AFLW preliminary final: Resilient Dees keep North Melbourne at bay to reach another grand final
Melbourne is confident star forward Tayla Harris will be right to go against the rampaging Brisbane Lions in the grand final despite being clearly hampered against the Kangaroos.
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Melbourne coach Mick Stinear said Tayla Harris is a certain starter for next weekend’s grand final against Brisbane despite suffering a shoulder injury in the Dees’ preliminary final win.
Harris went down in the first quarter clutching her left shoulder in pain following a ruck contest with Emma King.
She had it taped but played on, clearly hampered by the blow.
Stinear said she had played the game out in pain but would be good to go for the AFLW decider.
“Yeah a bit of discomfort during the game we took her out of the ruck and tried to use her as a weapon forward,” Stinear said.
“She’s OK, certainly a bit of discomfort during the game but I can’t see her missing next week, she’s tough.”
Stinear said the addition of Karen Paxman to the Dees’ midfield mix had steadied the ship after the Roos got on top.
“After putting Paxy in there we were able to get on top and that got us going,” Stinear said.
“We were beaten in the middle but once we got back on top we could hold forwards ahead of the ball and play with more confidence.”
Daisy Pearce kicked the sealer and Stinear said his veteran forward had inspired his side to victory.
“Such a special player and a will to win,” he said.
“She was willing the troops on the whole game and she’s such an inspiration.”
Stinear said he felt his side was building towards its best performance of the season.
“We’re excited to enjoy the week ahead now and we’re building and hopefully we’ll have our best performance yet,” he said.
Daisy delivers grand final dream
A late Daisy Pearce snap sent Melbourne into its second grand final in 2022.
The Dees have given themselves a chance at grand final redemption after outlasting a dominant North Melbourne outfit.
The Roos were left to lament poor connection with their forwards after controlling the footy for much of the game but were unable to translate it on the scoreboard.
But the Dees will be holding their breath on the fitness of Tayla Harris who played out the game with a taped left shoulder.
Despite their lead at quarter-time, the Dees looked to have suffered a loss with star tall Tayla Harris downtrodden on the bench with the left shoulder injury.
Harris was contesting a ruck contest against Emma King with five-minutes left on the clock when she went down in pain, clutching at her shoulder and coming from the ground immediately.
Harris returned in the second quarter but was clearly favouring her injured shoulder, her aerial prowess curtailed.
North dominated the third term and at three-quarter-time were leading inside 50s 32-14 but couldn’t put on any scoreboard pressure as the Dees’ defence held strong to turn for home with a three-point lead.
But Melbourne flexed its muscle as it has for much of the AFLW season, kicking two final quarter goals to none to book its ticket to Brisbane for the decider.
North Melbourne will be left to lick its wounds, as questions will come about whether they can do enough in the premiership season next year to set themselves up for a proper premiership tilt after falling short again.
Darren Crocker’s side made it further than it ever has, but for a list filled with stars next season is surely grand final or bust.
PEARCE’S MOMENT
The Daisy Pearce fairy tale story is alive and well with premiership glory beckoning for the veteran forward.
As though the script had been written it was the 34-year-old who sealed the Dees’ win with a late snap in traffic, showing that class is permanent.
Pearce’s performance exemplified the difference between the two teams as she provided the vital link between the Dees’ midfield and forwards.
Pearce finished with 13 touches and the late goal.
DEES DEFY STARS
In perhaps the biggest nod towards Mick Stinear’s gameplan heading into the grand final, the Dees were comprehensively beaten by North Melbourne’s stars, each finding the ball with ease.
Jas Garner (24 touches, nine tackles and four clearances), Ash Riddell (17 touches, four tackles and two clearances, and Emma Kearney (17 touches and 332m gained) had their way with Melbourne, normally spelling trouble for the opposition.
But Stinear’s system stood up as the red-hot Roos failed to find an avenue to goal despite kicking them with ease to finish the season.
It is a huge positive as the Dees head into the decider against a potent Brisbane side with stars all over the field.
PAXMAN STANDS TALL
When the Dees were getting obliterated in the middle it was Karen Paxman who stood up for Melbourne.
Paxman, 33, won six clearances when Melbourne needed them most, driving the Dees forward in the last quarter after North had seemingly swung the game in its favour.
It might be something Stinear looks at using more permanently next week against the Lions if Melbourne is to stand up against the competition’s benchmark team.
SCOREBOARD
DEES 2.0 3.1 3.1 5.3 (33)
NORTH 1.0 2.2 2.4 2.4 (16)
MOTTERSHEAD’S BEST
Dees: Paxman, Hanks, Mithen, D. Pearce, Heath, Birch.
North: Garner, Riddell, Kearney, Bruton, Rennie.
GOALS
Dees: Mithen, Fitzsimon, Sherriff, Hore, D. Pearce.
North: Randall, E. King.
INJURIES
Dees: Harris (shoulder).
North: nil.
VENUE
Ikon Park
Daisy uncomfortable about legacy chatter
The Dees won’t be doing it for Daisy if the Dees’ veteran has her way.
Melbourne pulled away from a gallant North Melbourne in the fourth term after the Roos threw everything they had at the Dees for three quarters.
It took a Daisy Pearce snap to seal the game for Melbourne with only minutes left on the clock, the 34-year-old’s search for a flag just one win away.
“I hate it being about me and my legacy, it makes me feel uncomfortable,” Pearce said.
“I play as much for everyone who has been here from the beginning, for Mick, for Loz (Pearce), for Paxy (Karen Paxman) as I do for myself.
“I want to win one to create memories that last a lifetime with people I go to work with every day.”
Pearce said it hadn’t been a vintage Melbourne performance as they threw numbers behind the ball to stop a rampaging North in the third term.
“It took ages to get going and felt tough out there,” she said.
“It was hard to get it out of the middle and I suspect there were some nerves.”
The Dees knocked the Lions off in last season’s preliminary final but fell to them earlier this season, with Pearce saying the Dees would have to play with less fear if they are to topple the flag favourites.
“It’s a different opponent and a different challenge,” she said.
“We learned a lot about not getting forced into our shells like last time and we’re just going to keep mastering the way we’re playing.
“I back us in to throw everything at them.”
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Harsh truths all part of little bro’s big support for Roo star
Garner’s younger brother, Kane, is her biggest supporter and a constant presence at all of North Melbourne’s training sessions and games.
He’s the unofficial water runner at training, helps set up for drills, makes more noise than anyone cheering from the stands during games and has always been by his sister’s side.
Not only is he Garner’s biggest supporter, but one of her biggest inspirations as the midfield ace chases a place in this year’s AFLW grand final.
“Kane is pretty important to me, he has been there every step of the way with me for my footy career,” Garner said ahead of this week’s preliminary final against Melbourne.
“He supports me, he supports the club and the women’s program …. the club has just welcomed him in with open arms.
“He does our water at our training and helps high performance set up cones and rolls the footy to us and kicks it back. He even gives ‘Crock’ (coach Darren Crocker) tips on what Kane thinks we should do over the weekend and what players we should look out for from opposition.
“He is at the games as well and if you don’t see him you will definitely hear him on the TV. I have people messaging me saying, ‘I can hear your brother Kane on TV again’. He starts a North Melbourne chant and gets everyone involved and just loves it.
“Kane absolutely loves being around at the club and he is a big supporter of mine and also the other girls, he just loves being around.”
But Kane is not afraid to give his feedback to Garner and her teammates – good or bad.
“He can give some pretty harsh feedback, but we need it sometimes,” Garner laughed.
“But he can also give positive feedback. You know you have played a good game when Kane compliments you.”
Not that Garner’s game would have required much harsh feedback this season.
Shaping as North’s most important player as the Kangaroos plot Melbourne’s downfall in Saturday’s AFLW preliminary final, Garner, 28, has enjoyed a standout season which has already netted her personal accolades.
She won the AFLW Coaches’ Association award for the second time and is in line for a spot in her fourth All Australian team after making this season’s squad.
The two-time North Melbourne best-and-fairest rated it as her most consistent AFLW season to date.
“I guess I’m just really enjoying my footy at the moment and it’s been a really fun season,” Garner said.
“It has probably been my most consistent season and I think that is just on the back of really enjoying it and having a really strong pre-season.
“The support from the other girls around me and allowing me to play the role I am able to play, it helps.
“We have really challenged each other, a lot of the young girls have challenged me … and I guess that’s what has been driving me this season.”
Garner’s form has attracted close attention from opposition players and she said she was ready to take on another tag in Saturday’s clash with the Demons.
“I usually think with Melbourne we just go head-to-head, but if I get tagged it is what it is and we have got Ash (Riddell), Jenna (Bruton) and Mia (King) in our midfield as well and they might get off the hook and be able to open the game up a little bit more,” Garner said.
“But if I get tagged I’m looking forward to another challenge and we’ll see what happens.”
Garner’s excitement following the Kangaroos’ semi-final win over Richmond at Punt Road Oval last week was palpable, accidentally dropping the “f-bomb” on live television after the match.
She said to go one better and book a grand final berth this weekend would “mean everything”.
“I couldn’t contain myself and I was just over the moon,” Garner said.
“Finals are hard to win and when the siren went and when I was speaking about it, I just couldn’t control my excitement and let the f-bomb slip, but apologies I’m sure everyone can understand when you win games like that it’s pretty exciting,” Garner said.
“This is exactly why we play footy, to play finals and I guess to play in prelims and to get that opportunity to play in a grand final and win a premiership that is the dream. Hopefully we can go one step closer this weekend and beat Melbourne.”
And Kane has already offered his advice for his sister’s and Kangaroos’ mission.
“He said it is not going to be easy, that’s for sure,” Garner said.
“He said that we have to stop Tayla Harris, so that’s one person that we have to look out for. “He just said if we go out there and bring our best footy and play like we did last week then anything could happen. It’s not going to be easy but he thinks we can do it.”
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