AFL Record – 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final

PROUD: Our pictorial review of the 2023 season includes this poignant moment in round three when young Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan made a stance after being racially vilified the previous week.

BORN TO WIN

Which players and coaches have the best winning percentage in the biggest game of all?

ASHLEY BROWNE reports.

IT’S A LONG SLOG

The AFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. Only the best hold up at this time of the year.

ASHLEY BROWNE reports.

LOYAL SERVANT

Shane O’Sullivan has done it all in an amazing 44-year journey at three clubs. ASHLEY BROWNE reports.

HAWK HERO

Two-time Norm Smith medallist and four-time premiership star Luke Hodge loved the big stage. LAURENCE ROSEN reports.

FOOTY, I LOVE YOU

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Football-loving identities from the media, business and sporting world share their love of the game.

BABY BOMBERS

It’s 30 years since a young Essendon side triumphed. ANDREW SLEVISON reports.

aflrecord.com.au

FEATURESREGULARS

RECORD INNINGS

Retiring editor MICHAEL LOVETT reflects on a 26-year journey with the AFL Record, footy’s oldest publication.

ROCKING THE ’G

International rock n’ roll juggernaut KISS will headline this year’s AFL Grand Final entertainment.

ANDREW SLEVISON reports.

KIDS SHINE

It’s a big week – and a big day on Saturday – for 23 lucky NAB AFL Auskickers who will be be part of pre- and post-game festivities.

TALENT ON SHOW

The country’s most talented under-17 players will feature in the AFL Futures match before the Grand Final.

RESTORING THE FAITH

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Owned and produced by Sports Entertainment Network

AFL Record Editor

Michael Lovett

Production Editors

Gary Hancock, Brendan Rhodes

Senior Writer

Ashley Browne

Writers

Ethan Daffey, Hugh Fitzpatrick, Lachlan Geleit, Jack Makeham, Seb Mottram, Nic Negrepontis, Laurence Rosen, Zac Sharpe, Paddy Sinnott, Andrew

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This time 10 years ago, Hawthorn made up for its 2012 Grand Final loss, winning the first of three consecutive flags.

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WHAT A YEAR

Senior writer ASHLEY BROWNE looks back on a remarkable season which produced plenty of drama and some record numbers.

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A total of 2423 players have appeared in Grand Finals, which is 18.5 per cent of all players. There have been 1579 premiership players, including the round robin years of 1897 and 1924.

THE GREATEST GAME IN THE WORLD

Record crowds, record memberships and action aplenty. No wonder the AFL is delighted with how

The last Saturday in September marks the conclusion of a truly remarkable season of football.

It has been a spectacular year, maybe our best ever.

Certainly, the footy has gone to another level.

The skills, the speed, the free- owing games and the season has been as competitive as ever.

Unpredictable results, one in three matches an upset, and anyone with the ability to win on any given day.

It is a big reason, if not the reason, why an all-time record eight million fans went to the footy this year.

Why more than 1.2 million members signed up. Why one in 21 Australians are a member of an AFL club. Why the consumption of our game is as big as ever.

Every week, every day, a new story emerges. Footy is the soap opera that dictates our working weeks, our weekends, our lives … and we love it. We love the passion, the drama, the debate.

And while it is sometimes easy to focus on the biggest issue or the biggest controversy – it is the golden moments across the season that shine the brightest.

Collingwood captivating the competition with its style of play and winning the minor premiership.

The Brisbane Lions were literally lights out at the Gabba this season and for the h year in a row made it to September action.

Carlton went from supporters losing their minds to the team winning nine home and away games straight and making a nals run for the ages.

GOING TO ANOTHER LEVEL: Magpie fans had plenty to cheer about in 2023 while thrilling games like the season-opening draw between Richmond and Carlton set the standard.

And the GWS Giants, a team fearing no one with a never-say-die attitude, and only just making the nals in the very last game of the season.

It was a numbers game this year, with milestone men at every turn.

Of our senior coaches, Alastair Clarkson reached 400 games, John Longmire and Damien Hardwick both went past 300 games and there was a new Geelong club record with Chris Scott surpassing the great Reg Hickey on 305 games coached at the Cats.

Some of the biggest names in the game – 350 games for Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, 300 for Todd Goldstein, Steele Sidebottom and Trent Cotchin, and then there is Zach Tuohy surpassing an icon, the late, great Jim Stynes for the most AFL games played by an Irishman.

2023 has unfolded.

GILLON McLACHLAN AFL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

No one in the history of our AFL competition has touched the Sherrin more than Scott Pendlebury, when in July he broke the all-time disposal record and is now quickly closing in on 10,000 disposals. A remarkable achievement.

And we can’t forget about the umpires. Simon Meredith reached 450 games, while Brett Rosebury rst got to 500, then a few weeks later broke the all-time record and surpassed 503 games.

We said our goodbyes to premiership players, Coleman medallists and heart-and-soul players at their clubs.

Names like Luke Shuey, Isaac Smith, Jack Riewoldt, Phil Davis, Shannon Hurn, Nic Naitanui, Jack Ziebell, Robbie Tarrant, Ben Cunnington, Tom Jonas and Cotchin.

And then there was Buddy. The game has never seen a player like him, and maybe we never will again.

From the time he announced himself in the 2007 nals series, he was the dominant forward in the game for the next 15 years and was the player to watch in any game where he took the eld.

He kicked the most extraordinary goals, ran like the wind, terrorised opposition defenders and le us all gasping at some of the things he did.

To all our retiring players, on behalf of everyone in football we

thank you, the game is a better place for having you part of it.

We should always celebrate the champions. What they do out on the eld, week in, week out, makes our game the best in the world – and we should all never lose sight of that, of how privileged we all are to be part of footy and the joy it brings to millions of people around the country.

Thank you to all our corporate and broadcast partners for your ongoing support this season, in particular the Seven Network, Foxtel/Kayo, Telstra, and our premier partner Toyota, who work with us to drive great outcomes across Australia for the millions of fans of the game.

Our teams give us a sense of community. Our games give us something to celebrate and o en, commiserate over. To be here on Grand Final day with 100,000 fellow supporters watching our two best teams vie forthe honour of being the 2023 premier is to be part of history.

To everyone at the game or watching at home, thank you for all you have brought to the AFL and Australian Football across the country this season. We hope you have an incredible day.

Lastly to all the fans around the country, it has been an honour to serve and lead our game, thank you for your passion and loyalty. You are the reason why footy is the greatest game in the world.

TIGER GREATS: Richmond premiership stars Jack Riewoldt (left) and Trent Cotchin after their farewell game in round 23.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: ‘Buddy’ Franklin bows out as the most watchable player of his generation.

to the winning team!

Fuel the feeling

It’s the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final. The end of a long season.

You’ve worn your team’s colours with pride and hope. Felt every bump, every run-down tackle.

Groaned at missed set shots

And gasped at astonishing snaps.

You’ve driven home with your scarf in the wind, Feeling the joy of an incredible performance. And you’ve fuelled the feeling With Shell V-Power.

FOOTY FOCUS

The 2023 season had a bit of everything – drama, emotion, celebration, a touch of humour and, of course, big marks. AFL Media photographers captured it from all angles ... even from the goalposts!

BEST IMAGES OF 2023

LOW-FLYING CROW

ADELAIDE v NORTH MELBOURNE, ROUND 16, ADELAIDE OVAL

PIC: MARK BRAKE/GETTY IMAGES

MB SAYS: It was my first day with my new camera, a Nikon Z9. Early in the first quarter, Adelaide’s Luke Pedlar came into my frame and leapt into the air to avoid a tackle from North Melbourne’s Tarryn Thomas. With athleticism and power, Pedlar just hovered as he released a handball, and the camera captured the whole sequence before he hit the turf. A great moment at the perfect focal length, in great light. The rest of that month was all night games with lots of rain, so taking advantage of that sunny day makes it all worth it.

WHERE ARE MY GLASSES?

COLLINGWOOD v ADELAIDE, ROUND 15, MCG

PIC: MICHAEL WILLSON/ AFL PHOTOS

MW SAYS: A bizarre moment during this clash when Crow Ben Keays ripped off Magpie Mason Cox’s spectacles. A scu le had just broken out in front of me, and as things started to get a bit willing, I fired off a heap of frames, as you never know what you might get in those situations. Suddenly Keays came over the top out of nowhere and dislodged Cox’s goggles. I was chatting to Mason after the game and he had no idea Keays had ripped them off (he thought they had just accidentally become dislodged in the scu le). I assured him I had the

GAME ON!

SYDNEY v MELBOURNE, ROUND 24, SCG

PIC: MATT KING/AFL PHOTOS

MK SAYS: This final round match between Sydney and Melbourne had a fair bit riding on it in terms of finals. At this point, both teams had been trading goal for goal and the scores were tight. Sydney’s Hayden McLean took a mark on the boundary right on the 50-metre line, right near where I was sitting, and then kicked the goal with a huge celebration

towards the crowd. The emotion shown in his face here is what makes this picture, along with the fact that he was literally just a few metres from me.

BEST IMAGES OF 2023

ONE GIANT LEAP

GWS GIANTS v ADELAIDE, ROUND 1, GIANTS STADIUM

PIC: CAMERON SPENCER/GETTY IMAGES

CS SAYS: Harry Himmelberg took one of the most impressive marks of the year in the opening round, setting the standard for the season. In very hot conditions, I was focusing more on capturing action around the 50-metre line. I saw Himmelberg out of the corner of my eye preparing to contest the ball, next thing he was high on his opponent’s shoulders in the perfect position to take it.

BEST IMAGES

VALE BRAVE CHARLIE

MELBOURNE v CARLTON, ROUND 12, MCG

PIC: MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

MW SAYS: Some things are bigger than football as we learned this year with the story of young Charlie Tiang. As he bravely battled brain cancer, Charlie spent the evening with his beloved Demons. He was wheeled through the banner by Jack Viney, but this moment after the match when Max Gawn invited Charlie to sing the song with the team will stay with me for a long time. Sadly, Charlie lost his battle in August, but I will fondly remember the smile the Demons put on this brave little boy’s face that night.

FUMBLE FINGERS? NO WAY

CARLTON v SYDNEY, ELIMINATION FINAL, MCG

PIC: MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

MW SAYS: A remote camera set up behind the goals captured this moment when Blake Acres’ fingertips saved a certain Sydney goal for the Blues. As the ball was approaching, I fired the remote camera via a foot pedal from my vantage point which was near the 50-metre line. Fortunately, one frame out of a burst of about 20 detailed the precise moment the ball touched Acres’ fingers and put to rest any doubt the wrong call had been made by the score review o icials.

BEST IMAGES OF 2023

CRASH LANDING

GEELONG v COLLINGWOOD, ROUND 1, MCG

PIC: MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

MW SAYS: A spectacular moment with an unfortunate ending as Tyson Stengle and Jeremy Howe collide during the opening round match. With both players fixed on the ball, you could sense a big collision approaching. I trained the lens on Howe and just rode the collision with the players. This picture is a timely reminder of the unbelievable courage the game asks of its players. I had a sequence of the whole collision, but the pictures of Howe landing on his arm were too graphic to file.

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HELPING HAND

BEST IMAGES OF 2023

TWINS II

WESTERN BULLDOGS v COLLINGWOOD, ROUND 17, MARVEL STADIUM

PIC: DYLAN BURNS/AFL PHOTOS

DB SAYS: From memory, I think Mason Cox took a shot at goal and missed, resulting in a behind. Caleb Daniel took the kick in and, immediately after his kick, ran straight for Cox who was probably 15-20 metres away and gave him a bit of a bump. I laughed, instantly thinking it was pretty funny seeing one of the smallest players in the AFL taking on one of the tallest. I think Cox saw the funny side in it also as he had a bit of a chuckle when Daniel gave him the bump. It was a small moment in the game, but still a quirky moment to capture.

ST KILDA v ESSENDON, ROUND 3, MCG

PIC:MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

MW SAYS: A touching moment as two St Kilda legends make their way up the race before the Saints’ 150th celebration match. The story was that former star defender Neil Roberts was resigned to the fact he might not make it up the race to the ground for the pre-match formalities. Tony ‘Plugger’ Lockett, the greatest goalkicker of all time, was having none of it and insisted on helping the 89-year-old up the incline and on to the hallowed turf.

BEST IMAGES OF 2023

TAKING A STANCE

WESTERN BULLDOGS v BRISBANE LIONS, ROUND 3, MARVEL STADIUM

PIC: DANIEL POCKETT/GETTY IMAGES

DP SAYS: Knowing the week Jamarra Ugle-Hagan had leading into the game, I was keeping an eye on him early, and noticed he looked “on” from the opening minute. So when he went back to take his first shot at goal, I moved a bit deeper around, and was close enough to use a wider lens, hoping to capture a passionate celebration if he slotted it. With the 30-year anniversary of Nicky Winmar’s famous stance on racism approaching, it was perfect timing from Ugle-Hagan to take his own stance and pay tribute. And I was fortunate enough to be the only photographer in that forward pocket to capture it, in what was a mirror image of photographer Wayne Ludbey’s famous image of Winmar taken at Victoria

Park in 1993.

EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS IMAGE WON BEST NEWS/FEATURE PHOTO AT THE 2023 AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL MEDIA ASSOCIATION AWARDS.

MAKE A SMOOTH SUBSTITUTE

BORN TO WIN PREMIERSHIPS

There are many individual accolades in the AFL, and they are duly recognised and celebrated. But at its core, League football is about the team, and the pinnacle of the sport is Grand Final day. And there have been many in the game who have had the good fortune over their careers to feature in multiple Grand Finals.

But it is one thing to be born to play or coach in Grand Finals. Hawthorn champion Michael Tuck played in 11 premiership deciders. The legendary Jock McHale coached Collingwood 17 times with the flag on the line. They, and many others, were indeed born for Grand Final day. But what if we dig that little bit deeper? Making the Grand Final is all well and good, but winning a Grand

Final is what the game is all about. Individual honours are nice, but premierships remain the ultimate honour – the true measure of success.

So come the Grand Final, who do you want to have on your team?

Which players and coaches have the best winning percentage in the biggest game of all?

NOTE: for the sake of this exercise, the minimum number of Grand Final appearances as a player, coach or both is five. And draws do not count for a half a win when calculating percentage.

ASHLEY BROWNE

There is nobody in modern football you’d want on your side more on the last Saturday in September – or October as it was in his case in 2020 – than Damien Hardwick, who nished up as Richmond coach midway through this season and has now accepted the toughest gig in all of football as coach of Gold Coast.

Part of the appeal to the Suns is that Hardwick has been to six Grand Finals as a player (Essendon and Port Adelaide) and coach (the Tigers) and has tasted defeat only once, when his Bombers lost to Brisbane in 2001.

The year before, he was part of the all-conquering Essendon side that waltzed its way to the ag, losing just one game for the season.

A salary cap squeeze hastened his departure from the Bombers and he had the good fortune to arrive at the Power as that club was peaking and the last of his 207 AFL games was the 2004 premiership win over the Lions.

He took over as Richmond coach in 2010 and, while it was a slow build, once the

Tigers made Grand Finals, they had little trouble winning them.

He’s 3-0 as a Grand Final coach, 2-1 as a player and, while it doesn’t count for these purposes, he even has a perfect Grand Final record as an assistant coach with Hawthorn in 2008.

Three players who were part of some of the best teams of all time also boast brilliant Grand Final records.

Charlie Dibbs played in the four Collingwood premiership teams, also known as ‘The Machine’, that saluted between 1927 and 1930. He won a h ag in 1935, with the only loss coming in 1925 to Geelong.

Harold Rumney was a teammate in those ve premierships, but his losing Grand Final came in the 1937 classic against Geelong.

Melbourne played in seven successive Grand Finals under Norm Smith between 1954 and 1960 and won all of them except for 1954 and 1958.

Demon legend Ian Ridley played in the ve wins and the shock loss to Collingwood in 1958. He wasn’t picked for the loss to Footscray in 1954.

Collingwood’s Billy Libbis tasted Grand Final defeat in 1926 but was part of the four consecutive premiership teams to follow.

Trevor Johnson was one of many who played in multiple Melbourne premierships under Norm Smith. But he didn’t play in the losing 1954 team or the winning 1959 side. But he did win ags from 1955-57 and again in 1960, with 1958 his only Grand Final defeat.

Richmond champions Dick Clay and Royce Hart played in all four of Tom Hafey’s premiership teams in 1967, 1969, 1973 and 1974, with the only loss coming in 1972 against Carlton.

That Blues out t included high-marking forward David McKay, a premiership player for the Blues under four di erent coaches –Ron Barassi (1970), John Nicholls (1972), Alex Jesaulenko (1979) and David Parkin (1981).

Wayne Johnston was a big-game specialist for the Blues and arguably was best a eld in the 1979 Grand Final. He also played in the 1981, 1982 and 1987 ags, with his only defeat coming in 1986.

Gary Buckenara was fortunate enough to arrive at Hawthorn as the golden era under Allan Jeans (with an assist from Alan Joyce)

was taking o . He played in the 1983, 1986, 1988 and 1989 premierships and his only loss was in 1987. Injury and form kept him out of the consecutive losses to Essendon in 1984 and 1985, which preserved his 80 per cent strike rate.

Superstar full-forward Jason Dunstall missed the start of the Jeans era and played in the losing 1985 team, but played in four winning teams therea er – 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991. His 4-1 record is the result of not playing in 1987 in the loss to Carlton because of an ankle injury.

Teammate John Platten started a year later than Dunstall and they shared four ags, but his loss came in 1987.

The Alastair Clarkson era at the Hawks produced four Grand Final wins – 2008 and the 2013-15 three-peat – and just the one loss, to Sydney in 2012.

Six of his players share that 80 per cent strike rate with him – Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughead, Jordan Lewis, Cyril Rioli and Grant Birchall Isaac Smith also played in the Hawk three-peat a er losing in 2012, but holds a 4-1 Grand Final record a er his Norm Smith Medal-winning performance for Geelong last year.

Luke Hodge

Wayne Johnston

Royce Hart

Damien Hardwick

71.4%

The full picture of Norm Smith’s greatness is evident when you consider his Grand Final record.

Four wins, a loss and a draw in six Grand Final appearances for Melbourne as a player, was followed by six wins from eight Grand Finals as coach of the Demons.

He was a pivotal part of both golden eras at Melbourne. He was a key forward through the 1939-41 premiership hat-trick and was still there when the Demons saluted again in 1948, having drawn the rst Grand Final with Essendon the week before. His only Grand Final defeat as a player was against the Bombers in 1946.

As coach, he won the 1955-57, 1959-60 and 1964 ags, losing only in 1954 and 1958.

There is nobody in football more deserving of a medal in their name on Grand Final day than Smith.

Speedy wingman Frank ‘Bluey’ Adams played under Smith in those eight Grand Finals between 1954 and 1964 for six wins, although he was only on the ground for a few moments in the 1955 Grand Final, a er colliding with Collingwood’s Des Healey, which le him with a fractured skull. He only learned that Melbourne won the ag when he woke up in hospital a er the game.

The rst real juggernaut in League history was Carlton, winner of three successive ags between 1906-08 and again in 1914-15.

Charlie Hammond played in all ve of those teams, but also lost in 1909 and 1916.

Laurie Mithen, Don Williams and Bob Johnson featured in the seven consecutive Grand Finals that Melbourne played in between 1954 and 1960, of which the Demons won ve.

Brian Dixon didn’t play in 1955, but did in 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960 and 1964, the last premiership of the Norm Smith era.

Richmond legend Francis Bourke played in ve winning premierships for the Tigers – four under Tom Hafey between 1967 and 1974 and another under Tony Jewell in 1980. But his Grand Final winning percentage gets knocked down a peg a er coaching the Tigers to a loss against Carlton in the 1982 ag decider.

Kevin Bartlett took part in the same seven Grand Finals as Bourke, with just one di erence. He played in the loss to the Blues in 1982.

66.6%

Some of the all-time greats of the game can boast of winning an average of two Grand Finals for every three that they have played.

It starts with Leigh Matthews, a legend both as a player and a coach with 12 Grand Final appearances all up. He had a 4-3 record as a player with Hawthorn with ags in 1971, 1976, 1978 and 1983 and losses in 1975 and in 1984-85, his last two as a player. As a coach he was brilliant, winning with Collingwood in 1990 and then the Brisbane three-peat from 2001 to 2003. Only in 2004, was he on the wrong end of Grand Final day as a coach when the Lions lost to Port Adelaide.

The rst of Collingwood legend Harry Collier’s nine Grand Finals was a loss in 1926 and he rounded out his decorated career, which included the 1930 Brownlow Medal, with defeat in the 1938 and 1939 deciders. But, in between, he was victorious in six Grand Finals, from 1927-30 and again in 1935-36.

Martin Pike played in three Brisbane premierships under Matthews at the Lions as well as in 1999 for North Melbourne. His two Grand Final defeats were in 1998 with the Kangaroos and 2004 with the Lions.

His Lions teammate Chris Scott played in the 2001 and 2002 ags (he missed 2003 with injury). He played in the 2004 loss to the Power. As coach of Geelong, he also has a 2-1 record with wins in 2011 (his rst year) and 2022. The Cats lost to Richmond in 2020.

Joel Selwood was captain of the Cats for much of Scott’s time as coach. Before his retirement at the end of last season, he played in six Grand Finals for four wins – 2007, 2009, 2011 and his glorious farewell in 2022. The losses came in 2008 and 2020.

Shaun Burgoyne played in rivalry games against Selwood over many years for both Port Adelaide and Hawthorn. At the Power, he went 1-1 in Grand Finals, winning in 2004 and losing to Geelong (and Selwood) in 2007. At the Hawks, it was a loss in 2012 and then the 2013-15 three-peat.

Carlton legends Alex Jesaulenko and Peter ‘Percy’ Jones have an identical Grand Final record – winners in 1968, 1970, 1972 and 1979 and losers in 1969 and 1973. The only di erence was that Jesaulenko was the captain-coach in ’79 and Jones his rst ruckman.

Rodney Eade enjoyed an 80 per cent success rate as a Grand Final wingman for Hawthorn, with ags in 1976, 1978, 1983 and 1986, but his overall gure comes down a er the Sydney team he coached lost the 1996 Grand Final. He had a 3-0 record in reserves grand nals and the 1995 North Melbourne team he coached included future AFL premiership coaches Alastair Clarkson and Adam Simpson.

Kevin Bartlett

Norm Smith

Joel Selwood & Chris Scott

Leigh Matthews

63.3%

One legend of the game, and one that should be, enjoy this lo y ranking.

Kevin Sheedy, an o cial Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend went 3-1 in Grand Finals as a Richmond player between 1969 and 1974. Then as coach of Essendon he won four Grand Finals out of seven. The wins came in 1984 and 1985, 1993 and 2000. The losses in 1983, 1990 and 2001.

Michael Tuck, who held the AFL games record for a quarter of a century, should be a Legend. But the Hawthorn champion holds the record for the most Grand Finals won as a player, with seven between 1976 and 1991, including four as captain. All up, he played in 11 Grand Finals.

60%

Legendary Hawthorn coach John Kennedy took the club to its rst ve Grand Finals as coach. He alternated wins and losses, with the ags coming in 1961, 1971 and 1976, with the defeats in 1963 and 1975.

West Coast has appeared in seven Grand Finals since joining the AFL, and John Worsfold has appeared in ve of them. He skippered the Eagles to a loss against the Hawks in 1991, before wins against Geelong in 1992 and 1994. As coach, he led the Eagles to the 2005 and 2006 Grand Finals, losing the rst and winning the second.

Carlton played in ve Grand Finals in six years between 1968 and 1973 for three wins and two losses. Reliable defender Kevin Hall played in each of these games.

62.5%

This percentage remains the exclusive enclave of a group of Hawthorn champions.

David Parkin lost the 1963 Grand Final as a young Hawthorn back pocket, but was captain in 1971 when the Hawks beat the Saints. As a coach, he won premierships, with the Hawks in 1978 and then 1981-82 and 1995 with Carlton. He lost the 1993 and 1999 ag-deciders with the Blues.

Meanwhile, Dermott Brereton, Chris Mew and Robert DiPierdomenico have identical 5-3 playing records in Grand Finals for the Hawks. They were teammates in seven of those games –the wins in 1983, 1986, 1998-89 and the losses in 1984-95 and 1987. Dipierdomenico’s rst ag was in 1978, but he missed out in 1991, which was the h and last for Brereton and Mew.

David Parkin

Michael Tuck

Kevin Sheedy

John Worsfold

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58.8%

Few in football are more synonymous with Grand Final day than Ron Barassi. As a Melbourne champion, he won six of the eight Grand Finals he played in between 1954 and 1964. Then a er his much-vaunted move to Carlton, he coached the Blues to wins in 1968 and 1970, with a loss to Richmond in between. It was only at North Melbourne where the ags were a bit harder to come by. Wins in 1975 (North’s rst) and at the second attempt in 1977 a er the previous week’s draw and losses in 1974, 1976 and 1978. All up, he was part of 17 grand nals, for 10 wins and a draw.

57.1%

Robert Walls was a teammate of Kevin Hall’s through that magic run for the Blues between 1968 and 1973. In addition to his 3-2 Grand Final playing record, he went 1-1 as coach of the Blues, beating Hawthorn in 1987, avenging the loss from the year before.

A er three Grand Final defeats with Collingwood between 1922 and 1926, Harry Chesswas had the great fortune of being part of ‘The Machine’ out t that won four successive premierships therea er.

53.5% 55%

Gary Ayres was a key member of those Hawthorn teams that played in eight Grand Finals between 1983 and 1991 for a 5-3 record. But his overall strike rate drops a er his one Grand Final as coach of Geelong in 1995, with the Cats well beaten by Carlton.

Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes is a famous name at both Richmond and Melbourne. He was part of the 1920 and 1921 ags, the rst two in club history, which came a er a Grand Final loss in 1919. He then coached the Tigers from 1927-32, making the Grand Final every season but one, but only saluting in 1932. He then crossed Yarra Park to join Melbourne and he sparked the club’s rst golden era – the hat-trick between 1939-41 and another in 1948 a er a draw the previous week. They also lost in 1946.

Gary Ayres

Ron Barassi

Robert Walls

THE BEST OF THE REST

Some of the most iconic gures in football are synonymous with Grand Final day, yet tales of disappointment and heartbreak abound.

Carlton giant John Nicholls won ags in 1968 and 1970 as a Carlton player and lost in 1962 and 1969. Then as captain-coach he won in 1972 and lost the following year, although as Blues fans still argue, had he not been concussed by Laurie Fowler in the opening term, the result might have been di erent.

Jock McHale won eight premierships as coach of Collingwood. In addition to the history-making four successive ags between 1927-30, his teams saluted in 1910 and 1917, then 1935-36. But there were nine defeats as well, such as that to Richmond in 1920, which started the bitter rivalry between the two clubs, as well as twice to Carlton (1917 and 1938) and to Melbourne (1926 and 1939). McHale also had a 1-2 record in Grand Finals as a player before taking over as coach. All up, his Grand Final winning percentage is just 45 per cent.

A er guiding St Kilda to its only premiership in 1966 and then crossing to

Hawthorn for three more ags, Allan Jeans is a legend of the coaching game and a revered gure at both clubs. But he had his share of Grand Final disappointments, winning just one of three at the Saints and three of six at the Hawks. Among his defeats at St Kilda was in 1971 to his future club. His Grand Final success rate was 44.4 per cent.

The same with a Jeans protégé, Mick Malthouse. As a player at Richmond (where he moved a er playing under Jeans at the Saints), he played in the 1980 thrashing of Collingwood. As coach of West Coast, he lost to Hawthorn in 1991, but rebounded with emphatic wins over Geelong in the 1992 and 1994 Grand Finals. At Collingwood, he won the 2010 ag at the second attempt a er the previous week’s draw, with losses in 2002, 2003 and 2011.

Tom Hafey was a brilliant coach at Richmond, masterminding four ags in ve Grand Final appearances between 1967 and 1974. But that 80 per cent winning percentage unravelled a er he joined Collingwood.

The Magpies made the Grand Final in 1977,

drawing with and then losing to North Melbourne. Then came the height of the ‘Colliwobbles’, with consecutive losses in the 1979-81 deciders meaning his overall record on Grand Final day was 40 per cent.

There is no greater gure in Essendon history than Dick Reynolds. A triple Brownlow medallist and seven-time best and fairest, about the only disappointment was his Grand Final record. He led the Bombers to 10 Grand Finals as captain-coach for four wins (1942, 1946, 1949 and 1950), a draw in 1948 and ve defeats. A er he retired as a player, Essendon also lost the 1957 and 1959 premierships under his watch, for a total Grand Final percentage of 33.

Lance Franklin retired last month a er a spectacular career that will likely end with Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. ‘Buddy’ played in six Grand Finals but tasted success just twice for a 33 per cent winning record. At Hawthorn, he won ags in 2008 and 2013 and lost in 2012. At the Swans, he was 0-3 in premiership deciders, losing in 2014 (against his former club), 2016 and 2022.

John Nicholls

Jock McHale

Allan Jeans

Tom Hafey

Mick Malthouse

Dick Reynolds

Lance Franklin

KING OF THE CARAVAN

Geelong star JEREMY CAMERON is a lover of all things outdoors, particularly his Titanium caravan. We caught up with the big Cat who was relaxing in Victoria’s Alpine country recently.

What’s your signature dish around a campfire?

u I love cooking a medium scotch fillet steak on a pan over glowing hot coals – flame grilled style.

What’s the main evening activity? Singalong, storytelling, trivia?

u A walk during golden hour as the sun is setting, with a cold beer. Love a sunset!

Can you remember your first camping trip as a child?

u Some of my earliest camping memories were with my dad surf fishing off the beach. We rolled out the swag in the sand and enjoyed watching the stars.

Did your family have a caravan?

u Yes, my parents are into their sixth van. They keep upgrading, but I think it’s time for a Titanium.

When did your love of the outdoors start to grow?

u I’ve loved being outside for as long as I can remember. Riding bikes, motorbikes, exploring

creeks and rivers, camping, travelling, fishing. You name it, I love it. Everyone jokes that I love too many hobbies.

Have you done any caravan trips of late or are you planning any with your family?

u We are currently in our new Titanium in Bright in north-east Victoria. We are planning to get away over Christmas with family and friends. Next off-season we are thinking of doing southern Western Australia.

What is your current caravan set-up?

u It’s a 19.6 Titanium Hardcore. Set up for full off grid, twin bunks at the rear and ensuite. Gas heating a must for mum (Indiana) and bub (Macey). Absolutely love being cosy in our van.

Which teammate would be well suited to the caravan/outdoor lifestyle?

u Isaac Smith would look good in a van. He will need bunks down the back for the kids and someone else to tow it for him!

Which teammate wouldn’t?

u Mitch Duncan. Not sure he’s the camping type but he could prove me wrong. Little bit more of a cabin operator.

You have got a crook shoulder. How’s it coming along and will it stop you enjoying the outdoors?

u A big relief to have had shoulder surgery. It’s on the mend and feeling great. Certainly, it will not keep me away from the outdoors! I’ve already crutched my sheep, but don’t tell the club!

Can the Cats get back to finals in 2024?

u We certainly expect the Cats to get back to the finals. As much as we want to be playing in September, it’s going to give us a longer build-up to 2024. Let’s get fit, train hard and give it a big crack come 2024.

The Titanium Caravans Dealership & Experience Centre is now open. Explore the luxury range of caravans at 595 Edgars Rd, Epping.

RELAXED: Jeremy Cameron got on the ‘beers’ late in last year’s Grand Final, but is now enjoying some down time in his Titanium caravan with his partner Indiana and daughter Macey.

IT'S A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT

The common refrain is that the AFL season, which ends on Grand Final day, is a marathon, not a sprint. So how do players and coaches get to the finish line in one piece?

ASHLEY BROWNE went in search of some answers.

The AFL season is a slog. It starts when the weather is best suited to the beach before things get cold. Sometimes really cold. And then it warms up again.

The players run several kilometres weekly and nish every game with bumps, bruises and other ailments and must deal with the mental strain that comes with high performance.

In many cases, they get on an airplane and travel across the country, o en every fortnight, to do so.

All that, of course, a er up to three months of training in the lead-up to the season. The comparisons with a marathon are not without merit.

Although, as Brisbane Lions psychologist Anthony Klarica, author of The Performance Mindset: 7 Steps to Success in Sport and Life, says,

the AFL season could equally be described as a series of repeat sprints.

“Really, it’s a marathon with repeat sprints. You need to work out when to surge and when not to. That’s how you manage the marathon,” he told the AFL Record

“When we talk about a marathon, I think a lot of people consider it to be steady all the way, but you do need to surge and you do need to back o the pace a bit.

“And good coaches, with the backing of their support sta and team leaders, know when to surge and when to go steady.”

But there are various tricks and remedies, as well as lashes of common sense and plain thinking that are also needed as clubs and players get themselves to the nish line with their bodies intact and their minds still fresh.

“SHOP EARLY AND AVOID THE RUSH” © Charlie Sutton

u The captain-coach of Footscray’s rst premiership team in 1954 probably did not invent the term, but he made it popular.

It is an item of football wisdom that clubs have attempted to follow by banking wins early, which allows a level of load management that should have every player in the best possible shape come the nals. Geelong in 2022 was a case in point.

“You probably don’t play players that are injured quite the way we used to 10 and 15 years ago,” former Collingwood champion and coach Nathan Buckley said.

“That’s because you understand the accumulative e ect that has. What’s the use of getting to the pointy end of the

season if you’re only at half rat power when you get there?

“But it is a balance because you want to bank the wins, but how do you bank the wins while having some e ciency with how you play?

“That’s why some teams and players make nals and they are absolutely spent. There’s just nothing more to give.

“If you can hit the line still strong, that’s what you’re aiming to do.”

Most teams start the year in the hope they can bank some wins, but it is not until the season begins to unfold with some early promise and a few wins that it becomes an operating strategy.

“If you can bank them early, it’s an absolute bonus because you potentially feel a bit less pressure,” Klarica said.

“It means that you’re not as reactive. You can stay proactive.”

But there is also the counter argument.

O en in assessing the eld as the nals begin, it is the team with the hot hand coming into the nals that is considered the premiership favourite, not the team that was quietly logging wins from March through May.

“The premiership team is quite o en the team that’s best in nals, not for the entire year,” Collingwood coach Craig McRae said.

“I had that experience as a player with Brisbane.”

STRATEGY OR TIMING?: Bulldogs premiership skipper Charlie Sutton (above) believed in pacing yourself through a season to be at your peak come September, while former Lion, now Collingwood coach, Craig McRae says premierships are mostly won by the team that simply plays best during the finals.

OUT: BLOGGS (MANAGED)

u Not every player is wired to play week a er week, year a er year in the manner of a Jim Stynes (244 consecutive games) or a Jack Crisp (212 and counting before this year’s preliminary nal).

Whereas there used to be a stigma around a player being managed, it is now an accepted selection practice.

Buckley remembers being steamed up a er being taken o for a rest in games during his Collingwood playing days by coach Tony Shaw, who he said he was ahead of the times when it came to load management.

“I couldn’t get my head around it and I was blueing with him,” Buckley said. “Change is unpopular at times, but now we manage players better with an understanding that you need to be in great shape for later, and later might not be a nal.

“It might be in round 10 when you’re only at round ve.”

Triple Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge’s view changed a er the 2012 Grand Final.

It was sad to see him hobbling to the premiership dais, head swathed in bandages to congratulate the Sydney Swans a er their upset win, but it was the day the penny dropped.

“When I got to the end of that season, my body was banged up and realised that I was sort of getting there on half a leg,” he said.

“Playing in September is the most important thing, so you have to trust the tness guys.”

From then on, Hodge would keep an eye on the xture and pick games through the year, perhaps an interstate game o a six-day break, or perhaps against a lower team with a view to sitting out.

“If I was a bit fatigued, that might be the one to miss,” he said.

“Sometimes the game would come around and I’d be feeling good, but deep down you know that if you miss the game, you’d be better for it in September.”

ALL CARROT AND NO STICK

u Stories abound of players rocking up to the club, usually a er a heavy defeat, expecting an exhaustive, no-holds-barred review or a ‘bring your mouthguard’ training session replete with plenty of contact.

But instead they get bundled on to a bus and are taken to a movie, for a spot of golf or paintball or, best of all, to the pub.

Sometimes an honesty session is the best training session of all.

It was a rein that Buckley occasionally pulled with the Magpies, but it was carefully considered.

“You can pull your senior leadership group in on some of those things, but then it might lose its e ect because you want those guys to be surprised,” he said.

“There’s a psychological element of that. But I wasn’t one to do the tricks as much because I really valued consistency and rhythm in our preparation.

“You’re not always going to get that, but I valued that as much as possible, especially when you’re going well.

“You want to get the feeling that this happens at this time of the week and we’re owing and it feels like Pavlov’s dogs.”

There were few paintballing or pub sessions at Hawthorn.

But there was MSAC, or as it is more formally known, the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, where especially late in the season, the Hawks would make their way just to keep things fresh.

“So, rather than do a one-hour skill session at the club, we’d go down to MSAC and do a few short, sharp skills rotations of ve minutes each,” Hodge said.

“You’d still get a blow-out with your legs, a bit of skill and a bit of touch, but then go for a swim and a sauna and have the a ernoon o .

“It was more of a lighter day than a ‘go and do your own thing’ sort of day.”

Klarica, who worked with the Hawks through their successful three-peat era, said a major change to the training schedule is a lever the smart coaches know when to pull.

“I would say a coach would use that card strategically rather than necessarily o en,” he said.

“They make those decisions with the leadership people from the playing group and from the footy department.

“The days of the mouthguard session are probably over.”

The schedule also comes into play.

The growth of Thursday night football, o en preceded by ve-day breaks, means that recovery is critical.

There are weeks with only one main training session, so any major activity that deviates from that needs to be carefully considered. And there’s travel.

“It’s not always Saturday a ernoon and it’s not always in Victoria,” Klarica said.

“In some weeks you might only get the opportunity for one main training session and then you’re on a plane again.

“So making those judgments is a really key strategic component for managing the playing group physically and mentally across the whole season.”

LOAD MANAGEMENT: Nathan Buckley, taking a spell, and a banged-up Luke Hodge (below), after the 2012 Grand Final.

FRESHENING UP: A change of routine could include a hit of golf or taking in some sunshine (below).

THE LOSS YOU HAD TO HAVE

u A feature in each of Hodge’s four premierships was a late-season loss to a team well below them on the ladder, usually to Richmond.

In 2008, it came in round 20, in 2013 it was round 19 and, in 2015, it came in round 18.

The commentary around those and other late-season defeats was invariably that there was little harm in receiving a jolt of reality on the eve of the nals.

“It wasn’t the plan, but it did always happen,” Hodge said.

“Sometimes you do get comfortable and you come up against a team who may try a few di erent things. But yeah, it was almost like, ‘hey guys, you’re not invincible’.

“It was a little bit of a kick up the backside and if you’re a little bit too con dent or you’re not switched on, this can happen and you prefer it not to happen in a nal.

“It made sure that for the next six games or the next eight games, however long is le in the season

MAKING YOUR DAY OFF A DAY OFF

u Buckley noted that in a typical week at a football club, the entire playing group might only be together for two hours.

That’s just enough time for some full-length drills or match simulation at training and perhaps a couple of meetings.

Everything else – gym work, running sessions, line meetings and the like – are done in smaller groups or even as individuals, with the program that best suits each player painstakingly laid out.

“Outside of that, everyone will run their own race and some guys need to be doing an hour’s touch even on a day o ,” he said.

“Some guys don’t want to come into the club, some guys just want to do recovery. Other guys want to sit and watch some vision.”

Buckley used to be one of those.

At the peak of his playing powers, he hated taking days o .

But with age and experience comes wisdom and, when he moved into coaching, he came to further appreciate that every player has a di erent make-up.

“I became better at realising that not everyone’s wired like that and you need to do your work when the work’s there to be done,” he said.

“You do your work, but when you’re recovering, you’re recovering at out as well and you need that time o .

“So, you just allow them as professionals to take responsibility for their own careers and then just keep knocking them back on to the right path or having that conversation and being a partner in their careers rather than riding them.”

and nals, that the attention to detail was always there.”

Klarica noted it was interesting to observe how Hawk coach Alastair Clarkson handled those late-season losses.

“Let’s call it the subtle art of coaching so that you can get to the nish line in good condition, but it’s not just managing the losses, it’s also managing the wins,” he said.

“There could be a win that you needed to have versus a loss.

“But I appreciate that a loss has got a bigger spotlight on it just because of the scrutiny of the industry.”

He remembers the delight Richmond took in those wins, especially when the Hawks went on to win the premiership. But it can also serve as some sort of validation.

“People hang on to that,” he said.

“If Collingwood or Brisbane win the Grand Final this year, rest assured that (Hawthorn coach) Sam Mitchell will be saying, ‘We’re the team that beat the premiers.’”

TIMELY DEFEAT: Hawthorn’s round 18 loss to the Tigers in 2015 was a jolt of reality for the Hawks, who went on to win the flag.

REST AND RECREATION: Players have enjoyed many different ways to take their mind off the game.

A VOCATION OUTSIDE THE GAME

u Some players like to study, others learn a trade, sit in an o ce for a day or, these days, trade crypto and NFTs.

“Even then they would still be trying to hustle to nd a way of maximising their pro le, their opportunities, whether it’s in a business sense to bank their futures,” Buckley said.

“How can they make their fortune nding a gap in the market?”

But the days of players doing nothing outside of football are over.

Clubs want their players to be active on their mandated time away from the club.

“If guys looked as though they didn’t have aspirations outside of what they were going to do on the football eld, that was a red ag,” Buckley said.

“Because, even if you’re the ultimate professional, eventually that wears you down.”

At Hawthorn, players were given half a day every Monday and then all of Wednesday to follow other pursuits, especially studying for the younger players.

But as Hodge recalled, “I think, as you got older, they trusted that you knew your best preparation.”

LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK

u Don’t believe for even a moment any player who gets to the end of the Grand Final and spins some sort of line that they wish they could keep playing. Every race has a nish line.

“They know it’s the nish line. Absolutely,” Klarica said.

“So, they will give their all to surge to the nish line and be happy to collapse a erwards.

“No one really thinks, ‘Oh, I’ll do another marathon next week, depending on how I pull up’.

“It’s such an all-consuming focus leading into a Grand Final. All you think about is the surge to the end. You’ve got to nail that last ve kilometres in the marathon.

“And that’s Grand Final day, e ectively.”

EXPANDING THEIR HORIZONS: Whether it be Max Gawn serving coffees or former Blue Andrew McKay becoming a vet, players have pursued careers away from the game.

RUNNINGF ON EMPTY: The Swans expended every last ounce of energy in the 2012 Grand Final.

Let our winning team sell your property this Spring

Nothing happens in Melbourne until the footy is finished. Regardless of the outcome today, you can be a winner in the property game by talking to OBrien Real Estate.

Laura Kane had to deal with the lights at the Gabba switching off late in the game and a botched goal review that ultimately cost Adelaide a finals berth. And that was when she was only the AFL’s temporary general manager of football.

But she handled all that and more with such aplomb that she was the natural choice to become the League’s new football boss on a permanent basis.

And then Brayden Maynard collided with Angus Brayshaw. She shared her thoughts on her new role and where she hopes to take the game with ASHLEY BROWNE.

Where did your love of the game develop?

It started as a very young child. Both sides of my family were both from overseas, so a Greek side and an Irish side and all of them loved footy. And I started playing football when I was ve years old at Auskick.

You’re too young to have owned a du e coat, but you must have had footy posters on the wall. Who were they?

Good question. Maybe less posters and more badges. All the big Collingwood names through my childhood. Nathan Buckley probably being the biggest, but I actually loved Simon Prestigiacomo for a while there, so maybe I had a respect for defenders.

You played footy as a kid. Self-scout yourself as a player. I was a pretty good player. I think I really enjoyed it and I say that because I played in the forward line. I could take a mark and I could kick a goal.

For a long time your experience with footy was at grassroots level playing and then as an administrator. What did you love the most about grassroots footy?

Yeah, I loved the community of it all. I was a kid growing up rstly in Chirnside Park and then moving to Parkville and going to University High School and, throughout all of that, all my friendships were mostly built around football. My best friends to this day are all mostly people I played footy with.

There was a huge outpouring of support when you got this job. Was there one person or one message that resonated, that stuck out that made you think, ‘Oh my god, this is incredible’?

I got a number of really nice messages. I think the one that took me aback a little was I got a letter from a Year 12 girls school, where a class had asked their teacher to send me a letter to say they were so excited to have a female running football and that they can now see themselves in this industry, not just playing or umpiring, but administering the game at a high level. And, yeah, I remember reading that one and thinking that it was really important and lovely.

Now that you are settling into the expanded role, do you feel a sense of urgency to get to work, get your team in place and get stuck into it?

No, I don’t feel a sense of urgency. I’ve been really comfortable with how we’ve operated this department in the two years that I’ve been here. The structure has shi ed and changed. People have come and people have gone, but I’ve never felt like we didn’t have enough resources and support. It has been a big part of my development to have people like Josh Mahoney (general manager of football operations) brand new. We will appoint a general manager of football performance. We’ve got the right people. I’m not in a rush, but I do know that we have a big job ahead of us and we have to make sure that we’re adequately resourced to do that and execute to the level that our fans expect.

You’ve been in the job for a few minutes and you’re sitting at the footy and Brayden Maynard crashes into Angus Brayshaw. Did you know almost instantly that this was going to be big and dominate the next few days?

Yeah, your mind’s always ticking around what’s next and it’s not contained to an incident like the Maynard and Brayshaw incident. Lots of things happen in football operations that you know will be big stories, such as the lights going out and score reviews … there’s moments in time that are going to be of more interest and talked about or debated more than others. My rst thought was concern for the players and particularly Angus on the day to make sure that he was OK and that hasn’t wavered. But yes, I did know that there would be debate about that incident in the days and weeks to follow.

MAJOR STORY: Laura Kane’s first thoughts were for the well-being of Angus Brayshaw after the collision with Brayden Maynard.

I do know that we have a big job ahead of us

Setting aside the outcome, what did you think of the coverage and the debate around that episode? Did you think it was informed? Do you think there was hysteria? Do you think the footy public actually got a reasonable understanding of the processes you had to go through as the AFL to come to the outcome that you did?

Yes, I do. I think the football community is passionate and as a result they have an opinion and they should have an opinion and they should be able to talk about that opinion. They support their clubs, they support players, they support the game. And so there’s no part of me that wants less debate or less conversation. I think it was informed. I think it was just an incident that was on the margins and hence the erce debate because half the community thought one thing and maybe the other half thought the other and the discussion is to be expected.

You’ve talked about being more accessible to the public. What will that entail?

You might see a little bit more of my face or hear a bit more of my voice, but you’ll hear the same from the rest of my team. It is really important to me that the football department is accessible, whether the issues are di cult issues, good news and everything in between. We want to make sure that our clubs, our players, our coaches and then our fans and our other stakeholders, broadcast partners hear from us, know what’s happening, are able to ask questions particularly of me and my senior leadership team and probably that involves more interviews like this one.

Will the goal review system be deconstructed and then reconstructed over the summer? Nothing will be deconstructed. We are really comfortable with the level of technology that we have in the ARC (AFL Review Centre) and we are mindful that the technology overlay needs to be the same for all games that we play in every venue around the country and not just contained to the MCG, Marvel and other larger stadiums around the country.

How far down the track are we with ball tracking technology?

We’re well progressed. We’re going into our second year of developing out that technology. We’re through to stage two of the trial, which means we’ve got through the construction of the ball, we’ve got through testing it in clubs at training, which we did with the Carlton men’s program. We are now at the stage of having a robot kick the ball thousands and thousands and thousands of times to start to calibrate the data that it is receiving and then the output of that data. And we are well progressed with the connection into broadcast and how you would display that information in stadium and on television, but we need to make sure it works. The robot is going to be busy over the next 12 months or so because we need to make sure that it is as accurate as it can be and it must go through a further testing in competition that may be through state leagues for example.

FOOTBALL TECHNOLOGY: Umpires come together to call for a goal review (right); shattered Crows players after the controversial round 23 clash with the Swans (below).

Would you consider getting rid of the bounce if it was becoming a hindrance to retaining and recruiting the best decision-makers?

In my second week, I’m probably not going to tackle the bounce! I think last week was big enough, but the bounce is a really important part of our game. It’s very traditional. It’s one thing that makes our game unique and di erent to other sports and, as I said, it’s really important to me that we don’t lose that. But the rules and regulations are always reviewed and that includes every aspect of the game we review annually. So I might leave that one for the Commission at the moment.

The robot is going to busy over the next 12 months

How did the four-umpire system go this year?

Really well. We had umpires running less and less intensely, which allowed us to do things like double up umpires Thursday to Sunday. We had 15 umpires double up over a weekend. We were able to debut every single one of our listed eld umpires for the rst time in a while, and that means the development, much like players, when players get to play, they develop quicker on the big stage. It means the development of our next wave of umpires was fast tracked almost immediately. But it also means our best decision-makers and our more experienced umpires can remain in their roles for longer because they are running less intensely over a weekend, which hopefully means we can extend their careers out by a couple of years. As you know, Brett Rosebury ticked over 500 games. We want to keep him in the game as long as we possibly can. And if him running ve or six or seven less intense kilometres every weekend is the di erence, then that’s been a success. But the positioning of our umpires has enabled us to pick up things that we otherwise wouldn’t see with an extra set of eyes.

What time will Friday night footy start next year?

If it was up to our fans, I think it would be a tad earlier and we listened to that feedback. There’s a balance there though. There’s a balance with our broadcast partners. There’s a balance with our stadiums, but we are always listening to what the fans want and we’ll take that on board as we build the xture out for next year and work with our partners.

Early thoughts on the AFLW season so far? Do you love what you’re seeing?

I love what I see. We’ve had a few weeks in a row of increased scoring and the rule adjustments are working. The quality of football has been remarkable. To add 20-odd goals to a round of AFLW football in the matter of over a few weeks has been an extraordinary e ort. We’ve seen many new players debut. We’ve seen young stars develop. I sit on the AFLW Rising Star committee and it is an incredibly di cult job to pick the nominees each week. I love what I see and I hope that fans can get there more o en towards the back half of the season as the men’s nals conclude and people still want their footy x.

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH: Kane says the quality of football in the AFLW has been remarkable this season; the four-umpire system will allow the likes of Brett Rosebury (above) to stay in the game longer.

What are the other key priorities of the o -season?

Technology and innovation is a big one for us and we’ll continue to do that work. The relationship with our clubs, so the accessibility that we talked about earlier extending to our coaches, our administrators, and our club sta who work so hard on the game. So, making sure that we’re all on the same page around the direction and the future. In men’s football it’s around the game being played to the standard that it is now. It’s exciting, it’s fast, it’s unpredictable, it’s competitive, it’s uncertain. I don’t know who will win on the weekend. And then in women’s, it’s more of the same of what we’ve seen over the rst couple of rounds, which is to increase scoring and to connect attack and defence. And then the accessibility broadly is for our fans. I want the fans to understand what happens in the football department at the AFL.

What’s your idea of a great game of footy?

The stadiums are full, the game is fast. There are multiple lead changes. It’s high scoring and someone wins by a point in the last 20 seconds.

With no controversy. Yes, with no injuries and the lights stay on.

The full interview can be found by visiting SEN.com.au.

AWESOME ALWAYS

Shane O’Sullivan

BEEN THERE, STILL DOING THAT

One of the game’s longest-serving and most loyal servants, Shane O’Sullivan has done it all over an amazing 44-year journey at three clubs, including his first and current ‘love’ Carlton. Senior writer ASHLEY BROWNE caught up with the veteran administrator.

There is a saying that a few old-timers who work in football like to utter from time to time if nothing else as a reminder of their wisdom and experience.

“You see ’em in, and you see ’em out.”

In the case of Shane O’Sullivan, this is literally true. At 71, O’Sullivan, who manages the Spirit of Carlton group at Ikon Park, is believed to be the longest-serving person working full-time in the game.

He watched Alex Jesaulenko leave Carlton under a cloud of controversy and was there the day David Parkin started his rst stint as coach. He gave Mick Malthouse his rst coaching job and was there for his last. He explained the intricacies of running a footy club to Christopher Skase and Paul Cronin, and later watched helplessly as Carlton hit the wall under John Elliott.

When he started in footy, there were 12 League teams all based in Victoria, all playing games at 2pm on a Saturday a ernoon. The Sydney Swans were just a twinkle in the eye of visionary VFL president Dr Allen Aylett.

In 44 years as a football administrator, he really has seen them in and seen them out.

“My one love in life is footy,” he told the AFL Record ahead of a long chat in the Carlton board room.

“I guess you can’t do it this long without just loving the game.”

He got his start at Carlton in 1979.

He grew up as a Collingwood fan in Bunyip, in the football-obsessed Gippsland region and le school in year nine. He initially worked in insurance, but was a sales representative in the sporting goods industry when he was o ered a position as the promotions o cer at the Blues. He was one of four people working full-time at the club.

“Basically, you were the recruiter, and you ran match-days, but the most exciting part for me when I started was to go to match committee and learn the nuts and bolts of it,” he recalled.

O’Sullivan couldn’t believe his good fortune at being front and centre of Carlton’s premiership win that year alongside the legendary Alex Jesaulenko, who was captain-coach.

“One of my greatest memories was at the Hilton Hotel a er the game and Alex grabbed me and said, ‘Come on, let’s just you and I have a drink and talk about the game.’ My god, it was Alex Jesaulenko.”

Yet before the next season Jesaulenko was gone. He sided with rambunctious club president George Harris at a divisive board election that summer at which he was soundly beaten.

O’Sullivan had experienced the highs and lows of football in a matter of months. It served him well for what was to come.

“It was just a really sad time a er such a great year,” he said.

Jesaulenko’s great mate Peter ‘Percy’ Jones was named as his replacement, but the talent-laden Blues could only nish fourth. He was not given a second season and was replaced by Parkin.

By then, O’Sullivan was in charge of the football department. He had met Parkin while he was coach of Hawthorn and he was excited to have him at Princes Park. But there was an initial clash of culture.

“He was a lot di erent,” O’Sullivan said.

“I can remember at one of the early training sessions we had them running up and down the hills and he went crook at me because we had no water.

“I said, ‘David, we don’t have water at training at Carlton,’ but with things like hydration, tactics and opposition scouting, he was ahead of his time.”

The Blues were thrashed by Richmond in a practice game.

Parkin con ded his grave fears to O’Sullivan, who tried to assure him that come the start of the season, also against the Tigers, that the players would be ready to go.

“He said, ‘You arrogant Carlton people, that’s the problem here. You’ve all got big heads!’” he said.

“But practice matches were practice matches and, come the opening game of the season, we brained them. Peter Bosustow and Kenny Hunter played their rst games that day.

“I said to the coach that I wasn’t trying to be a smarty, I just knew what these blokes were like.”

That was code for they played hard on and o the eld.

“Val Perovic had this red panel van and he used to park it here a er every game and it had a mattress in the back,” O’Sullivan said.

“One of my jobs on a Sunday was to knock on the window to wake him up, so he could come to come to training.”

O’Sullivan maintains that Carlton’s reputation for arrogance was overblown. “They just had this real con dence in their ability; yes,

HELPING HAND: Shane O’Sullivan was right-hand man to a host of Carlton coaches, including Mick Malthouse.

LAST HURRAH: The Blues have not tasted success since 1995, when Anthony Koutoufides and Ang Christou led the celebrations.

HALCYON DAYS:

O’Sullivan enjoyed Blues flag success under Alex Jesaulenko in 1979 (right) and David Parkin (above) in 1981-82 and 1995

they played hard o the ground and that’s pretty been well noted,” he said.

“But when they trained, there was no mucking around.”

Both Parkin and O’Sullivan knew their place in the football hierarchy at Carlton, where legendary match committee chairman Wes Lo s was the kingmaker.

O’Sullivan said he was initially terri ed of him, but he came to understand that at Carlton, everything went through him.

“He was an amazing guy,” he said.

“Nothing got done without Wes. He was the real powerbroker.

“I used to go to the board meetings and watch him and it was a great learning experience.”

Was Lo s the toe-cutter that legend has it?

“He was, but he did it well where sometimes it was his decision, but someone else might have delivered the message,” O’Sullivan said.

At the same time he was running the football department at Carlton, O’Sullivan was playing footy every Sunday for VFA team Caul eld, a battling club famous, or perhaps notorious, for its social side.

The Bear Cave was a Sunday night institution for VFL and VFA players across Melbourne.

“One night I was standing at the door and I think a hundred VFL players came through,” he recalled.

“It was the only place I think in those days that you could get a drink on a Sunday. The crowds were unbelievable.”

As a football administrator at the time, he heard and saw plenty during those loud, long and boozy nights at the back of the DC Bricker Pavilion. But what happened at the Bear Cave, stayed at the Bear Cave.

O’Sullivan was at Carlton for the 1981 and 1982 premierships, which meant three in four years.

Indeed, throughout all his time in football, it is the 1982 ag, won by a team that was starting to show its mortality, that is his favourite memory.

But in the a ermath of that win over the Tigers, O’Sullivan decided to seek a new challenge. And it came at a club that in every respect was the complete opposite of the Blues.

Whereas Carlton played of out the relatively opulent Princes Park, Footscray was based at the ramshackle Western (now Whitten) Oval.

The Blues were the club of the business community, the Bulldogs proudly working class.

Carlton was sponsored by the eponymous brewery CUB, which tipped in a six- gure sum each year. The Bulldogs were sponsored by Courage Breweries, which paid a fraction of that. Most importantly, the Blues had 13 ags at the time and the Bulldogs had one.

Still, he was charmed by the repeated overtures from then Footscray president Dr Tony Capes.

“Working for Carlton in those days, it felt like if you went to try to sign someone up, as soon as you said the word ‘Carlton’, they’d pretty well agree. I just wanted to test myself,” he said.

He was the general manager at the Bulldogs. Such was the

enormity of the job ahead, that within a few days, he remembers, “I sat at my desk and I cried my eyes out thinking what in the hell have I done. But anyway, I got myself together and decided that we just had to get good people.”

It started with coaching and, a er his rst season, he moved on Ian Hampshire as coach.

When he rst took over at the Bulldogs, O’Sullivan remembered a conversation with legendary football administrator Alan Schwab, who suggested he look to bring Malthouse to the club as reserves coach.

That move didn’t pan out, but 12 months later Malthouse, by then retired as a Richmond player, was ready.

And it proved to be a shrewd appointment from the very start. Malthouse wasn’t afraid to make tough calls and, at one stage, he dropped captain Jim Edmond from the side.

“I think Jimmy nearly blew o the roof of the grandstand, but he was back a week later and got going again,” O’Sullivan said.

“Even at that early stage, Mick had the courage to make tough calls and it was great to be around someone like him starting o his coaching career.”

The club had traditionally struggled to recruit players from its La Trobe Valley recruiting zone, so instead it looked interstate and players such as Andrew Purser, Jim Sewell and Brad Hardie came in and made a huge di erence.

I cried my eyes out thinking what in the hell have I done

SHANE O'SULLIVAN ON LEAVING THE BLUES FOR THE STRUGGLING DOGS

NEW CHALLENGE: The personality clash between Brownlow medallist Brad Hardie (left) and coach Mick Malthouse was a “sad” chapter in O’Sullivan’s time at the Bulldogs.

CHERISHED MOMENT: Parkin and skipper Mike Fitzpatrick hoist the premiership cup after what O’Sullivan describes as his “favourite memory” –the 1982 premiership.

Established stars such as Doug Hawkins, Simon Beasley, Peter Foster, Steven Wallis and Brian Royal were also approaching their prime.

Hardie won the Brownlow Medal in 1985 – in his rst season – and the Bulldogs nished third, only denied a Grand Final appearance by some Leigh Matthews magic in the preliminary nal.

It was a frustrating nish because they had beaten the all-powerful Essendon early in the season and felt they could go with them in the Grand Final.

“I’ve never been in a room where there were so many tears,” O’Sullivan said of the loss to Hawthorn. “But boy, it was a great year.”

The following year was not so much. It started with the infamous players’ trip to the United States during which Footscray player Robert Groenewegen commandeered the in- ight PA system and warned his fellow passengers that the plane was “going down”.

The players, who had ignored a suggestion not to drink before they boarded the ight, weren’t allowed to leave Hawaii to continue with their trip and it cost the club $1400 per player to get them home.

“These days I think he’d be in jail for about 10 years, but Rob is one of the nicest and most caring blokes in the world,” he said.

The Bulldogs couldn’t recreate the magic from the year before and matters came to a head in the second last round at Waverley Park.

Hardie and Malthouse were already falling out when the coach dragged the Brownlow medallist a er he refused to chase Carlton’s Wayne Blackwell.

“I didn’t want to sound like a know-all, but sometimes you have a gut feel and I suggested to Mick in the box that it might not be a good idea,” O’Sullivan said.

“But Mick said, ‘Stu him,’ and it’s history now that Brad came o and waved his jumper at him.”

“Half-time was pretty intense. I’d never felt anything like it. But it was quite sad because I really believe that Mick, especially with how we played at the Whitten Oval, had helped set Brad up to win the Brownlow.

“Mick allowed him to come o his player. But, you know, they were two very stubborn people.”

O’Sullivan loved his time at the Bulldogs. He still attends their functions, and even though it came 30 years a er he le the club, he was overjoyed when they won the ag in 2016.

The VFL got serious about national expansion at the end of 1986 and the two consortiums bidding for the Queensland team both targeted O’Sullivan to head their football departments.

Legendary administrator Graeme Richmond was the point man for one group, while well-known actor Paul Cronin was at the helm of the group that eventually received the nod from the League.

“Graeme Richmond was interesting to sit with and it’s a shame in one sense that his side didn’t get the licence because you would’ve had a few more footy people to support you and back you up,” O’Sullivan said

“But Cronin got the licence and then Christopher Skase got involved. I look back on it and it was tough, but it was also exciting to put a coach in place and get the players and things like that.”

Tough might be an understatement.

O’Sullivan and coach Peter Knights had only a couple of months to cobble together the inaugural Brisbane Bears playing squad for the debut 1987 season.

Hardie came across from the Bulldogs along with Mark Williams from Collingwood. Geo Raines, Michael Richardson, Mick McCarthy and Stephen Reynoldson had played a fair bit of VFL footy as well, but the rest of the list was a ragtag bunch of casts-o s from

other clubs and untried youngsters from elsewhere.

“Peter Knights did a great job,” he said. “People forget we won six, seven and eight games in the rst three years and that rst game we beat North Melbourne at the MCG was just one of those great experiences to be involved in because no one gave us a chance.”

Stories abound of the eccentric Skase, such as getting his hair cut during games. He would later become Australia’s most wanted fugitive, but O’Sullivan found him to be a genuine football fan.

“I’ve got to say that, personally, he was fantastic, if only we could have had more of his time,” he said.

“Instead, he was trying to conquer the world and become the next Rupert Murdoch, but when you had his time, he was really good.

“He’d walk past anyone and greet them by name. He knew all the players.”

He also liked Cronin, but his football naivete was plain to see. He also didn’t have the money to pay for the licence, which is how Skase became involved.

And the club eventually ran into nancial di culties because of the in ated salaries it had to pay the players, none of whom had jobs when they moved to Queensland.

It was Skase and Cronin who were behind bringing the amboyant Warwick Capper to the Bears from

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Christopher Skase (above), Paul Cronin (below), coach Peter Knights (bottom left) and star forward Warwick Capper (bottom right) were key figures in O’Sullivan’s “tough but exciting” stint at the Brisbane Bears.

Nothing beats kicking goals.

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Sydney in 1988. O’Sullivan pleaded with them not to.

“Carrara was such a big ground,” he said.

“Footy people know that one big kick out of the centre at the SCG and Warwick was jumping on everyone’s head, but it’s two kicks at Carrara and it wasn’t going to suit him, although, to be fair, getting him to the club certainly helped nancially in lots of ways like membership and things like that.

“But again, if we’d had more time with Christopher, we might have been able to talk him out of it.”

With Skase out of cash, the Bears’ licence was eventually taken over by Reuben Pelerman, a local businessman. He had even less football knowledge than his predecessors.

“Oh gee, he just wasn’t used to losing money, old Reuben,” O’Sullivan recalled.

“He had a couple of amazing friends who were his advisors, but they didn’t quite understand footy and the culture of it all.

“I’d see him leaving at three-quarter time and knew I was going to get a phone call the following Monday. He said to me one day, ‘You always think we’re going to win.’”

But despite being a footy dilettante, it was Pelerman who inadvertently put the wheels in motion for one of the most signi cant steps in Brisbane’s history.

He asked O’Sullivan to nd a new chief executive for the Bears and the rst call he made was to Andrew Ireland, the former Collingwood defender who was general manager of the Queensland Australian Football League.

The QAFL and the Bears were always at loggerheads, but Ireland and O’Sullivan had a cordial personal relationship and they would o en catch-up.

Occasionally, they would check out the Gabba and dare to dream about the possibilities if it one day became the home of the AFL in southeast Queensland.

It took one meeting for Pelerman to become enamoured with Ireland, who soon a er made the switch to the Bears, setting the wheels in motion for the club to relocate from the Gold Coast to the Gabba.

“Andrew was amazing,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s another one I don’t think gets enough credit for how the club was set up. He proved what a great CEO he was at Brisbane and then at Sydney.”

O’Sullivan didn’t get to work with Ireland for long.

Robert Walls was coach of the club and wanted to take the football department in a di erent direction, so at the end of 1992, he moved on.

He coached VFA club Oakleigh for one season – unsuccessfully –but by 1994 was back at Carlton in a recruiting role. And he has been there ever since.

In 1995 he was witness to one of the great seasons Carlton, or indeed any club, has had.

The Blues lost just two games and, while Parkin was also back at Princes Park in his second stint as coach and o en talks about how he stepped back and that it was a premiership fuelled by player empowerment, O’Sullivan has a di erent recollection about his great friend.

“Don’t worry, he was still in charge,” he said.

“He certainly controlled the ship and made sure everything was online.”

Carlton made the Grand Final again in 1999, but by then it was already a club in serious decline.

President John Elliott and Lo s were still in charge, and their “old school” methods soon led to the Blues falling behind clubs with ambition and willing to innovate.

Matters came to a head in late 2002 when the Blues were ned $1m and had their rst two dra picks taken away a er they were found guilty – for a second time – of serious breaches of the salary cap.

O’Sullivan and others could see the looming car crash, but not the de ant Elliott.

“I think ‘Jack’ (Elliott) just thought that we’ll be right, we’ll bulldoze it through and they won’t hurt us,” he said.

“But things were changing. It wasn’t like the old days where, if you were over the cap, you’d get a call to come into the League, shu e some numbers, sign a document and that would be it.

“Football had changed and everything had to be about compliance, which was fair enough.

“But to lose those picks (which would have been fanatical Blues fan Brendon Goddard, as well as Daniel Wells) and then the ne, it just wrecked us for the next 20 years.”

O’Sullivan moved out of recruiting and back into an administrative role in 2004.

Since then, he has witnessed lots of dark days for the old, dark navy

Blues as well as a revolving door of senior coaches.

Denis Pagan and Mick Malthouse were premiership coaches who came to the club amid much hoopla. Pagan signed on just before the 2002 dra penalties came down.

“We lost dra picks and we had ageing players, but I’ve got to say every Monday the positivity coming from him at match committee was incredible,” O’Sullivan said.

He held high hopes for his reunion with Malthouse, but, like Pagan, the spark wasn’t there.

“They both came to the club at the wrong time,” he said.

Champion Carlton player Brett Ratten had the most success of them all, before being sacked at the end of 2012, with the Blues unable to resist the temptation of bringing Malthouse to the club.

“He was given time and there was gradual improvement and they just lost patience a er one bad year,” O’Sullivan said.

“I think one of our club’s biggest problems is that we sack people pretty quickly when things aren’t going well.”

REVOLVING DOOR: Mick Malthouse (above) and Denis Pagan (right) both came to the club at “the wrong time” according to O’Sullivan, who has had a front row seat as the Blues returned to finals action this season.

Over the course of nearly two hours, O’Sullivan was expansive about working in footy then compared with now. His job used to entail ringing the newspapers every Thursday night to read them the teams, now they get entered into a secure AFL portal.

There were no media managers; reporters would call O’Sullivan to arrange player interviews, usually on their lunch breaks at work.

There was no dra . The Blues had pockets of northern Melbourne plus the Bendigo region as its recruiting zone. Outside Victoria, however, it was open slather.

“In the old days when I started, even though we had zones, you could still do a lot,” he said.

“As (legendary St Kilda recruiter) Johnny Beveridge used to say, a lot of shi y things happened.”

Back then, footy was simply a part-time job with some handy remuneration for the players, whereas today it is a billion-dollar enterprise. For the players, it is their career. But O’Sullivan believes that playing for the jumper still matters.

“I still think once they get out across the white line, it’s pretty important,” he said.

“But I know our blokes, over those few weeks this year before we started winning again, they were really feeling it.”

What has not changed a er 44 years are the nerves and anticipation on the morning of a game.

“Every time Carlton plays, I still get the same butter ies and anxiety about the result, even though I’m no longer part of the nitty gritty of it all,” he said.

And he has had a front row seat through this incredible rollercoaster of a season for the Blues, with the

bright start, losing eight games out of nine and then the barnstorming run to the club’s rst nals appearance in a decade.

“We haven’t done anything for 20-odd years and yet we’ve got 90,000 members at the moment, which is incredible,” he said.

“I feel for people like Kade Simpson and Marc Murphy, who played over 300 games and really didn’t get a chance to play a lot of nals, but really, this place has been so good to me.

“Even though it’s been tough for long periods, I just li the shoulders up and try to make the place better every day I walk through the door.” Which O’Sullivan hopes will be for a considerable period longer.

“I’ve got no plans to retire,” he said, anticipating a 45th year of working in footy. “They can carry me out of here in a box.”

They can carry me out of here in a box

O’SULLIVAN ON HIS LOVE OF WORKING AT CARLTON

HERO HAWKS OF THE

SEEING DOUBLE: Luke Hodge with his Norm Smith medals and premiership medallions in 2014 and 2008 (inset).

Norm Smith medallist and four-time premiership star Luke Hodge. LAURENCE ROSEN

It’s been a week of reminiscing at Hawthorn as the 2013 premiership team came together for a gala dinner at Crown.

The Hawks, who went on to win three consecutive premierships between 2013 and 2015, will go down as one of the most famous teams in recent history and there’s no doubt the memories would have been ooding back.

Some of the most de ning players in football suited up for that Hawthorn side, which a decade ago this week won the rst of its three consecutive ags.

The likes of Shaun Burgoyne, Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli, Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Isaac Smith, Grant Birchall, and a whole lot more, are enshrined in Hawks folklore, part of the side which re-de ned what it means to be successful in the AFL, setting a new benchmark for greatness in the process.

But arguably above all sits the captain of that era, the unparalleled Luke Hodge, whose grit, hard-nosed edge and irrepressible commitment to winning stand alone when looking at this glittering period in the club’s history.

Hodge, who ended his career as a four-time premiership player and three-time All-Australian, will go down as one of the most revered players of his generation.

He also won two Norm Smith Medals – in 2008 and 2014 as the best player a eld.

Hodge admits that, while his premierships are the crowning achievement of his career, knowing that he was the best player on the biggest stage in two of those Grands Finals is a great memory.

“Nothing is as high as a premiership medal, the reason you play football is to win ags,” he told the AFL Record.

“But a er that, to know you had an impact on Grand Final day to help your team to succeed, it’s always a good day to sit back and enjoy.

“It’s great to know you had a little bit of an impact with what you wanted to do.”

While Hodge is just one of three players to win the Norm Smith Medal twice – Hawthorn’s Gary Ayres (1986 and 1988) and Adelaide’s Andrew McLeod (1997 and 1998) are the others – Dustin Martin stands alone as the only player to win one of the game’s highest individual honours three times.

“He is a freak,” Hodge said of the Richmond great’s Grand Final performances in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

“If you look at the 2020 Grand Final, Geelong had the game sewn up until Dustin Martin kicked that miraculous goal just before half-time which carried them over the line.

“The whole mindset going into a Grand Final is to win a premiership, but if anything else comes from it then so be it.

“‘Dusty’ is a di erent person –he is such a freak. Are we ever going to see anyone like him ever again? I don’t think so.”

Hodge’s brilliance isn’t just in the way he played and the uncompromising nature he displayed throughout his career, it’s the fact he was able to be best-on-ground in Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership side with the team still emerging, then backing it up six years later with the second of his medals.

“Both the 2008 and 2014 Grand Finals were very similar,” Hodge recalled.

“But they were di erent teams of course … in 2008 we were the young and energetic team playing against a Cats team who had won it in the previous year.”

“In 2014, we had won the premiership the previous year and had come into the Grand Final a er Sydney nished top of the ladder.

“Those games are where you need everyone doing everything you can do to win because you are underdogs, because both the teams (we beat) were superior to us during the home and away season.”

While 2008 and 2014 were particularly memorable in Hodge’s decorated career, there was an individual moment in the 2015 Grand Final against West Coast which lives long in the memory.

A er the Hawks made a good start, early in the second quarter Hodge received a speculative handball from teammate Paul Puopolo on the boundary, taking just one step before bending through an unlikely goal from the pocket.

He says that goal was one of the most memorable in the ve Grand Finals he played in his career.

“As far as an individual moment on Grand Final day, it’s probably one of the highlights,” he said.

“Being in a position and where I managed to kick the goal from the boundary and then turning around, I was able to properly celebrate with the crowd,” he said.

It’s great to know you had an impact

LUKE HODGE ON BEING ADJUDGED BEST ON GROUND IN A GRAND FINAL

Ten years after claiming the first of its premiership three-peat, Hawthorn is feting its former champions. At the top of the list is two-time

the fans after kicking a miraculous goal in the 2015 Grand Final.

Hodge celebrates with

“I was lucky it was near a Hawthorn-dominant area, so I got a lot of good photos sent to me from the Hawthorn supporters, which was a really nice memory. It is always so good to re ect on.”

Hodge has made a seamless transition from player – nishing his career at Brisbane in 2019 a er two seasons up north – to the media, working on Channel Seven and SEN and becoming one of the most respected experts in the game.

The Hawthorn great was part of the judging panel for the 2021 Norm Smith Medal, which was awarded to Christian Petracca a er his dominant performance in Melbourne’s win over the Western Bulldogs in Perth.

Hodge admits that, ironically, he was more nervous voting as part of a panel on the award than he was during his playing days.

“You actually get more nervous giving the votes rather than playing

in the games,” he said. “Everyone looks at football di erently and you try and pay a lot more attention to di erent parts of the game.

“In 2021, I was really lucky that Christian Petracca was dominant in the game.

“He jumped out of the box in that second half and just took charge.

“There’s nervousness through the whole process because if you voted a player or two in the wrong position or you see something di erent, it could change the award.

“You are a little bit nervous when you have to do it.”

Considering all his accolades he accumulated through his career, it’s easy to forget Hodge remains one of only a select few to win a Norm Smith on multiple occasions.

It’s no less than he deserves –when Hawthorn was good, it was usually Hodge driving the standards and a win-at-all-costs attitude.

@ LaurenceRosen

NORM SMITH MEDAL WINNERS

RARE NERVES: Hodge said he was more anxious being on the selection panel for the 2021 Norm Smith Medal, won by Demon Christian Petracca, than he was playing in a Grand Final.

Presented to the player judged by an independent panel of football experts to be best on ground in the Grand Final. Norm Smith was an icon of the game, as a player and a coach. He played 210 games and kicked 546 goals for Melbourne (1935-48) and 17 games for Fitzroy (1949-50). He coached Melbourne to eight Grand Finals for six premierships. Later he guided South Melbourne to its first final in 25 years. He died in 1973, aged 57.

1 979 Wayne Harmes Carl

1980 Kevin Bartlett Rich

1981 Bruce Doull Carl

1982 Maurice Rioli Rich

1983 Colin Robertson Haw

1984 Billy Duckworth Ess

1985 Simon Madden Ess

1986 Gary Ayres Haw

1987 David Rhys-Jones Carl

1988 Gary Ayres Haw

1989 Gary Ablett Geel

1990 Tony Shaw Coll

1991 Paul Dear Haw

1992 Peter Matera WCE

1993 Michael Long Ess

1994 Dean Kemp WCE

1995 Greg Williams Carl

1996 Glenn Archer NM

1997 Andrew McLeod Adel

1998 Andrew McLeod Adel

1999 Shannon Grant NM

2000 James Hird Ess

2001 Shaun Hart BL

2002 Nathan Buckley Coll

2003 Simon Black BL

2004 Byron Pickett PA

2005 Chris Judd WCE

2006 Andrew Embley WCE

2007 Steve Johnson Geel

2008 Luke Hodge Haw

2009 Paul Chapman Geel

2010 Lenny Hayes* StK Scott Pendlebury** Coll

2011 Jimmy Bartel Geel

2012 Ryan O’Keefe Syd

2013 Brian Lake Haw

2014 Luke Hodge Haw

2015 Cyril Rioli Haw

2016 Jason Johannisen WB

2017 Dustin Martin Rich

2018 Luke Shuey WCE

2019 Dustin Martin Rich

2020 Dustin Martin Rich

2021 Christian Petracca Melb

2022 Isaac Smith Geel

*Drawn Grand Final **Replay

I got a lot of good photos sent to me

HODGE ON THE HAWKS FANS’ REACTION TO HIS 2015 GOAL

NICK DAICOS

COLLINGWOOD v ESSENDON

MCG, April 25

u Nick Daicos’ second AFL medal – he won the Ron Evans Medal as AFL Rising Star in 2022 – came against Essendon in round six this year.

A 40-disposal, two-goal effort was more than enough for the Magpies young gun to be voted the 2023 Anzac Day medallist and it kick-started Daicos’ charge to becoming a genuine superstar in just his second season.

So early in his career, Daicos had already shown impressive ball-winning abilities and sublime ball-use on both sides of his body.

But the come-from-behind 13-point victory against the Bombers was probably the first time Daicos changed the result off his own boot.

With Collingwood 28 points behind at three-quarter time and having kicked just six goals for the day, enter Daicos.

The 20-year-old didn’t come off the ground in the final term and had seven touches (four contested).

But it was his ability to push forward and boot two last-quarter majors that confirmed him as a clear best afield.

On top of his 40 disposals and two goals, Daicos had nine score involvements, six inside 50s, six marks and a game-high 604 metres gained.

It was a performance that saw a full-time move to the midfield follow and a new narrative surrounding the famous Daicos name begin.

SEB MOTTRAM

AFL TRIVIA QUESTION #24

Who was the last ruckman to win the Brownlow Medal?

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u FACT FILE

Born: May 26, 1988

Recruited from: Sandhurst (Vic)/ Bendigo U18

Debut: Round 1, 2008, v Western Bulldogs

Height: 183cm

Weight: 84kg

Games: 355

Goals: 175

Brownlow Medal: career votes 214

SALUTING A LEGEND – THAT’S A PLUS JOEL SELWOOD

u The 2022 Grand Final was all about one team as Geelong took the Sydney Swans to the cleaners, romping to an 81-point win.

And while the focus was on ‘team’ that day, one player was more determined than most to make it a memorable occasion.

Only a handful of close teammates and a few Cats o icials, including senior coach Chris Scott, knew it would be captain Joel Selwood’s 355th and final game.

In the weeks leading into the finals series, Selwood made the big decision to call it a day.

He wanted to go out on his terms and, while premierships are not a given, bowing out as a flag-winning skipper would be the icing on the cake.

The Cats did the right thing, building on a 13-game winning streak leading into the finals to overcome a gallant Collingwood in the qualifying final before blowing away the Brisbane Lions in the preliminary final and the Swans in the decider.

But it was what Selwood did before, during and after the Grand Final that enhanced his standing with his adoring Geelong fans and, by day’s end, he’d even won over many neutral supporters. It started when Selwood made sure Levi Ablett, the son of retired teammate Gary, would get to be part of the occasion.

Young Levi has dealt with some serious health issues and Selwood thought it would be great if he could carry the youngster through the banner.

Next it was game on, and Selwood played his part in Geelong securing its 10th flag and his record fourth as a Cats player. His last-quarter goal typified the way he always played – never give up, even though his side was well in front.

Then on the premiership dais, Selwood presented his boots to the Auskicker who had just handed him his premiership medal.

And, finally, on the Cats’ lap of honour, Selwood made sure much-loved water boy Sam Moorfoot could join in the on-field celebrations. Even though he’s now retired, Selwood remains one of the most respected players of the modern era and a walk-up when he qualifies for induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. That’s a plus.

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Footy, I l ve you

The seventh ‘Love Letter to Footy’ lunch was held at Marvel Stadium last month. Hosted by 3AW Breakfast presenter Ross Stevenson, guests heard from a line-up of football-loving identities from the media, business and sporting worlds. Importantly, the function raised awareness and much-needed funds for RULE Prostate Cancer. The Record presents excerpts from the five Love Letter speakers –TOM

TOM ELLIOTT

Radio broadcaster and Carlton tragic. His father John was club president for 20 years. u As you know, I’m a Carlton supporter. I didn’t just become one when I was born. Our family’s love for the navy Blue goes back over a century when my grandfather, Frank Elliott, was a boy in the 1920s. He used to carry the bags for a Carlton player called Paddy O’Brien.

In 1983, my Dad (John) was invited to become the president of Carlton. My grandfather said, ‘John, this is the most important job you will ever have.’ And Dad was president of the Liberal Party and he ran the second biggest company in Australia.

Now, for reasons lost in the mists of time in 1978, I suddenly decided at age 10 that I wanted to play soccer. I told my mother and she said, ‘Well, you better not say anything to your father.’

Eventually, however, Dad found out that I suddenly had this weird preference – in his eyes – for the round ball code. He was aghast at my decision.

He said I could go and nd my own place to live. I was 10 years old! He started what we now call an intervention. One day he just drove me without any warning to my grandfather’s house, and there was my grandfather and my two uncles, Ross and Richard.

And he said, ‘Oh, they’re just going to have a chat with you.’ Anyway, they sat me down to explain why football (soccer) was a British game. Nothing was working, and eventually my grandfather played what I’ll call the white Australia card. He said to me, ‘Tom, soccer’s a good sport, but it’s a game for migrants. We play football.’

And that argument obviously worked on me and I soon returned to the oval ball code.

ELLIOTT, SARAH JONES, JASON KIMBERLEY, NICOLE LIVINGSTONE and TIM LANE.

JOHN ELLIOTT

STEPHEN KERNAHAN

SARAH JONES

Fox Footy presenter, wife, mother, Essendon supporter. Her grandfather Jack Jones was a triple premiership player for the Bombers. u Dear football, I rst fell in love with you as a little girl growing up in the small country town of Echuca. Childhood memories of going to the footy to watch my Dad, Tony, play are memories of my youth.

He played at full-forward. I loved to count his goals, but I didn’t love the fruity language that headed his way from opposition supporters. Myself and my two younger brothers and two younger sisters would run wild around the oval without any parental supervision.

We’d love to help out and we would assist with the old-fashioned manual scoreboard.

And my love of footy of course is in my blood via my grandfather, Jack Jones, the triple Essendon premiership player. His love a air with footy began as a youngster growing up in Ascot Vale, idolising the great Dick Reynolds. He would go on to play alongside his hero. Football gave Pop a sense of direction and belonging a er he returned from World War II. Pop was an incredible storyteller. My favourite is how he got dra ed to the Bombers.

At the end of the war, there was a lengthy wait for enough boats to arrive to bring the soldiers back home to Australia, so they cleared the jungles and created a makeshi football oval to keep all the soldiers entertained.

The generals would watch and they would have a mini tournament in the middle of the jungle. Now, apparently, Pop starred at this makeshi carnival, so much so that when he arrived home in Australia, there were three letters waiting for him from local football clubs, and one of those clubs was Essendon.

He went to training and played the rst of his 175 senior games in round one, 1946, and never played in the reserves. He’d go on to play in seven grand nals in six years. Retirement just didn’t suit Pop. He liked to be busy and he liked to be needed. So having the Essendon Football Club throw their arms around him in old age was really a godsend. The interactions with the sta and the players certainly kept him young and the annual Anzac Day match gave Pop a platform to educate us all about the importance of Anzac Day. He would live to be 95.

I’ve wanted to be a sportswoman since I was six years old. I was watching the Seoul Olympics with my mum, Chris, and she turned to me and said, ‘That’s what you should do when you grow up. You love sport … you should be a sports broadcaster.’

And I look back now, and I think it was amazing that in the 1980s in a small country town, that my mum envisaged something for me that simply didn’t exist for girls at that time, hosting an Olympics and hosting football games. Mum was tragically killed in a car accident just two years a er that memory, so I’ve never been able to ask her what it was she saw in me that thought that would be my passion and my dream job.

But dear football, I like to think she knew we would be a good match.

A

JACK JONES

DICK REYNOLDS

JASON KIMBERLEY

Businessman, adventurer, passionate Swans supporter. His father Craig was South Melbourne president at a critical time in the club’s history. u My love for footy began in 1975. My mob South (Melbourne) won two games. South was so bad we were on the 3UZ (the Melbourne radio racing station now known as RSN) broadcast every week. It went something like this: ‘South kick along to the goalsquare where (Steve) Ho man marks. This to put them in front. He shu es in, sends it on its way … racing now at the Valley!’

Well, footy I love you. In October 1975, South’s captain and Brownlow medallist Peter Bedford was leaving for Carlton. Our club was in disarray, but Dad (Craig), ever the opportunist, seized his moment. He met with Bedford at the Rainbow Room at the Southern Cross Hotel with a heavy heart.

Bedford told him he was leaving for Carlton, and Dad reassured him that he understood completely as he passed him a chunky brown paper bag under the table. Bedford le and returned. A few moments later there were smiles all round. A heavy pocket had trumped a heavy heart. Alf Brown from The Herald had been given the scoop. Bedford would only stay at South if the Kimberley ticket was elected.

Two days later, the headline read: ‘KIMBERLEY PRESIDENT, BEDFORD STAYS IN A BLOODLESS COUP’. The old board voted themselves out 9-0.

I love you, footy. Dad was Willy Wonka, I was Charlie. The South Melbourne Footy club was the chocolate factory. We had the keys and the golden ticket. Dad became the youngest VFL president at 34.

It was the time of our lives. Mum was not so keen. Maybe it was the party she hosted for South one night. Next morning, she was on her hands and knees in the garden, helping Barry Round nd his false teeth a er he’d thrown up.

Maybe it was the time the sheri came bashing on our front door to claim furniture, a car and a TV a er Dad had gone guarantor for a failed South loan. Perhaps it was Dad paying the players out of his own pocket. Maybe it was driving Bob Hawke home again.

Dad always wanted to see a premiership before he died. Back then, premierships were for other teams, not us. We’re so proud of the Swans’ record of 7-2 in prelims since 1996. Two premierships and barely missed the nals in the last 25 years. Footy, I love you.

The crowd invasion for ‘Plugger’ (Tony Lockett) breaking 1300 goals in Sydney (in 1999) was historic. The only thing missing was a picnic on the SCG. Now, that would be fun.

My wait would be 23 short years as ‘Buddy’ Franklin was closing in on 1000 goals. My daughter Flo, her bloke Ryan and me, jumped on a ight to Sydney.

My overnight bag contained no toothbrush, no toothpaste, no jocks, no socks, just my Swans scarf knitted by granny and a picnic blanket. Buddy slotted his 1000th. We watched the stands empty on to the ground. My sister borrowed a bottle of champagne from a nearby fridge. I grabbed a box of party pies. We lled our pockets with beer, slung the blanket over a shoulder and headed out to the ground.

We set up shop in front of the Ladies Stand, popped the champers, and soaked up the atmosphere. We were soon swamped by the sel e crowd. We were famous for a few minutes. Then we weren’t. We stood together, looking up at the empty stands, sharing a yarn over the ridiculously, fabulously historic event taking place.

PETER BEDFORD

‘BUDDY’ FRANKLIN

NICOLE LIVINGSTONE

Olympic Games medallist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist in swimming. Now AFL general manager of women’s football.

u My days are spent celebrating, amplifying and improving women’s Australian Football. But unlike so many women that I work with, I sadly never played a single game of Australian Football in my life. I wanted to though, goodness knows that I have the shoulders for it!

I wanted to. And I know for a fact that my Dad secretly wished that he had a footballer in the family. But I grew up in a time where father-son selections were the only option. So, all the fathers and their daughters that loved football and dreamt about playing it had little choice but to sit in quiet disappointment while the men had all the fun on the eld.

Still, I loved it, and I loved what it brought out in my mum. My mum grew up barracking for Essendon. That was until she met – don’t clap because she didn’t nish barracking for Essendon – my dad, Eddie. ‘Fast Eddie’, who on the quiet was an SP bookie runner in the back streets of Carlton, a tough man living in some tough streets, and you better believe that he barracked for the bloody Blues pretty soon.

Princes Park was our home away from home. Mum and I would head down there on the weekends to our special spot up in the stands, just behind the goals at the clubhouse end. And while those seats aren’t there anymore, that space there will always belong to me and my mum. We’d buy the Footy Record, we’d share it, but we’d ght over the ‘word nd’.

She knew all the regulars, she knew all the players and their nicknames and she made enough food to go around and would share it. She was an angel until somebody mouthed o about her footy team and the players. One poor bloke only realised how serious she was a er he copped a sausage roll on the face.

As I grew older, my relationship with footy changed. My star was slowly, slowly on the rise as a swimmer and no longer was I being recognised as Elsie’s daughter sitting in the stand. But as Nicole Livingstone, a swimmer, and I started to see the Carlton players in a new light as well.

My case in point is Stephen Silvagni. I loved Stephen Silvagni. He was my favourite. I mean (wife) Jo Silvagni just might feel a bit awkward that her son Ben is sitting in this room, but we’ll work our way through that.

A er winning a couple of gold medals at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, I was invited to the club. I was presented with a membership, a guernsey with the No. 1 on my back. And it was presented by ‘SOS’ (Silvagni), Adrian Gleeson and Tommy Alvin. Remember, Tommy, with the long owing locks? Oh, I thought that I would try to impress Stephen Silvagni that day and I told him that I could bench press more than him.

That was my idea of irting. But you know what? I probably could have bench pressed more than him. I was strong and I probably still can bench press more than him.

Yeah, I thought I was making an impression until I went to the bathrooms at Princes Park. I was washing my hands with my head down and I look up into the mirror and beside me is Jo Bailey (now Silvagni) applying lip gloss and then icking those Century locks. And I realised then I didn’t have a bloody chance!

Sale of the

STEPHEN SILVAGNI

TIM LANE

Radio broadcaster, Tasmanian football advocate, passionate Carlton fan.

u Footy, I love you. I declare this openly despite knowing it will make me sound and look like an old fool pouring out his heart on this enchanted a ernoon across a crowded room.

When we rst ran slow motion into each other’s arms at York Park, Launceston, I was four years old and elusive snapshots still icker in the mind’s eye. It wasn’t long, my shapely Sherrin, before I began studying your vital statistic as our family performed the second half of the weekend ritual at Launceston’s Church of the Apostles, I was sneaking furtive glances at the season scores inside the back page of the Footy Record, tucked inside my prayer book.

I was young and innocent back then, and you, as I was soon to discover, had a wild edge. A couple of times in those Tassie days I could scarcely believe what I was seeing.

Remember the day a preliminary nal at York Park when a bull had escaped from the nearby wharf, headed for the footy, invaded the ground and stopped play?

Monday’s paper reported that ‘Bespectacled umpire Athol Walters stopped play and, ball in hand, advanced on the burly intruder to stare his blu and as the bull advanced to Walters, he held the ball, took to his heels, and quickly joined 36 non-plussed footballers as they smartly ran from the arena.’

And there was the infamous game at Burnie a few years later.

It’s a state nal and the home team are a point up 30 minutes into the last quarter. The umpire pays a mark to the opposition full-forward, but the locals are sure they heard the nal siren while the ball was in ight. What else was there to do but jump the fence and pull the goalposts out? But this was Tassie and footy.

I knew you were ultimately a child of the big smoke back when I began reading about you in the Footy Record, I noticed the ladder of a faraway comp called the VFL, where the teams and their names like Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon oozed footy gravitas for about six weeks.

Footscray was my team because I liked that name, but the Doggies were still struggling with a ’54 hangover and, as the losses mounted, I wavered.

So, I asked my dad which VFL team he supported and my dearest, when he told me Carlton, he changed the dynamic between us and perhaps even contributed to the career and life I would later enjoy. But footy, one thing my dad couldn’t x was the dysfunction you and I were having in our physical relationship. I recently heard Ross Stevenson describe his playing style as that of a petri ed player.

I assumed we were destined never to know the dizzy heights until one day when I was 20, I was boozing enthusiastically in a Devonport pub and found myself talking to the local radio commentator.

His name was Elton Alexander and the description he enjoyed a cool drink on a warm day was coined for a bloke like Elton. The crazy thing is that in this most improbable setting for such an outcome, it o ered me a job as a broadcaster. It occurred to me that perhaps he’d been watching earlier as I placed my beer on the edge of the pool table, cigarette dangling James Dean-like from the lips as I prepared to pot the black.

Yes, this was me. And he saw in me the quintessential qualities of a 1970s sports broadcaster. Footy helped the match-making and I would never look back.

You’ve been a constant so much that my mind still dri s your way on those occasions when I wake in the night. Which reminds me, my dearest, those occasions are becoming a little more frequent and I’m not getting any younger. Can you make sure you ring the doc rst thing tomorrow to arrange my next PSA? Thank you, my love.

Ross Stevenson’s Love Letter to Football is in its seventh year, with all proceeds going to RULE Prostate Cancer. To donate, scan the QR code or visit ruleprostatecancer.org.au.

LAUNCESTON’S CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES

BABY BOMBERS BLOW BLUES AWAY

It is 30 years since a brash young Essendon side upset its bitter rival Carlton. takes a trip down memory lane.

ANDREW SLEVISON

The 1993 AFL season had a bit of everything.

There were goalkickers galore with a trio – Adelaide’s Tony Modra, Geelong’s Gary Ablett and Hawthorn’s Jason Dunstall –each booting more than 120 goals.

A 20-year-old – Gavin Wanganeen – won the Brownlow Medal and a premiership medal in a season Essendon wasn’t expected to genuinely contend despite nishing on top of the ladder.

The minor premiers won only 13 home and away matches in a 20-game season and just 14 points separated top spot and 12th (or fourth bottom).

A nal was played under lights for the rst time.

It was a crazy season.

To add further spice, one of the longest-running rivalries in the game – Essendon and Carlton – had reached boiling point which came to a head in the Grand Final.

More than 96,000 raucous fans watched the Bombers dominate in the ’93 decider as Kevin Sheedy’s ‘Baby Bombers’ came away with a 44-point victory on a sunny Melbourne day at the MCG.

Before the big one, there had been spot res between the Bombers and the Blues all season long.

An early instalment came in round two in the form of a brutal, high-scoring and wildly entertaining draw.

Carlton captain Stephen Kernahan needed only a minor score to win from his set shot a er the siren. He missed the lot in what was the only draw in a remarkably competitive season.

Essendon then claimed the return round 17 meeting by 21 points. The Bombers fought o a second-quarter Carlton ghtback to eventually get over the line.

Returning veteran Tim Watson, who had been lured out of retirement by Sheedy, wound the clock back with ve goals from 20 disposals on that day.

It was the second victory of a ve-game winning streak which ever so increasingly started to strengthen their unlikely premiership credentials.

A round 21 slip-up against a rampaging Geelong side – which might have won the ag had it quali ed for nals – provided some nervy moments for the Bombers.

They had time to stew over those doubts in their nal round bye before suiting up for Carlton’s revenge game in the rst week of nals. It ended badly for the Bombers, who fell two points short in a classic qualifying nal.

They took care of West Coast in a cut-throat semi- nal before their most remarkable performance of a chaotic campaign.

Essendon’s preliminary nal victory over the Crows in Melbourne was a thing of beauty.

The Bombers trailed by 42 points at half-time before kicking 11 goals to two in the second half, charging into the Grand Final where the Blues waited.

Watson recalled Sheedy saying: “OK, we’ve got ourselves into a di cult situation (but) we’ve got an opportunity to show everyone what we’re capable of doing, and we don’t get many great opportunities like this to turn it around.”

They spent the next week plotting vengeance for the qualifying nal loss, all amid the Derek Kickett saga. Despite Sheedy’s gutsy move to omit Kickett, who had played every game before the Grand Final that season, their preparations worked a treat.

LEAP OF FAITH: Michael Long had Essendon fans in raptures with his Norm Smith Medal-winning display.

They blew the Blues away by kicking ve goals to one in the opening term to lead by 30 points. They had taken the momentum from the preliminary nal comeback against the Crows into the opening term of the decider against Carlton.

Immediately in the second stanza, Bombers hard man Dean Wallis shook things up when he ran through Carlton’s Mil Hanna, collecting him high with an act that would now attract frenzied scrutiny.

In 1993, however, it was considered part of the game.

From there they kept extending their lead to end up 44 points in front at the nal siren.

Paul Salmon kicked ve goals and Michael Long won the Norm Smith Medal for his 33-disposal, two-goal performance.

But this is not a match report. It’s a re ection of one of the most memorable premierships ever won by the men in black and red.

The Bombers had started the year ominously by claiming the pre-season competition over Richmond.

Sheedy had a talented group on his hands, but the overall expectation was that they’d only improve slightly from their 10-12 win-loss season in 1992 which had them in eighth, some two wins and signi cant percentage outside the nal six.

A dozen of the 20 Grand Final players were under the age of 25 – the sole reason for the Baby Bombers moniker.

Livewire forward Darren Bewick –who had turned 26 a month earlier – was actually one of the more experienced players in the line-up that day.

He recalls the special bond among the emerging group who simply threw caution to the wind.

“We had a team that mixed really well,” Bewick said on SEN.

“Coming into that series we had nothing to lose. We just went and had a crack.

“We were probably a bit unlucky to lose the rst nal against Carlton.

“We always knew if we had another chance against them that we’d probably stitch them up.

“We just had to get through a couple more games and we were able to do that.”

The likes of James Hird, in his second season, and Dustin Fletcher, in his rookie campaign, were two of the key contributors who went on to become superstars of the club.

But the stardust had not quite settled on the skin of those young players at that early stage.

“No not really,” Bewick said when asked if it was evident they’d be stars.

“Because of the type of people they were, they were young kids just enjoying what they were doing. Wherever it took them they were going to run with it.

“They were fortunate they had some really good people around them who mixed really well with them but kept them in check a fair bit when we could.

“The results we got on the eld were the most important thing.

“When it was time to play, they were really switched on and enjoyed that aspect.”

Another of the Essendon youngsters who played a crucial role throughout the 1993 season was Wanganeen.

He polled 18 votes to claim the Brownlow Medal, becoming the youngest winner since Fitzroy’s Dinny Ryan in 1936.

YOUNG TALENT: James Hird (above) was in just his second season, while Gavin Wanganeen, celebrating with Paul Salmon (below), claimed that season’s Brownlow Medal.

OLD HANDS: Small forward Darren Bewick and returning veteran Tim Watson (right) were among the elder statesmen.

CHEERS TO AUSTRALIA’S BEST

CONGRATS ON A CRACKING 2023 SEASON

Wanganeen won by one vote from Carlton star Greg Williams, who had racked up 44 possessions against Melbourne in round 10, yet failed to attract a vote from the umpires.

It was just another reason for the Bombers-Blues friction to continue bubbling away.

Not that Wanganeen would have even been aware.

“He was like a rock star,” Watson told SEN of the wiry back pocket.

“I couldn’t believe how popular he was. I had ’92 o , came back and I couldn’t believe what a phenomenon he was.

“There was a posse of youngsters who would scream whenever he touched the ball at training and they’d wait for him outside a er training.

“I remember one night we were in the showers and there was a crash and a bang outside. They had been trying to climb up the plumbing outside the building and they pulled it o the wall.

“He was extraordinary back in that time.”

Bewick could also relate to Wanganeen’s innocence in those early days.

“The funny thing about it was he was so naive to everything,” Bewick said.

“He came across not knowing a lot about the world. A er ’93 we went away and he rocked up at the airport, Danny Corcoran who was our boss then said, ‘Are you right with everything? You got money?’.

GRAND FINAL, SEPTEMBER 25, 1993

Essendon5.8 10.9 16.11 20.13 (133)

Carlton 1.2 5.2 10.5 13.11 (89)

CORRECT

“He said, ‘Yep, I’ve got 150 bucks’, so he had $150 Australian cash and we were going for two or three weeks to America and Europe.

“He was just so naive but a fantastic bloke. What he did for the footy club and where his career went was just fantastic.”

From an unassuming young gun to a completely observant elder statesman, that Essendon team had it all.

Watson, alongside captain Mark Thompson, was the cool, calm and composed head that the inexperienced group needed.

“I rst came over in 1988. I grew up in Perth and barracked for Esendon and Tim was just a legend,” Bewick said of Watson.

“He started so young and had already played a couple of hundred games. He was a club legend who had this aura about him, but he was just a normal bloke.

“His addition for us was the icing on the cake in ’93. For someone like myself to say I played in a premiership with Tim Watson – one of the all-time greats – is something you hang your hat on and catch up on every few years.”

The Baby Bombers are now part of the footy vernacular. If a young team is on the march, they are immediately compared with this Essendon side from 30 years ago.

It is a legacy that will continue to live on for future Essendon generations to cherish.

@ Foonge

BOMBER BLISS: Skipper Mark Thompson and Kevin Sheedy; Sean Denham (right) with the premiership cup; Long and Wanganeen (below).

HEARTBREAK: Derek Kickett (far right) was dropped for the Grand Final.

BEST: Essendon – Long, Mercuri, O’Donnell, Salmon, Thompson, Harvey. Carlton – Kernahan, Hogg, Bradley, Williams, Madden, McKay. GOALS: Essendon – Salmon 5, Mercuri 3, Hird 2, Long 2, Harvey, Wanganeen, C. Daniher, Bewick, Wallis, Misiti, Denham, Calthorpe. Carlton – Kernahan 7, Welsh 2, Williams, Heaver, Bradley, Alvin. Norm Smith Medal: Michael Long (Ess)

Umpires: D. Goldspink, P. Carey. Crowd: 96,862 at the MCG.

Saluting a

After 26 years with the publication, the 2023 Grand Final will be MICHAEL LOVETT’s last as Editor of the AFL Record.

Like all rst days in a new job, mine was full of apprehension as I drove to the MCG on a warm November morning in 1996.

My palms were sweaty – nothing to do with the weather – as I drove into the carpark in the bowels of the Great Southern Stand.

I caught the li to Level 3 and was greeted by former Record editor Greg Hobbs, who then was working as an editorial consultant.

A er dropping my humble belongings – a dictionary, a few pens and a notebook – in a small o ce just o the AFL’s media department, it was time to meet and greet my new colleagues who worked in departments that were foreign to me: footy ops, game development, membership and umpiring.

A bit di erent to the world of newspapers and magazines which had been my domain since mid-1974 when I drove my EH Holden to Ballarat to start a cadetship on the Ballarat Courier and follow in the journalistic footsteps of my grandfather, father and uncle.

First port of call was footy ops and Greg introduced me to the legendary Jill Lindsay, who was the ground-breaking head of all things football.

“If you want footy tickets, look a er Jill,” he whispered in my ear. I never forgot those words.

Early in the 1997 season, Jill called to ask if we could get a small map in the Record pointing out new parking arrangements in Yarra Park.

The map was duly placed in a prominent position. The footy tickets arrived a few days later.

A er producing a couple of pre-season editions, my rst home

innings

and away Record as editor was Port Adelaide’s history-making AFL debut, against Collingwood in the opening round of the 1997 season. A nice keepsake to kick o .

But in this business, it can go belly up pretty quickly.

It was noted in the list of upcoming milestones for round two the following week that Melbourne captain Garry Lyon would be playing his 200th game.

How convenient for us. Garry worked as a development o cer for the AFL at the time and I’d o en see him wandering the corridors of AFL HQ when he and his colleagues Gavin Brown and Danny Frawley weren’t out visiting schools and junior footy clubs.

No problem. Greg Hobbs sat down with Garry and eulogised over several pages about the star Demon and his courageous comeback from a serious back injury he su ered the previous season.

a serious back injury he su ered the

There was a dedicated cover to celebrate his 200-game milestone in the Friday night blockbuster against Collingwood at the MCG.

As I took my seat in an area reserved for AFL sta , the person next to me said: “Have you heard the news? Garry Lyon is out.”

Oh dear. Rooster one week, feather duster the next.

I bumped into Garry the following week and he shrugged his shoulders in apologetic fashion. He didn’t get a cover when he returned in round three.

Those rst couple of seasons with the Record seem like the dark ages compared with the current production process.

Teams were faxed to my home on a Thursday night – the League

HISTORIC: Michael Lovett's first edition of the Record as editor in 1997 (top) included an around-the-ground scores panel and race fields.

generously installed a large, clunky fax machine in my home study –and in between eating dinner and helping to get three kids ready for bed, I’d check the teams and phone any corrections to our (then) part-time production manager.

Part of my weekly routine was also checking the race elds were on the correct page and the time-honoured but now long departed ‘Around The Grounds’ scoreboard chart was in place.

I’ve got no idea who devised the chart, but it was a clever piece of marketing. Each team was assigned a letter and the games were listed in order of the rst match to the last match of the round.

The ploy was to get fans to buy a Record, turn to the Around The Grounds page and check the progressive scores on the scoreboard, A v B, C v D etc.

A er a season or so, we decided the chart had run its race.

They worked when all games were played on Saturday a ernoon in Melbourne and Geelong, but we were embracing a national competition and matches were played across the country on Friday night, Saturday a ernoon and night, and Sunday a ernoon.

So blame me. I killed o that one.

I also killed o the race elds, which is somewhat ironic given my love of the sport of kings.

Like the scoreboard chart, the race elds were a Victorian relic; if your team was getting thumped, at least you could keep track of how your quaddie was going.

Again, it was pointless running Saturday race elds in a publication that some fans were reading in Perth on Sunday a ernoon. The horses had indeed well and truly bolted by then.

Despite my early setback over Garry Lyon’s milestone that wasn’t, I stuck to my edict that big games and milestones must be celebrated.

That decree still applies today and we o en plan covers and feature stories around achievements such as 300-game milestones.

Play 300 games, and you are assured of being on the cover. Only once in my time it didn’t happen.

Brisbane Lions premiership star Marcus Ashcro reached 300 games in round seven, 2003. We looked at the xture and noted the Lions were drawn to play the Sydney Swans at the SCG on Sunday.

Not much point putting a Brisbane player on the cover for a Sydney home crowd I thought. Wrong.

I’d barely put my feet under the desk the following day when I received a call from Tony Peek, the AFL’s long-time media manager and my rst boss back in 1996.

By this stage the AFL o ces had moved to what is now Marvel Stadium and the Record was under the stewardship of Geo Slattery Publishing.

The conversation went something like this: “Michael. It’s Tony Peek. Why wasn’t Marcus Ashcro on the cover of yesterday’s Record?” he enquired.

“Um, the game was played in Sydney,” I responded.

To which he replied: “Michael, it’s a national competition. You play 300 games, you get on the cover of the Record.”

He promptly hung up. Every 300-game player since has appeared on the cover.

My other edict was that the Record never had to be a platform to rehash old news – do you reckon Essendon fans, a er su ering the ignominy of their side being dragged through the supplements saga a decade ago, wanted to turn up at the MCG on Saturday and read the next sordid chapter?

I think not.

My three favourite milestones were Tony Lockett breaking the League’s goalkicking record in 1999, Brent Harvey breaking the all-time games record in 2016 and Lance Franklin reaching his 1000-goal milestone last year.

On a biased note, another favourite – and I tried hard not to make it too obvious – was watching Geelong giving me and a lot of other long-su ering Cats supporters the ride of our lives over the past 15 years or so.

Producing the Premiers magazines of 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2022 was a labour of love, even if we were turning out the o ce lights at 2am the Sunday morning a er the big game.

My thanks to Geo Slattery who got me the gig in the rst place (thanks to a chance meeting at the 1996 Centenary Ball at the MCG), our sta and in particular my loyal colleagues Ashley Browne (senior writer) and Gary Hancock (production editor) and the dozens of writers, designers, statisticians (Col Hutchinson, Champion Data, Swamp), sales sta , our printers IVE (John Cauchi), the AFL which employed me for a large chunk of

my 26 years and in particular the League’s Patrick Keane, and to the entire sta and management here at Sports Entertainment Network where we have been since late 2018. Finally, thanks to our loyal readers and the many collectors out there. Your love and passion for the Record is appreciated by all of us who produce it.

(It) was a labour of love

MICHAEL LOVETT

HEADLINE ACTS: Three of Lovett’s favourite covers, from 1999 (above), 2016 (right) and 2022 (below).

ONE WEEK TIME

News from in and around the AFL

CHIEF DOES THE DEAL IN FINAL ACT

Gillon McLachlan enjoyed a festive nal week as AFL chief executive a er completing his last major item of business leading into preliminary nal weekend.

The new and historic Collective Bargaining Agreement signed o with the AFL Players Association on September 21 will deliver more money to the players, but will also lead to more excitement for fans.

The men’s players achieved an immediate 10 per cent increase in payments backdated for this season and, by the end of the agreement, their average salary will have increased to $519,000.

The average AFLW player salary will increase from $46,000 to $60,000 this year and will reach $82,000 by 2027.

As it stands, more than 90 of the top AFLW players will earn more than $100,000 this year and, over the course of the agreement, payments to AFLW players will increase by 77 per cent, believed to be the largest total investment in women’s sport by any domestic league.

And altogether, AFL men’s and women’s players will receive a 31.7 per cent share in football revenue.

The past players injury and hardship fund will also receive a major $40m boost and means

EDITOR’S LETTER MICHAEL LOVETT

players, especially those with l ong-term concussion issues, will have access to a $60m fund.

McLachlan’s dealmaking was legendary and there is plenty more to cherry pick from the agreement.

AFL chairman Richard Goyder pleaded with him to delay his departure – which was rst announced more than 12 months ago – in order to get it completed.

A signi cant development is the three-year contracts for rst-round dra selections, which should mean an end to the days of players such as Jason Horne-Francis departing a er just one season to return to their home states.

Also notable is the consent given to the introduction of a mid-season trade period.

The ner details of how it will work are still being determined, but it is the nal domino to fall of the player exchange mechanism.

It will allow clubs to load up if they believe there is one missing piece if they are in the premiership hunt, or for clubs to get in early on a rebuild by securing extra dra capital in exchange for in-demand players.

The agreement also opens the door for more Thursday night football, by increasing from one to three the number of ve-day breaks allowed for each club over the course of the season. Thursday night games have become hugely popular with fans and this clears the way to get more of them.

McLachlan was asked to sign o three major items before he departed. The CBA. Tick. Tasmania. Tick, pending the state government delivering on its commitment to build a new stadium. The Hawthorn racism review. Tick, with the

u It’s hard to imagine that 12 months after competing in a rather one-sided Grand Final, Geelong and the Sydney Swans have their feet up in 2023.

The Cats didn’t even get to September, while the Swans were typically brave and plucky throughout the season but were squeezed out in the opening week of finals by Carlton.

Richmond, premiers in 2017, 2019 and 2020, didn’t make

it either, nor did the Western Bulldogs, premiers in 2016 and runners-up in 2021.

Which proves once again that the AFL’s equalisation strategies – the draft and the salary cap –are giving hope to all clubs.

The Cats and the Swans have an in-built edge in that both are well administered, masters at working the draft despite neither bottoming out and they thrive on building a strong culture.

Both are the templates for clubs which have been starved of finals action, let alone finals success.

Carlton is a case in point.

The Blues made a mess of their on and off-field operations for the best part of two decades but are back around the mark.

AFL, for its part, determining that Alastair Clarkson, Chris Fagan and Jason Burt were cleared of any wrongdoing, although the matter is still thought to be before the Human Rights Commission.

All that was le was for McLachlan to call out the votes at Monday night’s Brownlow Medal and be front and centre of the festivities at the Grand Final. A good game and an electrifying pre-game set by KISS would mark a most satisfying last day at the o ce.

It might have been the longest farewell tour in football history, but it has been impactful.

players, another trait from the Geelong and Sydney playbook.

That is it from me.

They have stayed the course with coach Michael Voss and have surrounded some outstanding talent with good role

It’s been an absolute pleasure producing another big edition of the Grand Final Record and hopefully the last Saturday in September is a worthy celebration of a season that has had so many twists and turns.

Good luck to both teams –let’s bow out with a thriller!

ASHLEY BROWNE

I hope for nothing but the best for this footy club and for this group going forward

VETERAN NORTH MELBOURNE RUCKMAN TODD GOLDSTEIN ANNOUNCING HE WILL BE HEADING TO ANOTHER CLUB IN 2024

THREE-YEAR DEAL:

First-round draft picks such as Jason Horne-Francis will be given three-year contracts, making it harder to return home after just one year.

HOUSE FULL BUT NO COMPLAINTS

It has been quite the year at the MCG. Two mega Ed Sheeran concerts into a bumper season of footy, with a Bledisloe Cup game wedged in the middle.

And it won’t stop a er the Grand Final, with the Melbourne Cricket Club celebrating its 170th birthday last week as well as a major milestone for one its hidden jewels, the MCC Library.

MCC chief executive Stuart Fox admits that the celebrations can wait.

Just getting through the nals has been all-consuming, given the sell-out crowds that have converged on the MCG each weekend during the 2023 nals series.

The opening weekend attracted a record 253,127 fans for the Collingwood v Melbourne, Carlton v Sydney and St Kilda v GWS nals.

And the 96,412 fans who rolled up to the rst Carlton v Melbourne nal in 23 years, took the total attendance at the MCG for the year to 3,121,313, an all-time record.

Add the sell-out preliminary and Grand Final attendances, and the previous record of 3,116,341 in 1998 will be smashed.

“This year has been a ripper,” Fox told the AFL Record. “The crowds have been phenomenal given what we’ve been through the last few years.”

The post-pandemic hesitancy seemed to disappear in the second half of last season, and the MCG was back to its very best, especially as Collingwood embarked on that magical run to the nals.

But from the moment the MCG opened its doors for this year’s season-opening Carlton-Richmond game, with more than 88,000 fans in the house, its status as the centrepiece of the game has been enhanced.

“I think the excitement of football being back, the combination of some big Melbourne teams and obviously MCG tenant clubs doing well, that obviously helps,” Fox said.

“But I did get the feeling this year that, given we’d had crowd caps and things like that in previous years, that’s had a lot to do with that appetite to get back to big games and live sport.”

Two of the MCG tenant clubs –Collingwood and Melbourne – made

the nals and drew large crowds to the MCG every time they played.

Collingwood’s greatest feat this year might have been attracting more than 37,000 fans on Mother’s Day for a game against the GWS Giants on what is the hardest day of the year to get people to come to the footy.

Richmond missed out on the nals, but with 100,000 members, the Tigers are guaranteed large crowds every time they play at home.

The surprise was Hawthorn, which despite publicly declaring a rebuilding season, attracted average home crowds of more than 50,000, its largest since its 2015 premiership season.

And, while not o cially a tenant club, Carlton’s 11 matches at the MCG attracted an average of 72,504 fans.

A key breakthrough this year was brokering a new agreement for use of the Ponsford Stand when Collingwood is the away team.

Until now, supporters of the home teams with Level Two premium reserved seats in the Ponsford Stand – about 3000 – had to relocate to other grandstands for games against the Magpies.

But from next year, Richmond and Hawthorn will gain exclusive access to those seating and dining facilities, while Melbourne, Essendon and Carlton will have partial access. It will mean the relocation of about 2000 Magpie supporters.

Fox said it was a complicated negotiation that took ve years to conclude.

“Collingwood has been an extremely important club for the

ASHLEY BROWNE

This year has been a ripper

MCC CHIEF EXECUTIVE STUART FOX

PEOPLE POWER: More than 96,000 fans flocked to the MCG to watch the epic semi-final between Melbourne and Carlton.

GREAT YEAR: Stuart Fox reflects on a record-breaking season.

PHOTO: MCC

MCG over many, many years, but we also want to respect the fact that clubs like Richmond have grown enormously over the last 10 years in terms of membership,” he said.

“So their demands on inventory are a lot higher than what they were.”

“We struck a balance that won’t please everyone, but I think everyone walked away knowing the other clubs got something back.

“Collingwood didn’t have to give up an enormous amount of inventory.”

The season got o to a challenging start for the MCG with back-to-back Ed Sheeran concerts that meant half the playing surface needed to be re-laid just a fortnight before the start of the season.

“It was the rst time with a stage in the middle of the ground and it was an unbelievably good event, but gee, it took a lot of work and quick work to turn the ground around,” Fox said.

The MCC took the booking before it knew the AFL was introducing an extra week of the home and away season due to the Gather Round.

Next year, Taylor Swi is coming to the MCG for three concerts, but they will take place more than a month before the opening game, so the playing surface should be in pristine condition for the start of the season.

And it has become a well-regarded surface on a global scale.

Pressure is growing around the world, especially in the United States, for arti cial turf stadiums to be converted to grass. Could the NFL learn something from the MCG about turf management?

“Yeah, I think they could,” Fox said.

“I was over in the United States last year and, when we went to a lot of the NFL stadiums, they’re all asking about our turf.

“They could learn from us, and they could also learn from Europe.

“I mean some of the soccer teams over there have heated turf because the climate conditions are cold. America gets the same during their NFL season.

“I actually think they could learn a lot from how we manage our turf.”

The other major issue is the future of the Shane Warne Stand.

The MCC is inching towards a decision whether to refurbish or rebuild the facility, which is now more than 30 years old.

Fox said there may be some announcements later in the year, but at the forefront of their thinking is that an Australian bid for the FIFA Men’s World Cup nals is on the cards and that a fully refurbished MCG, with the largest capacity of any stadium in the country, would be in the frame to host the nal.

“It’s a critical bit of infrastructure for the stadium that is starting to show its age and functionality on game-day, particularly for bigger crowds,” he said.

“It’s certainly not a benchmark in a modern stadium era. And that’s the thing. The MCG needs to be one of the best stadiums in the world.”

The big decision Fox will face on Grand Final day is how to ll the Members’ Reserve to capacity.

Up to 7000 members will start queueing for available walk-up seats

HOME OF FOOTY: Fans from big Victorian clubs such as Carlton, Richmond and Melbourne have helped fill the MCG in 2023.

– in some cases overnight – and what Fox must decide is how many more full members are likely to turn up or whether restricted members should be granted the opportunity to purchase the few remaining seats.

There is tradition, but as Fox said: “Walk-ups can present a challenge.

“I don’t think we could remove walk-ups altogether, but it’s probably just getting the mix right.

“We have an obligation, particularly during nals, to ll the reserve.”

Birthday celebrations for the MCG have been a bit muted, with all the focus on delivering a rst-class experience during the nals.

“170 years of the MCG – it’s quite remarkable when you re ect on how much this place means to the people of Melbourne and visitors from all across the world,” Fox said.

“And what better way to celebrate than in the week leading up to the biggest day on the footy calendar with 100,000 people in attendance.”

PREMIERS 2023 ON SALE

u Fans of this year’s premiership team will be able to buy a special souvenir magazine to celebrate their club’s 2023 success.

Just $15, Premiers 2023 is a 100-page publication which gives a blow-by-blow account of your team’s premiership, accompanied by stunning images.

Special features in Premiers 2023 include:

u Great moments from the Grand Final in words and pictures

u How the premiership was won

u All the stats

u Tactical analysis

u Quarter-byquarter breakdown

u Full-page photographs of all 23 players

HIDDEN GEM

u One of the best-kept secrets at the MCG is the MCC Library, which is tucked away on the third level of the Members Pavilion, with its sweeping views of the adjoining sporting precinct and the Melbourne CBD. And while the MCC has just turned 170, the library is only 20 years younger and will also stage a series of events over the next 12 months to highlight the depth and breadth of its collection,

which includes items from the 1600s through to today.

The collection features more than one million items across 163 sports and in addition to books there are periodicals, newspapers, programs, ephemera, micro lms, e-publications, videotapes, DVDs and CD-ROMs.

Fox said it is considered one of the best sporting libraries in the world.

“We love seeing the school kids come through,” he said.

“We love seeing journalists coming before games to look things up and members and fans coming in to use it. It’s a hidden gem.

“The people that know about it love it, but we’d love to get more people coming through. Hopefully we can sell a bigger message that the library’s here for everyone to enjoy.”

u A round-byround summary of the 2023 season Premiers 2023 will be on sale at newsagents and selected retail outlets. It will also be available at the winning team’s Family Day. Or visit aflrecord.com.au to order a copy.

MAMMOTH TASK: Half the MCG playing surface had to be re-laid after two Ed Sheeran concerts before the opening round.

TURNING THE PAGES: The MCC Library is a big drawcard for those wanting some quiet reading time.

@hashbrowne

PHOTO: MCC

PHOTO: MCC

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TRADE RADIO SCHEDULE

TRADE SEASON HOTS UP

One season ends at around 5pm on Saturday. For all intents and purposes, preparations for season 2024 get underway barely 36 hours later.

That’s when the trade period gets o to an uno cial start as the conversations that have been taking place between clubs for several months crank up a notch, ahead of the o cial start of the free agency period on October 6 and the trade period itself kicking o on October 9 and running for 10 days.

The biggest name of the trade period once again shapes to be Brodie Grundy.

This time last year he was on his way from Collingwood to Melbourne, a surprise

destination given the Demons already had Max Gawn, arguably the best ruckman in the competition.

The Demons insisted the dual ruck arrangement could work, but it never really did and Grundy, who eked out 17 games for Melbourne, now appears likely to head to Sydney, with the Swans having sold him on the football and lifestyle bene ts of such a move.

It is estimated that between 25 and 35 players will change clubs and it appears key position players are most in demand this year.

Ben McKay, Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher are among the key defenders set to move, while at the other end of the ground, it is the likes of

Jacob Koschitzke and Mabior Chol who are attracting interest. Other players to keep an eye on include Liam Henry, Todd Goldstein, Jade Gresham, Dylan Shiel, Jordon Sweet, Jack Billings, Nick Co eld and Tom Doedee.

Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio kicks o at 7am Monday and will be across everything to do with player movement. It can be heard on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live O cial App. Meanwhile, the 2023 AFL Dra Combine takes place in Melbourne from October 6-8.

Club interviews and medical screenings will be conducted at the MCG on Friday and Saturday, with physical testing to be held at Margaret Court Arena on Sunday.

u One of the most traditional parts of the climax of the AFL season will celebrate a milestone, with the Herald Sun premiership poster marking 70 years of raising money for children in need.

The iconic poster drawn by Herald Sun award-winning cartoonist Mark Knight has featured the premiership team since 1954, raising more than $7.1m for The Royal Children’s Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal.

Knight marks 15 years of drawing the only poster o icially endorsed by the AFL, which continues a proud 70-year-old tradition, started by legendary Herald cartoonist, William Ellis Green, also known as WEG.

More than $4.6m has been raised over Knight’s 15 years at the helm.

WEG started his career at The Herald in 1946 before retiring 41 years later but continued to pen the premiership posters until his death in 2008.

Knight, an award-winning political cartoonist who has been the Herald Sun’s resident cartoonist since 1987, was unveiled as his successor the following year.

Good Friday Appeal Executive Director Rebecca Cowan said: “It’s wonderful to be able to mark this significant milestone with the 70th anniversary of the poster.

“The Royal Children’s Hospital provides care for children from all over Australia and the Herald Sun premiership poster is a vital part of our year-round fundraising efforts.”

Up to 100 volunteers will be selling the posters for $5 outside the MCG post-match on Grand Final day.

Posters also are available online at goodfridayappeal.com.au.

ASHLEY BROWNE

a failed one-year stay at Melbourne, Brodie Grundy looks set to join the Sydney Swans.

EYES ON THE FUTURE

Dra watchers are getting excited with the amount of talent emerging ahead of this year’s NAB AFL Dra .

There has been plenty said about Bendigo Pioneers ace Harley Reid, who has long been pegged as the likely No. 1 pick having dominated at Coates Talent League level and the AFL Under-18 Championships and looking assured in three VFL appearances for Carlton and Essendon to earn comparisons with Dustin Martin.

Western Australia’s top prospect looks to be Daniel Curtin, who has been likened to Matthew Pavlich for his ability to play key position at either end as well as rolling through the mid eld.

The other likely member of the top three looks to be Gold Coast Academy key forward Jed Walter, who has risen up the dra boards with a bullet, leading the Allies to their rst national championship.

But the next tier looks mouth-watering as well.

There’s mobile forward/mid Zane Duursma, the brother of Port Adelaide pair Xavier and Yasmin, who seems to be able to do anything, speedy small forward Nick Watson, who is likely to join Josh Rachele as a goalkicking top 10 pick, and Victorian tall forwards Nate Caddy, the nephew of Josh, Jordan Cro , the son of ex-Bulldog Matthew, and Riley Weatherill, who moves a lot like Taylor Walker

Wondering how the Allies came from the clouds to go undefeated in those championships?

Aside from Walter, the Suns Academy provided ruckman Ethan Read and mid elders Jake Rogers and Will Graham, who could all attract top 30 bids, the Swans Academy also has four with huge potential in mids Caiden Cleary, Lachlan Cabor and Indhi Kirk and another ruckman in Caleb May and the Giants had 200cm big man Dayne Posthuma and ball-winner Harvey Thomas, while non-Academy key position player Connor O’Sullivan has also attracted attention.

Then there is the Tasmanian crop that carried the Devils to the Talent League preliminary nal.

The booming boot of Arie Schoenmaker and the class of Colby McKercher, James Leake and former Devil and now Sandringham Dragon Ryley Sanders could all be gone in the top 15 selections, while small forward Jack Callinan did his chances no harm late in the season.

More names will continue to emerge as the National and State Combines kick o the week a er the AFL Grand Final, but one thing is for sure, supporters of all clubs are almost certain to have a new young star to hang their hats on for the next decade.

Supporters

(will) have a new young star to hang their hats on

DRAFT HOPEFULS: Daniel Curtin (main image), Harley Reid (top right) and Zane Duursma should be among the top picks in this year’s draft.

TACKLE THE WORKSITE WITH BLUNDSTONE

GRAND FINAL PREVIEW

LIONS TO PREVAIL

Hawthorn to add some teeth to the midfield. Bobby Hill was traded from the Giants and has added spark to the forward line.

Speedy defender Oleg Markov found his way to Collingwood via Gold Coast, having almost landed at Carlton in the interim.

himself out on Tuesday when it was clear he would not return to fitness in time.

It was a shattering blow for one of the heart-and-soul types at the Magpies, who also missed the latter stages of last year’s finals through injury.

Over 24 weeks of the home and away season and three weeks of the finals, Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions proved themselves to be the heavyweights of the competition, setting the stage for today’s thrilling Grand Final.

The Lions got there on the back of defending their home turf to perfection. They were unbeaten at the Gabba all year to book their first Grand Final appearance in 19 years.

The Magpies climbed to the top of the ladder when they outlasted Adelaide by a point in round seven and relinquished it only once thereafter.

But really, from the moment they kicked the last eight goals of the game to overcome reigning premier Geelong in the season-opener, they were, in the eyes of many pundits, the team to beat for the flag.

They appeared a new and improved version of the team from last year. Tom Mitchell arrived from

Daniel McStay arrived from Brisbane to straighten up the forward line but is the clear hard-luck story in this Grand Final.

He suffered a medial ligament injury in the preliminary final and, sadly, will be watching his new club trying to knock off his former team from the stands today.

He was dangerous before getting hurt last week and kicked two goals for the Magpies on a night when it was difficult to score.

Magpie coach Craig McRae didn’t muck around, declaring on Wednesday – well before team selections were finalised – that Billy Frampton would be McStay’s replacement. He was another of the off-season acquisitions, and an important one at that, after three games for Port Adelaide and 21 for Adelaide. Today will be his first final.

The other player the Magpies could not consider was midfielder Taylor Adams. He hurt his hamstring at training after the qualifying final, but he ruled

Mindful of McStay’s absence, the Magpies elevated the effervescent Jack Ginnivan into their 22 at selection in the hope he can generate scoring options. He has been the sub in both their finals. Midfielder Patrick Lipinski will be Collingwood’s substitute. What we do know about the Magpies is they have no shortage of big-name, big-game players. Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom are the holdovers from the 2010 premiership and will become the first players in League history to win premierships 13 years apart if the Magpies win today.

Indeed, Collingwood might not be in the Grand Final if not for Sidebottom marking an audacious snap from Toby Greene right on the goal line during those hair-raising final minutes last Friday.

Jordan De Goey was fantastic in that win with 34 disposals (17 contested) and 13 clearances. He is the player the Lions need to put work into, but the efforts of Mitchell, Jack Crisp, and Brayden Maynard were also critical and will be once again this afternoon.

The Magpies were able to ease wunderkind Nick Daicos back

ASHLEY BROWNE

LAUGHING LIONS: Brisbane is primed to win its first flag since 2003.

The Lions have been knocking on the door for years

into the side last week after a seven-week leg injury and, while he adds brilliance to the side wherever he plays, he was moved to half-back in the third quarter last week when it was clear Collingwood needed to take the game on.

Brisbane’s midfield has few weaknesses. The Lions were well on top of the Blues after quarter-time in last week’s preliminary final and ended the game with a vital 44-30 edge in clearances.

This got the likes of Jarrod Berry, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage, Dayne Zorko and Lachie Neale into the game after a sluggish start.

Brisbane comes into the game with all sorts of attacking weapons.

The Lions were the second heaviest scoring team in the home and away season and players such as Joe Daniher, Eric Hipwood, Charlie Cameron, Zac Bailey, Cam Rayner and Lincoln McCarthy can all hit the scoreboard quickly and often.

But the Magpies have conceded scores of just 53 and 57 points this September and skipper Darcy

Moore leads a brilliant backline that includes the intercept marking of Jeremy Howe and the versatile Isaac Quaynor, who can play short or tall and is equally effective with or without the ball.

If the Lions win today, it will be joint skipper Harris Andrews who gets to raise the premiership cup.

It’s fitting given he’s a Queensland product, but also because he is just about the most important player in the side.

The Lions conceded the first five goals to the Blues, but without his masterful defensive work, they might have been eight goals down.

Brisbane will again be without Jack Payne. One of the most improved players in 2023 the key defender missed the preliminary final due to an ankle injury. He moved well during the week and has been named as an emergency, but the Lions will have no qualms entering the Grand Final with Darcy Gardiner as their other key defender after he curtailed Carlton star Charlie Curnow last week.

A bit like the Magpies the night before, the Lions got themselves back in the game with some more creativity and dare off half-back.

Running defender Keidean Coleman played a large part in that. He is one of the most underrated players in the competition.

Both coaches are taking charge of their first Grand Final but are no strangers to Grand Final day.

McRae, of course, is a three-time Brisbane premiership player, but also an assistant coach when Richmond won three flags between 2017 and 2020.

Fagan was on Hawthorn’s coaching team in the 2008 premiership and was general manager of football at the Hawks

during their three-peat flags between 2013-15.

The Tasmanian will become the first premiership coach since Carlton’s Jack Worrall in 1906 not to have played League football if the Lions get home.

Fagan has done a brilliant job lifting the Lions. They won just 10 games in his first two years as coach – 2017 and 2018 – but have made the finals every year since.

This is his deepest and most talented squad and, as he pointed out last Saturday night, they have learned from the painful September defeats of the past.

The Magpies are the masters of the close finish, which they demonstrated again last Friday night when they held on to a one-point lead for the last nine excruciating minutes against the Giants.

Brisbane beat Collingwood in consecutive Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003 and holds a 2-1 finals edge against the Magpies. But that’s old news.

Of more relevance is that the Lions have won their past six games against the Magpies, including by 33 points at the Gabba in round four and once more against a weakened outfit by 24 points at Marvel Stadium in round 23, but this will be their first meeting at the MCG this year.

It’s Collingwood’s home ground, and since McRae took over last year, they have won 26 of 32 games there.

Brisbane is 0-2 at the MCG this year and 1-14 since 2015.

The Lions coughed up a four-goal lead in the last eight minutes in losing to Melbourne there in round 18.

And the weather this afternoon –sunny in the high 20s – should suit the Queensland team to a tee.

It is easy to make the case for both clubs to win and it is tough to pick against the Magpies, the best team all year and playing on their home deck, even though on Grand Final day their baying fans will be fewer in number.

But their unsettled front half is a concern. Who is going to kick the goals?

The Lions have all those scoring weapons and have been knocking on the door for years.

This is their best chance and perhaps their last chance to break through.

It is time for the MCG, for so long their house of horrors, to become their field of dreams.

PREDICTION: Brisbane Lions by six points

PROCESS

1. G oal umpires confirm scores are identical;

2. T here is a six-minute break;

3. Teams change ends;

4. T hree minutes of additional time will be played, plus time-on;

5. At the end of the first additional time period, the siren will sound and teams will immediately change ends without a break;

6. T he ball will be bounced (or thrown up) in the centre and a further three minutes of play (plus time-on) will start;

STEVEN MAY

7. At the end of this period, the siren will sound and the team with the highest score is declared the winner;

8. If scores are still tied, steps 3-8 are repeated until a result is determined.

u Clubs will receive 10 interchanges for each two three-minute period (excluding medical substitute). Any leftover interchanges from each period of additional time will not carry over into a subsequent period.

READY TO ROAR: Charlie Cameron poses a huge danger up forward.

BRUTE STRENGTH: Jordan De Goey played the game of his life to steer the Magpies into the Grand Final.

YZE SETS GOALS

u Adem Yze has been named Richmond’s senior coach and has wasted no time in setting ambitious goals for his new club.

“GWS have gone from the bottom half of the ladder to playing in a prelim,” he said on his first day on the job at Punt Rd.

“Not to say that’s what we’re going to do but that’s what we’re going to strive to do.

“Hopefully we can bounce back (from 13th in 2023) really quickly.”

Yze, who played 271 games for Melbourne before spending nine years as an assistant at Hawthorn and then three back at the Demons, won the job ahead of Andrew McQualter, who served as interim coach after the mid-season departure of three-time premiership coach Damien Hardwick.

Yze promised his new players clarity and connection.

“They will be really clear in the way that we play and hopefully they realise how caring I am for our players,” he said. u Carlton defender Lachie Plowman announced his retirement in Grand Final week. The 29-year-old played 145 games in a career spanning 11 seasons. He played 20 games with GWS (2013-15) and 125 for the Blues (2016-23).

ASHLEY BROWNE

• See page 163 for profiles of this year’s retiring players.

PRELIMINARY FINAL 1

Collingwood won through to its first Grand Final since 2018 after hanging on grimly for a one-point preliminary final win over the GWS Giants at a packed MCG last Friday night.

A goal to Giants spearhead Jesse Hogan whittled back the margin to a solitary behind at the 19-minute mark, but that was the last score of the game. The Giants pressed forward repeatedly, but the Pies were superbly organised behind the ball.

Giants skipper Toby Greene had the best chance to put his team ahead with an audacious checkside kick from the pocket, but what might have been the match-winning goal was marked on the line by Steele Sidebottom.

Collingwood kicked the first two goals of the game inside six minutes,

PIES JUST SCRAPE HOME LIONS GET THE JOB DONE

The Brisbane Lions have made their first Grand Final since 2004 after overcoming a fired-up Carlton at the Gabba in last Saturday’s preliminary final .

The Lions eventually got there by 16 points but looked like they had taken a couple of big hits early.

The Blues flew out of the blocks, racing to a 30-point lead 21 minutes into the first quarter and thoughts of a Collingwood-Carlton Grand Final blockbuster looked real.

But a goal late in the term to Eric Hipwood halted the Blues’ momentum and after the first break, it was almost one-way traffic.

From quarter-time, the Lions kicked 10.11 to Carlton’s 4.8 and, apart from a few anxious moments with 10 minutes to go, the home side held firm, taking their unbeaten streak at the Gabba this year to 13.

but the Giants took control from there and led by 17 points early in the third term.

When former Giant Bobby Hill marked and goaled 10 minutes into the third quarter, it was Collingwood’s first goal in more than a half of footy.

BEST: Collingwood – De Goey, Crisp, Pendlebury, Quaynor, N. Daicos, Cox. GWS Giants – Green, Greene, Taylor, Whitfield, Hogan, Coniglio.

GOALS: Collingwood – McStay 2, Crisp, Hill, Elliott, McCreery, Mihocek, Cox. GWS Giants – Greene 2, Green, Cumming, Riccardi, Brown, Lloyd, Hogan.

The Magpies played with more run and dare in the second half, with Jack Crisp’s hardness at the ball also getting them going.

But easily their best four-quarter player was Jordan De Goey with 34 disposals and 13 clearances. He delivered for Collingwood yet again in a big game.

It was a crushing loss for the Giants, but based on that performance and their season as a whole, their turn will come.

PRELIMINARY FINAL 2

Carlton

GOALS: Brisbane Lions – Daniher 2, McInerney 2, McCarthy 2, McKenna, Hipwood, Lester, Cameron, Ah Chee. Carlton – Cripps 2, McKay 2, Martin 2, Docherty, C. Curnow, Cottrell.

Substitutes: Brisbane Lions – Lyons (replaced Ah Chee); Carlton – Kennedy (replaced Fogarty).

Umpires: N. Foot, M. Stevic, R. Findlay, A. Gianfagna.

36,012 at the Gabba.

Running machine Keidean Coleman (21 disposals, including seven score involvements) was best afield for the Lions, while prize recruit Josh Dunkley (23 disposals) kept Patrick Cripps quiet at stoppages.

An unlikely recruit in Conor McKenna (20 disposals) won plenty of the ball off half-back

and created many scoring opportunities.

Ruckman Oscar McInerney worked tirelessly for his 14 disposals and 37 hit-outs while also kicking two crucial goals.

Sam Walsh had a game-high 33 disposals and was Carlton’s best player as the Blues simply ran out of legs at the end.

CAPTION: Caption caption caption.

CAPTION: Caption caption caption..

Brisbane Lions – K. Coleman, Dunkley, Berry, Zorko, McKenna, Neale, McInerney.

– Walsh, McGovern, Weitering, Docherty, Saad, Newman.

Substitutes: Collingwood – Ginnivan (replaced McStay); GWS Giants – O’Halloran (replaced Ward).

Umpires: H. Gavine, S. Meredith, B. Rosebury, A. Stephens.

Crowd: 97,665 at the MCG.

TIMELY GOAL: Speedster Bobby Hill kick-started the Magpies’ second-half revival.

EVER RELIABLE: Harris Andrews led a strong Lions defence.

A star on debut

Available after 10:30am. Serving suggestion.

KISS TO DELIVER THE HITS

AlegendaryrockbandandAustralia’sfinesttalentwillentertainthemasses.

Glam rockers KISS are primed to rock’n’roll all day at today’s Toyota AFL Grand Final.

As part of their ‘End of the World’ tour, the veteran US rockers will be front and centre at the MCG, resplendent in their signature kabuki-inspired make-up and glitzy stage outfits which make them the most recognisable band on earth.

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer are ready to rock with renowned hits such as Rock and Roll All Nite, Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud in front of a packed out ’G as part of the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment.

“Thanks to Telstra, we will be performing at the 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Final,” the band said.

“We cannot wait to create rock’n’roll history playing at the iconic MCG in Melbourne for one last time.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be to be performing in front of 100,000 footy fans at the biggest and best sporting event in the country.”

Kylie Rogers, AFL EGM Customer and Commercial, says KISS will put on a show for all those present at the MCG and the massive number of people watching on.

“KISS will bring the energy and their trademark showmanship to Grand Final Day and put on a great, great show for the 100,000 fans at the ’G and millions watching around the country,” Rogers said.

“Their reputation speaks for itself, they are responsible for some of the best live shows in music history and we know Gene, Paul, Eric and Tommy will absolutely rock the MCG pre-game.”

Mushroom Group CEO Matt Gudinski was delighted to present the rock icons on Australian sport’s biggest day.

“The AFL Grand Final is one of the biggest events on our sporting calendar and we can’t wait to produce a show with one of the world’s most iconic rock bands at the ’G,” Gudinski said.

Also on the 2023 pre-game billing is Australia’s leading didgeridoo player William Barton, and Indigenous singer-songwriter

Jess Hitchcock, who hails from Melbourne. Aussie icon Mike Brady will perform during the retired players’ motorcade.

The Telstra Half-Time Entertainment will feature Australian music royalty Mark Seymour and The Undertow, who will player their iconic hit The Holy Grail.

“I’m very excited to be back at the MCG to perform on this great day on our national sporting calendar, and to have the opportunity to sing songs in celebration of our game,” Seymour said.

Seymour and his band will be ably supported by Kate Miller-Heidke, who will sing the Australian national anthem.

Miller-Heidke says it’s an honour to perform at such a significant event.

“And to top it off, I also get to sing alongside one of the legends of the Australian Music scene, Mark Seymour, on a song that’s almost as iconic as the anthem itself,” she said.

“It’s a huge day for us all, and I am proud to be girt by such wonderful Australians.”

(We’re) playing at the iconic MCG for one last time

ROCK

LEGENDS KISS

ANDREW SLEVISON

2023 TOYOTA AFL GRAND FINAL TIMETABLE

1.27pmWilliamBarton&JessHitchcockperformance

1.30pmToyotaGrandFinalretireemotorcade

1.36pmMikeBradyperformance

1.42pmTelstraPre-GameEntertainment–KISS

2.11pmUmpires’entryandmatchballdelivery

2.13pmCollingwoodenters

2.16pmBrisbaneenters

2.24pm Deliveryofthe2023ToyotaAFL PremiershipCupbyJoshP.Kennedy, PremiershipCupAmbassador

2.25pmWelcometoCountrybyUncleColinHunterjnr

2.26pmNationalanthemperformedby KateMiller-Heidke

2.28pmCointoss

2.30pm2023ToyotaAFLGrandFinalcommences

Half-time TelstraHalf-TimeEntertainment–MarkSeymour&TheUndertowwith specialguestKateMiller-Heidke

Post-match

Finalsiren,followedbythepresentation ofumpires’medals(presentedby Glenn James),NormSmithMedal(presentedby Chris Judd),JockMcHaleMedal(presented by Mark Thompson),premiershipmedallions (tobepresentedbyNABAFLAuskick participants),theToyotaAFLPremiershipCup (topresentedby Peter Moore iftheMagpies winand Leigh Matthews iftheLionswin)

Note: all times are Australian Eastern Standard Time

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Peter Jones Special Events ExecutiveProducerPeterJones;EventProducerAnnaStone; EventManagerAshleeBrazier;EventCoordinatorGraceJanky; ShowCallerStevePellegrino

Mushroom CEOMattGudinski;ProjectDirectorAnnaToman;Show&Technical ProducerTravisHogan;CreativeProducerTomMacdonald; ChoreographerYvetteLee;TelevisionDirectorGaryDeans; ProductionMangerSimonJohnson;ProductionCoordinator/Artist LiaisonAnnGibson;EventExecutiveLisaRaciti;AudioDirectorJames Kilpatrick;PyrotechnicsAllanSpiegel;LEDContentDaveHase

One World Entertainment CEO:AndrewMcManus

TourCoordinator:PatrickPrendergast HeadofProduction:GeoffMcGowan

TEG LIve CEO:GeoffJones

TourCoordinator:PatrickPrendergast ManagingDirector:TimMcGregor

WILLIAM BARTON JESS HITCHCOCK

MARK SEYMOUR & THE UNDERTOW

MIKE BRADY KATE MILLER-HEIDKE

Rostrevor NAB Auskick Centre

HOW YOUR TEAM RATES IN 2023

KICKING EFFICIENCY

u Howe was one of just two Magpies, along with Brayden Maynard, to post a kicking efficiency of 100 per cent in last week’s preliminary final win over the GWS Giants. Howe took 10 marks, laid four tackles and had three intercept possessions.

SHOT-AT-GOAL ACCURACY SCORES PER INSIDE 50

CENTRE CLEARANCES DIFFERENTIAL

STOPPAGE CLEARANCES DIFFERENTIAL

PRESSURE FACTOR DIFFERENTIAL

u Dunkley led the way from a defensive viewpoint in last week’s win over the Blues with a game-high 64 pressure points. He also had eight tackle attempts and five effective tackles.

A team’s pressure points* per 100 opportunities to apply pressure.

The first kick or effective handball in a chain that clears the ball-up or throw-in area.

The first kick or effective handball in a chain that clears the centre bounce area.

JEREMY HOWE

JOSH DUNKLEY

DIFFERENTIAL EXPLAINED

A statistical value is expressed relative to opposition teams. This is calculated as ‘For’ minus ‘Against’ within a game. For example, if Carlton has 15 centre

SCORE FROM OPPOSITION TURNOVERS

Points scored from chains after winning the ball off the opposition.

TACKLES IN FORWARD 50

u Quaynor has won nine intercept possessions in both of Collingwood’s finals – ranking second overall in that measure over the finals series. The side has scored a total of 13 points from his intercepts – ranked No. 1.

clearances to Essendon’s 12, Carlton’s centre clearances differential for the game is 15-12 = +3, while Essendon’s is 12-15 = -3.

SCORE CONCEDED FROM TURNOVERS

Points conceded to the opposition from chains after turnovers.

DEFENSIVE-50 REBOUND TO INSIDE 50

Percentage of defensive-50 rebounds that led to a forward-50 entry within the same chain of possessions.

UNCONTESTED POSSESSIONS DIFFERENTIAL

Possessions gained while under no physical pressure, either from a teammate’s disposal or an opposition’s clanger kick.

CONTESTED POSSESSIONS DIFFERENTIAL

LACHIE NEALE

u Only Josh Dunkley (16) won more contested possessions than Neale last week against Carlton. Both players won 10 of their contested possessions at stoppages –while Neale also generated eight clearances.

ISAAC QUAYNOR

COLLINGWOOD

GWS, Carlton, North Melbourne and West Coast.

Their second loss came against Melbourne on King’s Birthday by four points, but the Magpies returned from the bye hot as Daicos moved into the midfield and became Brownlow Medal favourite as five successive wins were capped off by a two-point victory against Port Adelaide in hostile territory in round 19.

Just as it looked like the Magpies were flying, they began to take the foot off the pedal with a top-four spot sewn up and were handed reality checks by Carlton (round 20) and Hawthorn (round 21), the latter coming at further cost with Daicos suffering a knee injury.

Without their star man, the Magpies looked a bit clunky but they won two of their last three home and away games before winning a massive qualifying final against Melbourne which set up their September campaign.

In an absorbing preliminary final against GWS, they held on by the barest margin thanks to a finals master class by Jordan De Goey.

AT A GLANCE

u C ollingwood is chasing an AFL/VFL record-equalling 16th premiership and its first flag since 2010. The Magpies have played off in two deciders since then, going down to Geelong in 2011 and narrowly to West Coast in 2018. Since 2010, they have finished top-four seven times and will be desperate to make it count. Collingwood has played in an astonishing 44 Grand Finals (including replays), and is looking to win its 16th flag in No. 45.

COACH

Coming off the back of an out-of-the-box first season under Craig McRae, the new-look Magpies went to another level in 2023.

Their season started with an upset round one win over reigning premier Geelong and from that point they staked their claim as genuine contenders.

They followed up with impressive wins over Port Adelaide in round two and Richmond in round three.

Collingwood’s first loss came against Brisbane at the Gabba in round four, but it was quickly back

u SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

ROUND 6

COLLINGWOOD v ESSENDON

u The Magpies conjured a famous victory on Anzac Day against their traditional rival, coming from 28 points down at three-quarter time to salute by 13 points in front of 95,179 fans. Nick Daicos claimed the Anzac Medal with two last-quarter goals and 40 disposals.

to its winning ways against St Kilda in Gather Round.

The next week saw the Magpies revive their come-from-behind heroics against Essendon on Anzac Day, with second-year sensation Nick Daicos winning the Anzac Medal for best afield as they stormed home from 28 points down at three-quarter time to win by 13 points.

That win was followed up by another fourth-quarter comeback as they saluted by one point away from home against Adelaide, with wins thereafter against Sydney,

ROUND 19

PORT ADELAIDE v COLLINGWOOD

u Collingwood put its stake in the ground in hostile territory in a battle between first and second. The Magpies came from behind again, kicking six goals to three in the last quarter as the ice-cool Jamie Elliott booted the match-winner from the boundary line.

With Nick Daicos back alongside his brother Josh and fellow All-Australian in captain Darcy Moore, the Magpies have never been better placed to win it all.

McRae has his side playing with attacking flair and lightning fast ball movement, while the defence, led by Nathan Murphy, Isaac Quaynor, Brayden Maynard, Jeremy Howe and Moore has proven it can stand up on the biggest stage.

It’s easier said than done, but Collingwood has a golden chance to lift the cup aloft on the last Saturday in September.

PRELIMINARY FINAL

COLLINGWOOD v GWS GIANTS

u In front of 97,665 fans, the Magpies held out a plucky GWS to win by a point. They can thank a herculean performance by Jordan De Goey (34 disposals, 13 clearances) as they held the ferocious Giants at bay in a frantic final 10 minutes.

CRAIG McRAE

u McRae has achieved two top-four finishes in his first two seasons as a senior coach. It’s a remarkable turnaround for the Magpies given they had finished 17th in 2021 before he took over. A small forward who played in three premierships for Brisbane in the early 2000s, McRae spent time at Richmond, the Lions, Hawthorn and even previously Collingwood as an assistant coach before finally earning a senior job. A coach who preaches connection and togetherness, he will be hoping his method can stack up on the biggest stage of all.

After failing by the barest margin to make last year’s Grand Final, the Magpies have gone one better in 2023. LACHLAN GELEIT

u The key defender took over the leadership reins at the start of the season and it seemed to elevate his play as the son of former Magpie star Peter earned his second All-Australian blazer. One of the AFL’s best defenders with attacking weapons at his disposal, Moore is the key pillar that Collingwood’s defence is built around. A modern leader, Moore and coach Craig McRae have ushered in a new era at this famous club.

u A smooth mover who impressed in his first season in black and white, Lipinski struggled at stages in his second season as he battled two pre-season shoulder surgeries. He did not return until the round 13 King’s Birthday clash against Melbourne, but has played every game since. The former Bulldog was part of Collingwood’s best 22 in the qualifying and preliminary finals, but has been named as the sub today.

u C ollingwood’s most dynamic player, De Goey is built for finals and loves the big stage. Was a lock for the All-Australian team until being suspended midway through the season and could easily be the difference between the Magpies winning it all or falling short. A powerful midfielder who can go forward and kick multiple goals, De Goey is built for September as he proved in the preliminary final.

u After starting the season relatively quietly, Quaynor eventually put together his best year of footy. At 23, Quaynor is one of the competition’s best small defenders and was recognised with a place in the 44-man All-Australian squad. Has every tool to dominate his small forward opponents and is a complete backman. Showed in the preliminary final he can handle talls or smalls and loves the pressure.

Lachlan Geleit, Ethan Daffey.

u The heart-and-soul player was appointed one of Darcy Moore’s three vice-captains at the start of the season. Coming off an All-Australian season, Maynard struggled with shoulder injuries but still got through every week, turning in consistent performances in defence. Put aside the controversy surrounding his bump on Demon Angus Brayshaw in the qualifying final and is a key cog to Collingwood’s back six.

u A clutch forward in every sense, Elliott was critical in Collingwood having one of the competition’s best attacks in 2023. At 31, Elliott surpassed his previous best tally of 35 goals with 38 in the home and away season. Has been quiet in the finals, but is the one forward who can break the game wide open for the Magpies if he gets going and there’s no doubt the opposition will have his name circled.

u T he 2018 Brownlow medallist came to the club in the off-season and his move immediately paid dividends. Has been typically prolific, but more importantly, helped resolve Collingwood’s clearance woes as he filled a much-needed void as a contested ball-winner and tackler. Mitchell helps free up his dynamic midfield teammates on the outside with his quick hands. A valuable member of this Collingwood side.

u A longside his younger brother Nick, Daicos has been among Collingwood’s standouts in 2023. The wingman earned his maiden All-Australian blazer for a superb home and away season which helped the Magpies finish minor premiers. One of the AFL’s best field kicks who often bobs up inside 50 to slot goals, he is also one of the AFL’s smartest players. His presence on a wing gives his side a big advantage in most games.

JOHN NOBLE SCOTT PENDLEBURY

9 10

u A hard-running small defender, Noble has been one of the biggest successes from the Mid-Season Draft. Picked up 20 or more disposals in 13 of his 23 home and away games in 2023 with his precise kicking one of his best skills. A player who suits Collingwood’s run-and-gun game style, Noble has unfortunately been overlooked for all three finals after playing every game during the home and away season.

GAMES GOALS

2023 233

FINALS 71

GF 00 CAREER 927

DANIEL Mc STAY

u G ave up the captaincy in the off-season but that didn’t slow down the evergreen veteran. Didn’t see any drop-off in his statistics compared with his past four seasons despite turning 35 this year. While his 400-game milestone is on the horizon, the skilful leader is still a critical piece to Collingwood’s puzzle and is one of two Magpies hoping to win their second flag for the club.

GAMES GOALS

2023 248

FINALS 308

GF 40 CAREER 382193

TAYLOR ADAMS

u O ne of the hard luck stories of the Magpies’ premiership bid. After playing the first five games, the former Lion overcame a finger injury to be a solid target up front, kicking just under two goals a game in the last nine matches including last week’s preliminary final. But he injured his knee in the third quarter and had to be subbed out. Scans the following day revealed a high-grade medial collateral ligament stain.

GAMES GOALS

2023 1420

FINALS 1010

GF 00 CAREER 175158

u It was a premature end to the 2023 season for the vice-captain when he strained his hamstring at training in the weekend before the preliminary final. Adams was ruled out of that game but experienced hamstring awareness at training last Tuesday as he bravely tried to return. It’s a bitter pill for the popular clubman who missed last year’s semi-final and preliminary final with a groin injury.

GAMES GOALS

2023 2313

FINALS 106

GF 11 CAREER 20676

DARCY CAMERON

u C ollingwood’s first-choice ruckman, Cameron is a solid contributor who competes in ruck contests and in the air. Started the season on fire until suffering a knee injury but regained his place once fit. Able to rack up big disposal numbers and hit the scoreboard, Cameron offers the Magpies plenty of consistency. Enjoys playing on the MCG and can push back to take defensive marks as he did last week.

GAMES GOALS

2023 185

FINALS 72

GF 00

CAREER 7151

FINLAY MACRAE

MIDFIELDER

18

u T he 21-year-old enjoyed a dominant VFL season, but struggled to break into the AFL side which had plenty of midfield options. The first-round draft pick is a contested ball-winner and tackles hard. Played one game against Essendon in round 24 and laid eight tackles. Played 17 VFL games, averaging 25.6 disposals. Clearly a part of Collingwood’s future given he has been an emergency in all three finals.

GAMES GOALS

2023 10

FINALS 00

GF 00 CAREER 121

BILLY FRAMPTON

17

u It was a case of right place, right time for the versatile tall. Earned a recall after Daniel McStay was ruled out and will play his first AFL final after stints with Port Adelaide and Adelaide. In his first season with the Magpies, Frampton has played 15 games, a career-high. Played in the ruck and up forward at his previous two clubs and has been a lockdown key defender and ruck option at Collingwood.

GAMES GOALS

2023 157

FINALS 00

GF 00

CAREER 3919

STEELE SIDEBOTTOM

22

u T he smart veteran is in his 15th AFL season and is chasing a second premiership in black and white. The wingman has remained a crucial member of this team throughout and was one of Collingwood’s best in its qualifying final win over Melbourne. A proven September performer, Sidebottom is one of the club’s best ball-users and will no doubt be ready for whatever is thrown at him on the biggest stage.

GAMES GOALS

2023 193

FINALS 2511

GF 44

CAREER 308189

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BOBBY HILL

u Hill was recruited from the Giants to bring genuine X-factor, speed and class inside 50, and he’s delivered in spades. The small forward was almost the difference in the qualifying final win over Melbourne with three majors and he’s had a career-best year following four seasons at GWS. The 23-year-old suits Collingwood’s fast game style and he’s quickly become a fan favourite.

GAMES GOALS

2023 2329

FINALS 45

GF 00

CAREER 6463

NATHAN MURPHY

KEY DEFENDER

28

u T he tall defender took a while to come on, but has been a lock in Collingwood’s best side since the middle of last season. Has gone from strength to strength in a key defensive role and has great aerial synergy with captain Darcy Moore as the pair seemingly have a sixth sense about when to peel off their opponent and affect other contests. Seems to be growing in confidence by the week and stands up well under pressure.

GAMES GOALS

2023 230

FINALS 50

GF 00 CAREER 561

BEAU Mc CREERY

u One of Collingwood’s most consistent performers, Crisp entered 2023 on the back of consecutive Copeland Trophies. The 29-year-old hasn’t reached those same heights this season but has played a variety of roles with Craig McRae using the versatile star across the midfield and half-back. After finishing second in last year’s Gary Ayres Medal, Crisp is a player who suits finals football and has a team-first attitude.

GAMES GOALS

2023 258

FINALS 138

GF 10 CAREER 22571

31

u A nother player who is entrenched in Collingwood’s best side, McCreery can make opposition defenders most uncomfortable with his ferocious inside-50 tackling and pressure. The 22-year-old has genuine speed and skills and could be a player who breaks open a Grand Final. McCreery does all the little things that aren’t necessarily shown on the stats sheet and is rated highly by the Magpies.

GAMES GOALS

2023 2417

FINALS 53

GF 00

CAREER 5942

JACK CRISP

MEDIUM DEFENDER

WILL HOSKIN-ELLIOTT

JACK GINNIVAN

u Has played across a raft of positions in 2023, spending time up forward, on the wing and now across half-back. His role in defence has seen him blossom with his elite skills and steady head adding to a star-studded back six. A player with elite hands and endurance, Hoskin-Elliott offers the Magpies genuine versatility across the ground. Is hugely valued by his teammates at Collingwood.

NICK DAICOS

u The second-year sensation elevated himself to the upper echelon in 2023 with his move into the midfield earning him an All-Australian blazer. The son of former star Magpie Peter Daicos has inherited his father’s extraordinary skills and the opposition puts plenty of work into him. A late-season knee injury ruled him out of the last three home and away games and the opening final, but he burst back in the preliminary final.

u The small forward endured an up and down season after bursting on to the scene in 2022. After some on and off-field issues, Ginnivan worked his way back into the line-up and showed he still can dominate games with three goals, three goal assists and 17 disposals in the round 24 win over Essendon. Brought some high energy and goalkicking as the sub in the first two finals and now finds himself in the starting 22.

u T he 19-year-old small forward earned his first AFL opportunity in round 12 and played four senior games in the home and away season. A player with neat skills, an eye for goal and leg speed, Harrison showed he belongs at the senior level. Given he’s had a taste of the big time, Harrison offers quality depth and some cover inside 50. The fact he’s been named an emergency shows he is well and truly in the club’s future plans.

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u At his third club, the dashing defender has solidified his spot in the best 22 for the ladder-leading Magpies. He has featured in 22 games in 2023, a career-best return after previous stints with Richmond and Gold Coast. The 27-year-old has retained his spot in Craig McRae’s side due to his consistency and pace, highlighted by 19 disposals and six marks against the Western Bulldogs in round 17. Was solid in both finals.

GAMES GOALS

2023 221

FINALS 20

GF 00 CAREER 736

BRODY MIHOCEK

KEY FORWARD

u N otched a career-high 44 goals in the home and away season. One of Collingwood’s most consistent contributors, Mihocek hadn’t kicked five majors in a game previously, but has done it twice in 2023 against good opposition (round eight v Sydney and round 22 v Geelong). A forward who is all heart and soul, Mihocek was a part of the 2018 Grand Final side and will look to go one better.

GAMES GOALS

2023 2346

FINALS 1317

GF 11 CAREER 125211

HOWE

u T he high-flying veteran is still an integral component of the Magpies’ back six as they chase premiership glory. The 33-year-old suffered a serious arm injury in round one against Geelong, which saw him sidelined until the round 15 win against Adelaide. He had a great return, finishing that game with 20 disposals and eight marks. Has impressed since, both up forward on occasion and down back.

GAMES GOALS

2023 137

FINALS 111

GF 10 CAREER 23298

46

u C ox has had an interesting campaign, which has seen him play several VFL games in the back half of the home and away season. He returned to the side as the substitute in round 23 and had a big impact in the small time he had on the field. The 211cm ruckman has remained in the side since then and is clearly in Craig McRae’s best team when up and running. Was a key to the Magpies winning last week.

GAMES GOALS

2023 1817

FINALS 1110

GF 12 CAREER 112117

CLUB HISTORY

HIGHEST SCORE

32.19 (211) v St Kilda, R17, 1980, Waverley Park

LOWEST SCORE

0.8 (8) v South Melbourne, R11, 1897, Victoria Park

GREATEST WINNING MARGIN

178 points v St Kilda, R4, 1979, Victoria Park

BEST WINNING SEQUENCE

20 games – SF replay, 1928 to R18, 1929

Coll), John Cahill (coach Coll), Gavin Brown, Des Tuddenham (also playing coach Ess, coach S Melb), Tony Shaw (also coach Coll), Dermott Brereton (also Haw, Syd), Nathan Buckley (also Bris, coach Coll), Ron Todd, Brad Hardie (also Bris, WB), Mick Malthouse (coach Coll, also St K, Rich, coach WB, WCE, Carl), Greg Phillips, Michael Taylor, Mark Williams (also Bris, coach PA)

LEADING GOALKICKER MEDALLISTS

1898: Archie Smith (31)

1903: Teddy Lockwood (33)

1905: Charlie H. Pannam (38)

1907-09: Dick Lee (45, 50, 55)

1914: Dick Lee (57)

1916-17: Dick Lee (46, 50)

1919: Dick Lee (47)

1926-30: Gordon Coventry (78, 88, 78, 118, 105)

1933: Gordon Coventry (108)

1938-39: Ron Todd (102, 98)

1946: Des Fothergill (63)

JOHN COLEMAN MEDALLISTS

1958: Ian Brewer (67)

1972-1973: Peter McKenna (130, 84)

1986: Brian Taylor (100)

NORM SMITH MEDALLISTS

Tony Shaw (1990), Nathan Buckley (2002), Scott Pendlebury* (2010)

PREMIERSHIP COACH MEDALLISTS

George Angus (1910), Jock McHale (1917, 1919, 1927-30, 1935-36)

JOCK McHALE MEDALLISTS

Phonse Kyne (1953, 1958), Leigh Matthews (1990), Mick Malthouse (2010)

JIM STYNES MEDALLIST

Dane Swan (2010)

MICHAEL TUCK MEDALLIST

Heath Shaw (2011)

AFL RISING STAR AWARD

Jaidyn Stephenson (2018), Nick Daicos* (2022)

AFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

MVP AWARD

Darren Millane (1990), Dane Swan (2010)

PREMIERSHIPS

1902, 1903, 1910, 1917, 1919, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1953, 1958, 1990, 2010

RUNNERS-UP

WOODEN SPOONS

1976, 1999

FINALS

190 games – 84 wins, 101 losses, 5 draws

MOST FINALS

TOP GOALKICKING PERFORMANCES

17 G ordon Coventry (v Fitzroy, R12, 1930, Victoria Park)

16 G ordon Coventry (v Hawthorn, R13, 1929, Victoria Park)

16 P eter McKenna (v South Melbourne, R19, 1969, Victoria Park)

15 G ordon Coventry (v Essendon, R11, 1933, Victoria Park)

BROWNLOW MEDALLISTS

Syd Coventry (1927), Albert Collier (1929), Harry Collier (1930 tied), Marcus Whelan (1939), Des Fothergill (1940 tied), Len Thompson (1972), Peter Moore (1979), Nathan Buckley (2003 tied), Dane Swan (2011)

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME MEMBERS

LEGENDS: Gordon Coventry, Leigh Matthews (coach Coll, also Haw, also coach Bris Lions), Jock McHale (also coach Coll)

INDUCTEES: Albert Collier (also Fitz), Bob Rose (also coach Coll, Foots), Bruce Andrew (admin), Charlie H. Pannam (also Rich, coach Rich), Dan Minogue (also Rich, Haw, coach Rich, Haw, Carl, St K, Fitz), Dick Lee, Harry Collier, Jack Regan, Jack Hamilton (admin), Phonse Kyne (also coach Coll), Syd Coventry (also coach Foots), Des Fothergill, Len Fitzgerald, Lou Richards, Len Thompson (also S Melb, Fitz), Tom Hafey (coach Coll, also Rich, coach Rich, Geel, Syd), Peter Daicos, Peter McKenna (also Carl), Wayne Richardson, Peter Moore (also Melb), Murray Weideman (also coach

1901, 1905, 1911, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2018

McCLELLAND TROPHY

1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1970, 2010, 2011

HIGHEST SCORE IN A FINAL

23.15 (153) v Fitzroy, EF, 1984

LOWEST SCORE IN A FINAL 1.5 (11) v Fitzroy, PF, 1898

GREATEST WINNING MARGIN IN A FINAL

69 points v W Bulldogs, EF, 1974

GREATEST LOSING MARGIN IN A FINAL 133 points v Essendon, PF, 1984

MOST GOALS IN A FINAL

11 Ron Todd v Geelong, PF, 1938; Ron Todd v St Kilda, PF, 1939

BEST FINALS WINNING STREAK

Six games (1935-37)

WORST FINALS LOSING STREAK

Seven games (1904-09)

PRE-SEASON/NIGHT SERIES

SCOTT PENDLEBURY

Magpies v Lions

HEAD to HEAD

Played 53: Collingwood 28, Brisbane Lions 25.

Past five: Collingwood 0, Brisbane Lions 5.

Most recent game: round 23, 2023, Collingwood lost to Brisbane Lions by 24 points at Marvel Stadium.

Highest attendance: 91,817, Grand Final, 2002, at the MCG.

COLLINGWOOD

Home record: 13-9

Away record: 15-16

Highest score: 26.16 (172), round 20, 1991, at Heritage Bank Stadium.

Lowest score: 5.4 (34), round 15, 2020, at the Gabba.

Greatest winning margin: 101 points, round 20, 1991, at Heritage Bank Stadium.

Longest winning sequence: 11, round 6, 1987, to round 12, 1993.

Most goals in a game:

13, Peter Daicos, round 20, 1991, at Heritage Bank Stadium.

BRISBANE LIONS

Away record: 9-13

Home record: 16-15

Highest score: 22.17 (149), round 17, 2007, at the MCG.

Lowest score: 6.6 (42), round 15, 2020, at the Gabba.

Greatest winning margin: 93 points, round 17, 2007, at the MCG.

Longest winning sequence:

6, round 13, 1997, to round 15, 2001; round 15, 2020, to round 23, 2023.

Most goals in a game:

7, Alastair Lynch, round 3, 2004, at the Gabba; Jonathan Brown, round 17, 2007, at the MCG.

Jordan De Goey

MIDFIELDER

u De Goey was best afield in last week’s win over GWS Giants in the preliminary final – tallying 34 disposals, including a season-high 17 contested possessions. He was busy at the stoppages and generated a career-high 13 clearances – the equal-sixth most by any player in a final since 2000. Despite not registering a goal or assist – he was involved in an equal team-high six scoring chains. De Goey is averaging a career-high 24.5 disposals and 5.7 clearances at the MCG this year.

POCKET PROFILE 41 Brody Mihocek

Nickname: Checkers

Which current AFL player gave you the biggest bath in junior footy: Robbie Fox

Which teammate will become an AFL coach one day: Taylor Adams

What time should the Grand Final start: 2pm

Ideal length of the home and away season: 23 games

COLLINGWOOD VENUE RECORD

MCG

Melbourne

Venue capacity: 100,024

Ground dimensions: 162m x 139m

Played 685: 366-310-9.

Most recent game: preliminary final, 2023, Collingwood d GWS Giants by 1 point.

Highest score: 27.11 (173), round 2, 1996, v Melbourne; 27.11 (173) v West Coast, round 10, 2008.

Lowest score: 2.2 (14), Grand Final, 1960, v Melbourne.

Best 1st quarter score: 8.6 (54), round 4, 2011, v Richmond.

Best 2nd quarter score: 10.1 (61), round 18, 2023, v Fremantle.

Best 3rd quarter score: 9.4 (58), round 17, 1997, v Melbourne.

Best 4th quarter score: 10.7 (67), elimination final, 1984, v Fitzroy.

KEY STATS

Score involvements per game

u 6.6 – ranked No. 1 at the club

v GWS Giants in the preliminary final

u 34 disposals

u 17 contested possessions

u 13 clearances

Greatest winning margin: 117 points, round 16, 2011, v North Melbourne. Longest winning sequence: 9, round 11, 2022, to round 23, 2022. Most goals in a game: 11, Ron Todd, preliminary final, 1938, v Geelong; Ron Todd, preliminary final, 1939, v St Kilda; Dick Lee, round 14, 1914, v University.

Highest attendance: 121,696, Grand Final, 1970, v Carlton.

Do you get your hair cut before a big game on TV: No

How do you pass the time before a night game when you’re on the road: Watch a movie

What sport do you suck at: Lawn bowls

Favourite subject at school: Maths

Former footballer you admire most: Jobe Watson

Dream job after AFL footy: Barista

Hobbies or interests outside football: Gardening

What advice would you give a first-year player: Relax

What’s something you admire about your club: The supporters

Best advice your mum gave you:

Don’t waste your money

Espresso or cold brew: Cold brew

Favourite Shapes flavour: Vegemite

Uber Eats or DoorDash: DoorDash

Home delivery or pick-up: Pick-up

Dog person or cat person: Dog

First concert you attended: Pink

Your go to karaoke song: Take Me Home, Country Roads

Favourite podcast: Hamish & Andy

Three things on your bucket list: See the northern lights, drive a supercar, fly first class

Last book you read: Atomic Habits

Favourite holiday destination: Tasmania

Who should play your coach in a movie: Al Pacino

DWA_02863_AFL Magazine_[420x30]_FA.indd 1

9 Matt

14 Hayden GAVINE

21 Simon MEREDITH

12 Andrew STEPHENS

Boundary: Christopher GORDON, Ian BURROWS, Matthew TOMKINS, Michael BARLOW.

Emergency: Matthew KONETSCHKA Goal: Angus McKENZIE-WILLS, Adam WOJCIK.

Emergency: Brodie KENNY-BELL

u CUP & MEDAL PRESENTERS

UMPIRES’ MEDALS: Glenn James

NORM SMITH MEDAL: Chris Judd

JOCK McHALE MEDAL: Mark Thompson

PREMIERSHIP MEDALS:

To be presented by NAB AFL Auskick participants (see page 106).

PREMIERSHIP CUP:

To be presented by Peter Moore if Collingwood wins and Leigh Matthews if the Brisbane Lions win.

u TIPSTERS

Michael LOVETT AFL RECORD Collingwood by 14 points

Ashley BROWNE AFL RECORD Brisbane Lions by 6 points

Kane CORNES SEN Collingwood by 33 points

Dwayne RUSSELL SEN Brisbane Lions by 12 points

BRISBANE LIONS

BRISBANE LIONS

Co-captains Harris Andrews, Lachie Neale

Coach

Coach Chris Fagan

Lions v Magpies

HEAD to HEAD

Played 53: Brisbane Lions 25, Collingwood 28.

Past five: Brisbane Lions 5, Collingwood 0.

Most recent game: round 23, 2023, Brisbane Lions d Collingwood by 24 points at Marvel Stadium.

Highest attendance: 91,817, Grand Final, 2002, at the MCG.

BRISBANE LIONS

Away record: 9-13

Home record: 16-15

Highest score: 22.17 (149), round 17, 2007, at the MCG.

Lowest score: 6.6 (42), round 15, 2020, at the Gabba.

Greatest winning margin: 93 points, round 17, 2007, at the MCG.

Longest winning sequence:

6, round 13, 1997, to round 15, 2001; round 15, 2020, to round 23, 2023.

Most goals in a game:

7, Alastair Lynch, round 3, 2004, at the Gabba; Jonathan Brown, round 17, 2007, at the MCG.

COLLINGWOOD

Home record: 13-9

Away record: 15-16

Highest score: 26.16 (172), round 20, 1991, at Heritage Bank Stadium.

Lowest score: 5.4 (34), round 15, 2020, at the Gabba.

Greatest winning margin: 101 points, round 20, 1991, at Heritage Bank Stadium.

Longest winning sequence:

11, round 6, 1987, to round 12, 1993.

Most goals in a game:

13, Peter Daicos, round 20, 1991, at Heritage Bank Stadium.

Lachie Neale

MIDFIELDER

u Neale’s two games at the MCG this season have been contrasting from an output point of view – tallying 30 disposals in the win over Hawthorn in round 13 and just 19 disposals in a defeat to Melbourne in round 18 – one of only three games he has failed to reach 20 disposals this season. Neale was outstanding around the stoppages against the Demons though – generating nine clearances – of which four were from centre bounces.

POCKET PROFILE 23 Charlie Cameron

Nickname: Chucky, Ranger

Which current AFL player gave you the biggest bath in junior footy: Nakia Cockatoo

Which teammate will become an AFL coach one day: Dayne Zorko

What time should the Grand Final start: 6pm

Do you get your hair cut before a big game on TV: Every four weeks

BRISBANE LIONS VENUE RECORD

MCG Melbourne

Venue capacity: 100,024

Ground dimensions: 162m x 139m

Played 85: 19-65-1.

Most recent game: round 18, 2023, Brisbane Lions lost to Melbourne by 1 point.

Highest score: 26.13 (169), round 22, 1987, v Richmond.

Lowest score: 2.5 (17), round 4, 2018, v Richmond.

Best 1st quarter score: 8.0 (48), round 19, 2003, v Collingwood; 7.6 (48), round 17, 2007, v Collingwood.

Best 2nd quarter score: 8.3 (51), round 7, 1991, v Melbourne.

Best 3rd quarter score: 8.4 (52), round 17, 2002, v Hawthorn.

Best 4th quarter score: 8.1 (49), round 14, 1992, v North Melbourne.

KEY STATS

Contested possessions per game interstate u 13.1 – ranked No. 1 at the club

Averages interstate this season u 26.2 disposals u 13.1 contested possessions u 8.2 clearances

Greatest winning margin: 93 points, round 17, 2007, v Collingwood.

Longest winning sequence: 5, round 15, 2001, to round 19, 2003.

Most goals in a game: 7, Jared Brennan, round 17, 2007, v Collingwood; Jarrod Molloy, round 12, 1997, v Melbourne; Brad Hardie, round 22, 1987, v Richmond.

Highest attendance: 91,817, Grand Final, 2002, v Collingwood.

Ideal length of the home and away season: 24 games

How do you pass the time before a night game when you’re on the road: Massage, cards and watching rugby league

What sport do you suck at: Basketball

Favourite subject at school: Maths

Former footballer you admire most: Eddie Betts

Hobbies or interests outside football: Golf, fishing and chilling with my dogs

Dream job after AFL footy: Coaching

Sporting event you cannot miss: State of Origin

What advice would you give a first-year player: Don’t be late to any meetings or commitments at the club

What’s something you admire about your club: Family club

Best advice your mum gave you: Stay out of trouble

Dog person or cat person: Dog

Espresso or cold brew: Ice latte

Uber Eats or Doordash: Uber Eats

Home delivery or pick-up: Home delivery

First concert you attended: Eminem

Your go to karaoke song: Chasin’ You by Morgan Wallen

Favourite podcast: Kick Ons With Cam and Hugh

Delivering Exceptional and Eco-Friendly Portable Buildings

In a time-efficient manner and with the knowledge and expertise gained from over 30 years in the design and fabrication industry, we strive to provide the best experience for our customers and exceed their expectations for every project.

CLUB HISTORY

HIGHEST SCORE

33.21 (219) v Sydney, R8, 1993, Gabba

LOWEST SCORE

2.5 (17) v Hawthorn, R12, 1988, Ikon Park; v Richmond, R4, 2018, MCG

GREATEST WINNING MARGIN

162 points v Sydney, R8, 1993, Gabba

BEST WINNING SEQUENCE

20 games – R10, 2001 to R4, 2002

WORST LOSING

12 games – R20, 1990 to R10, 1991; R5, 2016 to R17, 2016

OVERALL RECORD:

RECORD AT CURRENT VENUES

10 Jonathan Brown (v Carlton, R16, 2007, Gabba)

9 Brad Hardie (v Carlton, R10, 1989, Ikon Park)

9 Daniel Bradshaw (v Melbourne, R4, 2005, Gabba)

BROWNLOW MEDALLISTS

Michael Voss (1996 tied), Jason Akermanis (2001), Simon Black (2002), Lachie Neale* (2020, 2023)

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

HALL OF FAME MEMBERS

LEGEND: Leigh Matthews (coach, also Haw, coach Coll)

INDUCTEES: Peter Knights (Haw, also coach Bris, Haw), Michael Voss (also coach Bris Lions), Nathan Buckley (also Coll, coach Coll), Jason Akermanis (also WB), Nigel Lappin, Brad Hardie (also WB, Coll), Simon Black, Jonathan Brown, Mark Williams (also Coll, coach PA)

INDIGENOUS TEAM OF THE CENTURY MEMBERS

Chris Johnson (back pocket), Darryl White (full-back), Michael McLean (interchange)

JOHN COLEMAN MEDALLIST

2007 – Jonathan Brown (77 goals)

NORM SMITH MEDALLISTS

Shaun Hart (2001), Simon Black (2003)

MICHAEL TUCK MEDALLIST

Daniel Rich* (2013)

JOCK McHALE MEDALLISTS

Leigh Matthews (2001, 2002, 2003)

JIM STYNES MEDALLISTS

Jason Akermanis (1999), Ashley McGrath (2013)

AFL RISING STAR AWARD

Nathan Buckley (1993), Chris Scott (1994), Daniel Rich* (2009), Lewis Taylor (2014)

AFL PLAYERS ASSOCIATION

MVP AWARD

Michael Voss (2002 tied, 2003)

Lachie Neale* (2020)

PREMIERSHIPS

2001, 2002, 2003

RUNNERS-UP

2004

WOODEN SPOONS

1990, 1991, 1998, 2017 FINALS

36 games – 22 wins, 14 losses

MOST FINALS

WORST FINALS LOSING STREAK

Three games (2009-19; 2020-21)

PRE-SEASON/NIGHT SERIES

68 games – 31 wins, 35 losses, two draws

Premiership 2013

CLUB MEMBERSHIP

1987 (3449), 1988 (7607), 1989 (7176), 1990 (5630), 1991 (5696), 1992 (5401), 1993 (5750), 1994 (6158), 1995 (6893), 1996 (10,267), 1997 (16,769), 1998 (16,108), 1999 (16,931), 2000 (20,295), 2001 (18,330), 2002 (22,288), 2003 (24,365), 2004 (30,221), 2005 (28,913), 2006 (26,459), 2007 (21,976), 2008 (22,737), 2009 (24,873), 2010 (26,779), 2011 (20,792), 2012 (20,762), 2013 (24,130), 2014 (24,012), 2015 (25,408), 2016 (23,286), 2017 (21,362), 2018 (24,867), 2019 (28,023), 2020 (29,277), 2021 (40,289), 2022 (43,319), 2023 (54,676 )

* denotes current player or coach

Fitzroy

OVERALL RECORD: 1928 games – 869 wins, 1034 losses, 25 draws

GRAND FINALS: 13

PREMIERSHIPS: 1898, 1899, 1904, 1905, 1913, 1916, 1922, 1944

HIGHEST SCORE

MOST GOALS IN FINALS

36.22 (238) v Melbourne, R17, 1979, Waverley Park

GREATEST WINNING MARGIN

190 points v Melbourne, R17, 1979, Waverley Park

MOST

HIGHEST SCORE IN A FINAL

26.14 (170) v Carlton, SF, 1996

LOWEST SCORE IN A FINAL

6.6 (42) v Geelong, PF , 2020

GREATEST WINNING MARGIN IN A FINAL

97 points v Carlton, SF, 1996

GREATEST LOSING MARGIN IN A FINAL

82 points v Carlton, SF, 2000

MOST GOALS IN A FINAL

7 A lastair Lynch v Carlton, SF, 1996; Alastair Lynch v Adelaide, QF, 2002

BEST FINALS WINNING STREAK

Six games (2001-02)

Haydn Bunton (1931, 1932, 1935), Wilfred ‘Chicken’ Smallhorn (1933), Dinny Ryan (1936), Allan Ruthven (1950), Kevin Murray (1969), Bernie Quinlan (1981)

AFL TEAM OF THE

Kevin Murray (half-back), Haydn Bunton (forward pocket), Norm Smith (coach)

Head-to-head

SIMON

DELIVERING

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BRISBANE LIONS

AT A GLANCE

experienced forward Jack Gunston, and drafted superbly with young stars Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher making an immediate impact.

Ashcroft, in particular, was a shining light and was heavily in the conversation for the AFL Rising Star award before a serious knee injury cruelly ended his season in round 19.

Chris Fagan and his coaching staff have put together one of the most free-flowing and attacking teams in the AFL which tends to score heavily through an extremely damaging forward line.

Seven players have returned 20 goals or more this season – the best result in the League – while Joe Daniher, second-time All-Australian Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood have all booted 40-plus majors.

That trio has the capability of striking fear into opposition defences and when well supplied by the midfield, they possess the ability to pile on massive scores.

u As a Brisbane entity, the Lions have claimed three premierships, which all came in quick succession in the early 2000s. The Leigh Matthews-coached side that claimed the 2001, 2002 and 2003 flags is considered one of the most feared teams of the modern era. Before the Brisbane Bears’ merger with Fitzroy in late 1996, the Lions had held aloft eight premiership cups. This 2023 Grand Final will be the fifth for the Brisbane Lions, having also played off in 2004 when they chased four in a row.

After a stuttering start to the season, the Lions re-emerged as one of the strongest teams in the competition in 2023.

They quickly put together seven successive wins after dropping two of their first three, which included a 54-point opening round loss to Port Adelaide.

Back-to-back losses to Adelaide and Hawthorn either side of the round 12 bye threatened to derail things, but from there they hardly put a foot wrong in winning 11 of their next 13.

u SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

ROUND 2

BRISBANE LIONS v MELBOURNE

u In one of the most bizarre games of the year, the Lions beat Melbourne by 11 points on a night where the lights went out at the Gabba. After a 40-minute hiatus, Brisbane held on for dear life as the Demons piled on late goals.

That run included a 48-point revenge job on the Power in the qualifying final.

It was a fruitful off-season for the Lions, who added gun midfielder Josh Dunkley, which proved an inspired piece of trading.

He added grunt and strength to an already talent-laden midfield group consisting of first-year co-captain and Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry, Zac Bailey, Dayne Zorko and ruckman Oscar McInerney.

They also brought in dashing defender Conor McKenna and

ROUND 4

BRISBANE LIONS v COLLINGWOOD

u T he Magpies were flying when they travelled to the Gabba early in the season but ran into a rampant Lions outfit ready to inflict some damage. Charlie Cameron (six) and Cam Rayner (four) combined for 10 goals in the 33-point triumph.

Down the other end, they are capably led by Neale’s joint skipper Harris Andrews, who has again been one of the competition’s best intercept defenders.

Keidean Coleman had a fine season as a running defender and was influential in last week’s win.

The Lions went through the season unbeaten at their fortress at the Gabba, claiming 13 wins from as many attempts.

Now they must return to the MCG, a venue that has not been a happy hunting ground of late.

It does, however, happen to be the setting of the club’s trio of ultimate successes two decades ago.

PRELIMINARY FINAL

BRISBANE LIONS v CARLTON

u After the Blues raced to a 30-point lead 21 minutes into the first quarter, the Lions controlled the game thereafter and a 16-point win saw them through to their first Grand Final since 2004. Keidean Coleman (21 disposals, seven score involvements) starred for the home side.

COACH

CHRIS FAGAN

u Regarded as the elder statesman of the coaching fraternity, Fagan has been brilliant for the Lions. He has overseen five finals series in his seven seasons at the helm, reaching the preliminary final stage on two occasions before going one better this year. The former Hawthorn assistant has set his team up to play with an easy-on-the-eye attacking style which in 2023 has matured into a game-plan that is difficult to combat. He is striving to become Brisbane’s second premiership coach.

The Brisbane Lions have roared into the Grand Final on the back of a

well-balanced side that has few deficiencies.

ANDREW SLEVISON

LACHIE NEALE HARRIS ANDREWS

u Neale has been one of the competition’s best midfielders in 2023, as evidenced by his Brownlow Medal win. In his first season as Brisbane co-captain, the now dual Brownlow medallist has done a superb job in guiding the club to the Grand Final along with Harris Andrews. The former Fremantle star averaged well over 26 disposals – for the ninth straight season – and plays in his 19th final and second Grand Final.

GAMES GOALS

2023 253

FINALS 187

GF 10 CAREER 245115

ROBERTSON

MIDFIELDER

DANIHER

u Highly rated by the Lions, the young West Australian has been building into a key contributor over the past few seasons. While 2021 was his most fruitful year with 16 senior appearances, he will equal that total in the Grand Final. Robertson has played 15 games, including both finals, and has provided depth through the midfield. Goes hard at the contest and had five tackles last week.

GAMES GOALS

2023 152

FINALS 61

GF 00

CAREER 409

u The key defender is one of the game’s finest exponents of the intercept mark. The Lions co-captain has again been a force in 2023, dominating the airwaves with consummate ease and frequently denying opposition attacks. One of four Lions in the 44-man All-Australian squad, Andrews is in his fifth successive final series as he strives to lead the club to the promised land in his first season as joint skipper.

GAMES GOALS

2023 251

FINALS 110

GF 00

CAREER 18511

3

u The 2023 season has been Daniher’s best in Brisbane colours, leading to selection in the All-Australian squad. The former Bomber has booted more than 50 goals for just the second time in his career, while providing plenty up the ground and chiming in as a relief ruckman. Daniher forms a dangerous triumvirate alongside Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood, which promises to pose a major threat.

GAMES GOALS

2023 2558

FINALS 818

GF 00

CAREER 176334

Andrew Slevison, Ethan Daffey, Paddy Sinnott.

JOSH DUNKLEY CALLUM AH CHEE

MIDFIELDER/FORWARD

5 4

MIDFIELDER

HUGH Mc CLUGGAGE

MIDFIELDER

u Ah Chee battled various injuries earlier in the season before breaking back into the senior side in round 19. Since then, he has contributed significantly across multiple roles, most frequently as a forward and on the wing. The former Gold Coast Sun has seven games of finals experience to his name and now gets the opportunity to play on the biggest stage of all. Had four score involvements last week.

GAMES GOALS 2023 116

FINALS 74

GF 00 CAREER 11648

6 JARROD BERRY

MIDFIELDER

u Much was said and written about Dunkley after he opted to leave the Western Bulldogs to join the Lions during last year’s trade period. He was a premiership player for the Bulldogs and had also won their 2022 best and fairest. But Brisbane has been blessed by his arrival as he has been one of the side’s most consistent performers in 2023. Dunkley will play in his third Grand Final and is a key to the Lions’ chances.

GAMES GOALS

2023 232

FINALS 135

GF 20

CAREER 13967

7

u McCluggage is genuinely an elite midfielder in the game. The 2016 No. 3 draft pick has become a prime mover in the middle having cut his teeth as a winger. He forms one of the AFL’s most impressive midfield units alongside Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and Jarrod Berry, under the ruck expertise of Oscar McInerney. McCluggage has picked up 20 or more disposals in eight of his 11 finals.

GAMES GOALS 2023 2411

FINALS 117

GF 00

CAREER 15495

u The 25-year-old provides support and depth to Brisbane’s on-ball unit, a crucial role in the modern game given how much the midfield is relied upon. Berry has enjoyed a strong season, calling on his work rate and endurance to help influence games. The top-20 draft pick is the perfect foil for some of the stars in Brisbane’s gun midfield, including Lachie Neale and Hugh McCluggage.

GAMES GOALS 2023 2410

FINALS 113

GF 00

CAREER 13258

LINCOLN Mc CARTHY DAYNE ZORKO

u A classy, crafty, composed player who is a key element to Brisbane’s damaging forward line. McCarthy has been a constant in Chris Fagan’s side since arriving from Geelong before the 2019 season. In Lions colours, he has returned 20 or more goals in four of five seasons, including 2023. McCarthy’s presence and ability to influence inside forward 50 will go a long way to helping the Lions lift the cup.

CAM RAYNER

u The former Brisbane captain continues to be an influential figure in the best 22. Zorko has again been integral as a high half-forward, having spent earlier sections of the season across half-back. The 34-year-old is damaging by foot forward of centre, often setting up forward forays with deadly disposal or quick thinking. Zorko plays his 250th game today in what could be his last chance to win a flag.

JARRYD LYONS

u Rayner has put together arguably his best season in the AFL in 2023. The 23-year-old is on his way to a career-best season goal haul and has played a more pivotal role than usual as a classy forward. Rayner broke the qualifying final open with three first-half goals in the eventual 48-point win over Port Adelaide but was much quieter last week. He can take a game away from the opposition in a split second.

87

00

112104

u The 31-year-old midfielder has been forced to play a bit-part role in 2023. Lyons has been the sub on multiple occasions, managing only nine appearances, which is his lowest return in a season since 2013 when he was with Adelaide. Regardless, he provides hardness, physicality, skill and depth to an already top-quality midfield brigade. He has been the Lions’ sub in both finals and is likely to play that role again.

92

KEIDEAN COLEMAN JACK GUNSTON

u Coleman is a quality ball-user who has made a rebounding half-back role his own this year. The unassuming 23-year-old is a stylish kick who can pinpoint targets at will coming out of defensive 50 and is the go-to man out of defensive stoppages. The Lions Academy product, who originally hails from Western Australia, impressed last week with his hard running and strong marking.

GAMES GOALS 2023 222

FINALS 80

GF 00 CAREER 6314

CHARLIE CAMERON

SMALL FORWARD

u Since moving to Brisbane from Adelaide in 2018, the crafty small forward has turned into one of the premier players in the League. His third season in a row kicking more than 50 goals earned Cameron his second All-Australian blazer this year, with his ability to produce electrifying highlights a feature of his game. Hasn’t quite lit it up in this year’s finals but only needs half a sniff to change a game in an instant.

GAMES GOALS 2023 2556

FINALS 1837

GF 11 CAREER 201357

CONOR Mc KENNA

SMALL DEFENDER

u Already a triple premiership player with Hawthorn, Gunston has missed the chance to play in a fourth. He struggled with a knee issue late in the season but was passed fit to play in the preliminary final, only to be overlooked. The Lions will surely draw on his big-game experience to help mentor his teammates, most of whom have never played in a Grand Final.

GAMES GOALS 2023 1722

FINALS 1535

GF 412 CAREER 242452

u The former Bomber announced his shock retirement in 2020 to move back to Ireland to play Gaelic football. However, the Lions signed him in the Supplemental Selection Period at the start of this year. The dashing defender is renowned for his run and carry and classy decision-making skills. The 26-year-old’s pace off half-back will be pivotal in kick-starting the Lions’ score launches in the Grand Final.

GAMES GOALS 2023 257

FINALS 41

GF 00 CAREER 10427

DARCY GARDINER KEY DEFENDER

JAMES TUNSTILL

MEDIUM FORWARD

u The experienced defender came into the line-up last week to replace the injured Jack Payne. Before then, he’d managed just two home and away appearances in mid-season losses to Adelaide and Hawthorn. Battled shoulder, foot and adductor issues in the first half of the season and has held his spot despite Payne being declared fit. Not a big possession winner, but can play on talls or smalls.

GAMES GOALS

2023 30

FINALS 90

GF 00

CAREER 1575

JASPA FLETCHER MIDFIELDER

u The son of ex-Lion Adrian was taken with pick 12 in the 2022 NAB AFL Draft. His composure with ball in hand was rewarded with a debut in round 14 in a massive Friday night match against Sydney. Fletcher hasn’t looked back from there, highlighted by an outstanding performance in the Lions’ qualifying final win over Port Adelaide when he booted three goals. Could not repeat that last week, but is a real prospect.

GAMES GOALS

2023 138

FINALS 23

GF 00 CAREER 138

KEY FORWARD

u After being drafted with the 41st pick in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft, Tunstill bided his time developing in the VFL as a crafty medium forward. The West Australian has impressed the Lions from the time he arrived at the club, earning himself a senior debut in 2022. After just two games during the home and away season, Tunstill’s consistent VFL performances saw him named as an emergency last week and again today.

GAMES GOALS

2023 20

FINALS 00

GF 00 CAREER 51

u In his eighth year in the AFL, Hipwood has produced some of his best football since returning from a ruptured ACL late last season. The key forward kicked more than 40 goals for the first time in his career, forming a strong partnership with his tall counterpart Joe Daniher. Hipwood will be essential for the Lions as they look to kick a winning score on the MCG, something they have struggled to achieve in recent times.

GAMES GOALS

2023 2541

FINALS 915

GF 00

CAREER 152229

DARCY FORT

32 ZAC BAILEY

u The big-bodied ruckman moved to Queensland for the 2021 season, attempting to cement himself in an AFL side after being drafted by Geelong in 2018. While he remains a back-up for Oscar McInerney, Fort has impressed at Brisbane and was a mainstay in the senior side last year. Although he managed only seven games this season and none since round 21, he has been an emergency througout the finals.

GAMES GOALS 2023 71

FINALS 11 GF 00 CAREER 3316

BRANDON STARCEVICH

u At 31, Lester is one of the more senior figures at the Lions and last year his career looked almost over as he struggled to work his way into the senior side. However, this year the key defender has reinvigorated his career, playing 18 games and showing flashes of his youth. Lester will be an important piece down back alongside Harris Andrews. Was strong in the air with nine marks in the preliminary final.

GAMES GOALS 2023 181 FINALS 512 GF 00 CAREER 17947

u Since being taken at pick 15 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, Bailey has developed into a livewire forward with genuine X-factor. He has also gone into the midfield and has proved a match-winner in many games, the best being his goal after the siren against Collingwood last season. By his standards, 2023 has been a quieter year, however, he can win a game off his own boot. Had 19 disposals and six clearances in the preliminary final.

u The ice cool defender has played every game in 2023 and is one of Chris Fagan’s most consistent and reliable players in the back six. His top performance of the season was against the Western Bulldogs in round three, finishing with 20 disposals and five marks. Starcevich can match up on dangerous opposition forwards and nullify their impact, which will prove vital in a high-stakes decider.

u One of the most improved defenders in the AFL, Payne hurt his ankle in the lead-up to the preliminary final and had to look on. It was a tough call but the Lions decided to stick with his replacement Darcy Gardiner and Payne has been named as an emergency. Payne had worked well in tandem with Harris Andrews and he kept Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow to one goal and 10 touches in round eight.

GAMES GOALS

2023 230

FINALS 60

GF 00 CAREER 502

DARCY WILMOT

SMALL DEFENDER

u The 19-year-old made his debut last season in an elimination final against Richmond and is not afraid of the bright lights in September. He has not missed a game since and his best performance came against Geelong in round 19 when he finished with 23 disposals, five marks and three tackles. He’s already a fan favourite in Brisbane and will provide a special spark for his teammates.

GAMES GOALS

2023 255

FINALS 51

GF 00 CAREER 286

OSCAR Mc INERNEY

RUCK

u The Irish defender made the move up from the Saints in the off-season and featured early in the year for the Lions. He had a solid start, which included a strong performance in a win against North Melbourne in round five, finishing with 13 disposals and six marks. The 26-year-old, who has signed a one-year contract extension, has held his own at AFL level and fits into the defensive system at the Lions.

GAMES GOALS

2023 50

FINALS 00

GF 00

CAREER 180

46

u One of the most influential players on Brisbane’s list who has elevated his game each season and takes on the best ruckmen in the competition each week. McInerney has had a superb season, highlighted by his standout performance in round 14 against the Swans, when he had 18 disposals, 46 hit-outs and kicked a goal. Was crucial in last week’s win with 14 disposals, two goals and 37 hit-outs.

GAMES GOALS

2023 249

FINALS 103

GF 00

CAREER 12554

NAB AFL FUTURES CURTAIN-RAISER

TEAM SELWOOD

No. NAME CLUB/S

1 L evi Ashcroft Sandringham Dragons

2 L ucas Camporeale Glenelg

3 P hoenix Hargrave South Adelaide

4 J oe Harrison Sydney Swans

5 Taj Hotton Sandringham Dragons

6 Isaac Kako Calder Cannons

7 X avier Lindsay Gippsland Power

8 C hristian Moraes Eastern Ranges

9 M urphy Reid Sandringham Dragons

10 Tobie Travaglia Bendigo Pioneers

11 M alakai Champion Subiaco

12 K ade Herbert Woodville-West Torrens

13 A ustin van der Struyf Claremont

Future stars to feature

u The most talented under-17 footballers from across the country will take part in the 2023 AFL Futures match, which will be played at the MCG before today’s AFL Grand Final.

The 46-player squad will be split into two teams named after former Geelong captain and four-time premiership player Joel Selwood and recently-retired West Coast Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui.

TEAM NAITANUI

No. NAME CLUB/S

1 B en Camporeale Glenelg

2 Sid Draper South Adelaide

3 M itch Woods Sydney Swans

4 C lay Shadforth South Adelaide/Palmerston

5 B o Allan Peel Thunder

7 A rcher Day-Wicks Bendigo Pioneers

8 L ucca Grego Western Jets

9 Z ak Johnson Northern Knights

10 L eonardo Lombard Gold Coast Suns

11 S am Marshall Brisbane Lions/Sandringham Dragons

12 R icky Mentha NT Thunder/Gippsland Power

13 J agga Smith Oakleigh Chargers

14 J oel Cochran Sydney Swans

15 Tom Gross Oakleigh Chargers

16 N ash King Calder Cannons

17 H arry O’Farrell Calder Cannons

18 J obe Shanahan Bendigo Pioneers

19 J osh Smillie Eastern Ranges

20 L uke Trainor Sandringham Dragons

21 Rome Burgoyne Woodville-West Torrens

27 Tom Luck Woodville-West Torrens

28 Tom Gillett Brisbane Lions

All players named for the sixth annual AFL Futures match are born in 2006 and will be eligible for selection in the 2024 AFL Draft.

The AFL Futures match provides next year’s draft prospects an opportunity to be part of a high-performance environment and showcase their talent on the big stage as they push for selection for the 2024 AFL Academy Boys program.

Players were nominated by state talent programs, national selectors and AFL clubs,

with all states and territories represented across the 46-player squad.

Most were prominent in this year’s AFL Under-18 Championships as bottom-aged players and others have emerged from all states and territories as AFL prospects. There will be a medal presented to the best player and the teams compete for the Kevin Sheehan Trophy, named after the AFL Talent Ambassador, who has spent more than 40 years in developing talent in Australia and abroad.

Coach Mark McVeigh Coach Andrew Sturgess

2023 BROWNLOW MEDAL

LION KING NEALE WINS IN A THRILLER

Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale has been crowned the 2023 Brownlow medallist, winning the award on 31 votes.

In a thrilling count, artfully managed to the very last vote by Gillon McLachlan, who read the votes on his last Brownlow night as AFL chief executive, Neale finished on the podium ahead of Marcus Bontempelli (29 votes) and second-year sensation Nick Daicos (28 votes).

Daicos racked up 13 votes after just six rounds and led the count for most of the night, but failed to poll a vote in the last month of the season after a leg injury in round 21.

It was Neale’s second Brownlow and he became the 16th multiple winner and the first since Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe (2015 and 2019) to achieve the feat.

Both times he wasn’t in Melbourne for the count. In 2020, the medal count was decentralised with players not leaving their home state.

Last Monday night, the Lions held a small function at the Gabba, staying in Brisbane ahead of today’s Grand Final.

He was presented the award by Lions coach Chris Fagan.

“It doesn’t sit very well at the moment,” Neale said.

“I’m sure it will sink in at a later date. I’m pretty rattled to be honest.

“I did not expect this, and to be amongst some of those names that have won two is unbelievable.

“To be in Brisbane, preparing for a Grand Final, is amazing. I haven’t been involved in this week for a decade, so I’m excited.”

The 30-year-old is averaging 26.9 disposals, 8.1 clearances and 4.1 tackles a game ahead of today’s Grand Final against Collingwood.

It was the latest of many awards for Neale, who also won the AFLPA MVP and AFLCA Player of the Year in 2020 and three All-Australian

blazers (2019, 2020, 2022) to go with his two Brownlows.

One game that raised eyebrows on the night was in round six against the GWS Giants.

Lions teammate Charlie Cameron kicked seven goals, while Josh Kelly (41 disposals) and Stephen Coniglio (38) also dominated around the ball. Neale had 20 touches and six clearances, but still earned the three votes, to his own surprise.

“There were probably games I thought I would poll through the middle part of the season where I didn’t pick up votes or polled one where I thought I might get two or three that game, so I think it comes around, swings and roundabouts,” he said.

In other awards given out on Monday night, GWS’s Harry Himmelberg won Mark of the Year,

while Brisbane’s Will Ashcroft won Goal of the Year for his effort against Fremantle in round seven.

Carlton’s Sam Docherty won the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

2023 BROWNLOW MEDAL

DOUBLING UP: Lachie Neale became the 16th multiple winner of the Brownlow Medal in another close count last Monday night.

I’m pretty rattled to be honest

LACHIE NEALE

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2013 RECORD FLASHBACK

HOW THE FLAG WAS WON

HAWKS RESTORE THE FAITH

Clarkson had no need to dig into his considerable bag of tricks.

“No theme,” said defender Brent Guerra. “Just go out and do what you’ve been doing.”

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson did not have to say a whole lot to his players at their nal pre-game meeting before the 2013 Grand Final against Fremantle.

There was no scurrying around the internet looking for a picture of a shark in order to display it on a whiteboard, with the message to kill it, as was the case before the 2008 Grand Final against Geelong.

To be truthful, not a whole lot needed to be said. The Grand Final

loss to the Sydney Swans in 2012, as mid elder Brad Sewell said “wasn’t all that long ago.”

The 2013 Grand Final was just the last act in a 12-month act of redemption for the Hawthorn Football Club. The message all year from Clarkson to not just the playing group, but to the entire club, was that there was a blueprint to winning a premiership.

Follow the path, pull in the same direction and the reward would come in the nal match of the year.

Hawthorn’s path to redemption started pretty much straight in the minutes a er the 2012 Grand Final.

The 2011 preliminary nal loss to Collingwood by three points was marked by wailing, gnashing of teeth and a feeling of “woe is us”. The Hawks were probably too open with their disappointment and there were a few, most notably Magpies president Eddie McGuire, who had their fun with it.

Fast-forward 12 months, and the reaction to the loss to the Swans could not have been more di erent. If there was more wailing and

In every sense of the word, Hawthorn was ‘spurred’ on by its 2012 Grand Final loss, even learning from one of the world’s great sporting teams, the San Antonio Spurs, as it plotted to win the next year. ASHLEY BROWNE (It) was a 12-month act of redemption

gnashing of teeth, it was kept very private. The universal message was that it had been a great season, replete with some sublime football, but just a bit unlucky at the end.

Clarkson copped some ak for using the widely-publicised murder of Jill Meagher in the days before the Grand Final for his post-defeat remarks about perspective, but it helped set the tone for the o -season and the return to pre-season training.

The message was that the defeat, while crushing, was no catastrophe.

Premierships are hard to win, was the spin from Clarkson, and drawing from his days at North Melbourne under Denis Pagan, if you keep presenting year a er year and make the top four, then the opportunities will come.

Still, there were lessons learned in the days and weeks that followed. The immediate a ermath of the Grand Final showed the Hawks were, to use that quirky piece of football vernacular, “cooked”.

A er nine rounds in 2012, the Hawks were 5-4 and out of the eight. They lost just one game for the rest of the home and away season (to Geelong, of course) and nished the season on top of the ladder, but to get there took an enormous toll.

The Hawks were without ruckman Max Bailey for most of the year because of a wrist injury. David Hale and Jarryd Roughead shared the ruck duties for the season but, in the ideal scenario, both play as key forwards and would only pinch-hit

in the ruck. By season’s end, both had run out of pu , particularly Roughead, who was in his rst season back a er missing half of 2011 because of a torn achilles.

The need to push hard from round 10 onwards to, rstly, cement a nals berth and then to secure the double chance, meant Clarkson had little choice but to pick his best team every week.

There was little opportunity to experiment, even fewer opportunities to rest players or use the substitute’s role more judiciously.

The wins mounted and, by the time the nals came around, the Hawks had assumed premiership favouritism. But they were tired and sore, depth was abating and once Brendan Whitecross and Guerra went down with season-ending injuries, Clarkson had fewer players to choose from.

Hawthorn fell in against Adelaide in the preliminary nal. The hope was that it was “the bad game they had to have”, but in hindsight, the Hawks were running on fumes.

And the Grand Final defeat, despite dominating so many of the key statistical categories on the day, came as no real surprise with the wisdom of hindsight.

There were other lessons to be absorbed from that September.

Adelaide key forward pair Kurt Tippett and Taylor Walker mauled Hawthorn in the preliminary nal, highlighting the need for another hulking key defender.

Unbeknown to most, the Western Bulldogs had sni ed the free agency wind and come to realise they were a year away from losing their dual All-Australian full-back Brian Lake and receiving no compensation in return.

Sending him to Hawthorn was the ideal win-win scenario. The Bulldogs received another two dra choices at a time they were in the middle of a complete rebuild of their playing list.

The Hawks received what many believed was their missing link – a big-bodied, hard-nosed backman capable of playing on the monster full-forwards.

Lake’s arrival at Waverley Park ticked o one item on Hawthorn’s o -season ‘to do’ list. Clarkson’s post-season trip to the United States helped him nd solutions to some of the Hawks’ other pressing issues. One of those was goalkicking.

Hawthorn nished the 2012 Grand Final with the disappointing

(Brian Lake) was their missing link

POETRY IN MOTION: Superstar Cyril Rioli sends the Hawks forward in the 2013 Grand Final.

scoreline of 11.15 (81), 10 points shy of the Swans who kicked 14.7 (91). Had the Hawks kicked straight, they surely would have won the ag. But it was during a visit to the San Antonio Spurs, the perennial NBA powerhouse, that Clarkson hatched a plan that would dramatically improve his team in a key part of the ground.

Clarkson learned from the Spurs that they have a full-time coach whose sole job is to work with the players on their free throws. The coach works with the players on their technique and every free throw at practice is charted and the results written on a whiteboard in the Spurs locker room.

Back at Waverley Park, former Melbourne goalsneak Adem Yze was brought on as a development coach with his primary task to improve the players’ set-shot kicking.

Yze’s brief was to work with the club three days a week, but he was there almost every day, assisting high performance manager David Rath work with players such as Lance Franklin, Roughead, Hale, Luke Breust and Jack Gunston, among others. Like with the Spurs, every kick was charted, recorded and displayed in the rooms. Nothing would be le to chance.

The previous two years had also exposed the Hawks as being susceptible in close nishes. They had blown the 2011 preliminary against Collingwood a er leading comfortably, as well as several games against Geelong and, overall, were 4-6 over those two years in games decided by two goals or less.

Again taking their lead from the Spurs, the Hawks erected an electronic countdown clock near the top of the Sir Kenneth Luke Stand at Waverley Park and much of their match simulation throughout 2013

featured working against the clock to either protect a narrow lead or urgently get back in front.

What the 2012 wash-up also showed was the Hawks were too predictable and one-paced through the mid eld. The Swans were hardly eet of foot, but they exposed Hawthorn for run through stages of the Grand Final.

Assistant coach Leon Cameron departed the Hawks to become the coach-in-waiting of Greater Western Sydney and was replaced by former Carlton coach Brett Ratten, who with the ink barely dry on his contract, was already talking about shaking up the mid eld, injecting new blood and trying di erent formations.

There were no big promises and no big statements out of the Hawks in the pre-season. The mantra from president Andrew Newbold down was to try to win enough games to make the top four, earn the double chance and to see what happened from there. There was certainly no dwelling on the events of the year before.

The season started with the obligatory narrow loss to Geelong. It sparked an extraordinary outburst from former president Je Kennett, who demanded Clarkson’s sacking. Equally telling was that Newbold and captain Luke Hodge more or less told Kennett to butt out.

Hawthorn righted the ship immediately. The Hawks went to Perth in round two to play West Coast and belted the then premiership fancy by 50 points.

Talk to many at the club about the best win for the year and they point to this one in the west, in the heat, coming o a six-day break against a side that had been resting for a fortnight.

And the wins kept on coming. Starting with the West Coast

game, the Hawks piled on 12 on the trot, equalling the club record from 1961, when Hawthorn went unbeaten from round nine to win the premiership, in what was then an 18-game season.

What was also clear was Hawthorn had learned plenty from the year before.

Whereas seven or eight players may have run through the mid eld in the past, up to 10 were part of the centre square rotation that year.

Most signi cantly, clearance king Sam Mitchell spent much of the year starting o a half-back ank, a move dictated partly to keep him fresh but also to replace Matthew Suckling, the pinpoint le -foot kick who wrecked his knee in the NAB Cup and was ruled out for the season.

Hawthorn also mixed up its forward line formation regularly each quarter. Bailey’s return to the side allowed Hale and Roughead to play primarily as the tall marking targets close to goal.

Clarkson had been a er a less Franklin-conscious side for several years and in 2013 nally had the personnel and structures to make it happen.

Franklin sacri ced some of his brilliance to play further up the ground as a high half-forward, while Gunston o en found himself marked by an opposition’s fourth-best backman.

Hawthorn’s forward line clicked on all cylinders and was the most potent in the competition.

Roughead won the Coleman Medal with 68 goals – the lowest winning tally since Leigh Matthews in 1975. His goalkicking routine appeared streamlined and less complicated due to his work with Yze and Rath, and the principles learned from the San Antonio Spurs.

Gunston and Hale, who both missed critical set shots in the 2012

COMPOSED: Coach Alastair Clarkson held his nerve all season and was at his finest on Grand Final day (above) as 100,007 fans crammed into the MCG (below).

The ‘draw from hell’ yielded few problems

Grand Final, also became more reliable set shots at goal.

The Spurs visit also paid dividends with the Hawks winning four of six games decided by two goals or less for the year.

The Hawks were calm and composed in holding on against North Melbourne in round ve, but most tellingly in the preliminary nal, it was the Cats and not the Hawks who panicked and made poor decisions during the frantic nal minutes.

Hawthorn’s ying start to the year also allowed Clarkson to better manage his players’ loads. This conservative approach meant any player carrying even the slightest niggle was le out of the team.

The Hawks’ use of the substitute was governed as much by player welfare as it was strategy.

Come Grand Final day, only Ben Stratton, Roughead and Breust had played every game and the club estimated it had 29 players to choose from to take on the Dockers. Truth be told, the year could not have gone more swimmingly on the eld.

There were outstanding wins such as in round seven over the Swans, in which the Hawks set it up with a rst half of sheer brute strength, will and wonderful skill.

The runaway win over the Swans in the qualifying nal was the most satisfying because it came with superstars Cyril Rioli and Franklin watching from the stand.

They twice put away Collingwood with ease, did the right thing by the

supporters in thrashing Essendon and nally overcame the Geelong hoodoo in the preliminary nal, coming from 20 points behind at the nal change.

The “draw from hell’, containing return engagements against ve of the seven top-eight sides from the year before, yielded few problems.

Indeed, it was o - eld matters that threw Hawthorn more curveballs in 2013. The club returned from the Christmas break to be told by Franklin he was putting o contract discussions until the end of the year. The issue bubbled beneath the surface for the entire season, but it was played out in textbook fashion by both parties.

For his part, Franklin never deviated from his message that he would leave things until the end of the year, while the club’s stance from Newbold and Clarkson down to a player even on the rookie list, was that as long as Franklin did what was required on the eld, they were happy. And he certainly contributed, even if in less ashy fashion than before.

Another complication was the revolving door in the football department.

Longstanding football operations boss Mark Evans departed on the eve of the season to join the AFL, as the general manager of football operations. James Fantasia crossed from the Western Bulldogs to replace Evans, but lasted barely two months before departing for health reasons.

It meant Chris Fagan, Hawthorn’s head of coaching and development, had to ll two roles. He did so with a minimum of disruption, which was seen within Hawthorn as a compliment to the people and the culture installed by Evans.

The strength of Hawthorn is its people. And an unsung hero of this premiership was list manager Graham Wright.

The 1990 Magpie premiership wingman resisted all overtures to talk a er the game, but Hawthorn insiders lauded his knowledge of the playing lists at other clubs.

He met monthly with Clarkson, Fagan, football director Jason Dunstall and Andrew Russell, leaving the meeting with a list of the types of footballers Hawthorn should be targeting, and would return the next month with a list of names that tted the bill.

Hawthorn’s best two players in the Grand Final were from other clubs. The Hawks had already selected well over the journey,

MATCH-UP: Sam Mitchell copped a hard tag from Docker Ryan Crowley, but still effectively played his role. (Below) the Hawks show their delight at the final siren.

with Shaun Burgoyne, Josh Gibson, Hale and Guerra already established in the side. Ten minutes of scintillating football in 2008 had established Stuart Dew, formerly of Port Adelaide, as an all-time Hawthorn hero.

Lake and Gunston joined him. Lake won the Norm Smith Medal a er 22 disposals and 10 marks (three of them contested). He had the better of Matthew Pavlich, Zac Clarke, Chris Mayne and whoever else the Dockers pushed forward.

Before the 2012 Grand Final, Lake was sitting in the MCG car park, sucking a few cans with his mates. Twelve months on, he became a premiership hero.

Gunston was headhunted from Adelaide just as he was starting to emerge as a regular senior player. A magni cent kick, he saved his best for the Grand Final with four goals in tricky conditions, including the rst of the game, which gave his side a lead it did not surrender.

The Hawks managed only 11 goals for the game, six fewer than their average for the season. In the swirl and the chill, it was always going to be thus. But the Clarkson message all year was that every player do his job and stick to the plan and the spread of goalkickers got Hawthorn home – four to Gunston, two to Roughead and one each to Franklin, Breust, Rioli, Bradley Hill and Isaac Smith.

Clarkson also preached to his team to be patient, persevere and the breaks would come. The Hawks chipped, chipped and chipped some more against Fremantle, using their precise foot skills to work the ball forward.

Clarkson knew that as long as the Dockers had the giant Aaron Sandilands in their side, Hawthorn would concede the hit-outs and the 55-27 edge was signi cant.

But the Hawks won the clearances comfortably, 42-34, putting to rest

the pre-game hype – some of it hysterical and some from people who should have known better –that the Dockers mid eld was not just the best in the competition, but the best since the Brisbane Lions group from 2001-03.

Fremantle surprised nobody when master tagger Ryan Crowley went to Mitchell. The stats show that Mitchell had just 12 touches, and that for a time, David Mundy and Nathan Fyfe were threatening to get the Dockers back into the game.

But Clarkson was thrilled with Mitchell. “Crowley does a great job and negates some important players, but Sam’s role was multi-functional for us. He had to do some work in the middle of the ground, but despite the fact that ‘Mitch’ had a hard run-with, it does manipulate the opposition in terms of your structures, the importance of him playing his role today is not underestimated by our football club.

“He had to sacri ce an enormous part of his game, but we loved that sacri ce and that’s why he’s a dual premiership player with our footy club.”

It delighted Hawthorn people that Mitchell and Hodge were now both premiership captains. Hodge irted with best-a eld honours for a time and was the marshall down back for so much of the game, noticeably in the third quarter as the Dockers started to press.

But the Hodge in uence was profound and, as Fremantle again mounted a late charge in the nal term, it was a crunching Stratton tackle on Crowley late, close to the Dockers’ goals, that snu ed out their hopes of victory once and for all.

Hodge and Mitchell’s on- eld deeds may well earn them legend status at Hawthorn later in life. The same with Clarkson.

The shelf life for an AFL coach is supposed to be somewhere between ve and seven years. This was

Clarkson’s ninth season, and with two ags, clearly his men kept playing for him.

Asked a erwards his secret, Clarkson put it back on the group.

“It’s not my secret, it’s the club’s secret in terms of employing good people and our players respecting the work they do to be the best players they can possibly be. When you have the chemistry across the group, a passionate and loyal supporter base, that helps us enormously to push late into September.”

The players were not as shy when heaping their praise the other way, lauding his vision, his tactics, his compassion and his dedication. His ability to sell a message is one of his greatest strengths,” Sewell said. “He has been able to surround himself with really good assistants

game

He’s

someone

who tries to stay ahead of the

SKIPPER LUKE HODGE ON COACH ALASTAIR CLARKSON

SEALED WITH A KISS: Lance Franklin and Brent Guerra with their prized medallions.

ALL FOR ONE: The Hawks prepare to belt out the club song (above); Ben Stratton enjoys his own unique celebration (below).

2013 AFL GRAND FINAL IN DETAIL

BEST: Hawthorn–Lake,Gunston,Lewis,Rioli,Hodge,Birchall.Fremantle–Mundy, Fyfe,Crowley,Johnson,Barlow.

GOALS: Hawthorn–Gunston4,Roughead2,Franklin,Rioli,Smith,Breust,Hill. Fremantle–Pavlich3,Walters2,Mzungu,Mayne,D.Pearce.

Substitutes: Simpkin(Haw),Neale(Frem).

Umpires: B.Rosebury,M.Nicholls,S.Meredith.

Crowd: 100,007

Norm Smith Medal: BrianLake Jock McHale Medal: AlastairClarkson

HAWTHORN’S GRAND FINAL STATISTICS

MaxBailey257193000040

GrantBirchall16102611000000101

LukeBreust8513406101077

ShaunBurgoyne7714104000155

LanceFranklin9918604111184

JoshGibson16319900010078

BrentGuerra909504010055

JackGunston13316602114194

DavidHale66127112010067

BradleyHill10515403001070

LukeHodge17421302110074

BrianLake166221001020088

JordanLewis1412268441000111

SamMitchell8412007210059

PaulPuopolo7310106110052

CyrilRioli8715307201285

JarrydRoughead14620421222383

BradSewell8513417010173

LiamShiels8311409300081

JonathanSimpkin426200010019

IsaacSmith13518603001186

BenStratton8614405000068

TEAMS AS SELECTED

HAWTHORN

B: B.Stratton,B.Lake,B.Guerra

HB: S.Burgoyne,J.Gibson,G.Birchall

C: I.Smith,S.Mitchell,J.Lewis

HF: L.Breust,L.Franklin,C.Rioli

F: P.Puopolo,J.Roughead,D.Hale

R: M.Bailey,B.Sewell,L.Hodge(c)

I/C: L.Shiels,J.Gunston,B.Hill, J.Simpkin(s)

EM: S.Savage,T.Duryea,M.Spangher

COACH: A.Clarkson

FREMANTLE

B: M.Johnson,Z.Dawson,P.Dueld

HB: L.Spurr,L.McPharlin,D.Pearce

C: D.Mundy,R.Crowley,T.Mzungu

HF: C.Sutclie,C.Mayne,N.Fyfe

F: Z.Clarke,M.Pavlich(c),M.Walters

R: A.Sandilands,M.deBoer,S.Hill

I/C: H.Ballantyne,N.Suban,M.Barlow,L.Neale(s)

EM: A.Silvagni,J.Hannath,T.Sheridan

COACH: R.Lyon

and I think technically, being able to keep up with trends in the game and forecasting where the game is going, his vision and foresight has kept him in this position he has for nearly 10 years.”

Guerra had played under Clarkson for most of the previous 13 seasons, back to his SANFL days with Central District.

“It’s all about changing things every year. That’s the way the game is going and ‘Clarko’ seems to be up to date with how the game’s going. I’d just put it down to that,” he said.

Most of the Hawks believed Clarkson was able to straddle dual roles as their boss and their mate.

“A mate is someone who looks out for you and your family, and Clarko’ certainly does that,” Hodge said.

As for his message, it never gets stale.

“The beauty about it is that he’s conscious of it,” Jordan Lewis said.

“If he addressed the players the same way he has his whole career, it would become stale, but he has changed the way he presents and talks to people. It’s the way it is. It explains his longevity and why he has lasted so long.”

The Grand Final message was simple and e ective. And it worked.

With an AFL premiership and VFL premiership in its kitbag in the space of six days, a blue-collar ethic, a air for innovation and an environment that attracts great people on and o the eld, Hawthorn was the best team and best club in the land at the end of 2013.

But rest assured, the 11th premiership cup had barely landed in the trophy cupboard at Waverley Park before the planning for ag No. 12 was on in earnest. And the coach was the driver.

“He is someone who tries to stay ahead of the game,” Hodge said. “He thinks about footy 24/7. I’m sure that gives Caryn (his wife) the irrits, but that’s the thing. He never rests and always wants his players to stay ahead of the game.”

WHAT THEY SANG

We’re a happy team at Hawthorn

We’re the Mighty Fighting Hawks. We love our Club, and we play to win, Riding the bumps with a grin (at Hawthorn).

Come what may, you’ll find us striving Team work is the thing that talks, One for all and all for one Is the way we play at Hawthorn. We are the Mighty Fighting Hawks

K Kicks, H Handballs, D Disposals, M Marks, HO Hit-outs, T Tackles, FF Freekicksfor, FA Freekicksagainst, G Goals, B Behinds, DT ToyotaAFLDreamTeampoints

WHO’S FLYING

Each week throughout the 2023 season we will present Who’s Flying, a series of stories which will encapsulate everything that is good about our great game. It could be a star player, a coach who has inspired his men or a team that is – pardon the pun – flying. BRENDAN RHODES looks at Harry Sheezel’s breakout rookie season.

Harry Sheezel recently joined a remarkable club that includes some of football’s biggest names.

The young North Melbourne wunderkind, who won the AFL Rising Star award earlier this month, added the Kangaroos’ best and fairest award, the Syd Barker Medal, to his fast-growing list of accolades.

The No. 3 pick in the 2022 NAB AFL Dra is the rst player to win a club best and fairest in his debut season since Port Adelaide’s Darren Mead did it in the Power’s rst year of 1997, and only six other players have achieved the feat since 1981.

On that list? No less than Carlton great Craig Bradley (1986), who had already played 89 SANFL games and won three best and fairests for Port Magpies, Footscray’s Brian Royal (1983), Richmond’s Maurice Rioli (1982), St Kilda’s Peter Kiel (1982) , Collingwood’s Mark Williams (1981) and Carlton’s Ken Hunter (1981).

Royal was already 21 when he headed to town from Bairnsdale, Rioli was 25 and had 116 WAFL games for South Fremantle behind him, Kiel was 23 when he arrived at the Saints from Golden Point, Williams, then 22, had played 64 games for West Adelaide and won back-to-back premierships for Port Adelaide and Hunter was 24 and had racked up 91 matches for Claremont.

So for Sheezel, at just 18, to join that group in his rst year out of underage footy is a stunning achievement.

He had more than 30 disposals in four of his rst ve matches, including 34 on debut against West Coast in round one, and topped that benchmark in 12 of his 23 games, dipping below 20 only three times.

Sheezel gathered 622 disposals for the season at 27 a game and added 5.4 marks, 2.9 tackles, 2.9 inside-50s and 5.2 rebound 50s to rank seventh overall in total e ective disposals, eighth in uncontested possessions a game and ninth in total uncontested possessions.

Still doubting his Rising Star win?

He was rst among the nominees for average disposals, e ective disposals, kicks, handballs, metres gained, rebound 50s and uncontested possessions, plus total disposals, e ective disposals, kicks, marks, handballs, inside 50s,

rebound 50s, metres gained and uncontested possessions. He was also second in total contested possessions and score involvements, third in average marks, total clearances and total intercepts, fourth in average contested possessions and total tackles and h for average inside 50s and average score involvements. North Melbourne fans are delighted and salivating at the thought of what Sheezel can bring them over the next 10-15 years. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

FOOTY FUN FACTS

If you were building a team based on homegrown NSW talent, it would be one of the strongest attacking teams in the competition as many NSW-born players are forwards whereas most Tasmanian-born players tend to be defenders.

WILD ABOUT HARRY: Young North Melbourne star Harry Sheezel had a memorable debut season.

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It was the classic Grand Final and the nals series that spawned some of the most iconic phrases ever uttered in footy.

On the day, there was Channel 10 commentator Stephen Quartermain’s “Leo Barry, you star” as the Swans full-back oated across a huge pack to take the match-winning mark with less than ve seconds on the clock.

And Swans coach Paul Roos holding the cup alo through streams of red and white confetti screaming: “Here it is!”

Mind you, it wouldn’t have happened without Adam Schneider’s preliminary nal heroics (three last-quarter goals to overrun St Kilda), or Nick Davis’ four majors in the last quarter to stun Geelong in the semi- nal – Cats fan Anthony Hudson couldn’t have called his own heartbreaking moment any more professionally – “I see it, but I don’t believe it”.

It also wouldn’t have been possible without the in uence of possibly the greatest name in football history – the great Ron Barassi, who with Richard Colless and Mike Willesee, had saved the club from extinction 22 years earlier. But that’s another story.

Grand Final day was a classic contest of sheer willpower between the blue-collar Swans and the star-studded Eagles boasting a mid eld of Dean Cox, Chris Judd, Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr and Andrew Embley dubbed the ‘Ferraris’.

Sydney kicked three goals without blemish to lead by two points at quarter-time, and with lesser lights such as Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Nic Fosdike playing the best games of their careers, the Swans held West Coast goalless to be 20 points up at the main change.

But the Eagles dominated the third term with 3.2 to 0.2 as swingman Adam Hunter went forward to terrorise the Sydney backline.

West Coast kicked the rst two goals of the last quarter, Cousins grabbing a 10-point lead on intercepting Luke Ablett’s kick across goal, and it looked like the longest drought in premiership history would continue.

Swans co-captain Barry Hall, who beat a striking charge during

LEO BARRY, YOU STAR

the week to take his place, booted a goal from outside 50 and, when Jason Ball found Amon Buchanan from a ruck tap at the top of the square, Sydney was back in front with 12 minutes to go.

It proved to be the last goal, but the footy remained electric – Brett Kirk winning a kamikaze contest being one memorable moment – and Sydney led by four points with less than 30 seconds le .

Barry pumped the ball outside 50 from the pocket, but Cox nudged Ball under the footy and took the mark, driving a kick back to within 25m of goal, only for Barry to rectify his error with what has become one of the most famous marks in history.

It sent Swans players and fans into delirium, and there was one

more famous quote to come –from Kirk at the Sunday morning reception in Albert Park. Having put countless roadblocks in front of those Eagle Ferraris the day before, a bleary-eyed Kirk famously o ered: “There’s no individual ‘brijilliance’ in this team, it’s all about the Cortinas.” Indeed it was.

GRAND FINAL, SEPTEMBER 24, 2005

Sydney Swans 3.0 6.36.5 8.10 (58)

West Coast Eagles 2.4 2.7 5.9 7.12 (54)

BEST: Sydney Swans – Roberts-Thomson, Fosdike, Barry, Crouch, Kirk, J. Bolton. West Coast Eagles – Judd, Wirrpanda, Cox, Cousins, Fletcher.

GOALS: Sydney Swans – Hall 2, Goodes, Schneider, Buchanan, Kennelly, O’Loughlin, Jolly. West Coast Eagles – Hunter 2, Cousins, Cox, Embley, Hansen, Nicoski. Norm Smith Medal: Chris Judd (WCE).

Umpires: S. McLaren, B. Allen, D. Goldspink. Crowd: 91,898 at the MCG.

LEAPING LEO: This match-saving mark from Swans defender Leo Barry in the 2005 decider is one of the all-time great moments in Grand Final history.

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2023

LEGENDS SAYING FAREWELL

This year’s retirees are headlined by two of the greatest forwards of the modern era in Lance Franklin (Sydney and Hawthorn) and Jack Riewoldt (Richmond), and two recent premiership captains in Shannon Hurn (West Coast, 2018) and Trent Cotchin (Richmond 2017, 2019 and 2020). Isaac Smith, who just 12 months ago won the Norm Smith Medal, is now bowing out after a stellar career at Hawthorn and a late premiership raid with Geelong in 2022. West Coast warrior Luke Shuey is another departing Norm Smith medallist. Not all players being farewelled in 2023 were there on the Grand Final stage, but their contribution has been no less significant. We speak of North Melbourne hard nuts Jack Ziebell and Ben Cunnington, Brisbane’s Daniel Rich and Port Adelaide’s Tom Jonas. Speaking of tough players, Geelong 2022 premiership captain Joel Selwood retired immediately after the Grand Final and is featured on page 70.

QUOTE: “His feats as a player are extraordinary, and this has run parallel to his emergence as a great husband, father and mate. He is selfless, humble, loyal and proud. He has set a current-day watermark that I believe will be unsurpassed, and the game will miss his theatre and drawing power.” – his former Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson

LANCE FRANKLIN

IMPACT: Quite simply, the best player this century. Franklin was held goalless in his debut game, but gave us something to remember in just about every appearance thereafter over 19 years. It could have been a freakish goal with that magical left foot, or a bag of goals. Whatever the case, he dragged fans through the gates. He is the last player to kick a century of goals in a season – and that was back in 2008, which indicates both his brilliance and his durability. His physical gifts

SYDNEY/HAWTHORN

GAMES 354 (Syd 172, Haw 182) GOALS 1066 (Syd 486, Haw 580)

and razor-sharp game-sense helped him play for as long as he did, winning four Coleman Medals and eight All-Australian blazers along the way. Franklin played in two premierships with the Hawks and, while he didn’t win any at the Swans, who he joined in 2014 on a monster nine-year deal, it is in the red and white that he became an icon of the game and most assuredly he will eventually become one of its o icial Legends.

ASHLEY BROWNE

QUOTE: “I am ready for the next chapter, and I think the club is ready to regenerate and find a new path forward. I never thought my journey would get this far or that I would be a part of anything like I have been. But I am so thankful for everyone who has played a part.”

JACK RIEWOLDT

IMPACT: He started as a brash, confident and cheeky teenager. He finished as a champion of the game, a leader of men and a superstar goalkicker. But the brashness and confidence never waned, as evidenced by his Mr Brightside performance after the 2017 Grand Final win. Riewoldt was selected with pick 13 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft from Tasmania. He was in the senior team early in his debut year before truly rising to prominence in the ensuing seasons. A first

RICHMOND GAMES 347 GOALS 787

Coleman Medal was snapped up in 2010, with two more following in 2012 and 2018. He also won the Michael Roach Medal for the Tigers’ leading goalkicker 12 times. Only Matthew Richardson (13) won more. Riewoldt ends with the second-most games (Kevin Bartlett 403) and third-most goals (Jack Titus 970 and Richardson 800) for the Tigers.

ANDREW SLEVISON

QUOTE: “It has been a great honour to play for this football club over the last 18 years and I have loved it since the day I arrived. There are life-long friendships and memories that have been created here and I will always be grateful for that.”

SHANNON HURN

IMPACT: Hurn will retire as West Coast’s games record-holder, racking up 333 matches since he was drafted in 2005. The key defender made his debut in 2006 and solidified his spot in the Eagles’ side from there on thanks to his toughness and penetrating kicking. Hurn’s loyalty to West Coast earned him the captaincy role from 2015 to 2019, and within that period came a 2018 premiership medal, two All-Australian blazers and the AFLPA Best Captain award in 2019.

WEST COAST

GAMES 333 GOALS 50

Hurn remained a senior figure in West Coast’s recent struggles, and his leadership will have a lasting impact on the young players coming through. A club life member, Hurn will go down as one of the AFL’s most consistent and inspirational players. PADDY

TRENT COTCHIN

IMPACT: Richmond’s most successful captain bowed out after 16 seasons. As a triple premiership skipper, Cotchin stands above all other Tigers for most premierships in that role. He was one of the catalysts for the club’s shift in fortunes after a disastrous 2016, dropping his guard and opening up, kick-starting a run of success at Tigerland. They knew they had a good one after drafting Cotchin with pick No. 2 in 2007 and he took over as captain in 2013 at just 22. He was retrospectively

QUOTE: “The premierships were really special times, but I don’t think we actually get there without the really challenging times, as hard as they were at the time. They’re effectively what taught us the lessons that allowed us to take the big steps.”

RICHMOND GAMES 306 GOALS 141

awarded the 2012 Brownlow Medal to add to a bulging CV, which includes the AFLCA Player of the Year (2012), All-Australian (2012), three Jack Dyer medals (2011, 2012, 2014) and the title of longest-serving captain in Richmond’s history.

ANDREW SLEVISON

ISAAC SMITH GEELONG/HAWTHORN

GAMES 280 (Geel 70, Haw 210)

GOALS 205 (Geel 40, Haw 165)

IMPACT: A late bloomer, he didn’t get drafted to the Hawks until 21, but walked into an ascending club in 2011 at precisely the right time, adding much-needed speed and endurance to a team that was about to win three straight flags. His game was ideally suited to Hawthorn’s dual home decks – the MCG and UTAS Stadium – and he galloped freely up and down their wings for years. He also kicked one of the biggest clutch goals in Hawthorn’s history, a set shot from outside 50 in the last quarter of the 2013 Grand Final that dented Fremantle’s momentum. He was an excellent clubman at the Hawks, but took advantage of his free agency rights and moved to Geelong for the last three years of his career. It was an inspired move that brought him another premiership in 2022 as well as a Norm Smith Medal.

ASHLEY BROWNE

QUOTE: “I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play AFL football ... to have that play out for me across the past 13 seasons at two great clubs is something really special. From the time I walked into Hawthorn, and now being at Geelong, I have always felt right at home at both organisations.”

JACK ZIEBELL

NORTH MELBOURNE

GAMES 280

GOALS 183

IMPACT: The former North Melbourne captain bowed out on the MCG in his side’s round 23 loss to Richmond. Ziebell was treated to a standing ovation and guard of honour, alongside retiring Tigers Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt. The 32-year-old enjoyed a strong final season off the half-back flank and was a reliable defender despite starting his career as a midfielder. But it will be 113 games as captain from 2017-22 that will stand as Ziebell’s legacy. He embodied the Shinboner spirit in every way and is the club’s second-longest serving captain behind Wayne Carey after being elevated to the Kangaroos’ leadership group at just 21. Ziebell didn’t play finals after 2016, but remained committed to the Roos and their rebuild and departs as one of North Melbourne’s greatest players.

SEB MOTTRAM

QUOTE: “From the time I walked into the place I’ve felt right at home and I’ve made some amazing lifelong friendships and connections. This is a special place and I’ll always cherish being part of the club.”

DANIEL RICH BRISBANE LIONS

GAMES 275

GOALS 116

IMPACT: The evergreen defender with a booming left foot called time on an outstanding 17-year career. Since being selected with pick No. 7 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, Rich went from strength to strength. He made his debut in the opening round of 2009 and won the AFL Rising Star award in his first year. The West Australian acknowledged his form wasn’t where it needed to be early in 2023 and didn’t feature after the round 13 loss to Hawthorn. Rich’s reliability and consistency were a feature and a maiden All-Australian blazer at the backend of his career in 2021 was a fitting personal reward. His form was crucial in Brisbane featuring in the past five finals series. With 275 games to his name, Rich leaves a big hole in the fabric of the club.

SEB MOTTRAM

QUOTE: “It’s been a pretty crazy journey with plenty of ups and downs … I love this club. I am proud to call myself a one-club player and I am proud that I have been a small part in turning things around over recent years at the Lions.”

LUKE SHUEY WEST

COAST

GAMES 248

GOALS 142

IMPACT: Shuey finished his career as a West Coast legend, becoming an impactful midfielder since being recruited from Victoria with pick 18 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft. After two development years, Shuey made his debut in 2010 and never looked back. From there, he quietly became one of the League’s premier ball-winners, winning the John Worsfold Medal in 2016 and 2019. However, his most memorable year was 2018 when he won the Norm Smith Medal in West Coast’s incredible premiership triumph against Collingwood. Shuey became the club’s captain in 2020, taking the reins from Shannon Hurn. While injury marred the twilight of Shuey’s career, his name will be etched forever in the club’s history books.

PADDY SINNOTT

QUOTE: “I am incredibly grateful to the football club for the opportunities they have given me, the support I have received since the day I set foot in here and the very special memories that have been created. The friendships I have made with players, coaches and staff over the last 15 years will remain with me forever.”

BEN CUNNINGTON

NORTH MELBOURNE

GAMES 238 GOALS 98

IMPACT: An inside midfield bull, Cunnington, 32, retired as one of the best contested possession and clearance winners of the past decade. He played 238 games for North Melbourne, finishing his career as an inspiration for many, having battled and overcome cancer. Cunnington was selected with pick No. 5 in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft and played 18 games in his first season. In fact, from 2010 to 2019, Cunnington was one of the most durable players in the AFL, playing 18, 16, 20, 20, 25, 24, 22, 20, 22 and 22 games in those seasons. While he never made an All-Australian team, he won two North Melbourne best and fairests and will go down as one of the club’s all-time greats.

NIC

NEGREPONTIS

QUOTE: “From the moment the club drafted me, it was a dream come true as we were surrounded by interstate clubs on draft night. Then to walk into a club that suited my personality and allowed me to be myself, I couldn’t have asked for a better recipe to get the best out of myself.”

ED CURNOW CARLTON

GAMES 221 GOALS 53

IMPACT: The Blues midfielder did an extraordinary job crafting a career off multiple rookie lists that spanned 13 years and 221 games in the AFL system. Curnow’s career started at Adelaide after being selected in the 2008 AFL Rookie Draft, but he was delisted after one year without playing a game. After two seasons back in the VFL, Carlton took a punt on him via the 2011 Rookie Draft. He made his debut in the opening round that year against Richmond and featured in 12 games in his first season at Ikon Park. Curnow’s strengths immediately translated to AFL football given he was an incredible distance runner while also having the strength to play on-ball. Couple that with his ability to tag opposition midfielders and he became a key cog for the Blues. He had six different senior coaches in his time and evidently they all loved him, given he never played fewer than 12 games in a season.

NIC NEGREPONTIS

QUOTE: “The people I’ve met, the friendships I’ve formed, the teammates past and present, the wider club and fan base, I will never forget how much you have accepted and supported me throughout my time here.”

TOM JONAS

PORT ADELAIDE

GAMES 216

GOALS 2

IMPACT: The highly-regarded Power defender mightn’t have had a season to remember in his final year, but he has undoubtedly left a lasting impact at the club. Holding the mantle of captain since 2019, Jonas embodied the team-first mantra that coach Ken Hinkley has instilled in the culture at Port Adelaide, willing to take on any challenge to help his teammates. This included taking a back seat in 2023, spending some time in the SANFL to allow the Power’s young brigade to lead the way. A three-time All-Australian nominee, Jonas found success almost entirely through his work ethic, being a thorn in the side of the competition’s best forwards since being taken at No. 16 in the 2011 Rookie Draft. While his statistics might not jump off the page, Jonas’ value can be seen by the 1316 one-percenters he recorded across his career, nearly 400 more than any other player to represent the Power at AFL level.

JACK MAKEHAM

QUOTE: “I wouldn’t have the biggest highlight reel, so I’ve always cherished the team accomplishments and watching the team grow and achieve their goals, knowing I’ve played a small part. That’s where I’ve taken my fulfilment, not so much from what I’ve done myself.”

NIC NAITANUI

WEST COAST

GAMES 213 GOALS 112

IMPACT: Has been the face of football in Western Australia for more than a decade and will remain a rockstar in the west forever. The 202cm ruckman finished his career a triple All-Australian, a dual Eagles best and fairest and a Mark of the Year winner. Naitanui was selected with pick No. 2 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft and quickly rose to prominence. His All-Australian debut came in just his fourth season, with his ruck craft providing the Eagles an incredible edge at stoppages. Naitanui fought hard through multiple significant injuries across his career, including ACL ruptures in 2016 and 2018 – ultimately missing the 2018 flag. However, he fought back from those significant setbacks to win back-to-back All-Australian blazers in 2020 and 2021.

NIC NEGREPONTIS

QUOTE: “I feel like I have exhausted every avenue to work my way through my injury, but my body is sending a strong message that it is time. You never want this day to come, but it always does and I’m content in the knowledge that I have given it everything.”

MICHAEL HIBBERD MELBOURNE/ESSENDON

GAMES 197 (Melb 113, Ess 84)

GOALS 14 (Melb 3, Ess 11)

IMPACT: The 33-year-old started his career with the Bombers where he was drafted with the fourth pick in the 2011 Pre-Season Draft. Hibberd played 84 of his 197 games at Essendon before moving to the Demons in 2017 where he made the All-Australian team in his first year and became a premiership player in 2021. Hibberd was also selected as part of the Australian side that took on Ireland in the International Rules Series in 2017. Due to form and an ill-timed concussion on the eve of this year’s finals, Hibberd struggled to maintain a consistent spot in the Demons’ backline and announced after the qualifying final defeat against Collingwood that this season would be his last. Hibberd was considered a reliable lockdown defender who could provide a spark of run and dash off half-back when required.

ZAC SHARPE

QUOTE: “The body gets a bit slower as you get older, and although I like to think that I have a little bit left in me, I feel like going out with a little left in the tank is the right way to go about it, and that’s a decision I am really comfortable with.”

ROBBIE TARRANT RICHMOND/ NORTH MELBOURNE

GAMES 194 (Rich 20, NM 174)

GOALS 44 (Rich 0, NM 44)

PHIL DAVIS GWS GIANTS/ADELAIDE

GAMES 192 (GWS 174, Adel 18)

GOALS 7 (GWS 6, Adel 1)

IMPACT: Davis will go down as one of the most influential names in GWS history, joining the club for its first season in 2012 as inaugural co-captain alongside Callan Ward. Initially taken with pick 10 by Adelaide in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, the key defender played 18 games for the Crows before heading to Sydney to kick-start the Giants. He never looked back, going on to play 174 games, locking down some of the competition’s best forwards in the process. Unfortunately, injury prevented Davis from playing this season, however, his leadership and influence on GWS will forever be remembered.

ETHAN DAFFEY

IMPACT: The veteran defender was forced into retirement by a chronic hip injury that kept him out all season. Tarrant was drafted as at No. 15 in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft by North Melbourne. He played only twice in his first three seasons due to a range of injuries, but once fit he became one of the Kangaroos’ most consistent and reliable players, playing on the best forwards in the competition. He was rewarded for his consistency with the 2016 Syd Barker Medal as the club’s best and fairest. He joined Richmond at the end of 2021, playing 20 games last year before his body let him down.

QUOTE: “We brought Robbie to our football club because we admired how he went about things on and off the field and knew he would make us a better team. Across his two years with us, he displayed all his great traits, setting an example and providing leadership for our younger players.”

– Richmond GM Football Talent Blair Hartley

PADDY SINNOTT

QUOTE: “I’ve met everything on my must-have list. To me, this is the stuff that I absolutely loved about my playing career – forming amazing relationships, the ecstasy of success, learning about myself, learning about others and dealing with adversity, becoming invested in something greater than yourself and how that can give you more satisfaction than anything you can personally achieve.”

JOSH BRUCE WESTERN BULLDOGS/ ST KILDA/GWS GIANTS

GAMES 163 (WB 50, StK 99, GWS 14)

GOALS 234 (WB 63, StK 168, GWS 3)

IMPACT: A foundation Giant recruited from the club’s secondary home in Canberra, he battled to play regularly at AFL level before settling nicely at St Kilda, benefiting from a move from defence to a key forward role. He spent six years at the Saints, but saw the writing on the wall when they drafted Max King, so he switched clubs again, this time to the Western Bulldogs, where he played 50 games. He did his ACL twice, once late in 2021 when he was coming second in the Coleman Medal, and again this year, which prompted his decision to retire. Bruce was a popular figure at both the Saints and the Bulldogs.

ASHLEY BROWNE

QUOTE: “I moved out of home at 17 to Sydney as a skinny, hyperactive little kid and I’m finishing here as a not-so-skinny, still hyperactive grown man, with two beautiful kids. I can rest my head on the pillow knowing that every gruelling pre-season session, every rehab session and every game at three clubs, I gave my absolute everything.”

AARON HALL

NORTH MELBOURNE/ GOLD COAST

GAMES 161 (NM 58, GCS 103)

GOALS 94 (NM 18, GCS 76)

IMPACT: After 12 seasons at the top level, Hall called time on his career after dealing with an achilles issue this season. He spent seven years at the Gold Coast Suns after being drafted at pick No. 7 in the 2012 Pre-Season Draft and making his debut in round one, 2012. He played all 22 games in his second year and booted five goals against Hawthorn in round nine. In 2016, Hall replaced the injured Gary Ablett in the midfield and averaged more than 27 disposals in the final seven rounds. Traded to North Melbourne at the end of 2018, he played as a defender for the Kangaroos. Despite battling injuries for most of his career, his perseverance was shown during his time at both clubs.

ETHAN DAFFEY

QUOTE: “I’ll look back in time and be proud of the resilience I’ve shown to be able to get through and forge a career. You’re not promised anything in footy. You’re not promised silverware, you’re not promised wins. But what you can do is give everything you can.”

TOM HICKEY SYDNEY/WEST COAST/ ST KILDA/GOLD COAST

GAMES 151 (Syd 49, WCE 23, StK 67, GCS 12)

GOALS 45 (Syd 13, WCE 9, StK 18, GCS 5)

IMPACT: A proud journeyman, Hickey got the most out of himself playing for four AFL clubs. The ruckman’s journey started with Gold Coast after joining the club as a Queensland zone selection. He moved to St Kilda ahead of the 2013 season, where he played 67 games, including a stellar year in 2016 where he was one of the club’s standouts under Alan Richardson. After six years with the Saints, Hickey was traded to West Coast, where he played 23 games before shifting to Sydney for the final three years of his career. Hickey, 32, was the Swans’ first-choice ruckman as they made it to a Grand Final in 2022. He leaves as still a part of the club’s best team. After 151 career games, Hickey will be remembered as a great teammate and clubman.

LACHLAN GELEIT

QUOTE: “If you told me when I was drafted or even five or six years ago that I would still be playing at 31 or 32, I’d laugh at you. I came from a long way back. I got drafted off potential and 12 years later I’m still trying to live up to it.”

JASON CASTAGNA RICHMOND

GAMES 134

GOALS 127

IMPACT: The hard-working small forward called time on his career at Richmond before the season, ending a successful stint as a Tiger at just 26 after three premierships. After being taken with pick 29 in the 2015 Rookie Draft, the Northern Knights and Marcellin product made his debut in round six, 2016, against Port Adelaide and soon became a regular under Damien Hardwick, booting 26 goals in the drought-breaking 2017 premiership season. He kicked 26 in 2018 and 27 in the 2019 flag-winning campaign. In the Grand Final win over GWS, he had 20 touches and kicked five behinds, with only inaccuracy denying him the chance of a Norm Smith Medal. Known for his work rate and ability to help defensively with his aerobic capacity, Castagna was a key piece in Richmond’s triumphant era.

MICHAEL LOVETT

QUOTE: “I love everything about this club and everyone in it, which has been the thing that has made this decision the hardest. This game is such a demanding one physically and mentally, and something I have given my all to since I first walked in the doors here and all the years before that.”

ANTHONY McDONALDTIPUNGWUTI ESSENDON

GAMES 133 GOALS 157

IMPACT: The much-loved Bomber’s career ends after 133 memorable games, hanging up the boots for a second time. He came out of retirement at the end of last year, deciding to have one last crack at senior footy in 2023. While things didn’t pan out as he would have liked, he leaves Essendon after kicking 157 goals, being the club’s leading goalkicker in 2020 and placing in the top 10 of the Crichton Medal six times. The 30-year-old delighted Bomber fans with his nous around goal, providing a beacon of hope after joining the club at the height of the supplements saga. At his best, ‘Tippa’ was one of the most deadly small forwards in the competition. He is expected to remain involved at Essendon in an off-field capacity.

LAURENCE ROSEN

QUOTE: “Of all the great champions who have come through the Essendon Football Club, it’s actually hard to think of someone who has made such an impression on our supporter base and on our club on so many different levels.”

– Essendon coach Brad Scott

PAUL SEEDSMAN

ADELAIDE/COLLINGWOOD

GAMES 132 (Adel 83, Coll 49)

GOALS 66 (Adel 49, Coll 17)

IMPACT: The skilful wingman was forced to retire late in the season due to ongoing concussion battles. Those issues unfortunately meant he failed to appear in 2022 or 2023 following a standout 2021 season where he was named in the 40-man All-Australian squad. Seedsman’s best footy came at Adelaide after moving to the Crows ahead of the 2016 season, having started his career at Collingwood. A Magpies fan growing up, Seedsman lived out his childhood dream in black and white, playing 49 games for the club and winning the Anzac Medal in 2015. Seedsman, 31, finished at Adelaide with 83 club games under his belt, taking his overall tally to 132. He will be remembered as an outside runner with a penetrating kick and a burst of speed. While his career was sadly cut short, Seedsman was one of the best players in his position late into his career.

LACHLAN GELEIT

QUOTE: “I never thought I would play AFL footy after only playing school footy. I didn’t play rep footy or anything like that, so if you had tapped me on the shoulder back then and said I’d play 100-odd games, absolutely I would have taken that.”

LUKE DUNSTAN MELBOURNE/ ST KILDA

GAMES 121 (Melb 5, StK 116)

GOALS 46 (Melb 0, StK 46)

IMPACT: The powerful South Australian midfielder walked into St Kilda’s line-up in the opening game of 2014, having been selected by the Saints with the 18th selection at the previous year’s NAB AFL Draft. He was a noted ball-winner with a big body, always able to stand up in the contest. He was a regular at the Saints until 2020 when he injured a pectoral muscle during the COVID-interrupted season. He went to Melbourne as an unrestricted free agent in 2022 where he played five games, but it was always a tough task to break into one of the best midfields in the AFL. He suffered an ACL injury in the VFL just before this year’s finals.

ASHLEY BROWNE

QUOTE: “I would like to thank St Kilda Football Club for the opportunity, as well as Melbourne. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club and feel lucky to have been a part of such a great culture. I’ve met some amazing people over the journey and some lifelong friends. Thank you to everyone that has helped me along the way, I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”

JONATHON CEGLAR GEELONG/ HAWTHORN

GAMES 110 (Geel 9, Haw 101)

GOALS 43 (Geel 0, Haw 43)

IMPACT: Ceglar was a reliable ruckman for the Hawks over nine seasons, having arrived at the club from Collingwood, where he didn’t play a senior game. He was equally adept as a handy relief key forward. He was at Hawthorn for the premiership hat-trick from 2013-15, but didn’t play in a flag himself. He was dropped in favour of Ben McEvoy for the 2014 decider after playing both lead-up finals and was injured late the following season and lost his place in the team. He played solid football thereafter in a declining team and was a popular figure at the Hawks but moved to Geelong in 2022 when it was clear incoming coach Sam Mitchell was embarking on a youth policy. He played nine games for the Cats, but was essentially a depth player.

ASHLEY BROWNE

QUOTE: “I’m grateful to have played the game for as long as I have and, while I would have loved to have played on, my body hasn’t allowed me to continue. Playing footy for 13 years has been a significant part of my life. I can’t thank Hawthorn Football Club enough and the people I met there, and then to be able to come to Geelong later in my footy career has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.”

DANIEL LLOYD GWS GIANTS

GAMES 100* GOALS 74*

IMPACT: The powerful medium forward enjoyed an impressive career, bringing up his 100th match against Port Adelaide in this year’s semi-final. After spending time with the Western Bulldogs as a junior, Lloyd was spotted by ex-interim coach Mark McVeigh playing local football. A nine-goal haul led to Lloyd being picked by GWS in the 2016 Rookie Draft as a 23-year-old. He made his debut in 2017 and became a mainstay in the forward line, playing in the 2019 Grand Final loss and was known for his long-bomb goals from outside 50. Lloyd decided to retire so that he could focus on his growing family.

PADDY SINNOTT

QUOTE: “I’m so grateful for what this club has given me. It’s provided me with an environment to not only become a better footballer but, more importantly, to become a better person, a better husband and father. It’s given me skills and values that will no doubt help me in the future and relationships that will last a lifetime.”

ANDREW PHILLIPS

ESSENDON/CARLTON/GWS

GAMES 82 (Ess 41, Carl 27, GWS 14)

GOALS 28 (Ess 13, Carl 10, GWS 5)

CONNOR BLAKELY

FREMANTLE

GAMES 78

GOALS 3

MARCUS ADAMS

BRISBANE LIONS/ WESTERN BULLDOGS

GAMES 73 (BL 46, WB 27)

GOALS 5 (BL 1, WB 4)

PADDY McCARTIN

SYDNEY/ST KILDA

GAMES 63 (Syd 28, StK 35)

GOALS 35 (Syd 1, StK 34

MAX LYNCH

HAWTHORN/ COLLINGWOOD

GAMES 11 (Haw 8, Coll 3)

GOALS 4 (Haw 4, Coll 0)

FISCHER Mc ASEY

ADELAIDE

*Totals before 2023 preliminary final

GAMES 10

GOALS 0

ANDREW PHILLIPS

SEASON REVIEW 2023

From the very first round of the 2023 season, fans knew they were going to be in for a wild ride. There were big crowds, major upsets and lots of great storylines.

MICHAEL LOVETT (words) SWAMP (stats)

ROUND 1 ROUND 2

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u It was a thrilling start to the season with Richmond and Carlton playing out a draw in the opening match. In a low-scoring affair, Tigers star Tom Lynch soared high to take a contested mark with 17 seconds remaining. He calmly went back and nailed the shot to tie the scores in front of 88,084 fans. The following night, another massive crowd (86,595) flocked to the MCG to see Collingwood overrun reigning premier Geelong by 22 points. The Magpies, led by Jordan De Goey and rising star Nick Daicos, kicked eight unanswered goals to finish the game. North Melbourne scored its first win under new coach Alastair Clarkson, holding on by five points against West Coast. It was a good start for returning and new coaches –St Kilda (Ross Lyon), Essendon (Brad Scott) and GWS (Adam Kingsley) all won. Shane McAdam (Adelaide, three matches), Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne, two matches) and Lance Franklin (Sydney, one match) were all suspended for high hits. Port Adelaide had one of the best wins of the opening round, smashing premiership fancy Brisbane Lions by 54 points.

Thursday, March 16

Rich 8.10 (58) v Carl 8.10 (58) (MCG) (N)

Friday, March 17

Geel 16.7 (103) v Coll 19.11 (125) (MCG) (N)

Saturday, March 18

NM 12.15

u The good start for clubs with recycled coaches continued with St Kilda (Ross Lyon), Essendon (Brad Scott) and North Melbourne (Alastair Clarkson) all unbeaten after two rounds. The Saints thrashed a disappointing Western Bulldogs by 51 points, but their injury list grew when skipper Jack Steele fractured his collarbone. Scott swung Kyle Langford forward to cover for the injured Peter Wright and he responded with a career-high five goals to lead the Bombers to a 28-point win over GWS. The Kangaroos held off Fremantle at Optus Stadium, but the Dockers could have been awarded a free kick in goalscoring range after a clearing kick from the Roos’ goal line appeared deliberate. But it was judged that the final siren sounded before the ball crossed the line. Reigning premier Geelong was beaten again, this time by eight points as Carlton held off a late Cats surge. The Daicos brothers – Nick and Josh – starred in Collingwood’s big 71-point win over Port Adelaide. The Brisbane Lions scored their first win of ther season, an 11-point victory over Melbourne.

PROUD PAIR: Alex Pearce (Fremantle) and Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne) became the second pair of indigenous players after Essendon’s Michael Long and Port Adelaide’s Gavin Wanganeen to captain opposing sides in an AFL/VFL game.

LAST GASP HERO: Tiger Tom Lynch’s big mark and goal in the dying seconds tied the scores in the season-opener.

MCG MILESTONE: The MCG hosted its 3000th game when Melbourne played the Western Bulldogs.

ROUND 3 ROUND 4

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u After being racially abused online the previous week, young Western Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan played the game of his short career, kicking five goals to lead his side to a 14-point win over the Brisbane Lions. Marcus Bontempelli was best afield with 28 possessions as he led the Bulldogs to their first win of the season. Jordan De Goey (35 disposals) was the catalyst behind Collingwood’s 14-point win over Richmond on a wet Friday night at the MCG. Hawthorn burst North Melbourne’s bubble in Launceston, while St Kilda went 3-0 with an 18-point win over Essendon, a game which was the cornerstone of the Bombers’ 150th anniversary celebrations. Mason Wood had a career-best performance for the Saints. Adelaide, with forwards Riley Thilthorpe (five goals), Izak Rankine (four) and Luke Pedlar (three) on fire, was too good for Port Adelaide in the first Showdown of 2023. Geelong’s poor start continued, losing by 19 points to Gold Coast at Heritage Bank Stadium. Jack Lukosius (five goals) was the hero for the Suns. Fremantle was too good for an injury-hit West Coast in the Derby.

RESULTS

Thursday, March 30

WB

u STATS THAT MATTER

RARE AIR: Shannon Hurn moved into the top 50 for games played, when he made his 323rd appearance for West Coast. He was the first Eagles player to reach such heights.

u The Brisbane Lions kicked off Easter Round with a brilliant 33-point win over Collingwood at the Gabba. Charlie Cameron (six goals) and Cam Rayner (four) led the way as the Magpies fell to their first loss of the season. Carlton downed North Melbourne by 23 points with 49,062 fans at Marvel Stadium for the Good Friday contest. Key forwards Charlie Curnow (six goals) and Harry McKay (four) did the damage for the Blues. The Western Bulldogs held on for a five-point win over Richmond in a tight contest at the MCG, while veteran Taylor Walker ’s four goals helped Adelaide to a 39-point win over Fremantle. Port Adelaide fought back late to score a thrilling two-point win over Sydney at the SCG. Swan Oliver Florent ’s shot after the siren appeared to be good, but his former teammate Aliir Aliir made a big spoil on the goal line. A listless Geelong trailed Hawthorn by nine points at half-time, but unleashed with a powerful second half. Led by Jeremy Cameron (seven goals), the Cats kicked 15.10 to 1.3 after the main break to record their first win in 2023.

RESULTS

Melb 19.12 (126) (OS)

Monday, April 10

Geel 19.13 (127) v Haw 6.9 (45) (MCG)

u STATS THAT MATTER

SAINTS ALIVE: The only previous times St Kilda was unbeaten after four matches with a ladder percentage of over 160% were 2009, when the Saints made the Grand Final, and 1966, when they won their only premiership.

TOP DOG: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan recreates St Kilda great Nicky Winmar’s iconic image after a match-winning five goals.

EASTER BUNNIES: Charlie Cameron hauls in a big mark as the Lions made light work of the Magpies at the Gabba.

ROUND 5 ROUND 6

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u The AFL’s first Gather Round was an overwhelming success with all 18 clubs and thousands of visitors descending on South Australia for a four-day ‘festival of football’. Six games were played at Adelaide Oval, including two double-headers, two at iconic SANFL ground Norwood Oval and one at Adelaide Hills on the outskirts of Adelaide. The Crows kicked it off with a blistering start over Carlton on the Thursday night. They booted 8.3 to 2.1 in the first term before cruising home by 56 points with Darcy Fogarty kicking five goals.

Fremantle downed Gold Coast by 10 points in the Friday twilight game at Norwood, while later that night, Sydney defeated Richmond by 44 points at Adelaide Oval, with Swan Tom Papley booting six goals. The Brisbane Lions thrashed North Melbourne by 75 points at Adelaide Hills on Saturday afternoon, while later that day Essendon and Port Adelaide defeated Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs respectively at Adelaide Oval. Collingwood ended St Kilda’s unbeaten run and Harry Himmelberg was the hero in the Giants’ two-point win over Hawthorn at Norwood.

u RESULTS u RESULTS

Thursday, April 13

Adel 18.10 (118) v Carl 9.8 (62) (AO) (N)

Friday, April

u STATS THAT MATTER

FESTIVAL OF FOOTBALL: Gather Round produced just the second time in the AFL era that all games were played in the one state. The last time was round 19, 1994, in Victoria.

u Anzac Round again produced massive crowds at two of the biggest home and away games of the season. On Anzac Eve, 83,985 fans –the biggest Melbourne home crowd since 1964 – saw the Demons run over the top of Richmond. Rising Melbourne star Jacob van Rooyen was the hero, booting three last-quarter goals. On Anzac Day, 95,179 fans packed into the MCG to see Collingwood overhaul a 28-point three-quarter time deficit to down Essendon by 13 points. It was the second-biggest home and away crowd in AFL/VFL history. Nick Daicos dominated for the Magpies with 40 disposals and two crucial goals in the final term to win the Anzac Day Medal. Geelong inflicted more agony on Sydney in the Grand Final rematch, this time in the Cats’ first game of the season at GMHBA Stadium. They won by 93 points, exceeding their 81-point margin in the 2022 Grand Final. St Kilda remained in top spot after an impressive 22-point win over Carlton, while Darcy Fogarty slotted a late goal to give Adelaide a three-point victory against Hawthorn in Launceston.

u STATS THAT MATTER

GOLDEN ROO: North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein became the 100th player to reach 300 career games.

CROW SHOW: Darcy Fogarty booted five goals as Adelaide thrashed Carlton in Gather Round.

RISING STAR: Young forward Jacob van Rooyen stepped up with three last-quarter goals as the Demons overran the Tigers.

ROUND 7 ROUND 8

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u It was the week of the big forward with Carlton’s Charlie Curnow and Geelong’s Tom Hawkins bagging nine and eight goals respectively. Curnow tore West Coast’s defence apart as the Blues thrashed the Eagles by 108 points, while Hawkins produced a career-best performance in the Cats’ 28-point win over Essendon. Max King also hit the scoreboard with four goals as Gold Coast put another dent in Richmond’s 2023 prospects with a 24-point win. Port Adelaide kicked off the round with a hard-fought seven-point win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium. GWS skipper Toby Greene lifted the Giants off the canvas in the derby against Sydney at the SCG with four goals, including the match-winner in the final minute. The following day in the final game of the round, Collingwood again showed its ability to come from behind no matter the odds. The Magpies trailed Adelaide on its home deck by 26 points at one stage, but some wayward kicking by the Crows allowed Collingwood to snatch the lead – for the first time in the game – in the final 30 seconds.

BUDDY BLITZ: Lance Franklin kicked multiple goals for the 257th time, passing Gordon Coventry’s long-standing record. He also became the first player to kick 300 goals in NSW.

u All the news in the lead-up to the round was off the field. First, the AFL announced long-serving executive Andrew Dillon would replace Gillon McLachlan as CEO at season’s end. Two days later, the AFL granted a licence to Tasmania to become the League’s 19th team, scheduled to join the competition in 2028. On the field, the pressure was mounting on Carlton, which suffered a disappointing 26-point loss to Brisbane at Marvel Stadium. Lions recruit Josh Dunkley starred with 33 disposals, 13 tackles and 11 marks. Melbourne held on for a thrilling five-point win over Gold Coast in a game which saw young Demon Jacob van Rooyen referred to the Tribunal for making head-high contact on Suns defender Charlie Ballard. He was suspended for two games but that was overturned on appeal. GWS and the Western Bulldogs played out another entertaining game in Canberra. An inaccurate Port Adelaide made it five in a row with a five-point win at home against Essendon. Collingwood fans were condemned for their booing of Sydney star Lance Franklin in the Magpies’ 29-point win.

u

NO FLAG EXPERIENCE: For the first time since 2008, Hawthorn started a game without a premiership player in its line-up.

BLUE BAGS NINE: Star forward Charlie Curnow had a night out in Carlton’s 108-point drubbing of West Coast.

ON THE PROWL: Josh Dunkley dominated with 33 touches in the Lions’ easy win over the Blues at Marvel Stadium.

ROUND 9 ROUND 10

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u Richmond revived days of its manic pressure and Dustin Martin wound back the clock to lead the Tigers to an upset 24-point win over Geelong in the opening game of the round. Martin, the four-goal hero in Richmond’s 2020 premiership triumph over the Cats, did it again, booting four goals from 19 disposals. The three Tiger veterans – Martin (four), Trent Cotchin (three) and Jack Riewoldt (two) – booted nine goals between them. Matt Rowell (29 disposals) led Gold Coast to its biggest away win, a 70-point mauling of West Coast at Optus Stadium. Fremantle came from behind to inflict more pain on Sydney at the SCG, while Brisbane’s Joe Daniher kicked six goals against his old side Essendon to lead the Lions to a 42-point victory. Carlton’s poor run continued as the Western Bulldogs lifted in time-on of the final term to win by 20 points at Marvel Stadium. Taylor Walker ’s five goals helped Adelaide to a comfortable win over St Kilda. But the highlight of Mother’s Day was Julie McCreery ’s pre-match address to Collingwood players, including her son Beau.

Friday, May 12

Rich 16.6 (102) v Geel 11.12 (78) (MCG) (N)

WCE 6.7 (43) v GCS 16.17 (113) (OS) (N)

Saturday, May 13

Syd 13.8 (86) v Frem 16.7 (103) (SCG)

NM 10.5 (65) v PA 20.15 (135) (BA)

Haw 7.7 (49) v Melb 15.13 (103) (MCG) (T)

BL 12.15 (87) v Ess 6.9 (45) (G) (N)

Carl 8.11 (59) v WB 11.13 (79) (MRVL) (N)

u STATS THAT MATTER

SIX OF THE BEST: Brisbane’s Joe Daniher kicked six goals against his old side Essendon. As a Bomber, Daniher kicked six against the Lions in 2015.

u Two days before the start of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson announced he was stepping away from the club to focus on his physical and emotional wellbeing. Assistant coach and former Carlton and St Kilda coach Brett Ratten was appointed interim senior coach. After Port Adelaide held on for a gritty four-point win over Melbourne on Friday night, the Roos were in the news again the following day. This time it was for events on the field – they led Sydney by three points with 50 seconds remaining, but it was discovered they had exceeded their interchange limit of 75. Swans forward Hayden McLean was awarded a free kick, handing the visitors a three-point win. Later that night, there was another thrilling finish as Essendon got up by a point to win the Dreamtime at the ’G clash against Richmond. Bomber forward Sam Durham was the hero, taking a mark in the goalsquare in the final minute which he converted. Mitch Lewis kicked six goals in Hawthorn’s big win over West Coast, while Collingwood heaped more pressure on Carlton with a 28-point win.

u STATS THAT MATTER

SHAI SHINES: In Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Richmond’s Shai Bolton became the 100th indigenous player to reach 100 AFL/VFL games.

DUSTING THEM OFF: A vintage Dustin Martin performance set up Richmond’s upset win over Geelong.

COSTLY MISTAKE: Hayden McLean’s late goal after a North Melbourne interchange infringement broke the Roos’ hearts.

ROUND 11 ROUND 12

INSPIRATIONAL: Skipper James Sicily gathered 43 touches to lead the Hawks to an upset win over the Saints.

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u For the second successive week, another coaching development preceded the round with three-time Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick announcing he was standing down. Assistant coach Andrew McQualter was promoted to the senior role for the rest of the season. The Tigers could not quite get the job done in McQualter’s first game in charge, going down by 10 points to Port Adelaide. Carlton’s woes continued with a 26-point loss to Sydney at the SCG which saw a post-game fallout at board level with Blues director Craig Mathieson quitting after 11 years’ service. Hawthorn captain James Sicily (43 disposals) inspired the Hawks to a stirring win over St Kilda, while Fremantle and GWS scored important wins on the road over Melbourne and Geelong respectively. Toby Greene starred in his 200th game for the Giants with four goals. Gold Coast held on for a gritty seven-point victory over the Western Bulldogs in Darwin. Magpie veteran Steele Sidebottom injured his knee early in his 300th game and was subbed off and Adelaide was an impressive winner at home over the Brisbane Lions.

RESULTS

Friday, May 26

Syd 11.11 (77) v Carl 6.15 (51) (SCG) (N)

Saturday, May 27

StK 12.6 (78)

u STATS THAT MATTER

GREENE MACHINE: In their third game in a row against the Cats in Geelong, Giants captain Toby Greene kicked four goals before half-time. He was the first visitor to do so at GMHBA Stadium since North Melbourne’s David Hale in 2008.

u The first of the bye rounds saw Port Adelaide win a club-record ninth successive match, a thumping 55-point victory over Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval. The Power booted 16.9 in the first half with forwards Jeremy Finlayson and Todd Marshall (five goals each) and Willie Rioli (four) sharing 14 of their 23 goals. Collingwood easily accounted for West Coast at Optus Stadium, but it came at a cost. Magpie star Jordan De Goey was handed a three-match suspension for a high hit on Eagles youngster Elijah Hewett Christian Petracca (32 disposals) starred in Melbourne’s 17-point win over Carlton, while Gold Coast made it two wins in a row during its northern sojourn to Darwin, claiming the scalp of Adelaide. Geelong snapped a three-game losing streak to upset the Western Bulldogs by 22 points at Marvel Stadium. Richmond veteran Jack Riewoldt wound back the clock with a five-goal haul in the Tigers’ six-point win over GWS at Giants Stadium. Massimo D’Ambrosio came from the subs bench at three-quarter time to kick the winning goal in Essendon’s six-point win against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

RESULTS

u STATS THAT MATTER

JACK HIGH: Jack Lukosius became the first Gold Coast player to kick five goals in consecutive games, while Magpie Jack Crisp played his 200th consecutive match.

POWERPLAY: Jeremy Finlayson and Todd Marshall kicked five goals each as Port Adelaide made it nine wins in a row.

ROUND 13 ROUND 14

u LADDER

LADDER

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u St Kilda spoiled Lance Franklin’s 350-game celebrations with a gritty 14-point win over Sydney at the SCG. The Swans failed to score in the opening term. Zak Butters (31 disposals, five tackles) continued his brilliant form to lead Port Adelaide to its 10th consecutive win of the season, a 22-point victory over the Western Bulldogs. Hawthorn upset Brisbane with a 25-point win, condemning the Lions to their 13th loss from their past 14 games at the MCG. Adelaide crushed West Coast by 122 points at home with Taylor Walker booting a career-high 10 goals in his 250th game. Richmond held on for a tough 15-point win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium and Essendon sent Carlton’s season into a tailspin in the first King’s Birthday eve clash. All eyes were on Neale Daniher and his tireless campaign to raise funds and awareness around Motor Neurone Disease in Big Freeze 9. Nine sliders, including actor Eric Bana and former football greats Shaun Burgoyne, Jason Dunstall and Tony Shaw, took the plunge into the ice bath. On the field, Melbourne ended Collingwood’s eight-game winning streak.

u RESULTS

Thursday, June 8

Syd 9.12 (66) v StK 12.8 (80) (SCG) (N)

Friday, June 9

WB 13.7 (85) v PA 16.11 (107) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, June 10 Haw 15.8 (98) v BL 11.7 (73) (MCG)

Adel 27.12 (174) v WCE 8.4 (52) (AO) (T)

Frem 10.10 (70) v Rich 12.13 (85) (OS) (T

Sunday, June 11 NM 11.9 (75) v GWS 15.13 (103) (BA)

Carl 6.16 (52) v Ess 13.8 (86) (MCG) (N)

Monday, June 12

Melb 8.18 (66) v Coll 9.8 (62) (MCG)

Byes: Geelong, Gold Coast Suns

u STATS THAT MATTER

TEX’S PERFECT 10: Playing his 250th game, Adelaide’s Taylor Walker kicked 10 goals for the first time in his career, meanwhile the Demons played their 2500th match.

u Richmond celebrated former skipper Trent Cotchin’s 300th game in style with more than 62,000 fans on hand to see the Tigers down St Kilda by 20 points on a damp night at the MCG. The three-time premiership captain was one of his side’s best with 29 disposals and two goals. Port Adelaide kicked off the round with a 38-point win over Geelong at Adelaide Oval, coming from 21 points down early in the game to run all over the Cats in the second half. Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield was later found to have suffered a cracked rib and partly collapsed lung but bravely played on. It was the Power’s 11th consecutive win. The Brisbane Lions held out the Sydney Swans at the Gabba and the GWS Giants thrashed a disappointing Fremantle by 70 points at Giants Stadium. Carlton broke a six-game losing streak with a 59-point win over Gold Coast, while lively small forward Cody Weightman kicked a career-high six goals in his 50th game to lead the Western Bulldogs to a 21-point victory over North Melbourne.

RESULTS

Thursday, June 15

PA 16.14 (110) v Geel 11.6 (72) (AO) (N)

Friday, June 16

BL 13.19 (97) v Syd 12.9 (81) (G) (N)

Saturday, June 17

GWS 16.10 (106) v Frem 5.6 (36) (GS) (T)

Rich 13.12 (90) v StK 11.4 (70) (MCG) (N)

Sunday, June 18

Carl 18.12 (120) v GCS 8.13 (61) (MCG)

NM 13.6 (84) v WB 15.15 (105) (MRVL) (T)

Byes: Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, West Coast Eagles

u STATS THAT MATTER

DOUBLE ACT: Todd Goldstein and Jack Ziebell played their 257th game together, overtaking Brent Harvey and Adam Simpson to move into third place for the most games by Kangaroos teammates.

BITTER-SWEET: Lance Franklin is chaired off after his 350th game, but the Saints spoiled the party with a 14-point win.

TIGER TREAT: Richmond celebrated Trent Cotchin’s 300th game with a big win over the Saints.

ROUND 15 ROUND 16

LADDER u LADDER

UNLUCKY CROWS: Jordan Dawson was outstanding as Adelaide went down in a controversial finish against the Pies.

CLEARING THE PACK: Despite their best efforts, the Bombers could not spoil Dan Houston’s long bomb after the siren.

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u The last bye round in 2023 produced one nail-biting finish and a couple of blowouts. Collingwood held on in another tight finish, downing Adelaide by just two points at the MCG. The Magpies dominated the first half but a seven-goal-to-nil third term saw the Crows lead by 13 points at the final change. Collingwood stormed home to snatch a famous win, but the AFL umpiring department admitted later a crucial free kick should have been paid to Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson close to goal late in the final quarter. Geelong kicked off the round with a 15-point win over Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium. The Cats lost star forward Jeremy Cameron who was accidentally knocked out by teammate Gary Rohan early in the game. The incident rattled Rohan, but he recovered to be the hero of the Cats’ win with three goals. West Coast suffered its worst loss in club history, going down to the Sydney Swans by 171 points at the SCG. Brisbane and Fremantle scored solid wins over St Kilda and Essendon respectively and Gold Coast thrashed Hawthorn by 67 points.

u RESULTS

Thursday, June 22

Geel 11.12 (78) v Melb 8.15 (63) (GMHBA) (N)

Friday, June 23

StK 8.8 (56)

RESULTS

Thursday, June 29

BL 20.14 (134) v Rich 7.11 (53) (G) (N)

Friday, June 30 Syd 6.18 (54) v Geel 7.12 (54) (SCG) (N)

Saturday, July 1

WB 16.6 (102) v Frem 11.7 (73) (MRVL) (N)

Adel 21.12 (138) v NM 11.6 (72) (AO)

GCS 5.12 (42) v Coll 18.12 (120) (HBS) (T)

Ess 10.14 (74) v PA 11.12 (78) (MCG) (N)

Sunday, July 2

Haw 7.10 (52) v Carl 17.10 (112) (MCG)

GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Western Bulldogs

Byes:

u STATS THAT MATTER

SWANS ONSLAUGHT: Sydney became the first team to score 200 points in a game since Geelong tallied 233 against Melbourne in round 19, 2011.

u Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston was the hero of the round, booting a goal after the siren to down Essendon at the MCG. After the Bombers fought back to take the lead late in the game, Houston marked an errant Essendon kick just seconds before the final siren and calmy slotted the shot from 55 metres out in the wet conditions. The Brisbane Lions kicked the round off with a big Thursday night win, downing Richmond by 81 points. The following night at the SCG, Sydney and Geelong played out a draw but the Swans (6.18) were left to rue missed opportunities. The Western Bulldogs put a dent in Fremantle’s finals aspirations with a 29-point win at Marvel Stadium while Nick Daicos (36 disposals, 10 tackles) starred in Collingwood’s 78-point thrashing over Gold Coast. Adelaide and Carlton were way too good for North Melbourne and Hawthorn respectively. GWS held on for a thrilling two-point win over Melbourne in the wet in Alice Springs thanks to a late Josh Kelly goal. St Kilda survived a scare against West Coast at Optus Stadium.

Melb 5.15 (45) v GWS 7.5 (47) (TIO)

WCE 12.5 (77) v StK 12.13 (85) (OS)

u STATS THAT MATTER

TRELOAR TREBLE: Adam Treloar became the fourth player (after Glenn Coleman, Leigh Brown and Bradley Hill) to play 50 games for three different clubs. St Kilda’s Callum Wilkie played his 100th game, having yet to miss a game.

ROUND 17 ROUND 18

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u Gold Coast fell to its third heavy defeat in four weeks, going down to Port Adelaide by 33 points, and this time it cost Stuart Dew his job. The Suns’ longest-serving coach was sacked three days later despite having been assured by the club’s administration the previous week that his tenure was safe. Richmond kicked off the round with its fourth win in six games under interim coach Andrew McQualter, coming from behind to down Sydney. Nick Daicos starred in Collingwood’s 12-point win over the Western Bulldogs, while veteran Jack Gunston returned to form with a six-goal haul in the Brisbane Lions’ easy win over West Coast. St Kilda suffered a blow losing key forward Max King to another shoulder injury in its loss to Melbourne and GWS made it four wins on the trot, outlasting Hawthorn by 13 points at Giants Stadium. Zach Tuohy broke Jim Stynes’ record for most games by an Irish player when he made his 265th appearance in Geelong’s easy win over North Melbourne. Essendon and Carlton had impressive wins over Adelaide and Fremantle respectively.

Thursday, July 6

Rich 12.16 (88) v Syd 11.9 (75) (MCG) (N)

Friday, July 7

u The Sydney Swans celebrated John Longmire’s 300th game as coach with a thrilling two-point win over the Western Bulldogs in the final Thursday night match of the home and away season. The following night, Brisbane coughed up a 24-point lead against Melbourne with seven minutes remaining. Veteran Demon Jake Melksham was the hero, kicking a goal with 33 seconds left to give his side a one-point win. The Daicos brothers, Nick and Josh, starred again as Collingwood easily accounted for Fremantle while Gold Coast returned to the winners’ list under interim coach Steven King , taking down St Kilda by 26 points at home. Carlton ended Port Adelaide’s 13-game winning streak with a 50-point win over the Power and Geelong flexed its muscle, winning by 77 points over Essendon at GMHBA Stadium. The GWS Giants stormed home with five unanswered goals in the final term to spoil the 250-game milestone of Adelaide’s Rory Sloane. Hawthorn was too good for North Melbourne and Richmond’s Daniel Rioli (31 disposals) starred in the Tigers’ 38-point win over West Coast.

RESULTS

u STATS THAT MATTER

IRISH JIG: Defender Zach Tuohy broke the record for most games by an Irish player in the Cats’ win over the Roos.

u LADDER

LADDER

POWER SURGE: Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak played game No. 341 – the most for a South Australian club.

ROUND 19 ROUND 20

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u It was a thrilling round of AFL action with four games decided by less than eight points. After the Western Bulldogs kicked off the round with an impressive 41-point win over Essendon, Richmond staged a big comeback the following day to down Hawthorn by one point. Charlie Curnow kicked a career-high 10 goals in Carlton’s easy win over West Coast in a busy day of Saturday football. Brisbane held out Geelong by 11 points at the Gabba, but lost young star Will Ashcroft with a season-ending knee injury.

The Sydney Swans inflicted more pain on Fremantle with a comfortable win at Optus Stadium, but all eyes were on the top-of-the-table clash between Port Adelaide and Collingwood at Adelaide Oval. It didn’t disappoint, with the Magpies staging another final-quarter comeback and ‘Mr Clutch’ Jamie Elliott kicking the winning goal. The GWS Giants made it six wins in a row in their Sunday match-up with the Gold Coast Suns. Melbourne survived a last-quarter revival from the Adelaide Crows, who kicked 7.2 to the Demons’ 3.6 to go down by four points.

u The big news to come out of the round was the announcement from the Sydney Swans that Lance Franklin was retiring, effective immediately. The greatest goalkicker of the modern era strained his calf during the Swans’ two-point win over Essendon, ruling him out for the rest of the season. Carlton made it six successive wins with a 17-point victory over Collingwood in a big Friday night clash at the MCG. The following day, Fremantle upset Geelong by seven points at GMHBA Stadium. The loss soured Geelong coach Chris Scott ’s record-breaking 305th game and was compounded with hamstring injuries to stars Tom Hawkins and Mark Blicavs. GWS made it seven wins on the trot, coming from behind to defeat the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat. The Gold Coast Suns won the QClash against the Brisbane Lions and Adelaide upset Port Adelaide in the Showdown. Harrison Petty kicked a career-high six goals in Melbourne’s 32-point win over Richmond and West Coast survived a late North Melbourne fightback to win just its second game of the season.

CHARLIE RULES: Charlie Curnow snaps one of his career-best 10 goals in the easy win over West Coast.

SURPRISE PACKET: Defender Harrison Petty moved forward to kick six goals for the Demons against the Tigers.

NO FEARS: Collingwood won its eighth game in a row at Adelaide Oval, coming from behind to do so.

GREAT SCOTT: Chris Scott broke the record for games coached at Geelong (305), previously held by Cats legend Reg Hickey.

ROUND 21 ROUND 22

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u Hawthorn pulled off one of the upsets of the season, taking down top side Collingwood by 32 points at the MCG. The loss came at a big cost for the Magpies with Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos suffering a fractured knee, ruling him out for the rest of the home and away season. Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli was installed as the new favourite following his best-afield display in his side’s 55-point win over Richmond. Essendon survived a scare against West Coast, holding on by one point thanks to the five-goal heroics of Kyle Langford Geelong bounced back with an 11-point win at home over Port Adelaide, but lost versatile Jack Henry for the year with a foot injury. Melbourne’s in-form Harrison Petty also suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Demons’ 32-point win over North Melbourne, which welcomed Alastair Clarkson back to the coach’s box. Carlton came from 22 points down at half-time to defeat St Kilda by 19 points, while the Brisbane Lions held on to beat Fremantle by three points at Optus Stadium.

u RESULTS

Friday, August 4

WB 19.12 (126) v Rich 10.11 (77) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, August 5 Ess 10.13 (73) v WCE 11.6 (72) (MRVL)

Sunday,

u STATS THAT MATTER

COOL HAND LUKE: Hawthorn’s Luke Breust kicked three goals against the Magpies to take his career total to 523 and overtake former Swan Michael O’Loughlin in 58th spot on the AFL/VFL goalkicking list.

u Collingwood returned to the winners’ list with an eight-point win over Geelong in a big Friday night clash at the MCG. Josh Daicos starred with 38 disposals for the Magpies, while Jeremy Cameron booted seven goals for the Cats. Carlton made it eight wins in a row with a thrilling four-point victory over Melbourne at the MCG. Demon Christian Petracca’s shot for goal in the final minute was deemed to have just been touched by Carlton defender Caleb Marchbank . Hawthorn, led by Jai Newcombe (40 disposals), upset the Western Bulldogs by three points at UTAS Stadium, while Port Adelaide bounced back from four successive losses to defeat GWS by 51 points. St Kilda snuffed out Richmond’s slim finals chances with Max King kicking six goals in the Saints’ 36-point victory. Before the round, a host of players announced their pending retirements, including Richmond’s Trent Cotchin, West Coast’s Luke Shuey and Geelong’s Isaac Smith North Melbourne farewelled courageous midfielder Ben Cunnington, who played the last of his 238 games.

u STATS THAT MATTER

LAST MAN STANDING: Carlton’s Charlie Curnow remained the only player to kick a goal in every game. He also became the first to kick 70 goals in a home and away season since former Eagle Josh Kennedy in 2016.

TOP DOG?: Marcus Bontempelli moved into Brownlow favouritism with a best-afield display against Richmond.

LONE HAND: Jeremy Cameron’s brilliant seven-goal haul was in vain as the Cats fell short against the Magpies.

ROUND 23 ROUND 24

u LADDER u LADDER

BOWING OUT: Richmond farewelled two of its champions, Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin, in the win over the Roos.

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u Adelaide was denied a win and a possible finals berth following an incorrect goal umpire’s call in the dying moments of its clash with Sydney at Adelaide Oval. Crow Ben Keays kicked truly from the pocket with 70 seconds remaining to put Adelaide back in front – only for the goal umpire to deem it hit the post. Collingwood lost its third game in four weeks as the Brisbane Lions scooted to a 24-point win at Marvel Stadium. Richmond farewelled premiership stars Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt with a 29-point win over North Melbourne. Former Roos captain Jack Ziebell also played his last game but his post-match celebrations turned sour after he was assaulted outside a Melbourne bar later that night. Reigning premier Geelong bowed out of the finals race, losing to St Kilda, while the Western Bulldogs put a severe dent in their September prospects, going down to lowly West Coast. Carlton claimed its first finals spot since 2013 with a thrilling four-point win over Gold Coast. Jesse Hogan booted a career-high nine goals in the Giants’ 126-point mauling of Essendon.

u RESULTS

Friday, August 18 Coll 15.10 (100) v BL 19.10 (124) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, August 19

14.17 (101) v NM 10.12 (72) (MCG) GCS

u In the lead-up to the round, Gold Coast announced former Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick would be coaching the Suns for the next six seasons. On the field, the eight was finalised after the last home and away game of the season. GWS secured a spot after downing Carlton by 32 points and knocking out the Western Bulldogs, who had notched a rare win over Geelong at GMHBA Stadium the previous night. Collingwood claimed top spot with a clinical performance over Essendon, booting 8.1 to 0.2 in the opening term before winning by 70 points. North Melbourne jumped off the bottom of the ladder with a 35-point win over the Suns. Key forward Nick Larkey kicked a career-best nine goals for the Roos. Brisbane finished second after beating St Kilda by 12 points at the Gabba, while Adelaide’s Taylor Walker also booted nine goals against West Coast in the Crows’ 45-point win. The Eagles collected the wooden spoon, but fans were able to farewell retiring stars Shannon Hurn, Luke Shuey and Nic Natainui Swans fans also said goodbye to Lance Franklin .

RESULTS

Friday, August 25

Ess 3.13 (31) v Coll 16.5 (101) (MCG) (N)

Saturday, August 26

Haw 8.8 (56) v Frem 14.9 (93) (MCG)

NM 20.12 (132) v GCS 14.13 (97) (BA)

BL 9.18 (72) v StK 9.6 (60) (Gabba) (T)

Geel 11.13 (79) v WB 16.8

u STATS THAT MATTER

FLYING START: Roo Harry Sheezel finished the year with 622 disposals, the most by a player in their first season. The previous best was 574 by Magpie Scott Russell in 1990.

NINE-GOAL SALUTE: Nick Larkey ended the season in style with a record haul as the Roos upset the Suns in Tasmania.

FITTING FAREWELL: In his 306th and final game, Trent Cotchin broke the record for games played in the No. 9 guernsey, overtaking former Hawk Shane Crawford.

FINALS WEEK 1 FINALS WEEK 2

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

u The opening week of finals had everything – close games, big crowds and plenty of controversy. Collingwood and Melbourne kicked it off on Thursday night with the Magpies holding off the fast-finishing Demons to win by seven points in front of 92,636 fans. But the main talking point was Magpie Brayden Maynard’s attempted smother on Demon Angus Brayshaw in the first quarter. Maynard cannoned into the oncoming Brayshaw who was knocked out. Despite the Match Review O icer and the AFL sending the matter to the Tribunal with a three-match ban, the Magpies successfully challenged that decision. The following night, Carlton returned to the finals for the first time since 2013, recording a six-point elimination final win over Sydney. Blues fans made up a good majority of the 92,026-strong crowd. On Saturday, GWS Giants proved too strong for St Kilda in the other elimination final at the MCG, while the Brisbane Lions kept their 2023 unbeaten record at home intact with a 48-point win over Port Adelaide in the qualifying final. Joe Daniher starred for the Lions with five goals.

u RESULTS u RESULTS

Thursday, September 7

Friday, September 8

Saturday, September 9

u STATS THAT MATTER

HAVE BOOTS, WILL TRAVEL: By downing St Kilda in their elimination final at the MCG, the GWS Giants became the first AFL/VFL side to win at 11 different venues in the one season.

u Melbourne and Port Adelaide bowed out of the 2023 finals in straight sets despite finishing in the top four at the end of the home and away season. It was finals heartbreak for the second successive season for the Demons who were eliminated in similar fashion in 2022. Despite having eight more scoring shots, Melbourne succumbed to Carlton’s pressure in the opening semi-final in front of 96,412 fans at the MCG. The Blues controlled the game early, but they trailed by six points at the last change. They regrouped, booting 4.2 to 2.6 in the final term with Blake Acres kicking the winning goal after a late Melbourne turnover. Midfielder Sam Walsh starred with 34 disposals, eight tackles and two crucial goals. The following night, the GWS Giants continued on their winning way, upsetting the Power at home. A brilliant second quarter when they kicked 5.7 to 1.5 propelled the Giants into their fourth preliminary final in just 12 seasons. Stephen Coniglio (30 disposals) and Jesse Hogan (four goals) were the chief contributors.

Friday, September 15

1st SF – Melb 9.17 (71) v Carl 11.7 (73) (MCG) (N)

Saturday, September 16

2nd SF – PA 9.16 (70) v GWS 13.15 (93) (AO) (N)

u STATS THAT MATTER

QUICK EXITS: For just the second time under the current finals system, two top-four teams – Melbourne and Port Adelaide – were eliminated in straight sets. They joined Geelong and Fremantle, who suffered the same fate in 2014.

LION KING: Joe Daniher starred in Brisbane’s rout of Port Adelaide at the Gabba with five goals.

GIANT-KILLERS: Stephen Coniglio returned to his devastating best as GWS continued its charge through the finals.

ADELAIDE CROWS

Short on luck, but ready to swoop

u It was a season of more growth for the Adelaide Crows, who are well-placed to attack next year and contend with the best.

The decision not to call for a goal review in the final quarter against Sydney in round 23 caused the biggest on-field controversy of the season and eventually resulted in Adelaide missing finals for a sixth consecutive year.

While the ‘what could have been’ was the talking point, Matthew Nicks’ team is primed to be better in 2024.

The 2023 season saw the Crows rise four spots on the ladder, record three more wins and grow their percentage by more than 30.

Izak Rankine’s recruitment was a resounding success, as was Jordan Dawson’s full-time transition into the midfield.

Veteran forward Taylor Walker enjoyed a career-best season and was rewarded with his first All-Australian honours, while youngster Max Michalanney quickly locked in a permanent spot down back.

Mitch Hinge also improved in a decimated defence and was another Crow to have a career-best year.

Adelaide is among the best teams ahead of the footy and, with plenty of development to come, Nicks can expect his team to leap into September in 2024.

Dawson led from the front in his first season as skipper.

BRISBANE LIONS

W 17 L6 D 0 POINTS 68

Lions strut their stuff after slow start

u After a stuttering start to the season, the Lions re-emerged as one of the strongest teams in the competition in 2023.

They quickly put together seven successive wins after dropping two of their first three, which included a 54-point opening round loss to Port Adelaide.

Back-to-back losses to Adelaide and Hawthorn either side of the round 12 bye threatened to derail things, but from there they hardly put a foot wrong.

It was a fruitful off-season for the Lions who added gun midfielder Josh Dunkley, which proved an inspired piece of trading. He added grunt and strength to an already talent-laden midfield group of first-year co-captain

Lachie Neale, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry, Zac Bailey, Dayne Zorko and ruckman Oscar McInerney

They also brought in dashing defender Conor McKenna and experienced forward Jack Gunston, and drafted superbly with young stars Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher making an immediate impact.

Ashcroft was a shining light and was heavily in the conversation for the AFL Rising Star award before a serious knee injury cruelly ended his season in round 19.

Joe Daniher, Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood all booted 40-plus goals.

Down the other end, the Lions were capably led by joint skipper Harris Andrews, who again was one of the competition’s best intercept defenders.

ANDREW SLEVISON

BOOM RECRUIT:

Former Dog Josh Dunkley added extra grunt to a star-studded Lions midfield.

AFL RECORD CLUB BY CLUB

BLUE CHIP: Patrick Cripps led from the front as Carlton returned to finals action.

Blues ride wave of emotion to finals

u Carlton’s 2023 season can only be described as an absolute rollercoaster.

Three wins and a draw to start the year, including victory over reigning premier Geelong and an away win over GWS, had the Blues looking a top-eight side early.

However, things took a sudden sharp turn from there, losing eight of their next nine games. Only a 108-point win over struggling West Coast broke up what was a dark, dark few months.

It all culminated in a round 13 loss to Essendon, which saw the Blues marooned inside the bottom four and coach Michael Voss’ future being heavily questioned.

But, like something out of a movie, everything turned around from there.

The Blues qualified for finals for the first time in a decade, with Patrick Cripps, Jacob Weitering, Sam Docherty and others finally tasting September action.

They held on despite a scare in an elimination final against Sydney, before coming from two goals down late to end Melbourne’s season in the semi-final.

Charlie Curnow won his second Coleman Medal and an All-Australian blazer.

Nic Newman, Tom De Koning, Lachie Fogarty, Blake Acres, Brodie Kemp, Matthew Cottrell and Jesse Motlop all had breakout years, while Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering, come September, were also playing career-best footy.

W 13 L 9 D 1 POINTS 54 5 TH IN HOME & AWAY SEASON Note: stats do not include preliminary final.

Hot Pies set the pace all season

u Collingwood’s season started with an upset round one win over reigning premier Geelong, followed by impressive wins over Port Adelaide in round two and Richmond in round three.

The Magpies’ first loss came against Brisbane at the Gabba in round four, but they were quickly back to their winning ways against St Kilda in Gather Round.

The following week saw the Magpies revive their come-from-behind heroics against Essendon on Anzac Day, with second-year sensation Nick Daicos winning the Anzac Medal for best afield as the Magpies stormed home from 28 points down at three-quarter time to win by 13 points.

For the rest of the home and away season, Collingwood went 13-4.

The Magpies were handed reality checks by Carlton (round 20) and Hawthorn (round 21), the latter coming at further cost with Daicos suffering a knee injury.

Without its star man, Collingwood looked a bit clunky, but it won two of its last three home and away games before winning a massive qualifying final against Melbourne.

Craig McRae had his side playing with attacking flair and lightning fast ball movement, while the defence, led by Nathan Murphy, Isaac Quaynor, Brayden Maynard, Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore proved it can stand up. LACHLAN

PRIME MOVER: Nick Daicos took the competition by storm, until a late-season injury.

Young Bombers can rebound quickly

u It’s fair to say Essendon came into the 2023 season with modest expectations.

Boasting one of the youngest lists in the competition, new coach Brad Scott was preaching patience in the lead-up to the season.

Considering most observers thought the Bombers would struggle, it was a surprise to see them win four of their first five games, which saw them become one of the early-season pacesetters.

The highlight was a shock win over eventual top four side Melbourne in Gather Round, where they successfully nullified the Demons in the wet at Adelaide Oval.

Even without spearhead forward Peter Wright until the middle of the season, Essendon plugged enough holes largely through Kyle Langford, who kicked a remarkable 51 goals.

Unfortunately for the Bombers, what looked like a near certainty to play finals after beating Carlton in round 13 turned into somewhat of a nightmare, losing seven of their last 10 games after the bye.

By the end of the season, Essendon’s injury list included key players Sam Draper, Jordan Ridley and Jake Stringer and it finished with a pair of demoralising losses to GWS and Collingwood which saw it kick eight goals combined.

But the Bombers will be busy over the trade and draft period and their supporters can look to 2024 with some confidence.

LAURENCE ROSEN

SURPRISE PACKET: Kyle Langdon enjoyed a career-best season, kicking 51 goals.

A step back, but still on the right track

u The 2023 season started with plenty of optimism for the Dockers following a 2022 campaign in which they won a final, however, it was an underwhelming year for Justin Longmuir ’s side.

After finishing fifth last season, the Dockers were unable to recapture that form, resulting in a bottom-half finish on the ladder.

A slow start, winning only one of their first four games – against the struggling West Coast Eagles –was a portent of what was to come for the remainder of the year.

A shining light for Fremantle was star midfielder Caleb Serong, who had a career-best season, averaging 30.6 disposals, 7.5 clearances and five tackles.

The 22-year-old looks likely to win his first Doig Medal, which would be a fantastic reward for the season he has had.

Recruit Luke Jackson enjoyed a solid first season in purple and was superb when filling the void of the injured Sean Darcy as the main ruck.

Exciting youngsters Jye Amiss, Matthew Johnson and Neil Erasmus had promising seasons, which they will look to build on next year.

The Dockers have too much talent on their list, so maybe this season was an aberration and they should be looking to make a push towards September action in 2024.

ETHAN DAFFEY

PRIZED RECRUIT: Luke Jackson made a fine start to his career as a Docker.

ALL CLASS: Jeremy Cameron still kicked 50-plus goals, but was one of several Cats stars hobbled by injury.

Dramatic tumble, but Cats to rise again

u After Geelong broke a host of records enroute to its 2022 premiership triumph, the Cats claimed a few unwanted statistics this season as their title defence finished in tatters.

The Cats joined Richmond as the second-biggest tumblers in AFL/VFL history, slumping from premiers one season to 12th the following year.

The Tigers took the same dive after winning the 2020 flag, finishing 12th in 2021; Adelaide, which won the 1998 premiership, fell to 13th in 1999 and holds the record for the biggest fall in League history.

So what went wrong for the Cats?

They were unable to field their best side and players such as Cameron Guthrie (six games for the season), Jack Henry (11), Rhys Stanley (13), Jed Bews (15), Gary Rohan (15) and Mitch Duncan (16) missed fair chunks, while stars Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron were hobbled for large parts.

Geelong started its premiership defence slowly, losing its first three games, then won five in a row to put fear into the rest of the competition.

But from that point, the Cats won just five more games, lost nine, including the last three, and drew with Sydney in round 16.

Several players were sent to surgery after the season, including Cameron (shoulder), and Isaac Smith retired, but Chris Scott has enough talent at his disposal to steer Geelong back into contention in 2024.

MICHAEL LOVETT

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Hardwick provides ray of sunshine

u A season of disappointment for Gold Coast was quickly replaced by the optimism of Damien Hardwick ’s signing and what the three-time premiership coach can do for the Suns.

To ignore the season that ultimately ended with the club tearing up Stuart Dew ’s contract after 17 rounds would be papering over the cracks.

Year-on-year, the Suns went backward on nearly every marker.

However, Hardwick’s appointment changes the conversation as perhaps the club’s most important signing in its history.

The former Richmond coach has declared he already has 80 per cent of his first premiership team at the Suns. He will have one of the AFL’s most talented midfields to work with.

Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell starred throughout the year, but Touk Miller was severely missed when he was sidelined with a knee injury.

Sam Flanders took a big step forward, while Charlie Ballard and Wil Powell were among the best week in and week out.

Ben King and Jack Lukosius have the potential to be one of the League’s best tall forward duos.

The talent is there to take this list well up the ladder and now it’s on Hardwick to be the first coach to guide Gold Coast into September. SEB

SHINING SUN: Noah Anderson’s brilliant season was rewarded with selection in the All-Australian squad.

GWS GIANTS

Withering run home defines Giants’ season

u The narrative of GWS’s season was set in the opening round, nailing a gritty comeback against the Adelaide Crows, demonstrating a trait that would define their year.

A loss to West Coast the following week was probably the surprise of the season in hindsight.

Even though the defensive capabilities and game style was starting to take shape, the Giants lost four of five games following round one.

But Toby Greene’s miraculous match-winner to claim a one-point win over cross-town rival Sydney in round seven proved the Giants were on the right track.

GWS knocked off Geelong at GMHBA Stadium in round 11, Melbourne in round 16 and then took revenge on the Crows at Adelaide Oval.

They won nine of their last 11 home and away games and only twice – against Collingwood (round nine, 65 points) and Port Adelaide (round 22, 51 points) – were they defeated by more than 21 points.

With its elimination final win over St Kilda at the MCG, GWS became the first team to win at 11 different venues in the same season.

For a team that was 4-8 earlier in the year, the storylines were remarkable. The defence of Sam Taylor, Jack Buckley and Connor Idun proved as good as any backline trio, Lachie Whitfield and Brent Daniel were two of many Giants to experience career resurgences and Greene was named All-Australian captain.

GIANT TURNAROUND: Sam Taylor led a strong defence as GWS surged into the finals.

Young Hawks on the right flight path

u After shedding more than 1200 games of experience, there were few expectations of a competitive season for Hawthorn in 2023.

And after losing their opening two games by a combined 140 points, coach Sam Mitchell’s list strategy was roundly questioned.

But that was probably the low-point as, for the remainder of the season, the Hawks were super competitive and among their scalps were three top-six clubs – Collingwood, the Brisbane Lions and St Kilda.

The biggest improvement was through the midfield.

Will Day ’s move to the centre of the ground paid dividends and, together with Jai Newcombe, James Worpel and Conor Nash, Hawthorn’s engine room finished the season as the one of the best in the AFL.

Port Adelaide recruit Karl Amon provided class and dash on the outside.

Defensively, the Hawks were stout.

Skipper James Sicily earned his long overdue first All-Australian blazer, while draftee Josh Weddle added speed and excitement. Blake Hardwick was outstanding yet again.

The main concern was the forward line, which apart from evergreen Luke Breust (47 goals), didn’t fire consistently.

Seven wins was the pass mark in a development season and the Hawks got there. The rebuild is tracking well.

ASHLEY BROWNE

NEW DAY DAWNS: Youngster Will Day thrived in a switch to the midfield.

Demons’ fadeout a spur for next season

u For the third year in a row, Melbourne successfully finished inside the top four at the end of the home and away season.

Unfortunately for the Demons, 2023 will be seen as another wasted year, as they were bounced out of the finals in straight sets for a second straight season.

Like 2022, Melbourne rounded out the year with 16 wins and a top-two ranking for points against.

Offensively, they ranked sixth in the competition, even though their points a game made a slight improvement on 2022.

Christian Petracca, Jack Viney and Trent Rivers had impressive seasons.

Likewise, Jacob van Rooyen and Judd McVee, who both made their debuts, were able to solidify their spot in the senior side.

Brodie Grundy ’s first season as a Demon started promisingly before he was dropped. After round 17, he only played just one more game.

Other off-season recruits Lachie Hunter and Josh Schache had interesting seasons.

Hunter cemented his spot in the side consistently throughout the season, compared with Schache who got on the park just twice.

Next year will be a make-or-break season for a Melbourne side which is desperate to claim another flag to add to its 2021 success.

ZAC SHARPE

MIDFIELD BULL: Christian Petracca couldn’t turn a brilliant season into finals success.

NORTH MELBOURNE

W 3 L 20 D 0 POINTS 12

Roos put their faith in young talent

u North Melbourne’s 2023 season ended on a positive note, breaking a 20-game losing streak with a win over Gold Coast in the final round.

The positivity was much needed after a di icult year.

The Alastair Clarkson era began with successive wins over West Coast and Fremantle in the opening two rounds, a brilliant start that energised the group.

What followed from there, however, was 20 consecutive losses, while Clarkson took a break to deal with his physical and mental wellbeing after round nine and did not return until round 21.

On a positive note, the biggest win for the Kangaroos was Harry Sheezel. The No. 3 pick in the 2022 NAB AFL Draft, Sheezel played all 23 games, averaged 27 disposals and won the AFL Rising Star award.

It was a year of discovery in general for the Roos.

George Wardlaw came in late and showed signs as an inside bull, Charlie Comben looked good before breaking his leg, while Paul Curtis, Josh Goater and Will Phillips impressed as well.

Former captain Jack Ziebell hung up the boots after an incredible 280-game career, as did Ben Cunnington, who finished up as one of the club’s great midfielders.

In the end, the Roos ultimately had another season stuck down the bottom of the ladder, but there are some promising signs.

NIC NEGREPONTIS

FLYING KANGAROO: Rising Star winner Harry Sheezel made a fine start to his career.

PORT ADELAIDE

FINALS FLOP: Ken Hinkley had the Power firing again, but would have been disappointed with the finals exit.

Hot streak turns sour for fading Power

u Things were looking dicey for Port Adelaide heading into 2023.

Having missed finals in 2022 in one of the biggest disappointments of the season, Ken Hinkley ’s position as senior coach was being questioned.

However, the entire club pulled together to respond in dramatic fashion.

After losing two of their first three games, the Power strung together one of the more impressive streaks in recent memory, winning 13 successive games and planting themselves firmly inside the top four.

The Power’s close-game brilliance was the key, with six of the victories coming by less than two goals.

Unfortunately for Port Adelaide, its blistering form couldn’t last forever, dropping four of its last seven home and away games before being knocked out of finals in straight sets.

Despite the disappointing end, the season was still clearly a success for Port, with Hinkley earning the faith of the club and signing a two-year extension, while Zak Butters took another leap to cement himself as one of the best players in the competition.

The familiar faces of Connor Rozee, Dan Houston and Aliir Aliir were also among those playing stellar football, while new arrivals Jason Horne-Francis and Willie Rioli firmly established themselves as key pieces going forward.

JACK MAKEHAM

HE LOVES THE BIG DANCE a

a

RICHMOND

A changing of the guard for Tigers

u It has been a significant season for Richmond, but for slightly differing reasons to recent years.

The most monumental movement came in the form of master coach Damien Hardwick stepping down mid-year.

After 13 years and three premierships, Hardwick called time at Punt Rd, just months before flag heroes Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt followed him out the door.

As a result, there is a changing of the guard taking place at Tigerland, led by new senior coach Adem Yze which will begin to take shape on the back of a so-so 2023 season that yielded 10 wins and a draw.

Interim coach Andrew McQualter had the Tigers in the finals hunt until late in the season before disappointing defeats to the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda ended their hopes.

Prized recruit Tim Taranto is a strong chance of claiming the Jack Dyer Medal in his first season at the club, while Dustin Martin turned back the clock and Shai Bolton backed up his 2022 brilliance with another solid display.

The most memorable moment came after the round 23 win over North Melbourne at the MCG when triple premiership captain Cotchin and goalkicking great Riewoldt were given a stirring send-off.

NEW COLOURS: Tim Taranto enjoyed a superb first season as a Tiger.

ST KILDA

W 13 L 10 D 0 POINTS 52

SHOULDERING

Big tick for Lyon’s new-look Saints

u The Saints had a terrific year under new coach Ross Lyon and their fans head into the off-season with some hope approaching 2024.

After crashing out of finals contention last year, the Saints played their first final since 2020 after spending the whole year in the top eight.

Despite battling significant injury setbacks to several their young and older stars, Lyon was able to get a full look at his new playing group.

Lyon has made it clear that he is prioritising the draft this year and, with pick 13, the Saints will no doubt be looking to add a classy on-baller to their list. Their midfield is too one-dimensional, and Lyon has made that public.

Jack Steele, Brad Crouch and Sebastian Ross need some speed and skill around them.

Fremantle young gun Liam Henry has requested a trade to St Kilda, which is a good sign as he is the type of player the club is looking for.

Star forward Max King is also desperate to have clear run of it going into next year.

He is booked in for shoulder surgery, but that shouldn’t delay his start to pre-season.

If King can be fit and firing, it adds another layer to the Saints.

St Kilda would be happy with its season under a new coaching group.

HUGH FITZPATRICK

THE LOAD: Ben King will be hoping to put injury concerns behind him.

GOLDEN TOUCH: Errol Gulden took his game to the next level with an All-Australian season.

Talent aplenty as Swans set to reload

u After a Grand Final appearance in 2022, the Swans would have been disappointed with their 2023 output, which saw them finish in eighth place.

In reality, they never gave themselves a chance to contend as they started the season 3-6 before qualifying for ther finals with six wins from their last seven home and away games.

They would have missed September altogether if they didn’t beat Adelaide in controversial circumstances in round 23, but they would also argue they should have beaten Port Adelaide in round four (lost by two points) and GWS in round seven (lost by one point).

While there was a drop off, the Swans would be buoyed by the performances of Errol Gulden, who earned an All-Australian blazer on a wing, and Nick Blakey, who continued to grow off half-back.

That star duo was supported by several other quality young players in Chad Warner, Logan McDonald, Braeden Campbell and Tom McCartin among others, and coach John Longmire is confident the club can rebound in 2024.

After falling just short in its elimination final clash against Carlton, Sydney will be one of the busiest teams of the 2024 off-season.

Don’t be shocked to see the Swans reload and contend again next season.

WEST COAST EAGLES

From bad to worse for embattled Eagles

u There was a sense of optimism at the Eagles that, after a brutal 2022, things simply couldn’t get any worse in 2023.

Unfortunately for the West Coast faithful, they did.

The Eagles were the worst team in the competition this year, finishing at the bottom of the table with just three wins and a percentage of 53.

Their season was bookended by some solid performances, starting off the year competitively with a win in round two over eventual finalist GWS, as well as two more wins in the final five rounds.

Yet that wasn’t enough to wash away the memories of the rest of the year, when West Coast was one of the least-competitive sides seen in recent seasons.

The stats say it all – the Eagles scored the least points in the League (1418) while also conceding the most (2674).

The year was embodied by round 15 against Sydney, which saw West Coast fall to the Swans by a monstrous 171 points, the biggest loss in the club’s history.

But the Eagles have thrown their support behind coach Adam Simpson, who will remain at the helm for a further two seasons.

And midfielder Tim Kelly (28.2 disposals a game) and key forward Oscar Allen (53 goals) could hold their heads high given their performances in 2023.

JACK MAKEHAM

HOLDING HIS HEAD HIGH: Star midfielder Tim Kelly was one of the few bright lights for the Eagles.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Bulldogs rue missed opportunites again

u It’s hard to see 2023 as anything other than a disappointing season for the Bulldogs. Coming off an eighth-place finish and a heartbreaking exit from the finals in 2022, Luke Beveridge’s men entered the year with eyes firmly locked on the top four.

Yet by the end of the home and away season, the Bulldogs found themselves on the outside looking in again, being knocked out of the top eight at the last possible moment.

The story of their season was their struggles with controlling momentum and putting teams away, having led by at least a goal in all bar one of their losses.

While the year didn’t live up to expectations at Whitten Oval, the Bulldogs saw some brilliant individual efforts.

Marcus Bontempelli put together arguably his best season, averaging career-highs across the board as he reinforced himself as one of the game’s elite midfielders.

His running mate Tom Liberatore rose to new heights with his contested-possession brilliance, while Tim English entered the conversation for the best ruckman in the competition. Bontempelli and English won All-Australian selection.

The off-season will see plenty of reflection for the Bulldogs, however, the sheer level of talent on the list should have them contending for finals again next year.

JACK MAKEHAM

DYNAMIC DOG: Marcus Bontempelli was his usual brilliant self, but the Bulldogs were well below their best.

1

2

3

FOOTY TRIVIA GRAND FINAL with COL HUTCHINSON & LACHLAN ESSING

Who kicked the opening goal in the 2022 Grand Final?

Who was the youngest player on the field in the 2000 Grand Final between Essendon and Melbourne?

Which one of these players won a premiership medallion during Hawthorn’s three-peat between 2013-15?

A Brendan Whitecross

B Jonathon Ceglar

C Jonathan Simpkin

D Shane Savage

4

5

Who was the leading goalkicker in the 1953 Grand Final between Collingwood and Geelong? Hint: He wore jumper No. 4 and kicked four goals.

Former player and Logie award-winning television presenter Tony Armstrong was an emercency for which Grand Final and for which team?

6

True or False? Roy Cazaly, of Up There Cazaly fame, never played in a Grand Final.

7

Which club became the first to score 100-plus points in a Grand Final, in 1926?

A Melbourne B Collingwood

C Fitzroy D Geelong

8

Which year did Ed Sheeran perform as one of the entertainers on Grand Final day?

9

True or False? The Hocking brothers, Steve and Garry, never played in the same Grand Final?

Q6: Did Roy Cazaly ever play in a Grand Final?

Q5: TV personality Tony Armstrong was an emergency for which Grand Final?

Q1: The opening bounce of the 2022 Grand Final. Who kicked the first goal?

Who wore the highest jumper number in the 1988 Grand Final between Hawthorn and Melbourne?

Three players with the surname Merrett have played in premiership teams. Name their flag-winning clubs – Leo (1943), Thorold (1953 & 1958) and Roger (1984 & 1985).

At which venue was the infamous 1945 Carlton-South Melbourne ‘blood-bath’ Grand Final played?

Which two players played in both the 2013 and 2022 Grand Finals?

Name the most recent player to win a Brownlow Medal and premiership medallion in the same season.

What record did Collingwood’s Bill, Mick and Pat Twomey create in the 1953 Grand Final?

Four members of the most recent Western Bulldogs premiership team played at senior level for other AFL clubs in 2023. Name them.

Name the two current coaches who captained the 2003 and 2008 premiership teams respectively.

18

In which Grand Final did Alex Jesaulenko kick seven goals and Neil Balme five? 19

In how many Grand Finals did Geelong’s Joel Selwood play? Name the years. 20

Which future North Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide and St Kilda coach was a member of the 1975 and 1977 premiership teams?

Q18:

Answers: 1. Tom Hawkins; 2. Brad Green (19 years, 173 days); 3. C – Jonathan Simpkin; 4. Collingwood’s Keith Batchelor; 5. 2012, Sydney; 6. False – he played in St Kilda’s inaugural Grand Final in 1913; 7. Melbourne; 8. 2014; 9. False – they both played in the 1989 and 1994 grand finals; 10. Ricky Jackson – No. 45 for Melbourne; 11. Leo (Richmond), Thorold (Collingwood) and Roger (Essendon); 12. Princes Park, because the military had taken over the MCG during World War II; 13. Lance Franklin (Hawthorn 2013 & Sydney 2022) and Isaac Smith (Hawthorn 2013 & Geelong 2022); 14. Dustin Martin (Richmond 2017); 15. They became the first trio of brothers to be members of the same premiership team; 16. Zaine Cordy (St Kilda), Joel Hamling (Fremantle), Lachie Hunter (Melbourne) and Jake Stringer (Essendon); 17. Michael Voss (Brisbane captain 2003, now coach of Carlton) and Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn captain 2008, now coach of Hawthorn); 18. 1972 – Carlton 28.9 (177) defeated Richmond 22.18 (150); 19. Six – 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2020, 2022; 20. Malcolm Blight.

Q9: Did Garry Hocking ever play in a Grand Final with his brother Steve?

Q8: What year was Ed Sheeran a Grand Final entertainer?

In which Grand Final did Alex Jesaulenko (holding the cup below) kick seven goals?

ANSWER MAN

Brothers Peter and Shaun Burgoyne played in Port Adelaide’s 2004 premiership team. Later, Shaun played in three Hawthorn flags. Have there been many cases of football families winning a total of five or more premiership medallions?

ELAINE HOPKINS, SOUTH ADELAIDE, SA

CH: The Burgoynes are one of 19 known cases of a family combination made up of brothers, fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers etc, combining to win at least ve premierships. Collingwood features prominently. Three pairs of brothers wore the famous black and white stripes in the 1928-29-30 premierships – the Colliers, Coventrys and Murphys. In 1953, Bill, Mick and Pat Twomey became the only trio of brothers to achieve the feat. If Bulldog Ed Richards, whose grandfather Ron was also in that Magpie team 70 years ago, can help his club win a ag, he will contribute another honour for the Pannam-Richards dynasty, whose premiership involvement began in 1902.

FAMILY AFFAIRS – MOST PREMIERSHIPS

*Albert Collier also played with Fitzroy; Charlie H. Pannam also played with Richmond; Charlie E. Pannam also played with South Melbourne; Alby Pannan also played with Richmond; Len Murphy also played with Footscray; Ron D. Barassi also played with Carlton; Mick Grace also played with St Kilda

CAN YOU ASSIST?

u Michael Smith represented South Melbourne from 1977-81, playing 32 games and kicking 43 goals. His father Stan also played for the Swans, in 26 games between 1951-54. Michael’s

great-grandfather, Jim McShane, played 82 games for Geelong from 1897 to 1901. Jim had a great-great grandson named Tom Murphy, who represented Hawthorn and Gold Coast in 113 matches

between 2005-14. He is a grandson of Stan Smith.

If you know of other examples of recent AFL players who have ancestors with a different surname who also played League football, please contact Col.hutchinson@afl.com.au.

u Geelong claimed its 10th AFL/VFL premiership with an emphatic 81-point win over the Sydney Swans, confirmation that the Cats are one of the greatest sides of the modern era. The Cats saved their best and most devastating football for the biggest game of the year. They took the oldest list in the AFL into the Grand Final and defied all the doubters who had declared they had fired their best shots in 2020 and 2021 and needed to replenish with youth. Isaac Smith, a three-time premiership Hawk, added a fourth and a Norm Smith Medal on the back of his 32-disposal, three-goal performance. Having won pretty much every individual award in the game, Patrick Dangerfield finally earned a premiership medal to complete the set. But above everything, the highlight of Geelong’s premiership win was Joel Selwood’s final-quarter goal. The inspirational skipper, who hoisted the premiership cup aloft minutes later, was mobbed by teammates, which suggested they knew this was his final game. A week later it was confirmed.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Shaun (left) and Peter Burgoyne celebrate Port Adelaide’s 2004 premiership.

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*Price is based on departure from Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney. Additional charges apply for Melbourne and Adelaide. All prices are per person twin share unless otherwise stated, are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice. Seasonal surcharges may apply. Blackout dates apply. Flight terms apply. Kids terms apply. ^For approved new applicants on travel bookings over $800 only. Annual fee of $99 applies, including an upfront annual fee of $99 debited from the facility on account opening and annually thereafter on the anniversary of that date. The credit limit includes the initial annual fee debit. If the applicant does not meet the interest free criteria during the interest free period, the credit providers’ annual percentage interest rate at that time shall apply to the annual fee from the time it is first debited from the account, as well as any balance owing on the account. A minimum monthly repayment is required to meet the interest free criteria. The minimum monthly repayment is no less than 3.00% of the balance owing at the date of the monthly statement or $30.00 (whichever is the greater). Late payment fees and other fees, charges, terms and conditions apply; please refer to the credit providers’ product fees & charges at https:// humm90.com/au/important-information/. The credit providers’ annual percentage interest rate at that time shall apply to any balance owing on the account at the expiry of the interest free period. As of 01 June 2023, the credit providers’ annual percentage interest rate is 25.99%, but subject to change. The applicant must apply for and obtain a Mastercard credit card and purchase travel using that credit card. Credit provided by humm Cards Pty Ltd ABN 31 099 651 877 Australian Credit Licence number 247415 http://www.humm90.com/au. Mastercard and the circles design are trademarks of Mastercard International Incorporated. For further terms and conditions refer to My Holiday terms and conditions. The indicative repayments is only an estimate and results should be used as an indication only. They do not represent either a quote or pre-qualification or approval. To take advantage of the Interest Free Period, the indicative monthly repayments stated would need to be

GRAND FINAL HONOUR ROLL

In 1897 and 1924 the round-robin finals series did not allow for a Grand Final. # Replaced injured appointed captain. During the first two decades of League competition clubs did not always appoint a coach.

Capacity reduced due to MCG reconstruction.Venues: JO (Junction Oval), EM (East Melbourne Cricket Ground), LO (Lake Oval), MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground), PP (Princes Park), WP (Waverley Park).

There’s nothing like THE Boxing Day TEST

Australia v Pakistan

Dec 26–30 2023

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Scan for tickets

It’s Melbourne’s iconic summer event, the NRMA Insurance Boxing Day Test. Be there to support our World Champion Australian Men’s team as they take on Pakistan in the second match of the three-Test series.

1 HEALTHY BODY

The importance of exercise in our daily lives in order to maintain a strong and healthy body. Participants will partake in a range of group cardio fitness activities and challenges.

2 HEALTHY FOOD

To keep our body and mind healthy, we need to fuel ourselves with a range of nutritious and delicious foods. Participants’ knowledge will be challenged in multiple food activities that will test andproblem-solvingtheirskills understanding of food.

3 HEALTHY TEAM

Theimportanceofworking together,supportingone anotheranddeveloping relationships.Participants willplayarangeof team-buildinggames, with the inclusionofcompetitions andchallenges.

4 HEALTHYMIND needTotrulybehealthy,wetocareforourmind justasmuchasourbody. ParticipantswilllearnBox tacticsBreathingstrategiesand tohelpregulatetheiremotions.

Coles Healthy Kicks aims to educate, activate and motivate students to become more physically active, eat nutritious foods and develop a healthy mind while having fun with others.

The program is built on four key pillars – Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Food and Healthy Team.

Healthy Food is all about helping kids make the right choices.

Fuelling growing bodies with the right foods and nutrients is critical to development.

Coles Healthy Kicks aims to make preparing and cooking simple healthy food fun for the whole family.

SAN CHOY BOW (CHINESE LETTUCE CUPS)

Recipe by Courtney Roulston

MAKES 8 LARGE LETTUCE CUPS

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ brown onion, peeled, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped

500g pork mince

227g tin water chestnuts, drained, chopped

½ red capsicum, diced

1 small green zucchini, diced

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons corn flour + ¼ cup water

8 iceberg lettuce cups to serve

*Optional to serve: lime wedges, chilli sauce, coriander sprigs

Method

Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Add in the onion and cook for 1 minute. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for a further minute, or until fragrant. Add in the pork mince and cook for 6 minutes, breaking up with the back of a spoon. Scatter in the water chestnuts, capsicum, zucchini and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Pour in the oyster sauce, sesame oil and toss for 1 minute. Mix the cornflour and water together then pour into the wok. Toss for 1 minute, or until the sauce has thickened and become glossy. Place the lettuce cups into serving bowls and spoon in the pork mixture. Serve as is, or you can add on some with lime wedges, chilli sauce and coriander sprigs.

Can you unscramble these letters to reveal the AFL players’ names?

WORD FIND

Can you find the surnames of these Norm Smith medallists?

FACE OFF

Can you name the Bombers (A) and Tigers (B) players who make up these two faces?

key footy word signs

GREAT GOAL

Hold both hands in fists with thumbs extended and move forward with emphasis.

Both hands at waist height, index fingers extended, palms to midline. Bring hands to head height, then back to waist with emphasis.

TEAM

Extend and crook index fingers of both hands, thumbs tucked in, palms facing away from body.

Place edges of index fingers together then simultaneously twist hands around in a circle, so that edges of little fingers meet.

GOOD LUCK

Extend index finger and thumb of dominant hand. Place index finger on nose, then move formation forward, closing index finger.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE TO FIND

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Tiger Toby Nankervis’s ear is missing; the Puma logo on his guernsey has been removed; the strands of hair on Bomber Jye Caldwell’s

forehead have disappeared; the AFL logo on Tiger Dion Prestia’s guernsey is missing; the black sash on teammate Shai Bolton’s guernsey has been removed.

What I’m thinking

with Ashley Browne

Reflections of a ripping season

through its famous gates. And that was before the preliminary and Grand Final delivered capacity crowds.

TV gures were enormous, although to be fair, the AFL probably won’t be topping the sports TV viewing charts this year due to the unprecedented interest in the Matildas.

Still, with powerhouse clubs such as Collingwood and Carlton delivering their weekly dose of excitement, both Channel Seven and Fox Footy had every reason to be delighted, especially with the likes of Nick Daicos and Charlie Curnow lighting up the competition.

Those for whom too much footy is barely enough, weren’t disappointed either. It was a banner year for news.

It took a few weeks for the 2022 season to re up, but once it did, it was a cracker, what with cardiac Collingwood and Carlton’s dramatic late-season collapse.

But this season didn’t muck around. It was on from the get-go.

The Blues and Richmond played a draw, the Magpies came from the clouds to overcome Geelong and North Melbourne’s Harry Sheezel played one of the all-time great debut games.

All within the rst 48 hours of the season.

Perhaps it was because the summer of sport had been relatively at, but there was a major appetite for our national sport to return and the season delivered in spades.

There was great action on the eld. The AFL’s long-held dream of true parity is inching ever closer and, until only a couple of weeks before the nals, all but the bottom three teams on the ladder were in realistic nals contention.

And even then, 16th-placed Hawthorn managed wins over Collingwood and Brisbane, which nished the season rst and second respectively.

The footy was generally fast, tight and tough. And the numbers were incredible.

A record 1,264,952 fans bought AFL club memberships, a six per cent increase on last year, meaning that one in 21 Australians was a member of an AFL club.

As mentioned elsewhere in the AFL Record, the MCG was the place to be, with the home of football drawing a record 3,121,313 fans

Damien Hardwick’s abrupt mid-season departure from Richmond was a “remember where you were moment”.

Nobody saw it coming. When it emerged that many in the Tiger inner-sanctum only learned of the decision through the media, the gravity of the story became clear.

There was plenty else to keep the talking heads busy.

The Gabba lights stopped working in round two and, a er a 40-minute delay in the nal quarter, Melbourne stormed home to almost upset the Lions.

We had Tasmania nally coming on stream – although the division over the new stadium still has us feeling a little anxious – and the appointment of Andrew Dillon as the next chief executive of the AFL.

Gather Round was a raging success and has been locked in for South Australia for the next two seasons a er that. Other state governments are already scheming to steal it away therea er.

The toll of the Hawthorn racism saga was plain for all to see when North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson stood down for a couple of months to address health issues.

The alarming decline of West Coast did not quite get the national airtime it warranted, but when the local media turned on the club in the manner it did, headlined by The West Australian, it was clear how dire a season it was.

Then came the botched goal review at Adelaide Oval in round 23.

Ben Keays was denied the almost-certain match-winning goal and Adelaide was robbed a nals berth as a result.

It was on from the get-go ... the season delivered in spades

Of course, the footy isn’t quite done.

AFLW has made a bright start, with a better standard of play and a spike in scoring. The majority of players are now natural footballers, not transplants, and it shows.

And the ‘Festival of the Steak Knives’, also known as the Trade Period, kicks o in a week or so.

It is a content machine all of its own, with interest levels that match the season itself, irrespective of how many big-name players change clubs. The dra and the xture release will then follow soon enough. There will be plenty to keep us going.

And we might need it given the lack of excitement over a summer of cricket in which Pakistan and the West Indies are visiting these shores.

It is normally not too long a er the last slice of Christmas pudding has been digested that the rst yearnings for the new footy season are felt. This summer it might be even sooner.

The 2023 season had everything, both on and off the field, and there is still one more instalment to be played out.

BOX-OFFICE STARS: Charlie Curnow was brilliant as Carlton regained its heavyweight status, while Harry Sheezel (inset) announced himself as a champion of the future.

A star on debut

Available after 10:30am. Serving suggestion.