Jasmine Garner nearly lived the dream last year.
Reaching a Grand Final and kicking a goal in front of a huge North Melbourne-heavy crowd was thrilling.
Well, almost. Because unfortunately her Roos couldn’t get over the line come the final siren, so those experiences are tinged with a deep burn.
“It always gives me goosebumps thinking about it,” Garner told AFL.com.au.
“Even when we first run out and you’re running across the wing, and as we were running, the crowd just got louder and louder. And yeah, that goal, my brother’s played it a few times, so I have heard it, it is definitely pretty cool.
“Would have been a lot sweeter if we won.”
It was an emotionally charged game for the star. The significance of reaching her first AFLW Grand Final, the pressure to perform, and the added worry when partner and teammate Jenna Bruton went down with injury mere minutes into the game.
“She went down, and I had no idea, I thought maybe it was a calf or something at the start, and then I actually felt quite emotional,” Garner said.
“I was like ‘Oh my God, doesn’t look good’. She went off and then yeah, I just wanted to play after that. I felt really bad for her, felt really sorry for her, but knowing her, she’s just such a team person.
“I think everyone got together, we really wanted to try and put our best foot forward and she doesn’t like me saying this, or the team saying this, but she plays such a huge role for us. I think, in the end, that really got us, and we really missed having her out there.”
Caught on the broadcast, the pair had a very brief moment to speak later in the quarter when Garner came to the bench for a rest.
“I was a bit emotional on there and I think she said something like, just go and win it, just go play,” Garner said.
“And I just kind of forgot about it and I just thought, I’m just going to go out and play footy and do what we love.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, as Brisbane ran over the top of North Melbourne in the final quarter, but Garner herself could hold her head high.
She was the Roos’ best player, with two goals, 24 disposals and five clearances on the day, as she worked hard to lift her side.
Garner, initially known for being the first ever goalkicker in the AFLW, exploded once she arrived at North Melbourne in 2019. Her prowess through the midfield, while also getting forward to kick goals, makes her one of the very best.
She admits to studying the work of players like Patrick Cripps and Marcus Bontempelli during the off-season, not just because she loves footy, but because there’s plenty that she can use in her own game.
“I just love watching it. I love watching certain players and just the way they go about it and I think Jenna sometimes gets angry because she’ll want to watch Netflix but I’m here for the footy,” Garner laughed.
