Wondering what time the AFLW grand final starts and how you can watch it live? We’ve got you covered.<\/p>\n
“That’s probably one of the harder conversations I’ve had to have in football,” Crocker said.<\/p>\n
“This is meant to be an enjoyable week, grand final week, but for a coach and match committee that have to make that decision, it becomes pretty tough.”<\/p>\n
King suffered a knee injury in round nine, but had recovered well. This week veteran teammate Emma Kearney was enthusiastic about the chances of King forcing her way back into the team.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, being sidelined for so long \u2014 Crocker noted it had been 50 days \u2014 and what King’s return would have done to the line-up meant the Kangaroos decided against taking the risk.<\/p>\n
“To bring her into a hot grand final would be a big ask,” Crocker said at Friday’s pre-game media conference.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kangaroos coach Darren Crocker said he was not prepared to risk King in the heat of a grand final. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)<\/p>\n
“It would have also meant we would have had to throw the team around a little bit.<\/p>\n
“There would have been some other machinations that would have had to occur, to get her in.”<\/p>\n
As recently as two and a half weeks ago, Crocker said they “couldn’t have picked” King being in contention for a recall.<\/p>\n
“But to her credit, she’s really accelerated her rehab \u2026 and put herself in the frame,” he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Newly-minted league best and fairest winner Ash Riddell and the Kangaroos are hoping to be the first team to win back-to-back AFLW flags. (Getty Images: Mike Owen)<\/p>\n
“I’ve had the conversation (with her) about not meant to be checking out, to really keep striving.<\/p>\n
“She’s done that, but \u2026 it felt like it was too big a risk to take.”<\/p>\n
King, 24, has played 72 game for North since her 2020 debut. The midfielder was best afield when North beat Brisbane in round five.<\/p>\n
The Lions also named an unchanged grand final line-up.<\/p>\n
Crocker backs AFLW grand final venue call<\/p>\n
Much has been made of the AFL’s decision to host the women’s grand final at Princes Park once again, rejecting calls for the decider to be moved to Docklands Stadium.<\/p>\n
The Kangaroos will face the Brisbane Lions in the season decider for a third straight year at a sold-out Princes Park on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
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A crowd of about 12,500 is expected, similar to that drawn by the two sides in the previous two seasons.<\/p>\n
“We love playing here to a packed stadium and we get great support here,” Crocker said at Princes Park on Friday.<\/p>\n
“When the game can actually justify filling a Marvel Stadium, I think that’s the time to move it.<\/p>\n
“I’m not too sure whether that’s right now, but I know the players would love to play at Marvel one day, when the game can sustain filling that.<\/p>\n
“And I’m sure as coaches we’d love to coach there, but whether we could sell that out at this stage, I’m not too sure.”<\/p>\n
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