North Melbourne Werribee won a thriller at Arden Street Oval on Saturday to move back into the top two on the VFL ladder, edging fellow contenders Collingwood by six points.

In a back-and-forth contest, the margin never exceeded two goals all day as the Roos came from behind in the final term to win 7.6 (48) to 6.6 (42).

KANGAROOS v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats

Ruck-forward Emma King, playing her first VFLW match since 2018, was the catalyst for North Melbourne Werribee. She put through the side’s first three goals for the match, including the first within 30 seconds of the opening ball-up. 

The scoring dried up in the second and third quarters, until Collingwood kicked a goal right before three-quarter time to give themselves a six-point lead.

Captain Renee Tierney was able to soccer through a goal early in the term to tie it up, but the Kangaroos conceded the next two scores to see themselves down seven with eight minutes remaining.

Poppy Schaap’s snap put North Melbourne Werribee back within a point, then Tahlia Meier slotted through her first goal of the day to put the Roos back in front in the dying moments. 

With under a minute remaining, Tierney won a holding-the-ball free kick in the pocket to all but seal the game. Zoe Savarirayan then got a clutch smother to put the cherry on top.

Player watch

Emma King was the day's leading goalkicker, kicking all three of her goals in the first half. She split her time between the forward line and in the ruck and was able to gather 10 disposals and 18 hitouts.

Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner (15 disposals, six intercepts, four tackles) was a standout in the backline. Unafraid to crash a pack, the Kangaroos' recent AFLW recruit made her impact felt when needed.

Tessa Boyd (19 disposals, seven intercepts) played well behind the ball, using her experience to be able to effectively read the play and launch attacks. Sarah Wall also played in a defensive role and was able to collect seven disposals and four inside 50s. 

Splitting her time between the ruck and forward, Maddison Torpey did well, tallying nine disposals and 12 hitouts against a taller ruck. Young gun Shauna McElligott also showed flashes of what she can deliver with seven disposals and seven tackles.

Midfielders Ava Seton and Alana Barba were characteristically classy, recording 42 disposals and 14 tackles between them. Captain Renee Tierney was also excellent, adding 15 disposals and a clutch goal.

Next up

North Melbourne Werribee will host the Box Hill Hawks in the final home and away game of the 2026 VFLW season. The Round 16 clash at Arden Street Oval is at 10.05am AEST on Saturday, August 29.

NORTH MELBOURNE WERRIBEE   2.0     4.2     4.5     7.6    (48)
COLLINGWOOD                               2.3     3.4     5.5     6.6    (42)

GOALS
North Melbourne Werribee: King 3, Schaap 2, Meier, Tierney
Collingwood: Peck 3, Knight 2, Brady