Jordan Zanchetta, Amelia Radford, Joanne Doonan, Marianna Anthony and Natalie Macdonald sing the song after Essendon's premiership victory. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)

ESSENDON’s stunning warm-up season for its AFLW entry reached its zenith in record-breaking fashion against the Southern Saints in Sunday’s rebel VFLW Grand Final at ETU Stadium.

The Bombers recorded their biggest win over the Saints on the biggest day of the year, while keeping the underdogs to 0.7 – the first time in VFLW Grand Final history that a team had been held goalless in the decider.

Sharpshooter Federica Frew booted two more goals to finish with 35 for the season, but remarkably she was one of six Bombers to record double-figure goal tallies for the season out of 21 players to do so across the league.

Their undefeated 15-0-2 season represents the second most dominant since the competition started in 2016, with Darebin having gone 20-0 to win that first flag, while the 35-point margin was the second biggest behind Collingwood’s 37-point win over Western Bulldogs in 2019.

Relive the 2022 rebel VFLW Grand Final below.

1:23:27

VFLW Match Replay: Essendon v Southern Saints

The Bombers and Saints clash in the grand final of the VFLW Competition

Twitter: @BRhodesVFL

LEADING GOALKICKER

35 Federica Frew (Ess) 2 – Rohenna Young medallist
21 Mia-Rae Clifford (Ess) 0
21 Mia Skinner (Gee) bye
21 Kristy Stratton (Haw) bye
21 Jessie Williams (Haw) bye
18 Cecilia McIntosh (Ess) 0
18 Renee Tierney (Ess) 2
15 Tayla Kearns (SS) 0
13 Tamara Luke (Haw) bye
12 Grace Dicker (Ess) 0
12 Tahlia Fellows (Cas) bye
12 Sarah Skinner (NM) bye
12 Chanelle Slater (SS) 0
11 Alison Dowler (Cas) bye
11 Cara McCrossan (Cas) bye
10 Gabriella De Angelis (SS) 0
10 Joanne Doonan (Ess) 1
10 Olivia Flanagan (SS) 0
10 Steph Lawrence (Car) bye
10 Sophia McCarthy (Wil) bye
10 Natalie Macdonald (Ess) 0

rebel VFLW GRAND FINAL CLUB MILESTONES

  • Essendon v Southern Saints happened at a neutral venue for the first time (1-0)
  • Southern Saints squared its win-loss record at neutral venues (3-3)
  • Southern Saints squared its win-loss record in finals (4-4)

rebel VFLW GRAND FINAL CLUB RECORDS

(Figures in brackets are the previous record)

  • 35 Essendon's biggest win v Southern Saints (10, Trevor Barker, 2022)
  • 0.7 7 Southern Saints recorded the lowest score in Grand Final history (2.3 15, Western Bulldogs, 2019)
  • 0.7 7 Southern Saints' lowest score v Essendon (4.2 26, Trevor Barker, 2022)