By Hannah Kennelly and Roy Ward
North Melbourne 6.3 (39) d Brisbane Lions 1.3 (9)
On September 29, North Melbourne captain Emma Kearney limped off the ground against Richmond with a hamstring injury so serious she would not play again until last weekend’s preliminary final.
On Saturday night, she lifted the premiership cup having been one of the most influential players in North Melbourne’s 30-point win at a sold-out Ikon Park.
The undefeated Roos celebrate their maiden AFLW flag.Credit: AFL Photos
The Roos held firm in the muggy conditions to win in front of 12,122 fans, sealing the club’s first premiership since the men’s team last won in 1999 and capping off an undefeated 2024 season.
Kearney (23 disposals) was influential across half-back in her second game back, revealing after the match that she feared she wouldn’t return this season after suffering setbacks during her rehabilitation.
“I’m super proud. It’s been a challenging year for me and I actually didn’t know if I was going to get back or not,” Kearney told the Seven Network.
Emma Kearney celebrates on the final siren.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“I had a few little other tears of muscles when I was trying to rehab, so I was a bit touch and go at points in the season.
“I’m just so happy to be playing, and playing with this group. We love each other.”
Kearney may have been close to best on ground, but it was her teammate Jasmine Garner who was awarded the honour on the night.
The superstar put on a dominant display – 35 touches including 22 contested possessions, to go along with 13 tackles and 459 metres gained – netting the medal for best afield.
Jasmine Garner is mobbed by teammates on being named the best player medallist in the grand final.Credit: Getty Images
After missing out on the league’s best and fairest award for several years, an exceedingly humble Garner said, “Anyone could have won best on ground”.
North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker, himself a premiership player in 1996, said that only typified her nature.
“You listen to her, and you get an insight into her humility, her unflappable nature – she just gets on with it,” he said.
“She’s one of the easiest players I’ve coached, and a generational player. We’ll look back in 50 years’ time at this period of AFLW and Jas Garner will be right at the very, very top of the tree as one of the best players in the AFLW’s infancy. And she just keeps getting better. I love her as a player and I love her as a person.”
North defender Sarah Wright also had a stellar game, recording nine intercept possessions.
The Kangaroos celebrate their premiership win.Credit: Getty Images
The 30-year-old defender was tempted to retire after North’s heartbreaking grand final defeat last year, but decided to give her premiership dream one last shot.
She rushed to embrace her teammates on field after the siren, and then ran over to high-five fans in the crowd.
North players collapsed to the ground as the siren sounded, while others rushed to jump on top of their teammates in pure elation.
A triumphant Libby Birch ran along the boundary line with her third premiership cup in her hands – raising it above her head to the delight of a devoted group of North fans.
Libby Birch has made history as the first player to win three flags with three AFLW clubs.Credit: Getty Images
Birch etched her name in football history, becoming the first player – in either the men’s or women’s competition – to win three flags with three different clubs.
The visibly emotional Birch described the accomplishment as “absolutely surreal”.
“I just feel so privileged to be a part of tonight,” she said. “The girls are amazing and what a team effort [it was] to get that win.”
‘Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up’
In 1996, Crocker stood on stage in the middle of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, kissing his premiership medal after booting three goals in a grand final victory over Sydney.
Nearly 30 years later, the now 57-year-old achieved the ultimate once more – this time as North Melbourne’s first AFLW premiership-winning coach.
“Every single person that was here can go away and say, ‘I was there the night the North Melbourne AFLW team won their first ever premiership’,” he said.
“That goes down in history. I’d say it actually makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just talking about it.”
Crocker’s supporters were quick to acknowledge the win online, with the premiership victory added to his Wikipedia page within an hour of the final siren.
Two-time Lions AFLW premiership coach Craig Starcevich – who was a premiership player with the Magpies in 1990 – reserved special praise for the Roos, who bounced back from last year’s crushing defeat to his side.
“I’m one of the coaches who has been here since [AFLW’s] inception, and what I saw in that first half was the best footy I’ve seen in AFLW,” he said.
“We were on the receiving end, [just] trying to keep our heads above water. They were awesome, the Kangas – their pressure, their quick decisions, [and] their ball use was phenomenal.
Lions coach Craig Starcevich gave the Kangaroos the highest of praise.Credit: AFL Photos
“So it was very difficult to hang on.”
A gracious Starcevich also gave credit to Crocker, saying their biggest similarity was “we both love what we are doing”.
“The next evolution is to get the first female [premiership player and] winning coach, and I’d love that to be my friend Loz [Port Adelaide coach Lauren Arnell] because she played footy with us and has been a premiership player,” he said.
“Croc is a great guy. Our footy careers followed a very similar path, we are a similar age, and we enjoy what we are doing now, and our teams are pretty good.
“It’s been great to play against him in the last two grand finals, and what he said after the game [about us] was terrific and that’s the highlight of the night – the fact they made that acknowledgement, and we could speak equally in the same high regard for their program.”
Garner said it had taken her team “a lot of time and work” to get to where they are now.
“We’ve been competitive for a number of years, but didn’t have that polish. The club has gone to work in the trades and the draft and got some really good young girls, and hopefully this is just the start for us.”
With AAP
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