AFL Grand Final Preview:
A season full of amazing moments, huge games and plenty to talk about is closing in on the end. Season 2024 will end with arguably the best two teams going at it for the ultimate prise: the Premiership Cup. Sydney vs Brisbane, this Saturday the 28th of September from the home of footy, the MCG, for one more huge clash this season.
What a year Sydney have had; they were clearly the best team all season, or for at least a large part of the season. Sydney had a few struggles with form through the mid-to-late part of the season but have definitely regained some scintillating form in the back half of the season.
Sydney finished the season in top position and guaranteed themselves two home finals. In the first of their two home finals at the SCG, Sydney found themselves down by a number of goals heading into the last quarter. The Giants held a 21-point lead at three-quarter-time, before a last quarter outburst from Chad Warner and some absolute brilliance from Isaac Heeney, saw Sydney win by six points.
Winning in the first week of finals then meant that Sydney were straight through to a home preliminary final and earned themselves another week off. Port Adelaide progressed through the second week of the finals series and this would be Sydney’s matchup, with the winner going into the Grand Final the following week.
Sydney beat Port comfortably in last Friday’s preliminary final, winners by 36 points at the SCG, and booking themselves a ticket to the 2024 AFL Grand Final.
It would not be a Grand Final week without a couple hard luck stories, and there is no bigger hard luck story than Oscar “Big O” McInerney. Oscar dislocated his shoulder early in the game last week against the Cats. He then proceeded to go back on the field after quarter-time and played a large chunk of the game before re-dislocating his shoulder in a ruck contest. He has been ruled out of the Grand Final and long-time reserve ruck Darcy Fort will come in to replace him.
Brisbane, through their first 10 games, were sitting in 12th position: a game-and-a-half out of the eight with just over half the season to go and not the start they were looking to have at all. They then went on to lose just three more times and have 10 wins to finish the season in fifth position.
Brisbane are looking to go one better this year and make up for the heart breaking loss they endured in last year’s Grand Final. They would’ve learnt a lot from last year’s Grand Final in not being able to control the key moments at key stages in the game.
The last time these two sides met it went down to the absolute wire, Brisbane were two-point winners back in Round 19 at the Gabba, with a huge performance by Hugh McCluggage booting three goals to go along with 26 disposals.
Team News
Sydney:
Ins: no changes
Outs: no changes
Brisbane:
Ins: Darcy Fort
Outs: Oscar Mclnerney
Our prediction: This may well be a Grand Final for the ages; we really can’t split these two sides. Both will be hungry to win a Grand Final. Sydney don’t have the best record in Grand Finals and Brisbane will be looking to go one better. Saying that though, a prediction must be had, and we have gone with Brisbane by 9 points at the MCG on the biggest day in the AFL year.
Our attendance prediction: The biggest stadium in the southern hemisphere, expect no less the 100,000 people in attendance for tomorrow’s massive day on the sporting calendar.