IT SEEMS only fitting that on AFL Grand Final weekend, Adelaide and Brisbane are fixtured to play each other in the AFLW.
Why?
Because in the competition's history, there has never been an AFLW Grand Final that hasn't featured at least one of these two sides.
That's right, either Adelaide or Brisbane has made it to the AFLW Grand Final every year, including the two times they played each other, resulting in one win each.
There are only four other clubs that have made it to the season finale - the Western Bulldogs, Carlton, Melbourne and North Melbourne.
Across their nine seasons in the competition, Adelaide and Brisbane have had their star players raided by opposition clubs, but to their credit, have always remained in premiership contention.
The dominance of these two sides in the AFLW era is unmatched and it all began way back in 2017.
The rivalry begins
Things looked a little bit different in 2017.
The Brisbane Lions had just signed two marquee players, a 19-year-old key forward with a huge leap named Tayla Harris and a Western Australian ruck known as Sabrina Frederick.
For the Crows, a former WNBA player by the name of Erin Phillips had just started her football career, and Channel Seven football commentator Abbey Holmes was running around kicking goals in their forward line.
It was in this first season where two non-Victorian sides shocked the football world, leaping past Melbourne-based clubs into the inaugural AFLW Grand Final.
Brisbane, which won the right to host the Grand Final, was controversially unable to play the match at the Gabba as the ground was deemed "unsafe" and the game was played at People First Stadium on the Gold Coast in front of a crowd of 15,610.
Phillips dominated for the Crows with 28 disposals and two goals in a best on ground performance, leading her side to become the first AFLW premiers by six points.
The Phillips effect
Though Adelaide got the chocolates on Grand Final day in 2017, it has only beaten Brisbane twice in the eight seasons since.
The last time the Crows defeated the Lions was season six in 2022, where they won by the highest winning margin ever between these two sides, 30 points.
That was Phillips' sixth and final season at the Crows, before moving to crosstown rivals Port Adelaide in season seven with teammates Justine Mules-Robinson and Ange Foley.
Since then the Lions have won on all four occasions by an average margin of 12.5 points.
The originals
There are 10 players from these sides, six from Adelaide and four from Brisbane, who remain at their original clubs since that first season in 2017.
Adelaide's foundation players include current co-captains Ebony Marinoff and Sarah Allan, three-time club best and fairest Anne Hatchard, former captain Chelsea Randall and Stevie-Lee Thompson. Deni Varnhagen has been at the club since 2017, but missed two seasons - one for not adhering to the AFL's COVID-19 vaccination policy and a second due to maternity leave.
For Brisbane, the list is shorter, with just four originals still donning the maroon, blue and gold. Season 7 League best and fairest Ally Anderson remains, as does captain Bre Koenen and defenders Shannon Campbell and Kate Lutkins, the latter returning this season from maternity leave.
Current state of play
Adelaide sits on top of the ladder as the only undefeated side in the competition. It has beaten the Power in the Showdown, thrashed the Dockers in Fremantle, held off the new-look Hawks, and beaten the Bombers by five goals.
Brisbane opened its premiership defence with a huge loss to North Melbourne by 44 points, but has turned its fortunes around since, having defeated Melbourne, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and West Coast.
Marinoff is leading from the front, sitting at the top of her side's tally for average disposals (29), metres gained (532), contested possessions (13.8), clearances (five) and tackles (11.8).
When it comes to scoring, Danielle Ponter averages two goals a game and Caitlin Gould has kicked two goals in each of her last two outings. Traditionally, Eloise Jones has kicked the most goals for the Crows against the Lions, however she is out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury.
For Brisbane, Anderson is back to her absolute best, with career-high numbers for disposals (28). Like Marinoff, Anderson also leads her side in contested possessions (15.6) and clearances (6.6). Key forward Taylor Smith leads the League for scoring, averaging 2.2 a game. Smith has kicked 11 majors so far this season, already a career-high just five games in.
New or old, this game is for you
This game is a must watch for those new and old to AFLW.
For those who have woken up post AFL Grand Final, thinking that football has finished for the year - think again. This game is the perfect introduction to AFLW and will show you some of the game’s best.
For those who have been long-term AFLW fans, who can't wait for the next instalment between these two great teams?
