AFLW grand final ultimate guide: North Melbourne makes ‘tough’ selection call on star mid Mia King for grand final
One of the toughest things in sport for a coach is to leave a player out of a grand final team, something North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker had to do ahead of this year’s AFLW grand final clash with Brisbane.
With star midfielder Mia King available six weeks on from a knee injury, he made the difficult call to not bring her back into the side, given the risks in such an intense contest.
“It’s always tough … there’s some conversations you have to have that are really difficult ones,” Crocker said.
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Mia King of the Kangaroos in action. Getty
“Leaving players out when they are really keen to play in this game, that’s probably one of the hardest conversations I have ever had to have in football to tell you the truth.
“It was really difficult, we’re all feeling for Mia.
“This is meant to be an enjoyable week, grand final week, but for any coach and match committee that needs to make that decision, it makes us very tough.
“To bring her into a hot grand final would be a big ask and would also have meant we needed to throw the team about a bit.”
AFLW grand final teams
At this stage, both teams will now go into the grand final unchanged from the preliminary finals, following North Melbourne’s decision not to select King.
The Roos boast star power on every line, with Libby Birch and Emma Kearney savvy leaders in defence, league best and fairest winner Ash Riddell in the midfield and key forward stars Tahlia Randall and Blaithin Bogue up forward, not to mention captain Jasmine Garner, who might just be the best big-game player in the competition.
For Brisbane, this group has produced at the highest level for a number of years now as well.
Jennifer Dunne and Shannon Campbell are elite defenders, Ally Anderson and Isabel Dawes midfield stars and the team is filled with x-factor players, including Courtney Hodder, Orla O’Dwyer, Ruby Svarc and Dakota Davidson as their forward spearhead.
Coaches and captains with the premiership cup. AFL Photos via Getty Images
North Melbourne
FB: L. Birch, J. Ferguson
HB: E. Kearney, E. Shannon, E. O’Shea
C: A. Smith, R. Tripodi, T. Gatt
HF: B. Eddey, B. Bogue, J. Bruton
FF: T. Randall, V. Wall
Foll: K. Rennie, A. Riddell, J, Garner
INT: K. Shierlaw, A. O’Loughlin, T. Craven, E. Sheerin, E. King
Brisbane
FB: J. Dunne, S. Campbell
HB: L. Postlethwaite, N. Grider, J. Ellenger
C: C. Mullins, A. Anderson, O. O’Dwyer
HF: S. Conway, T. Smith, C. Hodder
FF: D. Davidson, C. Svarc
Fol: T. Hickie, B. Koenen, I. Dawes
INT: S. Davison, N. Dooley, E. Hampson, E. Hartill, R. Svarc
What time will the grand final start?
The 2025 AFLW grand final will get underway at 7.45pm AEDT on Saturday November 29.
7.15pm ACST (SA, NT)
6.45pm AEST (QLD)
4.45pm AWST (WA)
International
UK: 8.45am
Los Angeles: 12.45am
New York: 3.45am
Auckland: 9.45pm
Bali: 4.45pm
Grand final venue
The match will take place in Melbourne, Victoria at Carlton’s home base of Princes Park, now known as IKON Park.
The venue has a capacity of just over 12,000 and has previously had three AFLW grand finals, including the last two.
Grand final umpires
Field umpires: Gabby Simmonds, Sam Nippress, Joshua Ball
Boundary umpires: Riley Guerin, Cooper Ranie, Madeleine Lum, Sam Beer
Goal umpires: Jack Stammers and Michael Button
Courtney Hodder of the Lions celebrates after kicking a goal. Getty
Head-to-head
North Melbourne has won the head-to-head match-up against Brisbane across the last two seasons, beating them twice in 2024 and once already in 2025 up in Queensland.
Importantly, this is the third straight season where these two teams have met in the AFLW grand final.
The Lions won in 2023 and North Melbourne last year. This is effectively the decider of the trilogy.
Path to the grand final
Both teams won their respective qualifying finals. North Melbourne defeated Hawthorn comfortably, while Brisbane upset Melbourne in Victoria to earn a home preliminary final.
From there, the Lions proved too strong for a young Carlton side, while the Kangaroos survived a scare from Melbourne to ultimately book their spot in the grand final.
The Roos will now attempt to win their 29th straight game and complete their second straight season without a loss.
Ash Riddell of the Kangaroos addresses the room after winning the 2025 AFLW best and fairest award. James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images
Odds (Sportsbet)
North Melbourne: $1.17
Brisbane: $5.00
(Correct as of 2pm Thursday, AEDT)
Best on ground award
Jasmine Garner (North) – $2.25
Ash Riddell (North) – $3.50
Blaithin Bogue (North) – $18
Ally Anderson (Brisbane) – $26
Courtney Hodder (Brisbane) – $35
Grand final tickets
Tickets have sold out.
How to watch AFL grand final
The match will be live on Channel 7 nationally.
Recent AFLW grand final history
2024: North Melbourne defeated Brisbane
2023: Brisbane defeated North Melbourne
2022 (S7): Melbourne defeated Brisbane
2022 (S6): Adelaide defeated Melbourne
2021: Brisbane defeated Adelaide
2020: N/A – COVID
2019: Adelaide defeated Carlton
2018: Western Bulldogs defeated Brisbane
2017: Adelaide defeated Brisbane
Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles from Peking Duk AFL Photos via Getty Images
Grand final entertainment line-up
Pre-match entertainment
Peking Duk
Ben Woolner, Kye and Lucy Lucy
What happens if there’s a drawn result?
In the event of a draw at the end of ordinary time, additional time will be played to crown a winner.
If scores are even at full-time, a six-minute break will occur before two three-minute halves (plus time on) are played to determine a result. At the end of the first additional period, the teams will change ends without a break.
If scores are still tied after the completion of both halves, the process will be repeated until a winner is declared.
Both clubs will receive 10 interchanges for each half (excluding the medical substitute). Any leftover interchanges from each half will not carry over.
Team runners may only head onto the field after a goal, during an extended stoppage in play or at the conclusion of the first half as the players change ends.
Jasmine Garner was awarded the Best on Ground medal in 2024. Quinn Rooney via Getty Images
Best on ground award
The unnamed best on ground award is presented to the player judged to be best on ground in the grand final. The honour is decided by an independent panel of football experts through a 3-2-1 voting structure.
The award cannot be shared between multiple players. In the event of a tie, a count-back-like situation of the higher votes received will determine a winner.
The medal will be presented by Simone Wilkie, an AFL commissioner.
Judges: Abbey Holmes – Seven Network, Chair Gemma Bastiani – AFL Media, Laura Spurway – 3AW, Lauren Wood – Herald Sun
Previous winners: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne), Breanna Koenen (Brisbane), Shannon Campbell (Brisbane), Anne Hatchard (Adelaide), Kate Lutkins (Brisbane), Erin Phillips (Adelaide), Monique Conti (Western Bulldogs), Erin Phillips (Adelaide).
Will there be a half-time sprint?
Yes, the AFLW grand final will feature a half time sprint like the men’s competition.
This year’s sports celebrity inclusion is Melbourne Vixens netball star Jo Weston.
She will run alongside Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff, Geelong’s Georgie Prespakis, Gold Coast’s Lucy Single, Melbourne’s Molly O’Hehir, Sydney’s Zippy Fish, West Coast’s Ella Roberts and Western Bulldogs’ Ellie Blackburn.
Who will present the premiership cup?
North Melbourne: Kangaroos premiership player, Nicole Bresnehan
Brisbane Lions: Retired Lions premiership player, Kate Lutkins
