Roar Women created a promotional poster last week with a suitably game-faced Tameka Butt. It said: It all comes down to this. The poster referred to the team’s sudden-death semi final against Sydney, a match that finished so controversially that fans and the media are still trying to get their heads around it.* But if it were possible to re-use Brisbane’s tagline, it all comes down to this: the Season 4 Westfield W-League grand final. And what an epic match-up it’s set to be.

Canberra, the grand final hosts and undefeated all season, have been outstanding. The bridesmaids in Season 1 and third-placed in Season 3 after losing out to Brisbane on penalties, it’s gone from being the good team that hasn’t quite been able to match it with Sydney and Brisbane—two teams which each comprise approximately half of the Westfield Matildas—to the team that’s suddenly the one to chase.

Brisbane might be shaping up for their fourth consecutive grand final, but that stat’s slightly misleading. Having lost some of their longest-serving and most-consistent players to season-ending knee injuries (e.g. Elise ‘KK’ Kellond-Knight and Lauren Colthorpe), the reigning champions haven’t, by their own admission, been the all-conquering team of seasons past. They’re in the final, but they got there through grinding out wins rather than the Barcelona-like play their Hyundai A-League counterparts have become known for.

That’s not to say teams always have to win pretty. In fact, the gutsy comebacks Brisbane have staged and wins and draws they’ve eked out, including in last weekend’s semi final, showed grand final-winning character. But for the first time in the Westfield W-League’s history, the team that dominated the season and that’s the favourite for the final is not comprised mostly of national team players (thanks to KK for reminding me of this).

Canberra’s got excellent players, and even boasts Westfield Matildas Lydia Williams, Sally Shipard, and Michelle Heyman, but three compared with Brisbane’s and Sydney’s, well, entire starting XIs worth is a mammoth effort. Especially when you consider that Heyman has been on the periphery of the Westfield Matildas, getting the call up to the Olympic Qualifiers only after Sam Kerr sustained a knee injury. So that’s two current, starting XI Westfield Matildas, if you like.

It’s testament, then, to the depth of the league and the development of the players. Canberra’s led the league from start to finish through teamwork and a focus on honing their skills. But even they almost got rolled by Melbourne twice during the season and then a third time in last week’s semi. Melbourne boasts a bunch of Young Matildas (and, if their strong performances are anything to go by, future Matildas) and were perhaps the unluckiest team of the top four. In an alternate universe, Sydney and Melbourne would very reasonably be contesting the grand final.

It’s instead come down to this: a grand final play-off between the reigning champions and the reigning Premiers. The latter are on-paper underdogs, but they’re backed by strong results and a colourful home crowd advantage and are heading into the match the favourites. If there’s one game you watch this season, it’s this: Canberra v Brisbane 3pm on ABC 1.

*Me? I can’t and won’t comment on the alleged un-sporting not giving back of the ball, nor the two yellow cards, nor the eviction of Sydney coach Alen Stajcic, nor the equaliser, because at the time every single one of those occurred, I unhelpfully happened to be looking at either my computer or my phone.