Brisabane Lions win historic first AFLW premiership over the Adelaide Crows

In a letter addressed to Lions fans before the start of the 2021 AFLW grand final, Emily Bates penned what she called a “true cliche”:

Against the star power of Erin Phillips, Ebony Marinoff, Anne Hatchard and the other usual suspects, Brisbane did indeed prove Bates — who would finish the final as the game’s equal highest possession-getter —  and the cliche true in their 18-point victory over Adelaide.

As Bates — a member of the leadership group — would go on to write, it is true that the Lions “do not rely on individual star power”. 

In…