14°C |
Monday September 7, 2026 
7 September 2026
The North Shore Bombers are set to return to the AFL Sydney Grand Final day after both their men’s and women’s premier teams secured semi-final victories. This sets up the historic possibility of back-to-back premierships for both squads—a feat no club has ever achieved.
In the qualifying finals, the Bombers’ women pulled away from UNSW-ES Bulldogs in the fourth quarter to secure a 7.4 (46) to 5.4 (34) victory. Adrienne Keefe led the goal-kicking with two, while Lila Micheletti, Sophie Kavanagh, Addison Hickey, Zoe Clubb, Matilda Eder, and Ella Daniel were named among the best on ground.
View this post on Instagram
Advancing to the semi-final, they faced a rematch of last season’s preliminary final against the Manly Warringah Wolves. The Bombers started assertively, leading 1.4 (10) to 1.0 (6) at the first break. The second quarter turned into a tight defensive battle with neither side managing a goal, leaving North Shore ahead by three points at half-time. Two second-half goals were enough to edge out the Wolves 3.7 (25) to 2.7 (19) in a hard-fought contest.
For the second consecutive year, the Bombers advanced to the Grand Final on September 19, where they will face either Sydney University or Manly Warringah.
Meanwhile, the men’s premier division side advanced directly to the semi-finals after claiming the minor premiership. Facing Sydney University, a competitive opening quarter saw the Bombers hold a narrow lead, 5.0 (30) to 4.2 (26). The red-and-black applied relentless pressure in the second term, keeping Uni scoreless while kicking four goals and five behinds to build a 33-point buffer at half-time. Sydney University trimmed the margin to 26 in the third quarter, but North Shore controlled the final term to record a convincing 13.11 (89) to 9.7 (61) win.
View this post on Instagram
In a mirror image of the women’s draw, the men’s preliminary final will also feature the Manly Warringah Wolves and Sydney University battling for the right to play North Shore in the decider. A victory in the Grand Final would secure the Bombers their third straight premiership.