Brisbane are heading to their fourth AFLW grand final after out-muscling the reigning premiers Adelaide at Metricon Stadium on Friday night, meaning the league’s showpiece event will be held at the Lions’ newly built training facility at Springfield.
It will be the first AFLW game played at the facility.
Brisbane’s Courtney Hodder celebrates a goalCredit:Getty Images
The Lions reached the season-decider by doubling Adelaide’s score, victorious 7.4 (46) to 3.5 (23). The Crows paid the penalty for not scoring a goal until the second half.
Brisbane earned a home ground advantage for the grand final after finishing top of the ladder, but the Gabba is unavailable due to cricket commitments and Metricon Stadium is holding a concert. This means it will be played at the club’s $80 million training base at Brighton Homes Arena, which has a capacity of about 10,000.
Lions star Emily Bates, speaking to Fox Footy after the game, said the women’s team would train on the ground for the first time next week.
AFL official Travis Auld said officials had conducted a surface assessment of the Springfield ground and given it the tick of approval after fears it wouldn’t be ready in time.
A digital scoreboard and added seating will be installed.
“The AFL are working with the Brisbane Lions and a government-led task force to address all that needs to be prepared at Brighton Homes Arena. All hands are on deck to prepare the venue in time for an AFLW grand final,” Auld said on Friday.
AFL head of women’s football Nicole Livingstone also defended the league’s policy of having the highest-ranked team host the grand final, despite it giving some clubs, players and supporters little time to prepare.
The evening had an emotional start, as each side paid tribute to Adelaide premiership player Heather Anderson, who tragically passed away earlier this week.
Then, a hot contest got under way between the two clubs that have forged a fierce rivalry in AFLW history after meeting in two of the five grand finals – Adelaide claiming the first in 2017, and Brisbane winning the other in 2021.
Just the sort of game you’d expect when the minor premiers meet the reigning premiers in a do-or-die final, despite Adelaide not putting a goal on the board until the third stanza.
A minute of silence was held for Adelaide premiership player Heather Anderson.Credit:Getty Images
While the first quarter saw a tight arm-wrestle of end-to-end football, with the Crows’ defensive work keeping things fairly even as the Lions had 11 to five inside 50s but only managed one goal, Brisbane started to kick away in the second term with four goals to none.
The homeside enjoyed a healthy 29-point lead at halftime and kept up the margin despite Adelaide winning the third term with two goals to one off the boots of Caitlin Gould and Danielle Ponter.
For Brisbane, star forwards Jesse Wardlaw, Dakota Davidson and Courtney Hodder were firing with two goals a piece, while Sophie Conway and Ally Anderson were hard to contain and Ruby Svarc was a tackling machine, finishing with 11.
This put Adelaide’s defensive wall was put under plenty of pressure, with Chelsea Biddell having a particularly impressive game. Captain Chelsea Randall had a lifting goal in the fourth and the visiting side upped the pressure late, but the damage was already done.
Overall, it came down to fitness, fight and control over the full four quarters, and Brisbane just had more of those qualities.
When the Crows got hands to the ball, it tended to go contest to contest, while the Lions were able to find open players and created more flow to their game. They finished with 34 inside 50s to 27, and 13 marks inside 50 to 3.
Brisbane’s grand final opponent next Sunday, 27 November, will be the winners of Saturday’s preliminary final between Melbourne and North Melbourne at Ikon Park.
BRISBANE v ADELAIDE
Brisbane: 1.0 5.1 6.3 7.4 (46)
Adelaide: 0.0 0.2 2.2 3.5 (23)
GOALS
Brisbane: Hodder 2, Wardlaw 2, Davidson 2, C Svarc
Adelaide: Gould, Ponter, Randall
BEST
Brisbane: R Svarc, Conway, Hodder, Anderson, Bates
Adelaide: Hatchard, Gould, Marinoff, Randall, Biddell
