AFLW finals: Roos star explains antics as Hawks review injury toll
A battered and bruised Hawthorn faces several availability concerns ahead of its semi-final as a Kangaroos star explained a heated on-field incident.
North Melbourne star Emma Kearney has brushed off her crowd work as a Hawthorn opponent limped from the field in a heated qualifying final as “just a bit of theatre”.
The Hawks were left with a lengthy injury list and forward Greta Bodey facing an MRO sanction in a bruising 39-point loss at Ikon Park on Friday night.
Kangaroos supporters were criticised online for jeering as Hawks forward Aine McDonagh came from the field with a knee concern late in the third quarter.
But Kearney revealed after the game that she had been the source of the crowd noise after playfully suggesting that the Hawks were trying to run down the clock before three-quarter time.
Yeah that’s all pretty on brand for Emma Kearney https://t.co/aHTgThib0o
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) November 7, 2025
McDonagh collapsed to the ground clutching her right knee after attempting to beat North Melbourne defender Erika O’Shea to a ground ball in the last minute of the quarter.
The Irishwoman was helped to her feet by trainers after a brief delay, but the Hawks trainers ran away from her to the boundary line because they anticipated play would restart.
But the umpires held play up further as McDonagh limped almost the entire way to the interchange bench as fans became increasingly agitated with the break in play.
“It was a weird one because they stopped play because Aine (McDonagh) went down with a knee concern, but the Hawthorn medicos just ended up walking off, so she was limping off very, very slowly,” Kearney told ABC Sport.
“Obviously, the umpires didn’t want to keep the play going, so I was having a bit of a word with the umpires, just to say, ‘Is that time-wasting?’
“And then I thought, well, we haven’t kicked a goal here for a while, so let’s get the crowd up. It was right in front of the crowd, so a bit of theatre … I try to get under people’s skin if I can.”
Kearney’s antics were not well received by opponent Greta Bodey, who floored the former Roos skipper with an elbow to the back in an incident set to be scrutinised by the MRO.
Bodey is more likely to be fined rather than suspended, but Hawthorn was left with significant availability concerns ahead of next week’s semi-final after a bruising clash.
Leading goalkicker McDonagh returned in the final term but will undergo a scan on her knee after passing a HIA test following a head knock earlier in the match, while veteran Kaitlyn Ashmore was sidelined for the second half with a calf injury.
Coach Daniel Webster said important midfielder Jasmine Fleming “wasn’t at her best” after receiving treatment during the warm-up for soreness and managing only 13 disposals.
“I thought we battled well … but then we just kind of ran out of bullets there at the end,” Webster said.
“At one point towards the end of the third quarter, we had one person on the bench, so it was looking a bit dicey.
“I thought the look of the game was not too bad … it’s just that last little bit that probably hurt.”
Webster gave captain Emily Bates (SC joint) and ruck Lucy Wales (appendix surgery) an outside chance of returning for the semi-final but both were more likely to be available for selection the following week.
After their emphatic victory secured a 25th straight win and a home preliminary final, the Kangaroos expect to regain halfback Eilish Sheerin (hamstring) and could also be able to select tough midfielder Mia King (PCL) as she races the clock for a finals return.
Dominant Roos two wins from perfect season
Chloe Williams
North Melbourne has secured yet another preliminary final appearance with a 39-point victory over Hawthorn.
A goalless Hawthorn’s final score of 3 marks the lowest score in an AFLW final, and the lowest score-against in North Melbourne’s 25-match winning run.
Tahlia Randall 1.3 (9) outscored Hawthorn 0.3 (3) for the second week in a row.
The reigning premiers recorded the first seven inside 50s, with the unlikely Kim Rennie opening their account.
Benefitting from a 50m penalty, it marked her first goal since Season 7.
It looked as if Hawthorn were on the brink of unravelling for much of the first half, but its defence - led by Laura Stone - stood tall, and its pressure caused a steely North Melbourne to falter.
If scores were given for defensive efforts rather than goals, this would’ve been one of the highest scoring games of the season.
Stone recorded three marks and 19 disposals whilst North Melbourne’s Libby Birch was impassable with 10 marks of her own.
The Kangaroos were uncharacteristically inaccurate in their forward half - kicking 5.12 under the weight of Hawthorn’s pressure.
If there is one thing Hawthorn can hang their hat on, it’s that this marks North Melbourne’s lowest score of Season 10.
Ultimately, though, their strength prevailed as they opened the floodgates in the final term.
Daniel Webster will rue Hawthorn’s accuracy after pointing to “the execution and fundamentals” as the cause of his side’s defeat last week.
Switching Najwa Allen forward at times, Webster will need to move the magnets if he is to prevent back-to-back straight sets exits after recording only two marks inside 50 to North Melbourne’s nine.
Despite this week’s turmoil, Jas Garner finished with 26 disposals and six tackles.
A bit of airtime early for Emma King 🛫#AFLWFinalspic.twitter.com/NdR9eBiyw6
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 7, 2025
THIRD QUARTER SCARE
An early scare was sent through the Hawthorn camp as Aine McDonagh came off worse for wear in a head clash with North Melbourne’s Jas Ferguson.
The sigh of relief came when she passed her assessment, but it was short lived, as she later succumbed to a lower leg injury on the eve of three-quarter time.
Kailtyn Ashmore, Emily Everist and Laura Elliott also came from the field in the third term.
With an already extensive injury list which includes captain Emily Bates and talls Lucy Wales and Eli Symonds, Hawthorn will need to dig deep to find a win next week.
Everist, Elliott and McDonagh played out the contest, but carried a limp with strapping on her right knee.
It's Alice O'Loughlin who nails the second of the night!
— 7AFL (@7AFL) November 7, 2025
North out to a handy lead approaching half time #AFLWNorthHawkspic.twitter.com/fXpaLlpHUj
TENSIONS RISE
Emma Kearney’s attempt to involve the crowd in the contest went awry as she faced the wrath of Greta Bodey for her efforts.
Bodey will hope she won’t face a suspension, with the blow on Kearney emulating that of Cathy Svarc, who was cleared by the tribunal after initially facing one week on the sidelines.
It was a week of tension amongst the two clubs after Hawthorn snubbed Jasmine Garner’s 100th game guard of honour, culminating in a scuffle on the eve of three-quarter time.
SCORING WOES HIT ROCK BOTTOM
Despite finding the first four inside 50s of the second term, Hawthorn was unable to generate a shot at goal.
While Aine McDonagh has so often injected life into Hawthorn, even she was only able to conjure a minor score - Hawthorn’s only score of the first half.
The long-awaited goal never came, only adding more fuel to the fire in the discussion of their poor accuracy in 2025.
“We’ve done a lot of work on [our accuracy], it just hasn’t yet got through to what we’re doing,” said Webster post-game last week.
In game 87, Kim Rennie kicks just her third career goal to get North Melbourne started in the Qualifying Final #AFLWNorthHawkspic.twitter.com/4DruoOqwpf
— 7AFL (@7AFL) November 7, 2025
BRILLIANT BOGUE’S FIRST IN FINALS
Fresh off her maiden All-Australian squad nomination, first-year player Blaithin Bogue scored her first Finals major only minutes into the final term.
It caps off a brilliant Season 10 feat for the first-year forward.
The easiest of goals to Bogue finishing off the chain!
— 7AFL (@7AFL) November 7, 2025
And North are on their way to a preliminary final #AFLWNorthHawkspic.twitter.com/i9EvL7WM1p
LEARNING CURVE
Hawthorn wasn’t able to convert its pressure into scoring chances, its output may have just provided the blueprint to unravel the red-hot Roos.
Just as the Kangaroos seemed invincible, Hawthorn’s pressure exposed even the smallest of cracks in their steely demeanour, with early fumbles and uncharacteristic misses under pressure.
It may not have been enough to send Hawthorn to the Preliminary Final, but the six other Clubs in contention will be thanking Webster.
A consistent, intense level of pressure paired with the ability to punish off turnover may well be the winning recipe.
Brisbane and Melbourne trail North Melbourne to round out the top scorers from turnover in Season 10.
Originally published as AFLW finals: Roos star explains antics as Hawks review injury toll
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