The North Melbourne Tasmania Kangaroos will be aiming for a 27th straight win — and the first AFLW side to claim back-to-back flags — when they take on the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night in the 2025 AFLW grand final at Ikon Park.
The Roos take on the Lions in the third grand final between the two sides in as many years. The Lions won the first encounter in 2023 before the Roos answered back in style last season.
Having won 26 consecutive matches, North Melbourne is the runaway favourite to claim the grand final, which will begin at 7.45pm (AEDT). You can
Watch the 2025 AFLW grand final live on Fox Footy via Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
Both teams go into the match unchanged, meaning there was no room in the Kangaroos’ line-up for star midfielder Mia King.
King, 24, has been sidelined for the past six weeks recovering from a PCL injury she sustained against Richmond in Round 9.
ULTIMATE GUIDE: First-ever back-to-back flags, or all-time streak broken?
FEATURE: Blueprint behind AFLW’s most ‘boring’, unstoppable force
MORE: Where ‘all-time’ GF will be won and lost and why $5 outsiders can cause boilover
Roos & Lions prepare for AFLW GF | 02:24
She had been given the green light to play, but North coach Darren Crocker and his match committee opted against making a change.
Crocker said his conversation with King was “ one of the hardest I have ever had to have in football”, but added propelling King into “a hot grand final” after such a long lay-off was “too big a risk to take” and also “meant we needed to throw the team about a bit.”.
“It was really difficult, we’re all feeling for Mia,” he said.
“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.
“Probably three, two-and-a-half weeks ago, you couldn’t have picked her, but to her credit she has really accelerated her rehab.
“It was a difficult decision to leave her out.”
Sold out AFLW GF calls for bigger venue | 00:36
This match gets underway at 7.45pm (AEDT) from Ikon Park.
Watch it live on Fox Footy — via Foxtel Channel 504 or Kayo Sports — from 6.30pm (AEDT).
Follow Kangaroos v Lions in our live blog below!
If you can’t see the blog, tap here.
Discussion about this post