Stand-in captain Ash Riddell led the way as North Melbourne kicked away from Essendon in Saturday's official AFLW practice match at Avalon Airport Oval.

The Kangaroos piled on five unanswered goals in the third quarter to set up the 46-point win, 11.5 (71) to 3.7 (25).

KANGAROOS v BOMBERS Full match coverage and stats

With skipper Jas Garner rested this weekend, Riddell led the disposals count with 33, while forward Tahlia Randall kicked three goals. A potential injury to ruck Kim Rennie in the opening minutes was the only sour note for the Roos.

Kangas hit the gas

The Bombers had the best of the early exchanges in this game and were perhaps unlucky to be behind at the first break. There were 10 points in it at half-time, but then the Roos put their foot to the floor.

Midfielders Ash Riddell, Mia King and Ruby Tripodi were unstoppable as they created countless forward chances with their trademark running and spread. Alice O'Loughlin's cool shimmy delivered the best of the side's five goals for the quarter, while Vikki Wall was rewarded for her nine score involvements in the game with a clinical snap on her left boot.

Randall gets a gift

Tahlia Randall showed why she is North Melbourne's most dangerous spearhead, kicking a game-high three goals. However Randall will be the first to concede that she was lucky to be credited with one of her goals, after a bizarre incident in the first quarter.

Chasing a loose ball into an empty goal square, the tall forward threw her head back in disappointment after the ball skidded away from her in the wet early conditions. But her disappointment turned to surprised delight after the goal umpire judged it the game's opening goal.

Randall sat out the final term after copping a ball to the face late in the third quarter, but to the coaching panel's relief was cleared of any injury.

Ruck concern for Roos

Ruck Kim Rennie's participation in the game lasted barely a minute after she suffered a knee knock and limped from the ground.

After being assessed by North Melbourne's medical team, she went down to the rooms and took no further part in the game.

Rennie has been one of the Roos' more unsung heroes as they completed back-to-back premierships. She played every game across both seasons, and last year recorded the highest percentage of hitouts to advantage for any first-choice ruck.

With Round 1 approaching, coach Darren Crocker will be hoping she can make a quick return to the side.

What the coach said

Senior coach Darren Crocker on where the game was won: "Early on, they were trying to handball their way through us and we weren't making them defend enough.

"We sat back a little bit and our pressure wasn't where it needed to be. Once we addressed that and started to improve our pressure, we were able to get more of the footy and get our ball movement going."

On stand-in captain Ash Riddell: "She's such a great player. She prepares unbelievably well, she's had a great pre-season again. She's setting herself up for a terrific year.

"With (captain) Jas Garner out, she played from the front today, and it was really encouraging for players like Eilish Sheerin and Ruby Tripodi to step up alongside her through that midfield."

Next up

The Kangaroos take on St Kilda at Moorabbin in their final hitout against opposition before Round 1. The match sim at RSEA Stadium is on Saturday, August 1, at 1pm AEST.

NORTH MELBOURNE   1.1  3.2  8.5  11.5 (71)
ESSENDON                    0.3  1.4  1.5   3.7 (25)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Randall 3, O'Loughlin 2, Shierlaw 2, Bogue, McElligott, Riddell, Wall
Essendon: Toogood 2, Brothwell