AFLW Grand Final: Kangaroos determined to defy history and complete undefeated season
North Melbourne could enter the rarest of air this weekend as the first team to go through an entire season undefeated. But history suggests they might be in some trouble.
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North Melbourne has the chance to make history in this year’s AFLW grand final as the first team to go through an entire season undefeated.
But history hasn’t been kind to clubs who’ve remained unconquered at the pointy end of the year. Ask Tahlia Randall.
The Kangaroos key forward was a member of Brisbane’s inaugural AFLW side that won six games and drew one in 2017 only to lose the grand final to Adelaide.
The only other club to go through a season undefeated was Fremantle in 2020 but the Dockers’ premiership hopes were dashed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Melbourne emerged from the home and away season with 10 wins and one draw before winning both its qualifying and preliminary finals against Adelaide and Port Adelaide respectively.
But Randall is all too familiar with the broken promise of a perfect season having been on the end of Adelaide’s six-point upset in 2017. It’s now Brisbane’s turn to try and do what the Crows did to them only this time Randall will be playing for the opposition.
“As soon as that siren goes and you know that you’ve lost it, you bottle that feeling,” Randall, who has a 0-3 record in grand finals, said. “It’s not a feeling that you want to savour but you don’t want to feel it again.
“Unfortunately that’s happened on three occasions for me. It’s not a great stat but at the same time, you take learnings from each game. We’ve been working as hard as we can to make sure we don’t feel that feeling again.”
When asked about the similarities between Brisbane and North’s undefeated runs, Randall inferred the Lions were guilty of not staying in the moment back in 2017.
“It’s a matter of not playing the game until it’s actually been played,” Randall said. “Whether it’s mentally staying in the moment rather than fast-forwarding to the end of the game and what happens in the few days after.
“You need to stay in the moment because otherwise, you lose sight of the job you’re trying to do. Anything can happen.
“There’s going to be momentum shifts undoubtedly so you need to make the most of the opportunity.”
Adelaide beat Collingwood by 24 points in the final round of the regular season to book a spot in the grand final. Despite losing to Brisbane by three points earlier in the year, inaugural Adelaide vice-captain Sally Riley said the Crows weren’t daunted by the Lions’ undefeated status.
“It drives you,” Riley said. “It gives you that extra motivation. They were outstanding that season.
“From that moment we beat Collingwood, that whole week we had so much belief that anything was possible.
“Brisbane obviously beat us during the home and away season but we adopted the mentality that we had nothing to lose. We gradually built confidence throughout the season.
“We wanted to play with freedom. We didn’t have any weight on our shoulders. That’s what got us over the line.
“It’s strange to think of Brisbane as underdogs this year. If anything they should be favourites given their grand final experience.”
Randall said North Melbourne’s undefeated status, dropping just two points in a draw against Geelong in round two, hasn’t been a topic of conversation at the club this week.
“We haven’t really mentioned it,” she said. “It’s been very calm around the club.
“We haven’t had that before being the team that everyone is chasing. It’s been a different position to be in.
“But in saying that, we haven’t won a grand final. We don’t have a premiership cup. Yes, we’re unbeaten but it won’t matter if we don’t win the grand final.
“I wouldn’t say that we’re the favourites because we haven’t won a premiership yet. Our midfield coach Ryan Pendlebury said the other day that pressure is a privilege.
“That resonated with me because 16 other teams would love to be in the same position as us. Thriving off that pressure and not going into our shells will give us the best chance to throw everything at Brisbane.”
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Originally published as AFLW Grand Final: Kangaroos determined to defy history and complete undefeated season
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