The 2023 AFL Grand Final is finally upon us, with the Collingwood Magpies and the Brisbane Lions set to do battle on a sunny Saturday in Melbourne.
After one of the closest home and away seasons in history, and some thrilling finals to follow up, the stage is set for an absolute classic in front of 100,000 at the home of football.
Extra Time takes you through what to expect on Grand Final Day, along with the major players that are set to shape the result.
The Teams
The top two teams in the home and away season will play off in the grand final on Saturday, the first time this has happened since the 2014 clash between Hawthorn and Sydney.
The Pies have been the consensus best team all season, winning 18 of their 23 matches, including 11 of their first 12.
Building off an incredible campaign in 2022 where coach Craig McRae took them to fourth position in the most unlikely of circumstances, the Pies were one of the few dominant forces in an unpredictable season.
The Pies are fourth in points per game and rank second in least opponent points per game, showcasing their ability to score from their damaging small forward line and their superstar backline lead by captain Darcy Moore.
While they only lost the five games for the season, two of these came against the same opponent.
The Lions produced one of the most dominant home records ever seen in an AFL season, going undefeated at the Gabba through the entire home and away season and the finals series.
This record at the Gabba included a victory against the Pies earlier in the year, beating them to the tune of 33 points thanks to a Charlie Cameron masterclass in front of goal.
The Lions rank second in points per game this season, with their stacked forward line causing headaches for teams throughout the year.
It is also in the midfield where the Lions prove a formidable opponent, with the side first in the AFL in clearances and second in inside 50’s.
These two sides played off against each other in the Grand Final exactly 20 (and 21) years ago, when the Lions dominated the league and completed their three-peat.
Collingwood coach McRae took part in those matches, becoming a three-time premiership player in a Lions jumper and facing off against former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley.
The Major Players
Brownlow Medallists and All Australian’s line both sides on Saturday, including the most recent winner of one of the most prestigious awards in football.
Lachie Neale will take the field after winning his second Brownlow Medal on Monday night, producing another incredible season, ranking seventh in total disposals and averaging eight clearances per game, the equal-most in the league.
His season has propelled the Lions to their current heights, working at the coal face to provide the Lions runners with the ball in the right positions to springboard their attack
On the other end, the Pies have another one of the best players in the AFL this season in Nick Daicos.
Daicos led the Brownlow Medal count before an injury in round 21 saw Neale pip him late in the season, as he played one of the greatest second seasons in AFL history.
Daicos averaged 31.1 disposals, the second most in the league and nearly a goal a game, damaging the opposition with his incredible foot skills and ability to launch the ball into attack.
Daicos will be well complimented by the likes of Jordan De Goey and Scott Pendlebury in the midfield, who both have grand final experience and have played a massive part in the Pies success this season.
Neale on the other hand will be assisted by the likes of Josh Dunkley and Dayne Zorko in the midfield, who will both bring significant physicality to assist their star teammate and get the ball forward.
The Pies will be ready to stem the Lions attack, with the captain Moore and Nathan Murphy proving their worth as one of the best key defensive duos in the league. They will have a tall task ahead of them, with Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood waiting to continue on their strong form through the season and finals.
The small forward brigade at the Lions is a worry for the Pies also, with All-Australian forward Charlie Cameron and young gun Cam Rayner set to light up the G. Isaac Quaynor and Brayden Maynard will be tasked to quell their impact and ensure the Pies can launch attacks from their half-back line led by Daicos.
The Lions backline will be held up by Harris Andrews and potentially a wounded Jack Payne, who will have their work cut out for them in trying to handle the ever-rotating Collingwood forward line.
But it’s the mosquito fleet for the Pies who will do the most damage, with Bobby Hill, Jamie Elliott and Jack Ginnivan set to excite the Magpie faithful once again.
What Each Team Must Do
If the Pies are going to win this game and win their 16th premiership in their history, it will fall to their backline.
The Lions' extremely damaging forward line and ability to score will punish the Pies if they are slightly off their game, meaning they will need to lock down on the high scorers.
This will fall mainly down to Quaynor and Murphy, who will need to combat Cameron and Daniher, the two highest goal scorers in the Lions lineup.
For the Lions, they must remain on top of the clearance game.
The Pies midfield stars in De Goey and Daicos rotating through can hurt the Lions, with their speed and skills on the wing and through the middle tearing teams apart.
This must mean that Neale and Dunkley have to play their roles to absolute perfection on Saturday, feeding off of their ruckman Oscar McInerney and getting first use, leaving the stars out of the game and forcing them to different positions to hunt the football.
The Tip
I am tipping the Pies by 15 points, with Darcy Moore claiming the Norm Smith Medal.
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