By Oliver Caffrey
The Brisbane Lions feel uncomfortable heading into the AFLW grand final as favourites after always perceiving the competition viewing them as underdogs.
The Lions will host Melbourne in Sunday’s decider at the new Michael Voss Oval with more than 7000 spectators expected to turn out in sweltering conditions tipped to rise above 30 degrees.
Daisy Pearce of the Demons and Breanna Koenen of the Lions pose with the trophy.Credit:Getty
Craig Starcevich’s team earned the right to be at their new state-of-the art Springfield facility for the grand final after edging out the Demons for the minor premiership by just 0.3 per cent.
The Lions have dominated the seventh season of AFLW, beating Melbourne by 15 points in round-four, and have been able to blow rivals away as the fittest side in the competition.
Despite being in a fourth grand final and gunning for a second premiership, the Lions have carried a chip on their shoulder since the inaugural competition in 2017.
“The fact that we’ve been branded from the start as being underdogs, that’s carried through to this day,” Starcevich told reporters on Saturday.
Jesse Wardlaw of the Lions celebrates kicking a goal with teammates during the AFLW Preliminary Final against the Adelaide Crows.Credit:Getty
“It feels unusual to be thought about [as favourites] and we certainly don’t talk about it in that way.
“There’s enough that can happen in a game of footy, and we’ve all been involved in plenty of games of footy where stuff happens and you just got to be prepared for it.”
Melbourne are attempting to atone for their grand final defeat to Adelaide in April, and in the process send out Daisy Pearce on a high in what could be the iconic skipper’s final AFLW match.
The Demons lost that decider by just 13 points but were never realistically in the contest after the Crows enjoyed all the early momentum.
Pearce said Melbourne had carried the pain of that defeat into this season.
“I didn’t go into last season’s grand final thinking we hadn’t prepared well, but it just all adds to the experience,” she told reporters.
“Our ability to turn up and compete unconditionally has grown a lot, not just for grand final week, but week in, week out.
“Just the ability to know what you’re going to get out of each other and go out and compete regardless of what the game throws at you – we’re a different team from that perspective this season.”
Both clubs will take unchanged teams into the grand final, with star Melbourne forward Tayla Harris cleared of shoulder damage after suffering a scare in the preliminary final win against North Melbourne.
The Lions will have two league best-and-fairest winners on the field after midfielder Ally Anderson’s surprise win at the AFLW awards on Tuesday night.
Anderson followed in the footsteps of Emily Bates last season to make the Lions the first club to have two different league best-and-fairest winners.
AAP
