“We’re in pretty good shape. A few weeks ago [it was said] we couldn’t beat the big three, and now we’ve knocked over two of them – and we’ve got one to go in the grand final (Brisbane),” North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker said.

“We probably didn’t play our best today, but we still found a way to win; a really gritty win full of character, and I think in finals football that prepares you really well for the big dance.”

While the Roos players fell to their knees and into each other’s arms in elation as the final siren sounded, Crocker said his primary emotion was relief.

“[It’s a relief to know] that a lot of our planning, a lot of the hard work that all the coaches in the whole program do has come to fruition, and we’ve earned a right to being a grand final now,” he said.