AFLW preliminary final: Brisbane Lions vs. Adelaide Crows as the league’s biggest rivalry

The Brisbane Lions and Adelaide Crows have played more finals against each other than any pairing of clubs since the competition began. Cathy Svarc talks about the meaning behind the rivalry.

How do you prepare for an opponent that knows everything about you?

It’s the question eating away at the Brisbane Lions and Adelaide Crows this week as the two great AFLW rivals prepare to renew hostilities in Saturday’s preliminary final at Brighton Homes Arena.

These two sides have played more finals against each other than any other.

Brisbane midfielder Ally Anderson and her Crows counterpart Ebony Marinoff have featured in all four of their previous post-season battles. For them, the midweek preparation probably has not changed too much over the years.

But for Anderson’s on-ball offsider, Cathy Svarc, plenty has changed.

Early in her career, the uber-athletic Svarc was an out-and-out tagger – one of the best in the business. If Marinoff was at stoppage, you would almost always see Svarc attached to her hip.

And while the Lions’ defensive dynamo still has that run-with role in her locker, Svarc’s evolution over the past two seasons into a two-way midfielder has changed the game for Brisbane.

Ebony Marinoff tackled by Cathy Svarc in 2021. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

It was from her boot that the reigning premiers surged over the line against Hawthorn in the first qualifying final a fortnight ago, when she kicked two crucial goals after being thrown forward.

The 32 year old is now a dangerous magnet at coach Craig Starcevich’s disposal and a point of difference the Lions did not have in early meetings against the Crows.

Svarc says her early days as a tagger helped shape the player she is today. It is not hyperbole to say those first battles with Marinoff and co. brought the best out of her.

“The first couple of years doing that role I learned a lot, getting to play on the best players in the comp,” she told this masthead.

“The last few years I’ve spent building my offensive game which has been really fun. Especially the past two seasons, I’ve been able to let my game go both ways and bring my strengths to that offensive side as well.

“I’ve played a bit of that forward role this year as well … the other week (against Hawthorn) when I got thrown down there, they set everything up and I just got to go in and do my thing.”

A late arrival to Aussie rules, Svarc did not pick up the game until after she moved to Queensland.

It quickly became the best outlet to scratch the competitive itch and she has gotten better with every season under her belt.

“I was around footy because I played netball but I never really had that opportunity (to play), so when I started playing up here I loved it straight away,” she said.

“Having more space compared to netball, having more contact – probably my athletic traits were more suited to footy. As soon as I started playing I knew I loved it.

Cathy Svarc has moved from tagging into a ball-winner. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

“At Brisbane there’s so many of us that are similar. We’re always pushing each other and love seeing each other level up, whether that’s on the field, in the gym or elsewhere. I love having the ability to keep growing and learning while still being competitive.”

Brisbane has won the past five meetings against the Crows, however the previous three have all been decided by less than a goal.

Earlier this season the Lions surged home in the final minutes to snatch victory at the death.

“Because our games are always so tight I never think, ‘oh we’ve got it over them,” Svarc said.

“I know how good they can be and yes, we have had it over them the last few times but it doesn’t really feel like that – which is probably the best way to think coming into these sorts of games.”

Svarc believes theirs is unquestionably the biggest rivalry in the AFLW.

“I guess it has to be, right? With the amount of big games we’ve played against each other,” she said.

“It’s such a competitive rivalry and there’s no real bad blood between us either. We have so much respect for them.

“They’ve won three premierships and that’s more than what we’ve won.”

Originally published as AFLW preliminary final: Brisbane Lions vs. Adelaide Crows as the league’s biggest rivalry