NORTH Melbourne's dominant display against Essendon has seen it cruise to a crushing 51-point victory at Windy Hill on Sunday, putting it in the box seat for a maiden AFLW minor premiership.

The Kangaroos held the Bombers scoreless for almost a half and allowed them just one goal by the final siren in the 8.10 (58) to 1.1 (7) romp.

The hefty defeat was a record low in more ways than one for Essendon, with the scoreline both the Bombers' lowest ever score and their biggest defeat in their three-year history.

BOMBERS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Despite the one-sided scoreline, it was a physical affair highlighted by high-flying grabs and bone-crunching bumps.

North put the pressure on Essendon early, allowing the Bombers into their forward 50 just five times for the entire first half, and seemed in cruise control for the entirety of the match.

Ruby Tripodi and Mia King's defensive efforts through the midfield quelled any forward advances the Bombers attempted, while efficiency on the attack was where the Roos were able to pull away.

The Roos' overall pressure just kept building as they were able to keep increasing their lead at a constant but rapid pace.

North had more than double the efficiency of their shellshocked opponents inside 50 (17-40) in the ruthless display, sending an ominous warning to the rest of the competition.

Although the Roos' offence was something of dreams, their dominant defence kept Essendon to single digits as it too hunts a finals spot.

Ruthless Roos retain table-topping position
North Melbourne is in top-tier form and sits half a game clear at the top of the ladder with a whopping 335.6 per cent to its name. If the Roos can get through their next two matches without loss, it will see them finish the season undefeated and they will enter the finals series with tremendous momentum.

Hat-trick Shierlaw:
Kate Shierlaw was simply outstanding in the big win, booting a game-high three goals. She absolutely lit up the field in the first quarter as she slotted two out of her three goals before you could have even blinked.

Up Next:
Heading into the penultimate round, North Melbourne heads over to Adelaide to face the Crows on Friday night. Meanwhile Essendon will be looking to bounce back with a win to remain in the top eight as they face fifth-placed Richmond in the AFLW Dreamtime match at TIO Stadium in Darwin on Saturday night.

ESSENDON                     0.0     0.1    0.1    1.1 (7)
NORTH MELBOURNE     3.3      6.5    6.7    8.10 (58)

GOALS
Essendon: Toogood
North Melbourne: Shierlaw 3, Randall 2, Wall, E.King, Garner

BEST
Essendon: Gay, Prespakis, Nanscawen, Toogood
North Melbourne: Shierlaw, Randall, Riddell, M.King, Smith

INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
North Melbourne: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 4,336 at Windy Hill