AFLW grand final 2024 LIVE updates: North Melbourne Kangaroos, Brisbane Lions face off for AFLW flag

North Melbourne just want AFLW glory – not grand final redemption or post-season revenge against Brisbane.

The Kangaroos return to the grand final stage at Ikon Park on Saturday in a rematch of the 2023 decider against Brisbane.

Last year’s opportunity to become North Melbourne’s first premiership team this century ended in heartbreak, with the Lions snatching their second flag by 17 points.

It was also North’s first appearance in any decider since the men’s team won the 1999 flag, piling more anguish on the club’s long-suffering fans.

Now, less than 12 months on, coach Darren Crocker has deemed the pain irrelevant.

“We haven’t really spoken about last year at all,” Crocker said on Friday.

“People like to use the word redemption and that type of thing. For us, it was all about just how we learn, how we get better.”

North Melbourne skipper Emma Kearney doubled down on Crocker’s sentiments.

“We’re not a team that play on emotion,” she said.

“If you don’t have enough motivation in the grand final then you shouldn’t be there.”

The Kangaroos enter their second grand final the clear favourites after an undefeated season, their only blemish being a draw with Geelong in round two.

They sounded an ominous warning in the opening round with a cutthroat performance – defeating the reigning premiers by 44 points after kicking six goals to none in the third term.

“We’d never beaten Brisbane up until that point,” Kearney said.

“This season I feel like we belong here, just like Brisbane belong here.

“Last time, not that I was surprised that we made the grand final but we were sort of riding the wave of this momentum, knocking off Melbourne, then Adelaide in the preliminary by a point.

“That confidence is a lot different compared to what it was last year.”

AAP