Emma Kearney has been around the traps long enough to know about the importance of momentum and stability nearing a finals campaign.
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The Hamilton export is a premiership player with the Western Bulldogs and now as skipper of North Melbourne, the AFLW great - alongside her side - is building on the back of four impressive wins on the trot.
Sitting in fourth position, but equal second on percentage, the Kangaroos are playing some electric football.
"We're happy with how things are progressing and every week we feel like we're getting better and better," she told The Standard.
"We just adjust little things, whether it be with our midfield structure. We do realise the next three games are against some of the top sides.
"It'll be a really big challenge for us but we're excited by what these games bring for us."
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Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker described his side as "sneaking under the radar" following its 19-point win against Richmond last Saturday.
It's an assessment Kearney believed would help keep her side focussed.
"I don't mind it, because it means we can focus on what we're doing and that's getting better each week," she said.
"Sometimes when the team gets spoken about constantly you can have a bit of a target on your back and you do feel that pressure.
"The pressure is off and that means we can control what we can control and that's to get better every week. There's so many in-form sides so we're happy to fly under the radar."
The season hasn't been all smooth sailing for Kearney - a five-time All-Australian and 2018 AFLW best and fairest winner - with the star contracting COVID-19 on the eve of the Roos' campaign.
It's been a long slog back to full fitness with ongoing symptoms making training and playing loads difficult, but said she was finally feeling back to normal.
"It is much better, I'm back to full health, it was a rough couple of weeks," she said.
"It took me a while to feel normal again but going alright now.
"I was lucky because we had a great support team with the doctors constantly communicating with me when I was in isolation and I was just gradually increasing the exercise I was doing.
"The first session out of isolation was a big blowout, I felt like I hadn't run in two years and then as the week progressed I felt a bit better. During the game it was challenging, and usually your first game of the season is challenging but having COVID the week before made it more so."
Despite a less than ideal start, the 32-year-old is building into some peak form at the right time and was exceptional last Saturday against the Tigers, racking up 21 classy touches.
She also leads the club for marks this season and is second for intercept possessions.
While postponed fixtures, border closures and inevitable player unavailability throughout the season has thrown together some interesting results, incredibly there is just 12 points separating Fremantle in first and Gold Coast in seventh, with four teams tied on points in second position.
Kearney - widely regarded as a trailblazer of women's football - said the evenness of the competition was starting to show week-to-week and the league, as well as the pool of talent coming through, was more noticeable than ever.
"It probably is as even as ever and it probably would be even more without the disruptions of COVID and border restrictions," she said.
"The main issue is some teams are having to play back-to-back games in a really quick succession so they're not having time to recover properly.
"There are whole teams where the majority of players are coming back from COVID and not coming back in peak condition.
"But the likes of Richmond have significantly improved, Gold Coast as well, Bulldogs knocked off Adelaide over the weekend who were undefeated and St Kilda almost upset Brisbane.
"It is very exciting to have fans have those types of games because sometimes - even in the men's competition - you have the bottom sides play the top sides and it can be a blowout and can be a bit boring.
"It's been a really good year so far for the competition."
The Kangaroos take on Collingwood - currently in sixth position - at North Hobart Oval on Sunday in a clash Kearney says is another vital test for her side.
"It's quite a small ground so it'll be a contested brand of footy," she said.
"Collingwood are one of those sides that love to pressure so we're expecting a big fight and we always have really close contests.
"I have no doubt they'll be ready and firing and we'll be ready to go as well."
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