North Melbourne's seemingly inevitable AFLW dynasty isn't necessarily a sign of a lop-sided competition, says AFL women's football boss Emma Moore.
The Kangaroos are undefeated in a record 22 games and look poised to become the first side in the women's competition to pull off back-to-back premierships.
Their last defeat was the 2023 grand-final loss to Brisbane and Darren Crocker's side hasn't looked back since, winning by an average of 53 points across eight rounds so far this season.
A draw with Geelong in round two last year is the only blemish in their stunning run.
But Moore says the all-conquering Roos aren't being viewed as symptomatic of a lop-sided league, pointing out the shift of the AFLW's top order.
Three-time premiership side Adelaide and fellow competition heavyweights Brisbane have both suffered shock defeats this season and sit outside the top four.
Daisy Pearce's West Coast sit sixth, in a logjam of teams boasting a 5-3 record, following a remarkable turnaround from last year's 13th-place finish.
"That's the competition. That's what we're going after," Moore told AAP.
"We cannot wait for the day that every single club is in the same league as where North Melbourne have worked their way to.
"And we know that that is happening already at all the clubs.
"There's been such a shift in the top 10, the top 14, the top eight - we've got games coming up where we don't know who's going to be in the finals."
Concerns over a widening gap in quality and competitiveness between sides aren't unique to the AFLW, with rival code NRLW facing similar questions following its expansion from 10 to 12 teams this season.
Stacked with State of Origin talent, the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos were tipped as much likelier to win the 2025 decider heading into finals.
Both clubs did make the grand final and like North, the Roosters completed the home-and-away season undefeated before losing the grand final to the Broncos.
Carlton star Darcy Vescio is well aware of North Melbourne's dominance but refuses to believe they aren't "gettable".
The Blues are fourth (6-2) and are eyeing a top-eight finish for the first time since the conference system was phased out in 2021.
"The other week when we played them, they showed us why they're the best and how dominant they are," Vescio said.
"But I'd like to think any team is gettable on the day."
North are set to bear down on Geelong's record of 23 consecutive wins, compiled across the 1952 and 1953 VFL seasons, when they play 17th-placed Richmond to kick off Pride Round.
The AFL will hope Pride Round - set to take place over two weekends from round nine - will boost audience crowd figures as a possible season expansion looms.
Sydney will return to popular inner-west venue Henson Park after setting an AFLW record of 7,171 fans in round six.
Expansion from 12 to 14 rounds next year is dependent on the achievement of key audience metrics (average attendance of 6000 fans, average broadcast viewers of 100,000).
"Seeing that (crowd at Henson Park), we know everything that it's possible to do every single round," Moore said.
"And that's what we're intending to do every single round.
"When we see Henson Park packed out, we see the future of AFLW."