AFLW premiership winner’s act of sheer class in grand final medal presentations

An AFLW premiership-winner produced a heartwarming act during the Brisbane Lions’ grand final medal presentations.

Footy fans are used to grand final medal presentations making headlines for all the wrong reasons — but this one is nothing but class.

Brisbane Lions star Ally Anderson on Sunday produced an act that is warming hearts around the footy world following her team’s epic Grand Final win over North Melbourne at Ikon Park.

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As the Queensland club celebrated its second AFLW premiership, it was Anderson that produced the headline moment during her interaction with a hearing-impaired Auskick junior.

The young footballer, who has been identified as ‘Teddy’ from the South Melbourne Districts Auskick Centre, was all smiles as he lifted the premiership medal over Anderson’s head.

Ally Anderson signs thanks to hearing-impaired Auskicker Teddy. Credit: Channel 7.

Ally Anderson is melting hearts. Photo: Channel 7.

The 29-year-old had knelt to the ground and was then seen showing the “thankyou” sign in Auslan in a moment that has melted the hearts of fans.

The Lions’ 2022 club best and fairest then placed a premiership hat on the aspiring footballer, who then jogged off stage with a clap.

It was one of several brilliant displays from the celebrating Lions players, with Isabel Dawes also sharing a muscle-flexing pose with the young girl that presented her medal.

Anderson said during the chaotic post match scenes: “Being down at three-quarter time and just knowing we had to come back and kick a couple of goals, I can’t believe it. It hasn’t kicked in. Unbelievable.

Ally Anderson of the Lions is presented with their premiership medal. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“It just means the world. As sad as it sounds, it’s pretty much my whole life. It just means absolutely everything.”

The Lions’ dream win came at the expense of North Melbourne — whose fairy tale story was crushed in devastating fashion.

The Kangaroos were the Cinderella story after upsetting Melbourne and Adelaide — the top two teams on the ladder — to reach their first grand final.

North started well but the Lions ran over the top of them at Princes Park in Melbourne, earning a 7.2 (44) to 4.3 (27) victory in front of 12,616 fans, adding to their 2021 flag in a record fifth grand final.

Isabel Dawes of the Lions poses for a photo with a young Auskicker. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

The Lions celebrate after the 2023 AFLW Grand Final. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

That crowd number presented one of the biggest talking points on the final day of the eighth season of the women’s competition.

The AFLW has used a variety of grounds for its grand finals, with a record 53,034 people cramming Adelaide Oval to see the Crows triumph in 2019.

The same South Australian ground brought crowds over 22,000 and 16,000 for two other deciders, while Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast cracked 15,000 in the inaugural grand final in 2017.

So the decision to use Princes Park in 2023 - which sold out in around two hours — led to some fierce debate.

Judging by the scenes on Sunday, there will be plenty more attending the 2024 Grand Final.