By Staff reporters and AAP
One phrase was banned by North Melbourne’s AFLW team this season. But on Sunday, they were finally free to use it.
A little more than 12 hours after they became the first women’s team to secure back-to-back premierships, the undefeated Roos – and their new premiership cup – were presented to their supporters with fireworks and fanfare at Arden Street.
Teammates Taylah Gatt and Tess Craven share the joy of North Melbourne’s premiership win with their fans.Credit: Getty Images
Sunglasses were the exception rather than the rule for the North players up on the balcony, still in their playing tops and with medals around their necks, as captain Jasmine Garner and coach Darren Crocker showed off the premiership cup for the second straight year.
The uncertain weather didn’t stop the face painting, photos with the premiership cups (from this season and last) or people stocking up on premiership merchandise. Nor did it deter Kangaroos fans, who have been starved of success in the men’s competition recently, and relished the opportunity to get signatures and selfies with their premiership heroes, whose success is becoming routine.
North champ Jas Garner.Credit: Getty Images
Ash Riddell, who was crowned the league’s best and fairest player on Monday night before starring in Saturday night’s decider, chatted with supporters as she signed autographs.
Emma Kearney, now a triple premiership player, gave out hugs as well as autographs and did her best to help parents cajole reluctant youngsters to smile for the camera.
There was plenty to smile about, no matter how shy some of the younger fans may have been.
Saturday night’s 40-point thrashing of the Brisbane Lions at Ikon Park extended North’s record-breaking winning streak to 27 matches and unbeaten run to 29, following their most recent loss in the 2023 grand final.
Pressure built throughout the 2025 campaign and multiple players admitted nerves got the better of them early in their preliminary final against Melbourne last weekend.
But the Kangaroos never got ahead of themselves in pursuit of unprecedented glory, even banning the phrase “back-to-back” until they had lifted the premiership cup.
“It comes down to Crock. His philosophy is ‘enjoy the journey’ and that was week by week,” Riddell said.
“We don’t really care about the streaks because they mean nothing if you don’t win the premiership.
“It was really important we stuck to our identity and our trademark footy and Crock’s the real driver of that.”
An expansion team in 2019, North initially struggled to overcome the AFLW’s “big three” clubs Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.
Ash Riddell dished out plenty of high-fives.Credit: Getty Images
They fell to the Lions in the 2023 grand final before embarking on their unbeaten run, which now includes wins over the same opponent in the past two premiership deciders.
“We probably just didn’t hold ourselves accountable enough [in the early years],” Riddell said.
Taylah Gatt brandishing her premiership medal.Credit: Getty Images
“Now we’ve developed a really good leadership program ... and developed this confidence that’s evidence-based.
“We’re confident, but it’s not just through making up numbers or trying to force things.
“We’ve actually got the evidence behind it and the stats to back it up.”
The result was a “perfect” 2025 season, when the Kangaroos went 12-0 through the home-and-away campaign and won three straight finals to claim the flag.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, which made their ultimate victory all the more sweet.
“We had a lot of struggles this year with injuries and it was probably harder to win it this year than last year,” Riddell said.
Emma Kearney celebrates the premiership with North Melbourne fans.Credit: Getty Images
“Aside from Kearney’s injury last year we sort of went unchanged most of the season.
“This year we had late changes and there were some real quality players that missed the grand final.
“We had to dig deep within our squad, which tested us at times, and this one’s pretty special.”
Riddell set new records for most disposals in a match three times during the home-and-away season and broke the grand final record with 39 touches against the Lions.
But the 29-year-old insisted she didn’t know she had set another new mark.
“I wouldn’t have a clue. I just cared about getting the win and capping off a good week,” Riddell said.
Starcevich joins calls to get AFLW off ‘exposed’ grounds
Roy Ward
Brisbane Lions coach Craig Starcevich has joined the campaign for more AFLW games in major stadiums after he called on the league to stop fixturing games on “exposed” grounds.
Starcevich is the sole remaining foundation coach in AFLW having led the Lions through all 10 seasons including a grand final loss to North Melbourne at Ikon Park on Saturday night.
The premiership winning AFL player and AFLW coach gave the Roos rich praise for their undefeated season and commended his own players for their development over the season.
But when asked how he would improve AFLW, Starcevich said he would move more games into enclosed stadiums, football commentator Kellie Underwood made a similar call in a column for his masthead before the grand final.
Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich, right, congratulates North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker on Saturday night.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Underwood noted that AFLW games have been played at more than 60 grounds in a little over 700 games, many of them are suburban or regional venues.
“In a mini-stadium like this one tonight, you are not exposed to the elements and you’ve got two really good teams, so you get a good spectacle,” Starcevich said.
“We had Essendon and Hawthorn play a Marvel Stadium a couple of years ago and I thought then that for two brand new clubs, the footy was actually really good.
“I think we can explore that more. Whether we have double or triple headers at Marvel when the boys are playing finals and it’s not getting used or there are no concerts.
“There is an opportunity there as you just get better footy when you play at those stadiums.
“We play a lot of games in exposed, windy, crappy conditions and it is really hard.
“The players toil really hard to cope with it but tonight the ball zipped around and you would have seen that, the quality of the footy and how the way the ball moved.”
Starcevich also said he intended to coach on into next season and backed his side to find a way to deal with the heartbreak of another grand final loss to the Lions.
It was their fifth loss from seven grand final appearances but he pledged that his side would find a way to bounce back next season.
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