IT'S an understatement to say the last decade has been lean for fans of North Melbourne's men's team.
But the women have brought the joy back to the club.
Since the club first fielded an AFLW team in 2019, the men's team has finished 12th, 17th, 18th, 18th, 17th, 17th and 16th, with a grand total of 30 wins. Ten of those wins came in 2019 alone.
Despite playing far fewer games per season, the women have won 68 games since the start of 2019, with the last 26 coming on the trot.
Heath has been a North Melbourne fan "ever since he could remember", which is forty-odd years.
"It's been great for the club. There's a lot more people around the club, coming to trainings. The kids love the trainings when they can get to it, and they make the club a lot better, because they’re winning, it's been a tough few years," Heath said.
"They've brought some life back into the place. I hope the men watch a bit of it, because their spread and skills are better. The girls are so welcoming as well, they'll come over and have a chat, they're happy to give their time. That builds the club's name as well, which when you're a smaller club, that can't hurt.
"I'm a big Erika O'Shea fan. I think she's got so much upside still. Her electric speed – she's running different patterns and putting herself in more dangerous positions this year."
O'Shea – arguably North Melbourne's biggest improver this year, with teammates nominating her as one of the club's three most valuable players – had plenty of fans dotted around the boundary at the open training session ahead of Saturday's Grand Final.
Denis, an Irish immigrant to Australia back in 1972, said he was O'Shea's third cousin.
"I became a fan of North Melbourne when they won their premiership in, I think, 1977 with Malcolm Blight in the side," he said.
"It's been great to have women's football, it's fantastic. I live out in Footscray, so I used to watch the Bulldogs in the early years at Whitten Oval, and that was superb, but since North came on board, I've been coming and watching them.
"I've gone to some of the VFLW matches as well, like last year's Grand Final, and that was a fantastic standard. It's just been great. The way North are running this program, I think it's a lesson to all other teams, they seem to look after their players, and they've got a wonderful social media, which is just brilliant."
At the other end of the age spectrum is 10-year-old Harper, who plays footy herself for "Lakers" and attends the occupational therapy clinic where winger Amy Smith works.
"They're very good, they're all very nice and it's a great club. My favourites are Jasmine Garner, Amy Smith and Blaithin Bogue," she said.
"It's good coming to games because you can scream out to all the players, and you can hear what they say and how they talk to each other, and everyone's around and it's all very nice."
Local primary school kids from the Roos' NGA region of Wyndham spread around the boundary, screaming when the players run their way, fuelled by the free ice-cream truck the Roos had organised for fans.
Kane Garner – the brother of Jas and official water boy – roamed the oval during the final training session, handing drinks to players and chatting to die-hard fans he's quickly come to know.
Behind him trotted Superclash ambassadors Parker and Paisley, entrusted with snacks and lollies for the players, the latter wearing a Bella Eddey guernsey as a dress.
Eddey is a former regular visitor to the Royal Children's Hospital herself, and plays a close role in looking after the kids who pay visits to the club.
Cheer-squad president Annette said the AFLW players won her over.
"When our girls started, I wasn't interested in coming along. Then they invited us down, when Emma Kearney was first there (as captain), we went through the changerooms and all that, and they were just so nice. That's when we sponsored (Aileen) Gilroy, we met her working in the Roos shop," she said.
"They deserve to win on Saturday night. They've worked hard. It's been hard. Players have been out injured, and others have come in, and they've been just as strong. They've flourished. Good group of girls, they are."
Lynne is a club volunteer and has been a member for over 50 years.
Decked out in royal blue and white – even sporting a blue streak in her hair – she had painstakingly glued sparkly gems onto her hat shaping initials of AFLW players, and had her nails painted with "Jas 25" and "Ash 7".
"The girls give back so much, they're very caring. The Irish girls are so good and well-liked. Erika, when she first came out, I'm like her Aussie mum. She was the youngest Irish girl to be picked up, and Blaithin has had a fantastic year," Lynne said.
"They're good to watch. The actual playing – they've got more of a system. A lot of other clubs, they get the ball and just kick it. Our girls have a flow and system.
"We go to all the boys' games, but the girls have brought a lot of happiness. Darren (Crocker, coach), he's such a great guy. Beautiful man, I watched him play. To follow him and see what he's doing, it's amazing."
