Culture

Today’s AFLW Grand Final Was A Heartstopping Finale To An Incredible First Season

I need to sit down.

by Tom Clift  25 March 2017

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After eight incredible weeks, the inaugural AFL Women’s season came to an end this afternoon, and oh my God what an ending it was. After going the entire season undefeated, the Brisbane Lions fell just one goal short against a magnificent Adelaide Crows outfit, in a nail-biting Grand Final that will go down in history for more reasons than one.

More than 15,500 fans showed up to watch the contest, despite the fact that an almighty grounds keeping cock-up forced the match to be moved from The Gabba in Brisbane to Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.

The Crows got out to the perfect start, booting a goal within the first 20 seconds. But the Lions soon rallied in what was as tough and bruising a game as we’ve seen all season. Seriously, I don’t think I exhaled once during the entire fourth quarter. Brisbane were within a single kick of sending the game into overtime. But in the end the Adelaide defence stood tall.

The excitement and intensity of the match – hell, of all the matches – is also a testament to what an incredible success story the first AFLW competition has been. From the crowds so huge they had to turn people away, to countless stories of young women and girls being inspired to pursue their passion, the past eight weeks have demonstrated time and time again what is so, so good about footy.

If nothing else, it’s going to be bloody hard to say that Adelaide’s Erin Phillips doesn’t deserve to earn a decent wage after today.