Melbourne and North Melbourne fought out a thriller at the MCG in Round 2 of the AFLW season. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The cream, as they say, has risen to the top.

This weekend’s AFLW preliminary finals round features the past two premiers, Adelaide and Brisbane, last season’s runner-up, Melbourne, and North Melbourne, whose women have never made it this far.

The Lions and Demons have dominated play this season, with the latter coming within a hair’s breadth of gazumping the Lions as minor premier.

Last season, Melbourne defeated Brisbane in a preliminary final at the MCG, but the Crows knocked off the Demons in the grand final to win their third AFLW flag.

The Lions and Adelaide have their own chequered history — the Crows defeated Brisbane in the inaugural AFLW grand final in 2017 and the Lions belatedly avenged that result in 2021 by beating Adelaide in that year’s premiership decider.

But as they proved last round, it’d be foolish to underestimate the Kangaroos, who first survived a war of attrition against upstart Geelong in an elimination final, then, in easily their best performance of the season, bulldozed new flag contender Richmond.

Neither of the two finals appear easy for any side, and with all four contenders at full strength, it makes for a cracking, penultimate round of footy.

BRISBANE v ADELAIDE (Metricon Stadium, Friday 7.40pm local time)
The two rivals met earlier this season in Round 8, when both occupied the ladder’s top two spots, and both were coming off wins the previous week.

The Lions proved to be the better side on the day, putting the hammer down with four goals in the second term and three in the fourth to beat the Crows by 22 points.

Ally Anderson (22 touches, seven tackles and a goal), eventual AFLW leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw (two majors) and Sophie Conway (15 disposals and two goals) were Brisbane’s brightest lights, while Ebony Marinoff (33 possessions) and captain Chelsea Randall (23 touches, five tackles and a goal) shined for Adelaide.

There was plenty of friction between Conway and Randall, with the former splitting Randall’s lip with a forearm that she said was unintentional.

Randall this week is slated to return from league concussion protocols which kept her out of her side’s semi-final win over Collingwood.

This contest is likely to be every bit as physical as these clubs’ previous clashes, and both sides bat deep.

But the Lions have been an offensive juggernaut — leading the comp in scoring, while the Crows are distant third in that category — and have the home ground advantage.

Brisbane has played this entire campaign as if it’s been smarting from its preliminary final loss to Melbourne last season. If teams play hungry, then the Lions this season are playing ravenous and should cop their reward.
GIL TIPS: BRISBANE

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MELBOURNE v NORTH MELBOURNE (Ikon Park, Saturday 3.10pm local time)
It’s been a long time between drinks since these two sides locked horns — all the way back to Round 2 — and in a thriller, the Demons won by just two points.

The Kangaroos have a strong spine, and while their main weakness has been their accuracy in front of goal, they kicked a perfect 4.0 (24) in this match at the MCG, to Melbourne’s wasteful 3.8 (26).

Speedy Demon Alyssa Bannan was the hero for Melbourne, snapping home the sealer after being fed the pill by playmaker Eliza West, while inspirational captain Daisy Pearce was at her dangerous best, kicking two majors in a low-scoring contest.

Ash Riddell (26 touches and eight tackles) and eventual AFLCA MVP Jasmine Garner (22 and five) were North’s best.

The Roos handily won the clearance and tackle stats, while the Dees had the better handball game, signifying their team speed, which in this final could prove the difference.

Melbourne won’t have Casey Fields’ swirling winds to aid them this time, but its quick ball movement through Bannan and West could have North scrambling to keep up.

Having a weapon up forward like Tayla Harris, as the Demons do, never hurts, as does having Lauren Pearce in the ruck and Olivia Purcell through the middle.

North Melbourne has one of the league’s most formidable midfields, but did it peak a bit too soon last week against the Tigers when they put it all together in a dominant showing?

This season’s history says yes, and with the Demons’ propensity to score at will, Melbourne will find its way back to another grand final.
GIL TIPS: MELBOURNE