North Melbourne's hopes for back-to-back AFLW premierships have been dealt a dramatic selection blow, with fit-again midfielder Mia King officially missing out on a grand final recall.
Coach's Tough Call on Star Midfielder
Despite being passed fit earlier this week after recovering from a knee injury sustained in Round 9, King was overlooked by coach Darren Crocker for Saturday night's decider against the Brisbane Lions. The tough on-baller, who starred against Brisbane in last year's grand final, has been named as one of North's three emergencies instead.
Crocker revealed the difficulty of the decision, noting that Saturday will mark 50 days since King played a half of football. "It's a really difficult situation," Crocker said on SEN. "Unfortunately for Mia, it will be 50 days on Saturday since she played a half of footy. And really, two and a half weeks ago you probably would've been putting red ink through it."
Unchanged Teams for Grand Final Showdown
The Kangaroos coach expressed immense pride in King's recovery efforts, stating she had done a "remarkable job" to put herself in contention. However, Crocker has opted to maintain faith in the same lineup that overpowered Melbourne in last week's tight preliminary final.
The Brisbane Lions have also confirmed an unchanged team following their commanding win over Carlton. The Lions enter the decider having won nine consecutive games since being beaten by North Melbourne in round five.
"Their form's been really good and they've got a full squad to pick from, so they're nice and healthy," Crocker said of the opposition. "You probably take bits and pieces out of what's worked in the past against them and whether they throw some different looks at us come Saturday night."
Kangaroos Eye History Amidst Dominant Streak
The grand final represents the third consecutive decider meeting between these powerhouse clubs, with North Melbourne carrying a record-breaking 26-match winning streak into the contest. Crocker acknowledged the psychological challenges of maintaining such dominance.
"Complacency and ego are the two things that can get you when you're on a streak like we've been on and you've had some success," Crocker stated. "But there's been no signs of that creeping in whatsoever."
The selection news comes as Crocker continues North Melbourne's dominance of individual awards, being named AFL Coaches Association coach of the year for the second straight season. This follows star midfielder Ash Riddell winning the AFLW best-and-fairest and AFLCA champion player of the year, while fellow gun Jasmine Garner was named the AFL Players Association MVP and All-Australian captain.
