North Melbourne premiership forward Blaithin Bogue has revealed she 'rolled the dice' this season by opting to postpone surgery on a recurrent shoulder injury.

Bogue, who played every game in the Kangaroos' record-shattering season with her left shoulder heavily strapped, dislocated the shoulder for a second time at Gaelic training in March this year.

Rather than undergo immediate surgery when she flew to Australia, she persuaded club medical staff to let her start the AFLW pre-season, on the condition she’d agree to a stabilisation procedure if the shoulder dislocated again.

The incredible gamble paid off.

Bogue became one of the AFLW's breakout stars this season. After making her debut in Round 1, she kicked an equal competition-high 25 goals and was named on the interchange bench in this year's All-Australian team. 

She will now undergo the surgery four days after Saturday night's Grand Final victory over Brisbane.

Speaking to NMFC Media ahead of the match, Bogue said her injury stemmed from a painful incident three years ago.

"I was playing Gaelic Football and I was going down for a ball and someone came into the back of me and I landed on the shoulder and it popped out," she said.

"We were in a different county and I was over an hour away from home. So my shoulder was out for over an hour before they could put it back in."

After her first AFLW season with North Melbourne in 2024, she returned to Ireland without incident until March this year, when the shoulder dislocated again "just kicking a ball … no one near me".

"The club got me out to Australia as soon as they could," she said. 

"I spoke to the surgeon, and he said it would be a six-month recovery. I thought, 'I'm not coming out here just to do six months in rehab'.

"So I asked if it would be okay if I kept playing until the shoulder came out again, and if it came out again I would get the surgery. Sort of rolling the dice.

"The club was supportive for me to do that, and I am so thankful they were."

North Melbourne senior AFLW physiotherapist Billy Williams said Bogue's professionalism had laid the groundwork for her to play out the season.

"The credit to her is how well she approached the rehab ahead of this pre-season," Williams said.

"She worked very hard to give herself the best chance of playing through this season.

"And obviously it's paid off with the absolutely incredible season she's been able to have."

Bogue will face a 5-6 month recovery after the surgery, which will force her to sit out Fermanagh's next Gaelic campaign but should enable her to return fully fit for next year's AFLW pre-season.