SAME time, same place, same teams.
You'd be forgiven to think this NAB AFLW Grand Final will be a repeat of what we have seen before.
But if you look closely, this Saturday night at Ikon Park there will be a number of key differences: new faces, new game styles and new positions.
Let's take a look at five reasons why this weekend's grand final won't be the same as the last.
North's Irish sensation in attack
It's hard to believe that this season's most impressive medium-sized forward, Blaithin Bogue, spent last year's Grand Final watching from the sidelines.
After a development season in 2024, Bogue finally cracked into the Kangaroos' line up, debuting in round one and playing every game since.
And what a season it has been.
The Irishwoman was this week recognised with her first All-Australian honour after booting 21 goals throughout the home and away season.
Let's also not forget the three goals she kicked in last weekend's prelim against Melbourne, ensuring the Kangaroos made their third consecutive Grand Final.
In fact, when she takes to the field on Saturday, she will have kicked more goals in 2025 than any other player on the ground.
The crafty forward has an uncanny ability to find herself in the right place at the right time, often on the end of North Melbourne's smooth ball movement.
Bogue is an opportunist and is looking to score at every chance. It's going to be exciting watching this star in her first season decider.
The road to the decider
Last year, North Melbourne and Brisbane took very different paths to the big dance.
The Kangaroos came up against the surprise packet of 2024, Port Adelaide, in their preliminary final.
The Roos easily accounted for the Power, who had played some exceptional football up until the penultimate game, with North eventually winning by 57 points.
Brisbane, on the other hand, had a close contest against Adelaide, coming from seven points down at half-time to win by 18 points.
In 2025, the scripts have been flipped, with North Melbourne coming into the Grand Final following a bruising affair with Melbourne, where the Roos came from behind to topple the gutsy Dees.
Brisbane faced a plucky Blues outfit, which, like Port Adelaide the year before, surprised everyone with its improvement.
But when it came to the prelim, the more experienced Lions outclassed the Blues, winning convincingly by 35 points.
How Lions shook things up after GF loss
After last year's Grand Final loss to North, Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich realised his team needed to add some extra strings to its bow.
After their 30-point defeat on the final Saturday in November, Starcevich and his troops got to work, adding to their game plan that up until this point had relied largely on fitness and speed.
Brisbane added extra layers this season, moving the ball at different tempos and playing a more uncontested, considered style of football.
It took a few rounds to nail it, but after starting the season 2-3, Brisbane went on and won the next nine matches in succession.
The hunter is now the hunted
In 2024, North Melbourne was the underdog, having never achieved the ultimate success of winning a premiership.
Now, with a premiership next to its name and on a 26-game winning streak, North is now the hunted.
It was last year's feelgood story when the Roos won their maiden premiership. Overlooked star Jasmine Garner was finally recognised with the medal for best on ground, and then captain Emma Kearney miraculously recovered from a hamstring injury to play a pivotal role in the win.
Heading into this year's Grand Final, the Roos are the ones in the limelight.
Ball-magnet midfielder Ash Riddell has been front and centre after winning the AFLW best and fairest.
The understated Garner is now the captain of the Roos and will be in charge of leading her team to become the first team to win back-to-back premierships.
In comparison, the Lions are the ones flying under the radar, slowly building throughout the season to be on a nine-game winning streak of their own.
New faces, new roles
Comparing last week's preliminary finals teams to the 2024 Grand Final, there will be five new faces in this year's decider – three for North Melbourne and two for Brisbane.
Sarah Wright, who was outstanding in last year's GF, won't play for personal reasons, and Mia King, who has been outstanding the past two times these teams have met, won't play in this year's decider after spending six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Reliable defender Nicole Bresnehan will also miss after injuring her ACL earlier this year.
Recruit Eilish Sheerin will experience her first Grand Final and defender Eliza Shannon, who was unlucky to miss out last year, will also feature.
For the Lions, 2024 premiership players Poppy Boltz and Evie Long will miss, with Neasa Dooley and Shanae Davidson taking their places in the 2025 line-up. .
Several of the returning players also have different roles in 2025. Jade Ellenger, who spent last year's Grand Final playing a run-with role on Garner, will now provide run and carry off the Lions' half-back line and livewire Courtney Hodder will likely spend more time in the midfield.
For the Roos, Kim Rennie has been their No.1 ruck this season, in contrast to last year when it was Emma King, while Bella Eddey has moved into the middle while Mia King has been injured.
Despite all the changes in the 12 months between AFLW Grand Finals, something that won't differ is the fact that that two best teams in the competition will go head-to-head in the final game of the year.
