Cork's O'Shea and Irish stars help North Melbourne to dominant AFLW title win

Vikki Wall picked up a second crowd Down Under while Fermanagh's Blaithín Bogue crowned a stunning debut season Down Under with her first premiership title

ROYAL SEAL: Meath's Vikki Wall, along with Libby Birch and Tahlia Randall of the Kangaroos take a selfie with the Premiership Cup after winning the AFLW Grand Final match between North Melbourne Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions at Ikon Park on November 29, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Cork's Erika O'Shea claimed her second AFLW winner's medal alongside Meath superstar Vikki Wall as their all-conquering North Melbourne Kangaroos team completed a perfect season with a 56-16 Grand Final triumph over the Brisbane Lions on Saturday. 

Fermanagh's Blaithín Bogue crowned a stunning debut season Down Under with her first premiership title while Amy Gavin Mangan from Offaly was also a member of the victorious panel, an emergency substitute in Melbourne. 

Back-to-back baby 🏆#AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/NXzMtYQaf0

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) November 29, 2025

After a campaign in which a record 39 Irish women featured, it was fitting that the sold-out season decider at Ikon Park had a very green tint to proceedings. Among the Lions  squad picking up runners-up medals were Dublin’s Jennifer Dunne, who like Bogue had been named an All-Australian after a terrific season, as well as Orla O'Dwyer from Tipperary and Neasa Dooley from Kildare. 

There was little shame in the Queenslanders' inability to live with the Kangaroos. In truth no team has been able to for two full seasons as North Melbourne strung together successive undefeated campaigns stretching back to 2023. 

The Lions actually started well and took an early lead before frustrating the champions' potent attack with the score tight at 12-7 after the opening quarter. However O'Shea's snappy interventions helped the Kangaroos take command with a devastating second quarter in which they outscored the challengers 18-1 to build a lead which proved insurmountable.