AFLW Finals: All the latest news ahead of Saturday’s preliminary finals
Emma Kearney is set to return on Saturday to make North Melbourne an even scarier prospect for Port Adelaide, but the Power won’t be taking a backward step.
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North Melbourne skipper Emma Kearney is closing in on a return for Saturday’s preliminary final, 55 days after injuring her hamstring.
The eight-time All-Australian has sat out since copping the injury in round 5, during the AFLW’s condensed schedule, and was listed as a test before a qualifying final win over Adelaide.
Kearney is expected to be put through a tough session during North’s main training on Wednesday, and if she gets through should be named for her return to face Port Adelaide on Saturday.
The veteran defender took up her development coaching gig with the Roos’ male team on Monday and was out on track helping North Melbourne through a long session.
She spent time with recruit Luke Parker, rolling out balls for the ex-Swan on his first day at Arden Street.
Kearney, 35, has already solidified her spot as one of the greats of the first era of the AFLW and won a flag with the Western Bulldogs in 2018.
But she has narrowly missed on a premiership with the Roos.
North lost the grand final to Brisbane last year, lost a preliminary final in 2022 to Melbourne and appeared in prime position to challenge for the title in 2020 before Covid cancelled the season midway through the finals.
With only Georgia Stubs (ankle) alongside Kearney on the injury list, an unlucky Roo would need to be dropped for the skipper.
Eliza Shannon only came into the Roos side late in the season and has played just three games in defence, but plays taller than Kearney.
Kearney has remained a big part of North Melbourne’s planning throughout its undefeated campaign and Roos coach Darren Crocker said she was close to a return for the qualifying final.
“We would think she would be very much available for the prelim,” he said after the win over Adelaide.
The AFL has confirmed North Melbourne’s clash with Port Adelaide at Ikon Park will remain at 3.05pm despite a forecast temperature of 35 degrees in Melbourne on Saturday.
Saturday’s semi-final in Adelaide between the Crows and Dockers was played during the day and the temperature hit 34.4 degrees at its peak.
That game was played with extended breaks between quarters, with two minutes added for the minor breaks and four minutes added to halftime.
The AFL will monitor the forecast and make a decision on any heat measures for the Roos-Power game on Friday.
POWER NOT TAKING BACKWARD STEP AGAINST ROOS
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Port Adelaide assistant Dan Merrett says the Power “will throw the kitchen sink” at North Melbourne as it tries to find a way to be the first team to knock off the Kangaroos this year.
Fresh off one of the greatest comebacks in AFLW history, coming back from 22-points down at the final break against Hawthorn on Saturday night in the semi-final the Power face the biggest challenge of the 2024 campaign – how to take down the unbeaten Kangaroos.
For the second straight week the Power will go in as the underdogs but Merrett said Port would focus on itself rather than the Kangaroos in preparations for the preliminary final on Saturday at IKON Park.
“I think heading into it we just have to keep riding this momentum, it is eight in a row now and let’s keep rolling,” he said.
“Again massive underdogs this week because North Melbourne are a great team but we have nothing to lose and we will throw the kitchen sink at them for sure.
“It is about playing our sort of game, they have stars all over the park so no doubt it is going to be very difficult but I think we are the best pressure team in the comp, we are very good at contested footy and the way we play is pretty predictable.
“The way we play is finals type footy and the last couple of weeks have shown that it holds up in finals.”
DOCKERS DESPERATE TO BRIDGE GAP TO TOP DOGS
— Eliza Reilly
Fremantle midfielder Aisling McCarthy believes that the gap between the Dockers and the AFLW’s big three “isn’t too big at all” despite a 37-point loss to Adelaide in Saturday’s semi-final.
The Dockers were outclassed across the park by the Crows, kicking 1.6 (12) to Adelaide’s 7.7 (49). The margin was 33 points when the sides met in round two but Fremantle believed they had improved since then.
The Dockers did have to contend with several injury concerns with midfielder Hayley Miller suffering a significant patella tendon injury early, defender Ash Brazill played despite suffering a stress fracture to her fibula a fortnight ago and Gabby O’Sullivan has been managing a knee issue.
But Fremantle’s bid to prove they were more than the best of the rest came unstuck in the second quarter when it conceded four goals.
Of the four preliminary finalists, the Dockers didn’t play Brisbane and North Melbourne this season but lost to Adelaide twice and beat Port Adelaide. But McCarthy believes Fremantle’s finishing was to blame for the semi-final loss, not a class differential.
“I don’t think it’s too big at all,” McCarthy said of the gap between the Dockers and the Crows. “The Adelaide girls had 180 games of finals experience between them. That showed at times today.
“There was perceived player as well. I don’t think it’s because we’re not as good as them. We didn’t have that composure. The more we play finals and come up against these better teams, the better off we’ll be.
“They’re a benchmark of this competition and where we must get to. It’s a disappointing result but as a season as a whole, it’s been a huge season for us.”
Fremantle’s forward line was its biggest concern heading into finals given the Dockers had the second-worst points for tally at the end of the home and away season, averaging 36.7 points a game.
Losing spearhead Aine Tighe to an ACL injury early in the season didn’t help. McCarthy, a midfielder, finished the season atop Fremantle’s goalkicking tally with eight goals.
“We had to rejig a few things when Aine went down,” McCarthy said. She’s a big focal point up there and a leader.
“We had to change our avenues to goal a bit when the season went on but it brought other players into the game. It led to mids trying to get forward like Gabby O’Sullivan and myself.
“We rued a few opportunities. It’s good that we’re creating them and getting the ball inside 50 but tying it off is what we need to work on.”
Captain Ange Stannett (ACL), four-time best and fairest Kiara Bowers (pregnancy) and Tighe (ACL) all missed the majority, if not the entire season. McCarthy said the trio would serve as a significant boost in 2025.
“I think externally, people spoke about those things and how they impacted us,” she said. “But internally, we always had that belief.”
Originally published as AFLW Finals: All the latest news ahead of Saturday’s preliminary finals
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