Just You Wait and See

For the first time ever, North Melbourne are premiers of the AFLW. After last year’s disappointment, the Roos were able to beat the Lions in the sequel, 6.3.39 to 1.3.9, a 24-point victory. North controlled the game from the first siren to the last, with the Lions unable to offer even a roar in response to the blue and white tidal wave.

It was Alice O’Loughlin (three goals, including two in the first) who set up the win, while Garner (35 disposals) and Riddel (30 disposals) did what they did all year as the Roos claimed the flag.

Ally Anderson (25 disposals) and Orla O’Dywer (23 disposals) stood up in the defeat.

It was a classic start to a grand final: a furious, fumbling, first few moments before Roos superstar Jaz Garner found Tess Carven for the first goal of the game.  

That moment settled the Kangaroos, as they were able to win the next clearance and lock the football inside forward 50. All-Australian small forward Alice O’Loughlin would then capitalise with a fast-thinking snap. 

O’Loughlin wasn’t done impacting the scoreboard. Moments later, Lion Poppy Boltz found herself 20 metres from her defensive goal with the football. 

O’Loughlin locked onto the Brisbane defender, and span her around and around, until the umpire mercifully blew the whistle for holding the ball. O’Loughlin gratefully accepted and made Brisbane pay the ultimate price. 

It was North Melbourne’s pressure that set them up. The Lions looked like a shell of what they have been all year, and they had no answer as North Melbourne did what they pleased. 

Toward the end of the first, Brisbane finally had their moment when Hampson goaled from 40 metres out.

Ally Anderson was contributing early, as the master midfielder tried to lift her Lions heading into the first change.

The Kangaroos had plenty of contributors to quarter-time. Mia King and Ruby Tripoli were vital in getting the ball inside 50, while Jaz Garner continued to do what Jaz Garner does best. 

The Roos continued to dominate through the second term. Vikki Wall kicked the blue and white’s fourth goal six minutes in, as the ever happier North fans rose behind her.  

In promising signs, the Lions’ back six were able to hold on to not concede another goal for the second stanza. This, despite the repeated surges inside forward 50 from North, with Smith, Randall, and Riddell often doing the damage.  

North continued to apply the pressure. Brisbane found themselves unable to exit from the defensive 50, and any time the Lions were in possession, they quickly ran out of breathing space, and were crying out for a spark at half-time. 

In the third quarter, the ball lived between the two arcs, as the Lions tried to get something going for themselves. However, Brisbane were unable to keep their structure forward of the football, and the Roos kept the Lions out of the hunt.

In the third quarter, it was Ash Riddell and Jasmine Garner who ran the show. The long break did very little to stop North’s incredible display as they continued to bully Brisbane into submission.

North led every key stat, and therefore were ahead in every key area on the ground. While they weren’t able to put the final nail in Brisbane’s coffin heading into the last, they had one hand on the trophy as we turned for home.

The party for North began when Wall kicked her second, just minutes into the fourth as Arden Street geared up for celebrations that would last long into Sunday morning. Alice O’Loughlin added a third to her resume in the dying moments as she produced one of the great small forward grand final displays.

North’s Pressure

North Melbourne reminded everyone on Saturday night what made them so good in 2024: pressure. North didn’t let Brisbane have any time to make a decision with the football, and forced repeat turnover after repeat turnover as they denied Brisbane another flag, and claimed their history making first premiership.

Kangaroos: 3.0 4.1 4.1 6.3.39

Brisbane: 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3.9

Goalkickers:

Kangaroos:

O’Loughlin (3), Wall (2), Craven

Brisbane:

Hampson

Best:

Kangaroos:

Garner, O’Loughlin, Riddell

Brisbane:

Anderson, Dawes, O’Dywer