All potential AFL Grand Final matchups ranked.

All potential AFL Grand Final matchups ranked.

GuyWhoLikesSport

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Here we are in the prelim final week, also known as the last week when actual fans of football teams can go to the football to watch their team play.

This week is the best week of the footy calendar in my book and this season we have the two wire-to-wire best teams in the competition against the two hottest.

In a season that’s been relatively short on true excellence, this is the best set of prelims we could realistically have hoped for. It’s rocket ships versus space stations.

Both games are a bit New England v Atlanta in the 2019 Super Bowl.

Beyond that, this is an AFL wet dream of a Grand Final. Two historic, legendary Melbourne clubs and two clubs in NRL battleground states.

In that spirit, let’s rank the possible Grand Final that the prelims could birth.

 

The criteria for these rankings are as follows:

  • On field watchability;
  • AFL fan appeal; and
  • AFL appeal

 

(1) Collingwood v Carlton

 

 

Collingwood playing Carlton in the 2023 Grand Final is like Pacino and De Niro meeting in Heat.

These two teams are not a couple of regular-type fellas, they are behemoths in every sense of the word.

On the field, both teams are incredibly watchable.

The Pies are bringing it back to 2011 with the way that they slingshot the ball from defence to attack at breakneck speed.

When the kick into the corridor is on, they take it every time. They back their skills and play a high-wire act game that is intoxicating viewing when it’s on.

The Blues do it differently.

They’re almost violent in the way that they attack the ball at every avenue and that shows in their sitting first in the AFL over the last 5 games for contested ball, intercept possessions and ground ball gets, and second in pressure acts.

Watching the Blues attack the footy is like watching a skilled fighter look for the knockout.

They’re aggressive but seldom reckless – other than Jack Martin – and always watchable. From there they get it to the most box office player in footy and hope that he can make a miracle happen.

But if he can’t, there is a good enough group of players at his feet that they can kick a score even if big Charlie can’t make it happen.

Both teams have stars across the ground and the head-to-head battle that we almost certainly won’t get between Curnow and Moore will be good pre-game fodder.

That’s a good recipe for watchability.

Obviously, this game also carries with it the most fan appeal and the most AFL appeal. The AFL would sell every seat twice if they could. Every pub in Melbourne’s inner north will have to sell every keg thrice.

Clear number 1, don’t get crazy.

 

(2) Brisbane v GWS

 

Okay, time to get crazy.

This, in the business, is what we call a zag. And I’m proud of it.

On the field, you don’t need to work hard to sell this one.

GWS for the past 13 weeks have been absolutely sick. There is no team better to watch. Listen to the stats that illustrate that.

Over the last 5 weeks, they’re first in metres gained by 200 metres.

That’s essentially the same as the gap between third and eighth.

They’re also first in scoring and second in shots over that period.

They attack the game at a breakneck speed and get it forward, again, to a genuine superstar in Toby Greene.

I have compared Toby Greene to the shark from Jaws time and again, but I’m starting to wonder if he’s more threatening.

When he gets a defender on his back shoulder as Kelly or Conligio streams through the middle of the ground you might as well close your eyes, stick your fist out, and pray.

The orange tsunami is as dangerous as the West thought the red wave was before Vietnam.

Brisbane is also electric.

They’re a dominant clearance side that has led the league in scoring from wire to wire this season.

They aren’t terrible defensively, but they also aren’t dominant even with Harris Andrews back there.

This Grand Final would be a feast for the eyes.

But to be honest, every possible Grand Final this year would be a great watch given how exceptional the footy has been this season.

What would make this Grand Final special for the AFL is the possible commercial upside of it.

Obviously, everyone who would have watched the footy in Victoria, South Australia and WA would have will still watch the footy.

This game, however, might be able to tap into a new audience for the AFL.

Anyone who has a passing interest in GWS or NSW footy will probably watch this game and the same is true in Queensland.

They might not be able to access that audience if the game is between two old rival Melbourne teams.

If one of the teams in the non-traditional footy states isn’t in it, obviously they wouldn’t be able to access the audience that might be there in the other state.

So there. That’s the zag and I’m sticking with it.

 

(3) Carlton v GWS

 

This one is another banger on the field.

Two of the most physical, desperate, hard-running teams in footy going head-to-head spearheaded by two of the most watchable, dominant forward presences in the AFL.

These two teams also played each other in round 24 in a game that only had stakes for the Giants, needing to win to get in.

So, why is this third?

The Blues are obviously a commercial juggernaut and GWS are obviously a commercial minnow.

There is a sense that maybe the size of the Blues could rub off on GWS.

To me, this would feel a bit like the 2019 Grand Final between the Tigers and Giants, not necessarily on the field but certainly off it and in the stands.

There isn’t any real history of great games between these two sides, nor is there very much in the way of animosity.

The biggest difference is that this would be the Blues’ first premiership for decades if they were to win. That was Richmond’s second in three years.

In a way, it would actually be more like the Richmond vs. GWS prelim in 2017.

I was at that game and got the world’s first noise-induced migraine during it. I also had my very first religious awakening at the church of Dustin Martin.

The only way that GWS gets any traction at the ground is by the piped-in horns.

The 2019 final was big for GWS because they were plugged into footy’s mainstream for a week and the normals finally got to hear their banger of a theme song.

That bump isn’t there this time.

We’ve all heard, and love, the big big sound now.

On field, this is a great game.

Everyone will watch it.

Everyone will barrack for GWS.

But to me this is a clear third.

 

(4) Collingwood v Brisbane

The 2002 Grand Final was pretty good. 

Finally, Collingwood Brisbane.

I have this last for one simple reason: sometimes it’s a bit dull when the two best teams are in.

This year doesn’t strike me as similar to last year, where there was one clearly dominant team.

This would almost definitely be a good game but there isn’t a sense of irrepressible momentum with this game.

It’s just two really good teams playing in what would probably be a really good game.

Imagine if you had the upside of GWS. Imagine how dangerous and unpredictable that would be.

Just imagine.

From an AFL perspective, this game obviously has Collingwood which is the biggest club left in the finals. But it also has Brisbane, which has a good and vociferous fan base but one that is capped in a way that GWS’ isn’t (according to the AFL).

It feels strange to have the game between the two best sides all year long sitting last, but based on the criteria that I made up that is the answer.

Like what you read from our new columnist?
Follow @Guywholikessport on Twitter or check out his FULL BLOG HERE