The Western Bulldogs are the first team into the AFLW grand final after they scored a stunning two-point win over Melbourne on Saturday night.
The Demons clung to a four-point lead as the clock ticked down at a blustery Whitten Oval, but Brooke Lochland snapped a brilliant goal with just over a minute left to secure a tense 5.3 (33) to 4.7 (31) win in front of 7593 fans.
The winner of the match was guaranteed a spot in the grand final, but the result cruelly ended Melbourne's campaign.
The Dogs will play either Brisbane or Adelaide in the premiership decider, with the Crows needing to beat Collingwood on Sunday to progress.
Regardless of who the Bulldogs play, the grand final will be held at Princes Park on Saturday afternoon.
"Getting into the grand final is obviously a great achievement, but we want to put that cup in our hands at the end of the game next Saturday," coach Paul Groves said.
"They don't hand us a cup for (finishing top), so we're pretty steadfast in that we're going to enjoy this ... it's a different week for us now, but we want to put our hands around the big (trophy)."
The Dogs pulled off the win without scoring at all in two quarters of footy.
Melbourne skipper Daisy Pearce elected to kick with a strong wind in the first quarter, but the Demons didn't do enough with it.
The Dogs went inside 50 just twice and couldn't muster a shot on goal for the term, but their desperate defence saw them take over use of the breeze trailing by just seven points.
The home side gained the ascendancy in the second with three quick goals, but Melbourne managed a priceless goal into the wind through Karen Paxman.
The Dogs led by seven points at halftime, but in a mirror image of the first quarter, they couldn't score into the gusting wind after the restart.
But again, the Demons booted just one goal to lead by five points at three-quarter time.
Monique Conti gave the Dogs the lead two minutes into the final term, but a goal to Melbourne through Kate Hore set up the stunning climax, capped when Lochland received a slick handball and kicked truled.
"I'm shattered and disappointed for the group," Demons coach Mick Stinear said.
"They put so much work into it.
"You'd like to think that commitment was worthy of another week in the competition, but it wasn't to be."
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