Melbourne has perennially been the almost side of the AFLW.
A picture of consistency, regularly sitting in the top few sides in the competition, but still without a flag in season seven despite coming excruciatingly close.
This season, however, the Demons are better placed than ever before to snatch their maiden premiership thanks to their stability, careful list build and willingness to adapt to the situation at hand.
A brief look back
Since the AFLW began just two sides have had a winning ledger in every season played: North Melbourne, who joined the competition in 2019, and Melbourne, one of the inaugural eight sides.
Because of this, the Demons have the highest win rate of any side, taking the points in 72.9 per cent of its games.
Despite this, Melbourne didn't play its first final until 2020 by virtue of the early seasons' finals structure.
In years one and two, only the top two sides at the end of a seven-round season would progress to the grand final, and in each of those seasons the Demons missed out due to a lower percentage.
In season three, the AFLW's dual conference structure proved to be a brand new barrier for the Demons, who had a better record than both Carlton and Geelong — the finalists from the weaker conference — but were kept from finals once more.
In a cruel twist of fate, once Melbourne did reach finals in 2020, the competition was unceremoniously cancelled the day after the side defeated Greater Western Sydney to progress to a grand final qualifier.
Since making that first final, however, the Demons have made regular appearances in each post-season since, including last season's grand final loss to Adelaide.
There's strength in stability
Melbourne head coach Mick Stinear is one of just two coaches remaining at the same club since the inaugural 2017 season, and he has coached 58 games to date, sitting behind only Brisbane's Craig Starcevich.
Added to this, the Demons have 11 active players on their list who have been at the club for at least five seasons, developing as a core unit.
The build-up of this core's time spent together, developing and evolving game plans as a unit compounds each player's individual experience and ability, while bringing in specific kinds of talent around that core as support.
In 2020 it was Western Bulldogs premiership player Libby Birch and Irish rebounder Sinéad Goldrick. In 2021, top 10 draft pick Alyssa Bannan, and this year both Tayla Harris and Olivia Purcell have arrived.
Because of this stability, Melbourne is the most experienced side in the competition this season, including a record seven players with 50 or more career games, but that experience is not skewed to older players. Rather, they have a very even age profile.
A willingness to evolve
Last season Melbourne looked unbeatable, until it came up against Adelaide.
The Demons' game style of clean disposal, pulling off neat kicks into the corridor then using speed, run and carry to deliver the ball forward was damaging, but when facing the pressure that Adelaide was able to bring, things started to fall apart.
The Demons have worked at those weaknesses in what has been the shortest off-season in competition history to take their game to a new level.
This season they have leant right into neat little handballs to escape congestion around the contest and pressure, before using that run through the corridor that was a feature of its game last season.
Currently Melbourne is averaging the most disposals and handballs in AFLW history, with 247.9 and 112.1 respectively.
It is also finding more uncontested possession than any other side before, with 139.8 per game, which is an indicator of the side's ability to maintain control in game.
In simpler terms, Melbourne is playing keepings off, possessing the ball so the opposition can't. But it isn't only allowing its opponent just 191.4 disposals per game, it is forcing teams to use the ball poorly when they do have it.
They are conceding a disposal efficiency of just 55.2 per cent, the second lowest in competition history, only behind the season one version of the Demons.
To achieve this, the club hasn't just relied on an across-the-board buy-in to a game style, individual players have also moved into new positions and been challenged with new roles.
Karen Paxman has been playing on the wing or forward, no longer the inside midfielder of seasons past. Eden Zanker has found a home in attack after recent seasons moving between the ruck, midfield, and forward lines. Alyssa Bannan, Lily Mithen, Casey Sherriff and Kate Hore have each rotated to the wing at various times. And Tayla Harris has rediscovered her junior position of the ruck to support All Australian Lauren Pearce.
With those adjustments, they have become one of the best attacking sides in the competition — particularly important given how much of a factor percentage was in their early seasons' heartbreak.
The Demons' record against fellow top-eight sides this season is the best of any prospective finalist with three wins and 168.3 per cent.
Should they continue that attacking, composed game style, they will be in the box seat to snatch their first AFLW premiership.
If so, it will be thanks to seven years' worth of decision making, buy-in and development.
