North Melbourne will receive the premiership cup from an 11-year-old girl in a touching gesture should the Kangaroos prevail in Saturday night’s AFLW grand final.
The Kangaroos announced on Wednesday that the honour would go to Good Friday game ambassador Imogen Mulgrew after she had left a “profound” impact on the club’s players and staff this year.
Kangaroos Bella Eddey and Emma King joined Imogen earlier this month for her special “ring the bell” moment as she celebrated the end of 2½ years’ treatment for leukaemia at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
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It came as Brisbane announced retiring defender and 2021 premiership player Kate Lutkins would present the cup to the Lions after she called time on her career on Tuesday.
Imogen tossed the coin in the AFL Good Friday match earlier this year and remained involved with the Kangaroos, with chief executive Jen Watt lauding her effect on the club.
“Imogen’s resilience, spirit and easy-go-lucky demeanour struck a chord with our players, our football department, our staff and all footy fans far and wide this past year,” Watt said.
“Not only has Imogen’s impact been profound, she represents everything our team stands for and we couldn’t think of a more perfect person for this role.”
Lutkins, an inaugural Lion, made three All-Australian teams and won the club’s best and fairest in her second season as she rapidly established herself as a premier key defender in the competition.
After a break from the game last season to welcome her first child, the 36-year-old returned for the first time since the 2022 grand final loss to Melbourne to play in the first two games of the season.
“Kate has been one of the best to pull on a Lions guernsey and on the back of her recent retirement we see this as a great way to acknowledge her contribution to the game,” Lions boss Greg Swann said.
“Kate has been integral part of what we’ve built at this club from an AFLW point of view and to have her present the cup to Craig (Starcevich) and Bre (Koenen), who have both been here for the whole journey, would be a special moment for this footy club.”
Lutkins said she was “incredibly honoured and humbled” to present the cup if the Lions claimed back-to-back flags under lights at Ikon Park.
“I think it will be one of my proudest football moments handing that cup to Bre and Craig if they win on Saturday,” she said.