North Melbourne break club’s premiership drought in AFLW Grand Final revenge

A year ago, North Melbourne were left heartbroken by the Brisbane Lions. 12 months later, the club has done the unthinkable.

North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker spoke softly and slowly to his distraught players in a change room packed with family, friends and Kangaroos staff following their grand final defeat last year.

Surely he could not have foreseen his simple vision – for the wounded Roos to stay the course and trust they would return to the decider ­­– playing out in near-flawless fashion over the next 12 months.

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The Kangaroos stared down the titans of the AFLW post-season to complete their remarkable unbeaten season and deliver a breakthrough premiership win to the long-suffering North Melbourne faithful, claiming the club’s first premiership of the 21st century in a 6.3 (39) to 1.3 (9) drubbing of the Lions.

All season the Roos had their eyes on the decider, but any signs of a pressure build-up were absent as they booted four of the first five goals to open up an unassailable lead in an 30-point victory at Ikon Park on Saturday night.

It wasn’t that the Lions failed to show up – but they were simply never able to unsettle their opponents, who dominated general play as they did the last time these sides met but still only led by 16 points at the final break.

What a win. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

For four tense quarters of footy in steamy, Queensland-like conditions, the Kangaroos never lost their defensive shape, with their figurehead Emma Kearney (23 disposals, eight intercepts) in sublime touch as she continually broke the lines of halfback.

The Roos were worried enough about Kearney’s hamstring to hardly use her in the preliminary final, but the 35-year-old moved explosively and was greeted with huge cheers by the blue and white faithful on her sporadic trips to the bench in the decider.

Jasmine Garner (35 disposals and 13 tackles) had opponents hanging off her at every stoppage, but ran out the game powerfully to keep the Roos in control during a low-scoring second half.

The grunt work of Lions on-ballers Ally Anderson and Belle Dawes and a gritty defensive effort ensured they still had a sniff at the final break.

But if the Roos bore any scars from coughing up their three-quarter time lead in 2023, they were never visible, as Vikki Wall slotted her second set shot to take them to safety early in the final term.

Contest won early

The Roos are the 2024 AFLW Premiers. Photo: Fox Sports

Brisbane won the first four centre clearances, but North Melbourne’s old hands stood tall to help their side settle first.

Kearney and Sarah Wright in defence, and a lively Emma King (five disposals in the first six minutes), controlled the skies early, and incisive ball use put the Lions backline under extreme pressure.

Tess Craven ran hard to get on the end of a clever Jasmine Garner kick and drew first blood with a cool set shot from 20m out, before Alice O’Loughlin did as she had all season and conjured two opportunistic chances as she went on to finish with three goals.

‘Bulk flags’ Birch

With the Roos’ triumph, Libby Birch became the first player in VFL-AFL history, male or female, to win three premierships at three different clubs.

The intercept defender has won them all against the Lions. And remarkably, she’s still only 26 years old and might win a few more.

After a down season with Melbourne last year, she returned to her best and sustained that form throughout the Roos’ finals campaign.

She held last year’s matchwinner Dakota Davidson to a meagre two disposals in a brilliant performance.

Erika O'Shea and Taylah Gatt celebrate. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Starce’s burning question

Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich is now 2-4 in grand finals, but the nature of this defeat is unlikely to needle at him for as long as the 2022 loss to Melbourne which lit a fresh fire under the Lions.

The three remaining inaugural coaches – Starcevich, Adelaide’s Matthew Clarke and the Demons’ Mick Stinear, are all signed up to the end of next season but from there will face a crossroads.

Will Starcevich have the hunger to flesh out more depth to keep the Lions in long-term contention, or load up for one last crack in his 10th season? Either way, there’s little doubt Brisbane will figure at the pointy end in 2025.