AFL Premiership Winners - The Extra Time Team Predictions for 2024!
A season for the ages, 2024 has thrown it all at us as footy loving fans. We’ve been wowed by the ups and downs that have seen clubs in and out of the 8 for weeks, and become accustomed to unpredictable victories, at all stages of the year. Whilst Sydney, Geelong and Carlton took the competition by storm early on, they’ve been pegged back by teams in late season form like Port, the Bulldogs and Hawthorn. And how could we forget the steady rise of Brisbane. 2023 runners-up, defeated by just four points in a thriller against the Pies. Then there’s Carlton, literally crawling to the end, relying on other results, but they made it. Now what? After 24 rounds of chaos, who will hold the trophy aloft in four weeks' time? Let’s hear what our Extra Time team think.
Simone Wearne
The 2016 fairytale may seem a distant memory to some, but it’s not to me. Bevo had the Dogs humming as they finished the 2016 season in seventh position. They took the chocolates in six of their last nine home and away games, and then went on to win four finals to eventually become Premiers. It was 13 wins from 16 chances.
Since the AFL changed their finals format back in 2000, only three teams from outside the top four have played off in the big dance (Bulldogs x 2 and Giants x 1). Only one of them has ended up on the podium. The Bulldogs have done it before, and with the master at the helm this Friday night, Bevo will keep their hopes of a second fairytale alive. Written off by many earlier this year, Bevo took it all in his stride and has proved many wrong. With far less pressure than some of the teams at the top of the ladder like the Hinkley led Power or the Lions who are looking to make the most of a Premiership window that is quickly slamming shut, the Dogs have nothing to lose.
The Hawks have been gallant, and like the Bulldogs, they have won 7 of their last possible 9 games. But I predict the Bulldogs in a big win Friday night, setting them up for another tilt at four straight finals on their way to Premiership glory. The Bont for Norm Smith, and Adam Treloar finally gets his happy ending after an ugly exit from Collingwood at the end of 2020.
Bodhi Stringer
It’s time for the Big Big Sound to finally become the biggest sound. After being seen as one of the most talented sides in the league for years now the GWS Giants are primed to win their first flag. After finals heartbreak last year, going down to eventually premiers Collingwood by 1 point the Giants desperate to prove they are the real deal.
Since entering the league in 2012 the Giants have made finals 7 out of the 13 seasons and the 2024 season is the 3rd time they have finished in the top 4. GWS have had fantastic form running into the 2024 finals series despite a last round loss to the Bulldogs in trying conditions in Ballarat.
The Giants under Toby Greene and Jesse Hogan are about to make an absolute run through September and are going to come up against natural rivals and historic rivals on their way to the 2024 flag.
Week 1: GWS will defeat Sydney and improve their finals ledger against the Swans to 4-0 and make it known that they are the best team in NSW.
Preliminary Final: GWS will defeat their historic rival the Western Bulldogs in the preliminary final making amends for the 2016 Prelim and adding another historic chapter into one of the best rivalries of the last decade.
Grand Final: GWS defeat Sydney for the second time in the final’s series taking their finals ledger against the Swans to 5-0. Toby Greene will be named the 2024 Norm Smith medallist.
GWS claiming the 2024 flag would be a perfect way to celebrate some fantastic AFL careers, Toby Greene gets his flag after staying with GWS from the foundation year, Callan Ward becomes a premiership player after all his injury struggles and Jesse Hogan caps off a career best year with a Coleman medal and premiership medallion.
Alice Wilson
I think it’s time Sydney got their hands on that Premiership trophy. Some may call it biased as a Collingwood fan, but to see Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams finally get to lift that cup after 2018 heartbreak would be a warming moment for Pies fans. The GWS Giants remain undefeated against Sydney in finals, however 2024 I believe is the year that statistic will change.
This season has been full of unpredictable moments and with no clear dominant team heading into finals, I am fully backing Sydney with my head (and heart).
Lorenzo Di-Mauro Hayes
Grand Final day 2024 is an all-harbor city affair. After GWS beat Sydney in the qualifying final, the Swans wrap around the bracket with wins over Brisbane and then Geelong, the Cats failing again at the preliminary final stage. GWS, after getting past Sydney, hold off a brave Hawthorn, whose fairytale season, which includes finals wins against the Bulldogs and the Power, ends. After Marcus Bontempelli and Nick Daicos each win a Brownlow medal after a dramatic count, the Grand Final that ensures is a memorable one.
But in the end, GWS, just like Collingwood a year ago, bounce back from a heart-breaking one-point preliminary final loss away from home the year before, and win the flag. The stars across the finals for GWS, but especially on the big day are Brent Daniels, who is no longer one of the AFL’s most underrated players. Jesse Hogan tears up the whole finals and of course Toby Greene is important, but it is Tom Green, who is the most vital on Grand Final day, winning the Norm Smith. GWS claim the premiership all whilst living up to the name of the jumper they wear to the Qualifying Final and Grand Final victories: Never surrender.
Josh Tonini
Premiers: Carlton, Runners-up: Sydney
Just six rounds ago, at the end of Round 18, the Sydney Swans were leading the league by a significant margin, holding a significant buffer of 3 games between them and 2nd place Carlton at the time, holding a 14-3 record along with the bye. They had dropped only three games in 18 rounds of football, having the highest percentage of 145.3%, and were ranked #1 in the league in average goals and a high accuracy rate with prominent goal kickers in tandem. Among the likes of Papley, McLean, Hayward, Amartey and McDonald, and other unrecognized goal kickers such as Gulden and Warner also playing a role on the scoreboard, they were tracking fantastically. And of course, who could forget about Joel Amartey’s 9 goal masterclass over the Crows in Round 14 at Adelaide Oval!
Most footy fanatics believed that Sydney would continue their run of near impeccable form and win the flag with ease. The bookmakers certainly agreed as well throughout the first five months of the premiership season, tipping them with the lowest odds throughout, and for good reason too. However, as much as we want it to be, footy ultimately has its inevitable downturns, which was observed during the final six weeks of the season for Sydney, recording three defeats along with three victories, suffering an embarrassing loss to Port Adelaide by 112 points and only serving up 36 points of their own. It was certainly a reality check among the other 2 losses to the Lions and Bulldogs, which will also be featured in September.
The Bulldogs proved to Sydney and the competition that they won’t be a pushover, with what is set to be a cracking game in front of a sold out MCG on Friday night under lights. Hawthorn on the other hand have had a dramatic turnaround, starting off their 2024 campaign 0-5 before having an incredible run winning 8 of their last 10 games to lock in 7th place on the table. Historically, 12 to 12 ½ wins books you a place in the Top 8. However, due to how intense the season has panned out, 13 wins was the end requirement this year if you wanted to be part of the 2024 finals campaign, with teams such as Fremantle and Collingwood narrowly missing out by the barest of margins.
It’s hard as a passionate Carlton supporter to not have an element of bias for your own team, however I genuinely believe if they take the first step on Saturday night against the Lions they can go all the way. Carlton emerges as a dark horse in this finals series. Initially mirroring Sydney's strong performance by holding second place at the end of Round 18, Carlton's form has since notably declined, with only two wins in their last six matches against teams in the bottom four in West Coast and North Melbourne. Their qualification for the finals was secured by a dramatic victory from Port Adelaide’s 20 point win over Fremantle at OPTUS Stadium, despite a narrow escape against St Kilda, highlighted by Jack Higgins' unbelievable snap kick from a handball delivered by Zak Jones in traffic with 16 seconds remaining in front of 43,843 fans on Sunday afternoon at Marvel Stadium.
Despite a high volume of injuries, Carlton’s potential remains evident, as discussed in the “AFL Round 24 Review” podcast by Boxy, Woodsy, and myself via YouTube. They face the Brisbane Lions in an elimination final at the Gabba, where they've previously shown resilience at that venue. Notably, Carlton led by five goals in the 2023 Preliminary Final in the first quarter before running out of petrol tickets and losing by just 17 points. More recently, in the opening round of 2024, they staged a dramatic comeback from a 46 point deficit to win by a single point, with Harry McKay scoring the decisive goal in a phenomenal victory to kick off the 2024 season. Under the leadership of three-time premiership player Michael Voss, Carlton emphasises "contest and pressure," a strategy reflected in their ranking of fourth for tackles in the 2024 season.
Among expected inclusions to be released on Thursday evening, such as the confirmed Sam Docherty, recovering from rupturing his Anterior Cruciate Leg knee injury (ACL) for a third time during Carlton’s remarkable win against Brisbane in Opening Round. His return on Saturday night will mark 193 days since the injury, passing all of the fitness tests and training requirements to get the tick of approval from Micheal Voss, which captain Patrick Cripps announced on Tuesday morning to the playing group which received immense joy.
The Blues will need to show the synergy and flair that was demonstrated in the early portion of the season to go deep into September, in which I believe that they can despite being an obvious outsider for the premiership flag. If they’re to meet Sydney in the big dance as personally predicted, it will sure be one to watch across the nation. Additionally, it will showcase their desire to be able to come back from hardship and adversity from a whirlwind of a home and away season, to ultimately lift the premiership cup since 1995, under current Brownlow medal favourite in Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, for the Blues’ 17th premiership flag. Go Blues!
Mark Woods
Heart says Hawks, head says NSW, with it being a Sydney vs GWS Grand Final. Sydney stop the Orange tsunami in week 1 and again in the Grand Final.
I expect the winner of the Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn match to make it to the Preliminary Final, rating them over whoever loses between Port Adelaide and Geelong.
Port Adelaide vs Geelong will be crucial for both teams, looking to secure a home Preliminary Final and giving them the best chance to secure their place in the Grand Final.
There is a genuine chance where a team from outside the top four wins the premiership and the most likely candidate is Brisbane Lions, given their Chautauqua like run this season, spending time in the bottom half before storming home with great speed. Although they face a team in which the opposite could be said in Carlton, they started off well but just lost the pace and got overrun, still managing to make the finals.
I am really excited about the openness of this finals series, hopefully it delivers.
Davin Sgargetta
Like a Monday morning after a big weekend, I’m just not ready for Hawthorn to be good again. Having gorged on flags since the 80s, the idea of the Hawks cellar dwelling for more than a few years seemed reasonable. Fair even.
Well, life’s not fair, and football can be even less fair than that. The reality is, we could be at the doorway to another Hawthorn golden era. And I think it starts this year.
I know most pundits probably have them hitting their straps over the next 12 to 24 months, there are some significant indicators for me that that time has come early.
Number one: they belt teams. Consistently.
At the start of the year, they were only supposed to be marginally ahead of the likes of Richmond, and even North and West Coast. By season’s end, they were thumping them by 12, 15 even 20 goals.
But it wasn’t limited to the bottom teams. After handing the raining Premiers an 11-goal lesson, they dished out the same to Adelaide, and even worse to Carlton. And were it not for a late-game lapse, they looked on track to take care of GWS as well.
Over the last six weeks of the season, outside of the Giants, no one got within 10 goals of them. That’s what contenders do.
Hawthorn’s rise has been so rapid, so dynamic and so convincing, it’s hard to see how any team could be appropriately prepared for them. Has the competition had the time to put in the hard yards to figure them out? This is their best chance to stun an unprepared competition.
Further to that, their scoring power is spread across their list. They’re young and full of run and enthusiasm. And they sprint through the finish line. Those ingredients can carry a team a long way — in my view, all the way.
The element of surprise has won many a conflict throughout history, and this is why I think Hawthorn will be the surprise Premiers of 2024.
Just who from our Extra Time team will prove to be right? Well, we'll have to wait and see. For now, all eyes are on a Thursday night blockbuster as the Power take on the Cats in Adelaide.
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