AAP
THE Brisbane Lions will face North Melbourne in the AFLW grand final again after beating Carlton by 35 points in the prelim.
Ruby Svarc dazzled with a career-best haul as the Lions hit top gear to trounce Carlton and set up a third-straight AFLW grand-final clash with North Melbourne.
Svarc, who had just 17 goals in her previous 55 games, slotted four to power a third-quarter blitz in Saturday night’s 10.7 (67) to 5.2 (32) victory in front of 6,511 fans at Brighton Homes Arena in Springfield.
The hosts kicked five goals in 11 minutes to break the contest open after half-time, with Dakota Davidson adding a highlight reel effort from the pocket in a thrilling six-goal third term.
“They were awesome … haven’t had many six-goal quarters in our history and it was on the back of the dam wall bursting … it was a matter of time,” Lions coach Craig Starcevich said.
He said you could have “named your odds” of Svarc kicking four goals in a preliminary final when she arrived at the club as a rough, athletic diamond.
“No (I didn’t expect it) is the short answer, although that’s a bit harsh on Ruby because she’s one of the hardest workers,” he said.
Brisbane’s ninth-straight win, after a week of spicy back-and-forth banter between the sides, reversed the result of their round-three meeting.
It will be the two-time premiers’ fourth-straight grand final appearance and seventh in 10 seasons.
And it ensured the Lions and Kangaroos, on a 26-game unbeaten run, will meet again in a third-straight decider next Saturday after the defending champions survived a scare to beat Melbourne by 10 points.
“They’ve got their amazing run and we’re also on a bit of a run,” Starcevich said.
“I’m looking forward to it because the type of footy we’ve been playing can challenge anyone.”
The Lions hammered away in the first quarter but were sloppy and had little to show for their 12 inside-50 entries in a goalless term.
The hosts remained frantic in the second term and it was Svarc, who had never kicked more than two goals in a game, who settled to take the spoils.
Blues coach Mathew Buck said the Lions’ contested work proved too tough to handle, tipping his cap to the competition’s two standout sides for making the final.
“We got found out a little bit but overall very proud of what we achieved this year,” he said.
“Two teams in there that run great programs and their coaches are hard to coach against.
“The fact they’re in there (the final again) is great, fantastic for the competition … they’re exactly what we want to be.”
