North Melbourne boss wary of late grand final time slot, comments Jen Watt

North Melbourne boss Jen Watt praised the “great” atmosphere on the first night of the AFLW grand final, but said the league needs to keep the decider accessible to younger children.

Want a PAID on-air role and mentorship with Fox Footy for Super Saturday LIVE in 2025? Join the Kayo call now. Submit a creative video and 100 words via – Applications close on December 11.

Fireworks delighted the crowd as the victorious Kangaroos accepted their first AFLW premiership at Ikon Park on Saturday night, but they didn’t take the stage until after 10pm following a late 7.45pm start .

Watt understood the late start to a Saturday game was at the request of broadcaster Channel 7, but suggested the AFL should consider an earlier start to keep children involved in the game if night grand finals go ahead. continue.

“I liked it… but I think when you win it’s very easy to like something,” Watt told SEN on Monday.

“What I like about W is that he takes risks, he innovates all kinds of things in the game and he does things differently… because it’s not surrounded of 175 years of history, so there is the capacity to do it.

“I think the atmosphere and the entertainment and the television are great…but I guess the opposite is you want younger kids to be able to participate in it too. I think it was great, but I’m aware of the young children element and can’t stay up that late.

The Kangaroos general manager was a strong supporter of the AFLW’s top-ranked team continuing to host the grand final and resisted calls to make AFL-owned Marvel Stadium the home of the female decision-maker.

The last two grand finals at Ikon Park have both sold out, with current capacity limited to 12,500 people at the venue.

AFL boss Andrew Dillon said last week the league planned to increase that capacity to at least 15,000 for next year’s finals series.

“I like the fact that in W the home team wins the grand final – I think it’s a nice difference for W, and the interstate clubs (Brisbane and Adelaide) have been quite dominant,” Watt said .

“I think Ikon Park, once these old stands are (refurbished) and the capacity increases a little bit, is actually a great venue for W, but you think about it…if there were a few teams in Melbourne, there would be a lot of people who don’t have that capability.

“But (at Marvel Stadium) you have cricket, concerts, all sorts of things… so the AFL has to weigh that.”

THE WRIGHT DECISION: COACH PRAISES FLAG HERO

A physically and emotionally exhausted Sarah Wright nearly brought the curtain down on her AFLW career after North Melbourne’s grand final defeat last year.

Fortunately for the Kangaroos, the Arden Street environment made it “impossible to retire”.

Premiership coach Darren Crocker became emotional after the match as he explained the 30-year-old’s importance to the defensive system which held the Lions to their second lowest score ever on the big stage.

Wright made a game-high 20 kills, with seven points and nine steal possessions, as she stood firmly ahead of the floor medal competition at halftime.

“I actually told her before the game how happy I was that she didn’t retire, because she’s been so important to us throughout this year,” Crocker said .

“The defense was excellent across the board, but we feel like they had an exceptional year.

“That’s why she was in the All-Australian team and I don’t know what she had in the last quarter, but I think until three quarters in she had nine intercepted possessions.”

Wright had been pushed to the brink of retirement by the demands of reconciling her work in a Laverton factory with her training at Arden Street and the toll it was taking on her body.

But she ultimately decided she wanted another chance at winning a prime ministership and opted last month to commit for two more years until the end of 2026.

“She just had a great year and we are very grateful that she decided to continue. All credit goes to the players and the program,” Crocker said.

“We created an environment where we made it difficult for people to retire. She actually didn’t want to retire at the end, she felt like she might need to, but we managed it, she worked and she just wanted to be a part of it.

Kangaroos chief executive Jen Watt said Wright reflected on his turning point after the final siren.

“I saw her after the match and she said to me, ‘Imagine if I watched that from the stands’. I could never have imagined that, Sarah,” Watt told SEN.

The Kangaroos could lose nothing from their premiership team, with captain Emma Kearney committed for at least one more season in 2025 and partner Kate Shierlaw likely to re-sign after making the All-Australian team for the first time this season.

“No, I think they’re all hooked now – they want more of that,” Watt said when asked about possible retirements.