VIKKI Wall watched last year's AFLW Grand Final on her phone, thousands of kilometres away on a camp with Ireland's rugby team.
Last weekend, she booted three goals in the preliminary final to help send North Melbourne back into the decider.
It's been a rollercoaster two years for the power forward.
Originally a Gaelic star with Meath, she made the move to AFLW for the second season of 2022, impressing with her natural attack on the ball and kicking 6.7 from her 13 matches.
But Wall opted to shift her focus to rugby in 2023 in a quest to qualify for Ireland's Olympic squad. She fell just short of the final team, but was still able to travel to Paris to support her countrywomen.
Then, it was back to Australia for the 2024 season with the Roos, kicking 10.7 from 13 matches with one game to come.
"For a lot of the Irish players, coming over here is a massive commitment, being away from friends and family. Even my best friend back home got married yesterday, so it's sad to miss those things. But it makes it worth it on days like today," Wall said in the aftermath of North Melbourne's preliminary final win over Port Adelaide.
"I witnessed [the Grand Final] back home last year, so it's nice to be involved in it this year and how it goes, rather than seeing it on social media and chatting to the girls.
"We were at a tournament, we were travelling, so I was watching it on my phone between games."
With two sports to choose from back home, what made Wall come back for another crack at the AFLW?
"We've got a pretty special team, the girls, the club and 'Crock' (coach Darren Crocker). I've played under a lot of managers, and I think he's got a brilliant way at getting the best out of each of us individually, he knows what makes us tick," Wall said.
"He knows what to say to piss us off, to get us to train better and things like that. I just think even the staff, S&C, it's cliché, but everyone's so good and kind and I'm just proud to be part of the club."
North Melbourne's multi-dimensional forward line looms as a significant threat on Saturday night, made up of a rotating cast of three talls (Emma King, Kate Shierlaw, Tahlia Randall), three smalls (Alice O'Loughlin, Bella Eddey, Jenna Bruton) and the bullocking Wall.
The icing on the cake is the forward craft of champion midfielder Jas Garner, who has booted 14 majors (fourth at the Roos) while playing as an onballer this year.
The spread of goalkickers was on show in the thumping 57-point win over Port Adelaide, with Wall, O'Loughlin, Randall, Shierlaw and Taylah Gatt all kicking multiple majors.
"It's class, we were slagging Jenna at the end there, saying we wanted her to get a goal. I think when we watch it back, we'll see she's created most of the goals and adding those tackles," Wall said with a laugh.
"As a forward, it's nice to get a few goals, but throughout the season, everyone's had their games and times to score."
