[9] Adelaide finished the home-and-away season in 2021 with seven wins and two losses and claimed the minor premiership on percentage over three other teams.

Against an inaccurate Melbourne side, Adelaide led comfortably after the mid-way point of the match and finished 18-point winners over the Demons.

They finished the home-and-away season in second position, beneath Adelaide but ahead of Collingwood and Melbourne on percentage.

Collingwood scored a goal with under half-a-minute remaining in the match, but Brisbane held on for a narrow victory and qualified for their third AFL Women's grand final.

It also revealed the three potential venues it had booked to host it: Adelaide Oval, the Gabba and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

[26] The match was broadcast by the Seven Network and simulcast on Foxtel, Kayo Sports, the afl.com.au and women's.afl websites, and on the AFL and AFLW apps.

The only change in either side was the forced removal of Adelaide captain Chelsea Randall, who suffered concussion in the preliminary final and was required to not play for 12 days.

She was replaced by 2019 premiership player Ailish Considine,[28] who was playing her fourth senior game for the year and had herself been effected by concussion earlier in the season.

[24] The Lions scored with an opening goal, with Courtney Hodder kicking a snap shot from the pocket despite being sandwiched between Adelaide defenders Najwa Allen and Marijana Rajcic.

The Lions' Cathy Svarc had the job of tagging the Crows' Ebony Marinoff, and managed to keep her to four disposals in the first quarter.

[33] The Brisbane back line, consisting of Kate Lutkins, Breanna Koenen and Shannon Campbell, were superb in defence, holding up under enormous pressure.

[30][33][32] Things started to look grim for the Crows when Lauren Arnell managed to get her toe on a long bomb from Cathy Svarc just soon enough to score another major.

[34] The final quarter opened as they hoped, with Eloise Jones taking a mark for a shot at goal, then being given a 50-metre penalty that made it a certainty.

[36][37] She played in pain, and was scheduled to have surgery on both feet, having torn the plantar fascia in her left foot during round eight.