AFLW Grand Final 2023: All the latest news from North Melbourne and Brisbane ahead of decider

North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker has opened up on what a win in Sunday’s AFLW decider will mean for the whole football club. Hear from both coaches and captains.

North Melbourne’s giant-killing AFLW side has the chance to create its own legacy by winning its maiden premiership, with coach Darren Crocker urging his players to embrace the hype surrounding Sunday’s sellout grand final clash with Brisbane Lions at IKON Park.

The Kangaroos are aiming to become the first AFLW expansion club to win a flag after knocking off Melbourne and Adelaide on their pathway to a clash with the Lions, who are about to play off in their fifth women’s grand final.

A victory over Brisbane on Sunday would be the first premiership for North Melbourne in 24 years – since the men’s team won the 1999 flag – but the significance of being the club’s first AFLW triumph would be a signature moment in the club’s history.

“You only get the opportunity to be the first (premiership team) once and we have got that opportunity right in front of us to create a legacy like Brisbane already has done in the history of their footy club,” Crocker said at the grand final eve press conference.

“For our program, it would be enormous as a club (to win). We feel the women’s program is in a really good space. It has been a journey, but to now give ourselves an opportunity to win our first ever AFLW premiership would be pretty special.”

North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker and captain Emma Kearney, alongside Lions skipper, Breanna Koenen and coach Craig Starcevich. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

North Melbourne’s men’s team had to wait half a century from the time it joined the VFL-AFL (1925) before celebrating its first grand final success in 1975, with the club always saying the first team to win a flag would always have a sense of footy immortality.

Now the Kangaroos’ AFLW side have the chance to carve out their own imprint on the club’s history.

Having been knocked back for a licence in the first AFLW season, the Kangaroos joined in 2019.

If they can hold up the cup in only their sixth season, it would be a huge result for the club.

The Kangaroos will start $1.62 favourites, with Brisbane considered a $2.25 chance with TAB to win their second AFLW flag.

Crocker said the connection between the women’s and men’s programs at Arden St had been critical to the development of the club, and he stressed his players had been motivated about making their own stamp on North Melbourne’s long history.

The Roos have been urged to embrace the hype. Picture: Mark Stewart

This was detailed in an emotional social media feature this week involving club president Sonja Hood, which documented the AFLW team’s connection to history of the club, and it was something Crocker – who played in the Kangaroos’ 1996 flag side – said the players had fully embraced.

“We didn’t need to show that (social media post) to the girls, it was all over social media,” Crocker said.

“I am sure they would have seen it and loved the emotion and history that was involved in Sonja’s poem and the video itself.

“It was quite emotional for any North Melbourne person to have seen it. It has been a fabulous week in that regard. It has been something we have spoken about (to) the players … really embracing what this week looks like and means.”

Crocker and North Melbourne captain Emma Kearney played down the significance of hosting a home-town final against the Lions at IKON Park, where the vast majority of the 13,000 fans will be supporting the Kangaroos.

Kearney and Crocker speak to the media on Saturday. Picture: Ian Currie

Kearney, who is chasing a second AFLW flag, having won one with the Western Bulldogs in 2018, said she was happy to play the game at IKON Park, given the MCG and Marvel Stadium were both unavailable.

“I like playing at these community grounds,” Kearney said. “It is great to have a packed sellout crowd (of 13,000). We had half of that at our prelim last week and it was really loud.”

“In the future it would be great to have it at bigger stadiums, (but) we are going to have to move the month because cricket takes over at the moment.

“We can’t have the Gabba or the MCG or those grounds. I would prefer a packed stadium like IKON than a half-filled Marvel.”

The Kangaroos have never beaten Brisbane – who lost last year’s AFLW grand final in heartbreaking circumstances – but Kearney is confident finals victories over the Demons and Crows has instilled greater belief in the group.

Brisbane Lions coach Craig Starcevich declared Dakota Davidson a certain starter after recovering well from the injury she suffered last weekend.

“Last Saturday night it was looking a little bit like it was going to be a bad one,” Starcevich said. “But she had her scan pretty soon on the Sunday and … trained pretty strongly on whatever night we train, Thursday night, the whole ‘sesh’ (session) so, she’s good to go.”

Starcevich and Lions skipper Breanna Koenen said the group hadn’t spoken about last year’s grand final loss to Melbourne, stressing it was a different team make-up.

But they said they looked forward to the challenge of taking on the Kangaroos in the first AFLW grand final in Melbourne since 2018.

LIONS WEREN’T EXPECTING GRAND FINAL

Brisbane captain Breanna Koenen says her side has surprised even itself by making the grand final.

Many AFLW pre-season predictions had the Lions missing out on the premiership decider after losing 2022 league best-and-fairest winner Emily Bates (Hawthorn), last campaign’s leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda) and All-Australian Greta Bodey (Hawks) during the trade period.

But Brisbane was able to prevail in seven of its 10 minor-round games, then triumph in both its finals to reach this stage for the second consecutive season.

Koenen said getting into Sunday’s decider – against North Melbourne at Ikon Park – was a credit to her club, coach Craig Starcevich and the AFLW program the Lions were building.

“We were fairly underrated at the start of the season and probably weren’t expected to get here,” Koenen said.

Breanna Koenen at training this week. Picture: Getty Images

“To be here now is probably a surprise for everyone, ourselves included.

“We’ll just take it within our stride.

“We’re here for a reason now so we’ll give it our best shot.”

Koenen is something of a grand final veteran, having played in four with Brisbane, most recently last season’s four-point home defeat to Melbourne.

She said you could not compare Sunday’s match to the game against the Demons.

“We’ve got a totally different group,” she said.

“We obviously reviewed that game shortly after but it’s a different feel this week, different opposition.

“We’ve learnt from it.

“I’ve got full faith in the crew that we’ve got.”

Koenen played in the Lions’ 2021 flag triumph against Adelaide, but a win on Sunday would be her first as captain after taking on the mantle last year.

She said each flag decider felt different and they were always special to play in.

“Don’t go into it expecting anything,” said Koenen, who was last season’s All-Australian vice-captain.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be in enough, but each time it’s just surreal being here.”