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North Melbourne star Jasmine Garner still hasn't won an AFLW best-and-fairest but she played a key role in her side's first premiership triumph.
North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker has paid tribute to Jasmine Garner after the gun midfielder shrugged off her latest AFLW awards snub to star in her side's first premiership.
Garner endured a week in the spotlight after finishing equal-ninth in the league's best-and-fairest count, widely overlooked again by umpires in a season when she earned a seventh All-Australian blazer and was named captain for a second time.
But the 30-year-old took it all in her stride, maintaining her focus and gathering 35 disposals in a best-afield performance in the Kangaroos' 30-point thumping of Brisbane in Saturday night's grand final.
"She just gets on with it and she's one of the easiest players to coach that I've ever coached," Crocker said after North's 5.9 (39) to 1.3 (9) victory.
"She's a generational player. We'll look back in 50 years' time on this period of AFLW and Jas Garner will be right at the very top of the tree as one of the best players in the AFLW's infancy.
"She just continues to keep getting better and I just love her as a player but also as a person."
Garner also tallied 22 contested possessions, 13 tackles and 10 clearances in her grand final clinic, helping North Melbourne turn the tables on Brisbane after losing the 2023 decider.
Garner had a big fourth term as the Kangaroos - who were overrun by the Lions in the last quarter last year - eventually broke the shackles.
In doing so, they completed the first undefeated season by any team in AFLW history.
Garner, a three-time AFL Coaches Association champion player and two-time AFL Players Association MVP, finished with just 12 votes in the AFLW best-and-fairest away this season.
She finished well behind Adelaide's standout Ebony Marinoff (23 votes) and Kangaroos teammate Ash Riddell (20) on the leaderboard, continuing a puzzling run with the umpires.
But Garner wasn't fussed when quizzed on it after the grand final, simply holding up the premiership medal that hung around her neck next to the best-on-ground award.
"It doesn't really bother me, but the premiership medal is massive," Garner said.
"Anyone could've won that best-on-ground medal - we had a great team performance.
"When you win a grand final by 30 points, most of the team played their role."
Garner was tagged early in the grand final by Jade Ellinger, with Brisbane eager to hurt the Kangaroos star going the other way.
Lions captain Bre Koenen also spent some time putting work into Garner but it was to no avail.
"We didn't feel like it was getting out of control (early) but she's finished off the game really strongly and is a really good player," Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich said.
"For all of the things that she's probably deserved in her career, it's nice that she's got this one.
"I think that's fitting, to be honest."
