Adelaide loses AFLW preliminary final by one point to North Melbourne

Adelaide has conceded its second consecutive preliminary final loss hurts more than last year after coming within two points of toppling North Melbourne.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 26: Ebony Marinoff of the Crows looks dejected after a loss during the 2023 AFLW Second Preliminary Final match between The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and The Adelaide Crows at IKON Park on November 26, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke says the preliminary final loss to North Melbourne “stings more” than last year’s defeat in the same game at the hands of the Lions.

Clarke said Adelaide had played significantly better football in 2023 than season seven and would be “bitterly disappointed” by a sluggish start which helped the Kangaroos gain a foothold on the way to their nail-biting one-point win at Ikon Park.

He said it was easier to accept the season seven loss after coming off a premiership campaign and the departure of several stars including champion Erin Phillips to Port Adelaide, but the Roos loss would hurt.

“To be fair, I thought season seven rolled off the back of season six pretty quick and we had a few outs. So I actually felt as though maybe that was our level last year,” Clarke said.

“This one probably stings a little bit more because I feel as though our best footy could well have been good enough to play in the Grand Final.

Sarah Allan (left) and Niamh Kelly collide. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“We’re pretty disappointed that in both finals (this season) which we’ve lost, we just haven’t quite had the level of intensity that we’ve expected from ourselves from the first minute of the game – we’ll have to live with that one.”

Clarke said the fortune that helped Adelaide effectively seal the minor premiership in the narrow round 9 win over North Melbourne had swung the other way when it mattered.

“Any time it’s under a goal there’s a tiny little bit of luck involved … in round 9, we probably had that luck, and we’d probably trade it right now,” he said.

North players Niamh Martin, Emma Kearney and Erika O'Shea celebrate. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“But beyond that, I’m still amazingly proud of our group and the way they keep presenting, keep fronting up and keep giving themselves an opportunity to contend.

“We’re bitterly disappointed to fall very narrowly short, but equally proud we keep giving ourselves that opportunity year on year and the development of some of our younger players has been really enjoyable to be a part of this season.”

Clarke said the Crows would look at “slight improvements” to their list but acknowledged the task of their recruiters would be tough with Port Adelaide to pick up a suite of the top South Australian-allocated draft picks on December 18.

“You just try to get better across the board, we’re well aware there’s a wave of young talent coming through – unfortunately, this year Port Adelaide get about all of them this year from South Australia, but we’ll obviously look at the draft, look at trade and see if there’s areas we can improve slightly,” he said.