IN a case of roo-demption, the North Melbourne Kangaroos have bounced back from a loss in the big dance last year to take this year’s AFLW Grand Final 39-9 over the defending champion Brisbane Lions at IKON Park, Melbourne on Saturday night under lights.
North Melbourne entered the match as unbackable favourites off the back of an unbeaten season and turned in a performance for the ages in a low-scoring but fierce defensive battle on both ends of the field.
But the faithful should remain proud and positive as the Lions have now appeared in six Grand Finals: with two wins and four losses.
Brisbane workhorse Ally Anderson finished with 14 tackles, and Orla O’Dwyer covering 469m in a leading metres-gained stat.
Best on field went to superstar and fan favourite, Jasmine Garner for the Roos who contributed 35 disposals, 10 clearances and 467m gained in her team’s win.
It took six minutes of play for an opening score, with Roos’ Tess Craven kicking the first major, before 22-year-old Alice O’Loughlin kicked two goals in the space of three minutes for the home team to take the lead out to 17.
Ellie Hampson responded for the Lions to kick the first major for the visitors late in the first quarter.
The Roos took an 11-point lead into the first break.
Four minutes into the second quarter, 26-year-old Irish star Vikki Wall put herself in the perfect position in front of the posts to take a goal for the Roos.
Outside of a behind from both sides, it was the only score for the second quarter, with the Roos 25-8 leaders at the major break.
The third quarter saw only one point scored, a behind from the Lions, the Roos maintaining the lead 25-9 in a low-scoring affair.
In the final quarter, Vikki Wall kicked her second for the night to extend the lead for the Roos.
With eight minutes left to play, O’Loughlin kicked her third for the night to make it a 29-point lead, with a rushed behind making it a 30-point victory for the Roos.
With the win, the Roos became the first expansion side to win an AFLW flag and the first team in VFL/AFL/AFW history to go through a season undefeated.
The trophy cabinet at Arden Street now has its first silverware in 25 years, with coach Darren Crocker – a former premiership player for the Roos himself – unable to hide his pride after the performance from his squad.
The North Melbourne chant rang out in front of blue and white scarves, the culmination of a journey that started in 2019 when the Roos joined the league.
Although the Lions lost, they return to Springfield even more determined to roar again in 2025 – with the stats showing the previous four AFLW Grand Finals have been won by the team who finished runner-up the previous season.
