before the long break.
Ash Riddell finished with 32 disposals, which is football's word for kicks and handballs. Tahlia Randall kicked three goals. Captain Jas Garner had 29 disposals, three clearances (winning the ball out of a stoppage) and one goal, according to the club's match report. Richmond's Monique Conti had a team-high 33 disposals in the loss.
North Melbourne finished the home-and-away season with an 11-1 record and won its games by an average of 43.2 points. Earlier in the year it beat second-placed Geelong by 73 points. Garner was voted in to lead the side as captain for a second season in 2026.
The rest of Saturday's card had a different ending for one side. Port Adelaide beat St Kilda 7.9 (51) to 7.3 (45). Each goal is worth six points and each behind one, so that is a six-point margin decided by a handful of kicks. St Kilda finished its season with one win from 12 games, a 1-11 record. Coach Nick Dal Santo stepped down midway through the campaign.
For North Melbourne supporters, the result is a clear statement of where the competition's top side has been all year. For anyone new to the women's game, it shows how a team can win by a lot of points and still need every player to hold their role. The ball moved quickly through the middle, and the midfield did its work.
The minor premiership now sits on North Melbourne's record alongside its two earlier flags at the top of the ladder.
