Coach Darren Crocker’s relief as the North Melbourne Kangaroos performed under the ‘burden of expectations’

RELIEF.

That’s exactly how North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker felt when he heard the siren as his side confirmed their first AFLW premiership.

In his fifth season in the role and after a heavy Grand Final defeat in 2023, Croker was able to lead the Kangaroos to their first premiership since 1999 – a year after he himself retired from playing – and cement the team’s history.

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“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel any anticipation tonight,” Crocker said after the game with his Premier League medallion around his neck.

“I would never say this to the players or people around me, but I want to go through the season undefeated so far, get to the grand final last year, be three-quarters ahead and get overtaken. I have to admit, I felt some pressure.

“So for me it’s a feeling of relief.”

The responsibility that rests on the shoulders of the head coach, managing not only the player squad but also a host of assistant coaches and other staff throughout the busy AFLW season, is rarely discussed. And Crocker had no intention of showing that he was carrying such a load.

“Your plans came to fruition, your training, the way we taught and wanted to try to get the players to play the system and the method. Calm. It all just came together,” Crocker said.

It was important to Crocker to make history at his beloved club, who played 165 games for the blue and whites and has coached both the men’s and women’s teams ever since.

“I really enjoyed playing as a player. I love this place, I love North Melbourne Football Club. I served here more than half my life, but I also really enjoyed moving into a women’s space from a men’s space.” from coaching in the men’s field,” Crocker said.

“It’s helped me develop as a coach, as a person, and, yeah, the relationships I’ve been able to build with the players and throughout the program. I’m really grateful that I can do this.”

Paying tribute to the fans who showed up and cheered wildly throughout the match was important to Crocker.

“We’ve now just created history by becoming the first ever AFLW Premiership team for North Melbourne Football Club and it gives our fans and our fans something to really enjoy and look forward to,” Crocker said with a hint of a tear in the eye.

“Every single person who was here can walk away and at some point can say, ‘I was there the night the North Melbourne AFLW team won their first premiership.’

“It went down in history. It actually makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just talking about it, so I think it’s a special moment for everyone associated with North Melbourne Football Club.”

Amid that relief, Crocker was also confident of paying tribute to rival coach Craig Starcevich and the championship team he led for nearly a decade.

“Brisbane are an incredible team,” Crocker said.

“With six Grand Finals and two premierships, they have set the bar for a long time.”