Just like it was in 2002 and 2003, Collingwood and Brisbane will meet in the 2023 AFL Grand Final.
With both teams finishing on top of the ladder, playing great footy, and having the top seeds in the decider promises to give the biggest game of the year the epic clash we deserve.
Will Craig McRae (a player in the Lions threepeat) take Collingwood to the promised land after some of the most dramatic and exciting seasons any club could have?
Can Chris Fagan and his men after years of trying bring the premiership back to the Sunshine State for the first time in 20 years?
Here’s hoping it’s a great Grand Final and you the humble Neds Punter can find a bit of value from that one day in September in our 2023 AFL Grand Final Tips & Preview
For the first time since 2014, the Grand Final will be between the teams that finished first (Collingwood) and second (Brisbane) on the ladder.
We have the best teams all season, playing in the biggest game of the year and here’s hoping that the game on Saturday is one for the ages.
It’s fair to say that Collingwood has been the best team all season, but Brisbane has been the best team in recent weeks.
Collingwood has had an amazing season and is coming off a thrilling one-point win over GWS in a heart-stopping prelim.
The Pies have been no stranger to close finishes, all season long especially in finals.
Both of Collingwood’s qualifying and preliminary finals have been decided by a total of eight points.
In fact, seven of the last nine finals involving Collingwood have been decided by 15.5 points or less making not only the tri-bet a good value play (Either by 15.5 or less at $2.55) but can also give nightmare flashbacks to the Magpie army for games like the 2018 Grand Final, of which this stat dates back to.
What is also to the Pies advantage is where the Grand Final is being played – the MCG, Collingwood’s home ground, and a place where the Brisbane Lions have a little bit of a hoodoo happening at the moment.
As for the Brisbane Lions, they’ve rectified recent seasons of finals heartbreak and let downs with clinical displays getting the job done in a convincing matter in both of their home finals at the Gabba.
In regards to their MCG hoodoo, beating Collingwood on the last Saturday in September would be a pretty good way to shake it off.
The Lions did win a semi-final against the Demons there last season, but have lost their past three games at the ground, with the most recent being a one-point defeat also against Melbourne.
What is in the Lions’ favor is that they have beaten Collingwood in their past six matches, including a big win over the Pies back in Round 23 at Marvel Stadium where Charlie Cameron kicked four goals and Lachie Neale gathered 31 disposals with Chris Fagan and his men making a statement that they meant business come September.
Statistically, Brisbane is the best clearance team in the AFL, with an average of six more than their opponents each week.
The midfield of Hugh McCluggage, Lachie Neale, and Josh Dunkley is enough to take on the likes of Nick Daicos and Jordan DeGoey.
Brisbane managed to come back methodically from five goals down in the first quarter against Carlton last week and never looked scared.
Both Eric Hipwood and Joe Daniher seem to have gotten rid of most of their kicking yips up forward and Charlie Cameron can light up when he needs to.
This should be a close game, it should be a great game.
But the Lions are primed to win their fourth premiership as a merged club 20 years after their infamous threepeat.
On a selfish note, it’s also worth mentioning that we here at Neds have been sponsors of the Brisbane Lions since 2019 – and every season since they’ve made the finals.
We’d love nothing better for Chris Fagan, Lachie Neale, and Harris Andrews to be lifting the cup up at the MCG at around 5:30 on Saturday afternoon and we think they are going to do it.
Back the Brisbane Lions head to head to win the 2023 AFL Grand Final.
Spoiler alert:
Josh Dunkley wins the first ruck contest and taps the ball out to Dayne Zorko who gets a sneaky handpass away to Lachie Neale who’s at the edge of the 50-meter line, Neale spots Charlie Cameron in the forward pocket, who runs on to kick the first goal of the 2023 AFL Grand Final.
Charlie Cameron has the Lions SURGING and the crowd are loving every minute of it 🎶
📺 Watch #AFLLionsPower LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5Vwhmfd1e
✍️ BLOG https://t.co/iosLn4WDJ4
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/NXynJRIRVI pic.twitter.com/3FB0u5FtDi— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) September 9, 2023
While it’s unlikely the MCG will pump out Country Roads on the PA system, the Brisbane fans in the ground start singing it themselves and all the corporates also join in while the Collingwood fans look annoyed.
Meanwhile, you’ve collected $9 from your $1 (or whatever unit you place) from backing Charlie Cameron to kick the first sausage roll of the day.
Take it away John Denver…
A man that Brett Kirk would describe as a “unique individual” can be a bit hit and miss at times, if not most, but Joe Daniher has found his mojo at the right time of the year.
Five goals in the Qualifying final against Port, just the two last week, Joe Daniher is the kind of player that would play the game of his life on the last Saturday in September.
While the likes of Nick Daicos, De Goey, Neale, Dunkley, McLuggage, and Pendlebury are higher in the market order at the time of publication, if Joe Daniher is playing as he did in the first week of the finals, Brisbane will win the Grand Final and four plus goals from the big fella would make a strong case to win the Norm Smith.
A finals career-best for big Joe 🔥#AFLLionsPower pic.twitter.com/NUJP828Q9a
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 9, 2023
Fun fact – both of Collingwood’s past two premierships have had draws involved in their respective finals series.
In 1990, the Pies famously had to play the West Coast Eagles in a Qualifying Final replay at Waverley before going on to end their infamous 32-year Collywobble drought.
And of course, in 2010 we saw the last of the drawn grand finals of which the Magpies would romp home in the replay the next week.
We no longer have draws in the grand final, in fact, in case you are wondering this is what happens according to the AFL rule book:
“If both teams have the same score at the end of the fourth quarter, the goal umpires will confer to make sure that both scores are identical.
If a drawn result is confirmed, then both teams will have a six-minute break before the game will resume with two three-minute halves – plus time on.
Teams will change ends at the end of the first three-minute half, but there will be no break, with play immediately resuming once the players are set.
If the scores are still tied at the end of the two three-minute halves, the process of playing another two three-minute halves will be repeated until a winner is found.”
So if you think there’s a chance the scores will be level at the final siren, there’s $51 on offer for extra time.
Wouldn’t that be something?