Brisbane champion Lachie Neale (left) and Sydney superstar Isaac Heeney will be two players to watch on Saturday. Photos: AFL MEDIA

2024 AFL GRAND FINAL
SYDNEY v BRISBANE (MCG, Saturday 2:30pm local time)
After 206 games, we have finally arrived at the big one.

Season 2024 has certainly provided its fair share of twists and turns, but after countless upset results and erratic formlines from most top-eight teams, the dust has settled and there are only two teams left standing.

The Swans and the Lions will do battle on Saturday to decide who will be this year’s premiers.

And it promises to be a great game because these teams are very well-matched so it would be surprising if a blowout occurred.

Redemption is also high on the agenda. Sydney and Brisbane are the runners-up from the last two grand finals, which makes this the first time since 1995, when Carlton met Geelong, that the grand final has been contested by the previous two bridesmaids.

The Lions are also aiming to avoid becoming the first team since Collingwood in 2002-03 (or St Kilda in 2009-10 if the draw is ignored) to lose back-to-back grand finals.

And perhaps history is also against Brisbane (fifth) considering only two teams have won the premiership from outside the four in the 30-year history of the top eight: Adelaide (fifth) in 1998 and the Western Bulldogs (seventh) in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Swans have lost their last three grand finals (2022, 2016, 2014) and will become the first team since Geelong, who lost five in a row between 1967 and 1995, to be defeated in four consecutive premiership deciders if they fail to get the job done.

The Saints also lost four between 1971 and 2010, but, again, there was a draw included in that run.

A win for the Swans would see South Melbourne/Sydney capture just its sixth flag from a whopping 19 attempts while Brisbane is chasing its fourth premiership, and first since 2003, from six grand finals.

If you include Fitzroy’s premiership tally, the merged club would capture its 12th VFL/AFL flag if successful on Saturday.

As with every game, it all starts in the middle of the ground, and, boy, these two sides are not what you’d described as wanting for talent in this area.

Sydney has one of the best players in the competition running through there, in the form of Isaac Heeney, who has taken his game to even greater heights, if that were possible, during this finals series.

And he has a star-studded support cast featuring the likes of the electrifying Chad Warner, the damaging Errol Gulden and tackling machine James Rowbottom.

But when you look at their opposing numbers, it becomes apparent very quickly why this is arguably the most anticipated midfield match-up of the season.

Led by their sensational dual Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale, the Lions have weapons right through the centre square with the impactful Josh Dunkley, precocious youngster Will Ashcroft and the smooth-moving Hugh McCluggage.

Logic suggests that Dunkley will probably go to Heeney when he’s on the ball, but when the star Swan goes forward, he might be met by someone like Brandon Starcevich.

Conversely, it would seem like Sydney negator James Jordon will be set for the big job on either Neale or McCluggage.

The Swans appear to have been given a huge leg up before the bounce of a ball considering Brisbane’s No.1 ruck Oscar McInerney has been ruled out after twice dislocating his shoulder against Geelong in last weekend’s unforgettable preliminary final against Geelong.

That means that Darcy Fort has come in for just his third game of the year, and first since Round 7, which really should play into the hands of Sydney’s Brodie Grundy.

Grundy hasn’t been as influential in recent months as he was in the first half of the season, but this truly does present a golden opportunity for him to assert himself on the contest and possibly even go close to winning a Norm Smith medal.

But could the Lions possibly try and turn a negative into a positive? Because against the Cats, when McInerney exited the game for good, it forced Joe Daniher to go into the ruck more and the knock-on effect of that was that it made Brisbane look a lot more dynamic in the forward line with the likes of Cam Rayner, Callum Ah Chee, Zac Bailey and Kai Lohmann all having a huge say on proceedings.

The key forward department continues to be a concern for the Swans, with Joel Amartey, Hayden McLean and Logan McDonald struggling to come together as a consistently lethal triumvirate, although to Amartey’s credit, he was very good last week with three goals against the Power.

Nevertheless, like Grundy, Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews has been presented with a huge chance to stamp his authority on the grand final from the Lions’ back half.

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However, the beauty about the Swans is that they’ve been so good this year, that they don’t really rely on their tall forwards to kick winning scores and have generated plenty of goals via Heeney, Warner, Tom Papley, Will Hayward and Luke Parker. Even Gulden is capable of hitting the scoreboard.

But the Lions backline is in great form, and is coming off a fantastic performance against Geelong. Ryan Lester was incredible on Cats superstar Jeremy Cameron, while Starcevich, Andrews and Darcy Wilmot all played key roles in turning the tide.

Papley looms as the most serious threat inside the Swans’ forward 50, and Starcevich might be the man that goes to him.

But Dayne Zorko really is the trump card in Brisbane’s defence. He is the one who gets things going for the Lions with his aggressive playing style which generates a lot of speed and attack from the back half.

Although, his biggest strength can be a weakness, and this take-them-on-at-all-costs approach can backfire and lead him to give his direct opponent too much latitude. Whoever he lines up against on Saturday, whether it be Hayward or someone else, will no doubt be aware of that and seize on any goalscoring opportunity that Zorko might provide.

Down the other end of the ground, and the Lions’ forward line really does take its supporters on an emotional rollercoaster. At times they can be so frustrating, as they have been on numerous occasions throughout the year, but when it all clicks and they play to their full potential, they give even the best backlines in the league nightmares.

Daniher is building a great finals resume, and his performance against arguably the best defender in the game, Sam Taylor, a fortnight ago was extraordinary. Cam Rayner has had his knockers, and rightfully so, but his second half against the Cats was absolutely sensational.

And when you throw in names such as Eric Hipwood, Bailey, Lohmann, Cameron and Ah Chee into the mix, it’s easy to say why the Swans backline will be on high alert at all times.

Sydney key defenders Tom McCartin and Lewis Melican will split duties on Daniher and Hipwood, and given Harry Cunningham has such a good record on Cameron, it would be surprising if that match-up didn’t eventuate again.

Does that then mean the evergreen Dane Rampe shadows Rayner? If so, that would be a great duel to watch.

The Swans and Lions are similar in the sense that they do like to control the tempo and the speed of the game.

Sydney is 7-0 this year when they take over 100 uncontested marks, while Brisbane is 11-1. So that will clearly be a stat to watch out for.

The Swans took 130 marks against the Power last week and didn’t allow them to employ their high-pressure game style which was so effective against Hawthorn the week before.

Sydney ended up scoring 12.4 (76) from turnover compared to Port Adelaide’s 3.6 (24) and powered by arguably the best transition game and ball movement in the competition, the Swans are more than capable of cutting up any side that gets in their way. When it’s their moment to strike, they often do so with devastating results.

But Brisbane has also shown in recent weeks that it can change gears as well. When faced with daunting deficits of 44 and 25 points against GWS and Geelong respectively, the Lions abandoned their go-to game plan and threw caution to the wind. And it paid off handsomely.

Last week, especially, the Cats allowed the Lions to use the corridor and it gave their wingers and half-backs carte blanche to run right over the top of Geelong. When Brisbane is forced to take more risks and get its handball game going from half-back, it can be an extremely formidable proposition.

Another reason why the grand final promises to be an entertaining match is because neither team has displayed the ability to consistently play four quarters this year, so that will likely give rise to some breathtaking momentum swings throughout the game.

Not much separates Sydney and Brisbane, but the Swans haven’t travelled for a game since August 16 while Brisbane is preparing for its third consecutive game on the road.

With a much more settled lead-in to the premiership decider, that could ultimately swing the pendulum in the Swans’ favour.

RONNY’S TIP: Sydney by 11 points.
Norm Smith Medal: Errol Gulden (Sydney).

ROCO’S TIP: Sydney by 12 points.
Norm Smith Medal: Isaac Heeney (Sydney)

ROCKET’S TIP: Sydney by 15 points.
Norm Smith Medal: Chad Warner (Sydney)

SEASON TOTALS
ROCKET 132
RONNY 128
ROCO 128