ON SATURDAY afternoon, North Melbourne was trailing at the final break for the first time since its 2023 qualifying final.

Enter: Jasmine Garner.

With a final quarter for the ages, the Roos' captain dragged her side over the line. Her heroics helped turn a six-point deficit into a 10-point win, propelling them into a third consecutive Grand Final and keeping their record-breaking winning streak alive.

The Roo recorded 12 disposals, six contested possessions, four clearances, and a goal in that final quarter, a combination only ever achieved by a player in a single quarter just once before - Geelong's Nina Morrison back in 2023 - and Garner is the first to do so in a final.

It resulted in 89 Ranking Points under Champion Data's system, making it the second-highest rated quarter in a preliminary final, behind Ebony Marinoff's opening term of the 2019 prelim against Geelong.

Garner is a known big-game player, lifting in finals when her team needs it the most. Of her 102 career games, 14 have been finals. She has won 10 of those (71.4 per cent), including last year's premiership, in which Garner was named best on ground.

Jasmine Garner's finals lift

In Saturday's preliminary final, Garner finished with 222 ranking points, her fourth final with 200 or more. She finished the match with 32 disposals, eight tackles, seven clearances, and seven inside 50s in what was the Roos' toughest challenge in nearly two years.

200+ Ranking Points in a final:

Jasmine Garner – four times
Ebony Marinoff – three times
Erin Phillips – two times
Anne Hatchard – two times
Eight other players – one time

Garner already heads into this week's Grand Final with the record for most disposals in a decider, with her 35 last year, as well as 10 clearances.

And should the Roos become the first team to go back-to-back, there is no doubt that Garner will be performing a leading role on the day.