Reigning premiers Brisbane have advanced to a record-extending sixth AFLW grand final after absorbing an early buffeting to beat Adelaide by 18 points at Brighton Homes Arena.
The Lions were dictated to in the first half on Saturday night before turning the tables after the long break, booting five goals in a row to prevail 7.8 (50) to 4.8 (32).
Brisbane will take on undefeated North Melbourne in next Saturday night’s decider at Ikon Park.
Orla O’Dwyer and Ally Anderson had 24 disposals apiece for the Lions, while powerhouse spearhead Dakota Davidson kicked 2.3 from her 14 touches.
“(I’m) really proud of the way we stuck at it in the second half and kept grinding away and got the ascendancy,” Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich said after the match.
“We looked like we were running on top of the ground in the last half, which was fantastic.”
Usual suspects Ebony Marinoff (30 disposals), Anne Hatchard (25) and Chelsea Randall (18 touches, two goals) were prolific for the Crows, who were fast out of the blocks.
Adelaide’s front-half pressure was relentless early, but the visitors could only muster three points in the first 10 minutes despite the ball living exclusively inside their forward line.
Against the grain, Brisbane equalised with three behinds in barely a minute, before Randall gave Adelaide a six-point break at quarter-time.
Continuing to dominate territory in the second term, the Crows moved ahead by 13 points when Caitlin Gould converted truly after flying for a wonderful pack grab.
Davidson slotted the Lions’ opening major after taking a powerful mark against Sarah Allan and goaling, before her accidental “falcon” ricocheted to Cathy Svarc, who linked via hands with Evie Long for a superb Courtney Hodder six-pointer, trimming the gap to one point.
Randall, arguably the player of the finals series, snaffled a sharp one-handed pouch against Natalie Grider and booted her second major eight seconds before half-time to push the Crows ahead by seven points.
Brisbane turned the tables on Adelaide in the third term, matching them in the pressure stakes, while generating tremendous drive on the outside.
Jade Ellenger’s major at the 11-minute mark – after Crows fullback Chelsea Biddell was called to play on, after taking an intercept mark in the goal square and being tackled by Sophie Conway – gave the Lions their first lead of the evening.
From that point on, Brisbane slammed the door shut on Adelaide.
Cathy Svarc slotted a free kick and Davidson soccered through her second to give the Lions total control in the third, before Isabel Dawes’ electric stoppage goal in the fourth stanza iced the victory and consigned Adelaide to a third successive preliminary final defeat.
“We just weren’t able to sustain the intensity,” Crows coach Matthew Clarke said after the game.
“Brisbane’s pressure elevated and we weren’t able to go with them.
“It’s bitterly disappointing.”
