1. Brianna Davey is tailor-made for finals football

We always knew that Brianna Davey was an elite footballer, but the Collingwood co-captain took her form to new heights in Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying Final.

The opening term had barely come to a close when Davey notched disposal number ten, a driving force in Collingwood’s hot start to the match.

Davey continued as she began, finishing the afternoon with 31 disposals – a record for an AFLW final, alongside nine tackles and seven clearances.

2. Being the underdog suits the Pies just fine

While Collingwood spent a decent portion of the 2021 AFLW season sitting on top of the table, a pair of losses quickly had the Pies on the back foot.

Following a disappointing defeat at the hands of Adelaide in the final round of the home-and-away season, Steve Symonds noted that the match may just have been what the group needed.

While many would’ve backed the Roos when they entered the final term with a 14-point lead, the Pies showed their determination to respond and made their name as a side that should never be written off.

3. Finals are all about momentum

Each side won two quarters each on Saturday afternoon, but it was Collingwood who capitalised best to eventually run out six-point victors.

It may have appeared that the game was out of their grasp when the Pies entered the final term 14 points in arrears, however Collingwood found another gear to kick three unanswered goals, including a match-winner from rising star, Tarni Brown.

It was a game full of momentum swings and it was Collingwood who adapted to the challenge and rode the wave when it mattered most.

4. Victoria Park is a very special place

History was made at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon, as Collingwood took part in not only their first home final but the first final at Victoria Park in the club’s 129-year history.

The Pies celebrated the occasion with their first ever AFLW finals victory, locking in their first ever Preliminary Final in a week’s time.

It was a special day for the Magpie Army, who turned out in force – a vital support when the game went down to the wire in the final term.

5. The silverware is well and truly up for grabs

While the Kangaroos only just grasped the remaining finals spot, there was certainly no sign that they were out of their depth on Saturday afternoon.

While finishing in sixth position, the Kangaroos only dropped three home-and-away games for the year and were a force to be reckoned with throughout the season.

This year’s AFLW competition is more even than ever.

Of the four remaining sides, all sat on the same win-loss ledger at the completion of the home-and-away fixture and were separated on percentage alone.

It’s fair to say that the premiership is anyone’s game and will come down to the side who can best handle the pressure of finals football.