Orla O'Dwyer heading to the AFLW Grand final
Natalie Grider, Orla O'Dwyer and Tahlia Hickie of the Lions celebrate their victory during the AFLW Second Preliminary Final match between the Brisbane Lions and the Collingwood Magpies at The Gabba
Tipperary's Orla O'Dwyer helped the Brisbane Lions defeat Sara Rowe's Collingwood and secure their place in next Saturday's AFLW Grand final.
O'Dwyer scored a goal and had 11 disposals while Mayo star, Rowe, had seven disposals in a tense clash at the Gabba.
The Lions led by 10 points at half time but Collingwood mounted a storming comeback on the restart which just fell short as the Brisbane outfit held on for a 45-41 win.
They face an onerous task in the final where the two-time champions, Adelaide Crows, await.
The Crows, who clinched the title in 2017 and 2019, will have home advantage for the decider following their victory over Melbourne 33-15 at Adelaide Oval.
However they may have to plan without captain Chelsea Randall who suffered a suspected concussion in the win.
Clare footballer Ailish Considine was an emergency reserve for the Crows but could come into consideration for the final.
Ebony Marinoff - the player involved in the incident which led to Brid Stack suffering a neck fracture pre-season - was one of the stars for winners with 35 disposals and 13 tackles.
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