The Roos’ rise to a grand final has been linear. They were knocked out in qualifying finals in seasons five and six,then lost the preliminary final in season seven to eventual premiers Melbourne. Now,in season eight,they are into their first grand final.
“I just spoke to Sonja Hood[Kangaroos president] and Jen Watt[club CEO] … it’s tremendous for the whole club,” Crocker said post win.
North Melbourne’s Mia King and Kim Rennie celebrate the realisation their team is into the AFLW grand final.Credit:Getty
“As far as a woman’s program,we get unbelievable support. The club is highly invested in our women’s program.”
Adelaide head coach Matthew Clarke,although disappointed at the loss,said he wasn’t surprised by North Melbourne’s impressive finals run,noting it reflected the growth and competitive nature of the competition.
Loading
“They played really good footy all season. Defensively,No.1 across the season. We played them in round nine and got the win,but in many ways they should have won that game as well,” Clarke said.
“So,I don’t think it’s a massive surprise that they’ve been able to put together a really good finals series.
“Next week,it’s going to be a really good one. We played both those sides,and they beat us by narrow margins.
“Overarching,the standard of footy across the competition,throughout the whole season,has been at a really high level and I think the game’s in good shape.”
Kangaroos book maiden grand final berth
North Melbourne overcame three-time premiers Adelaide to book their maiden grand final with a one-point win at Ikon Park in thrilling fashion.
The Kangaroos celebrate en masse after their one-point preliminary final win.Credit:Getty
It ensures next week’s grand final between North and Brisbane will be played at the same venue at 2.30pm next Sunday because the Kangaroos were the higher placed team on the ladder.
They are the only teams to have beaten Adelaide this season.
North’s narrow preliminary final win turned the tables on the Crows,who beat them by three points in round nine.
North held onto their one-point lead for the final two and a half minutes of the match after Adelaide’s midfield star Anne Hatchard put the Crows within reach of a fourth grand final appearance. She took one of the best marks the competition has seen,launching from a pack right on the goal line,to put Roos’ fans’ hearts in mouths.
North Melbourne started strong with the opening two goals of the game,thanks to Tahlia Randall in her 75th game and Kate Shierlaw,and held the lead the half-time,by nine points.
The Crows fought back in the third term and temporarily stole the lead,but the Roos kept their composure and took a slim three-point lead into the final break.
It set the stage for a mouthwatering final quarter,with the Roos’ buoyed by the added advantage of a loud home crowd of 5136,including a large contingent of their men’s players and head coach Alastair Clarkson.
The Kangaroos set up well behind the ball and in the forward arc outworked their opponents in one-on-one contests.
North Melbourne’s male best and fairest winner of 2023,Harry Sheezel supporting the women’s team at the preliminary final.Credit:Getty
Adelaide selected premiership defender Najwa Allen at the expense of Hannah Munyard to counter the Roos talls. But Kate Shierlaw,Tahlia Randall and Mia King were busy in the air,and if they weren’t marking it,others were running to provide options,including Jasmine Garner,who found space on the lead to score one of North’s goals.
Randall finished the day with two goals,two behinds.
Garner,was one of the best in a battle of two star-studded midfields. She had 22 touches and five clearances, while Ash Riddell had 25 disposals and five tackles up against Anne Hatchard (21 disposals),and Ebony Marinoff had 25 disposals and 12 tackles for the Crows.
However it was Jenna Bruton,who often flies under the radar in such a star-studded midfield group,who stood up,with a game-high 28 touches. Mia King was also prominent,and skipper Emma Kearney stood tall in defence despite being under the weather with a mild cold.
North’s Taylah Gatt evades Adelaide’s Eloise Jones.Credit:Getty
For the Crows,Danielle Ponter looked to be the match hero. She kicked three of her side’s four goals and had an impact on the ball with three clearances. In the second term,she beat Roos’ defender Jasmine Ferguson in a one-on-one,to score her side’s second goal and ruin North’s early momentum. In defence Chelsea Biddell fought hard and finished with 22 touches,with Niamh Kelly was excellent across the park.
Tickets for the grand final will cost $20 for an adult,$10 concession and under-18s will get free entry. Tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster on Monday from 2pm for club members and 4pm for the general public.
Cats heartbroken as Lions advance to fifth AFLW grand final in a thriller
Oliver Caffrey
The Brisbane Lions are through to their fifth AFLW grand final after surviving a giant scare from Geelong to pip the Cats in a four-point thriller.
Jade Ellenger,Shannon Campbell and Poppy Boltz of the Lions celebrate during the win over the Cats.Credit:AFL Photos
Heavy favourites to advance,the Lions had everything thrown at them in Saturday night’s preliminary final by the plucky Cats at their Springfield headquarters.
But after losing the lead five minutes into the final term,the Lions reclaimed their advantage when star defender Shannon Campbell moved forward and kicked what would be the winning goal with six minutes remaining.
Loading
The Lions held on grimly in the dying stages to prevail 6.2 (38) to win 5.4 (34),setting up a meeting with the winner ofSunday’s clash between North Melbourne and Adelaide in the grand final.
They will get an opportunity to redeem themselvesafter losing last year’s decider to Melbourne during the Lions’ opening of their new Michael Voss Oval base.
The win looks to have come at a cost for the Lions,however,with the key forward Dakota Davidson appearing to suffer a suspected serious left knee injury in the dying stages of the third term.
Davidson,who booted two of the Lions’ goals,was inconsolable on the bench and will undergo scans to determine the damage.
The Lions will be forced to find alternate avenues to goal without Davidson if they are to win their second AFLW premiership,and first since 2021.
Courtney Hodder and Charlotte Mullins kicked early goals,while Orla O’Dwyer also slotted an important major for the Lions.
Lions hard nut Isabel Dawes put in a super third quarter to finish as the leading possession winner on the ground with 22 touches.