The Brisbane Lions are embracing their underdog status as they prepare to face the seemingly unstoppable North Melbourne Kangaroos in what promises to be an epic AFLW Grand Final showdown at Ikon Park on Saturday night.
Record-Breaking Streak on the Line
North Melbourne enters the decider riding an extraordinary 26-game winning streak, making them overwhelming favourites to become the first team in AFLW history to secure back-to-back premierships. Their dominant run includes three convincing victories over the Lions since their last defeat, which ironically came against Brisbane in the 2023 grand final.
The Kangaroos' average winning margin against the Lions during this period stands at a commanding 34 points, highlighting the challenge facing Brisbane in this highly anticipated rematch.
Lions Love Being Counted Out
Despite the daunting statistics, Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich believes his team thrives when underestimated. "We've been underdogs for 10 years, so it's not new ground for us," Starcevich declared, referencing the Lions' impressive record of reaching seven grand finals in the competition's 10 seasons.
"Our group love being told they can't do stuff," he added. "We've got a pretty tough, resilient group that love these sort of challenges."
The Lions have adopted the famous "if it bleeds, we can kill it" mentality, echoing AFL legend Leigh Matthews' philosophy from more than two decades ago as they prepare to topple the competition's powerhouse.
Perfect Preparation for Both Sides
Both teams enter the grand final with strong form, though their paths differed significantly in the preliminary finals. North Melbourne survived a major scare, trailing Melbourne by 19 points before storming home to win by 10 points in what marked their closest contest in over a year.
"We felt like it was the ideal preparation for us, being challenged in that way," said Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker. "We looked at a few things this week where we probably got a little bit sloppy in a couple of areas of our game."
Meanwhile, Brisbane brings their own nine-game winning streak into the decider, with Starcevich noting his team has been "building nicely" throughout the finals series.
Team News and Selection Drama
Both clubs have named unchanged line-ups from their preliminary final victories, meaning North Melbourne midfielder Mia King will miss the grand final despite recovering from a knee injury.
Crocker explained that selecting King after seven weeks on the sidelines would have been "too big a risk" and would have forced unwanted structural changes to his side.
North Melbourne's charge will be led by AFLW best-and-fairest Ash Riddell and AFL Players Association MVP Jasmine Garner, who are supported by fellow All-Australians Tahlia Randall and Blaithin Bogue.
Brisbane counters with their own All-Australian duo Courtney Hodder and Jennifer Dunne, while the Lions are superbly led by Ally Anderson and Isabel Dawes in the midfield, with Dakota Davidson looming as a potential match-winner in attack.
This marks the third consecutive grand final between these two powerhouse clubs, with Brisbane aiming for an unprecedented third premiership to add to their already impressive legacy in the women's competition.
