Opinion AFL 2024 Grand Final - Liked, Learnt, Hated

[happy_hawks]

Like: Fagan getting a flag. Great to see a truly good person earn success. How genuinely excited Oscar was for Fort.

Hate: Swans ruining 2 GFs in 3yrs. How hard is it to at least turn up and compete? Bunch of soft Bondi boys who go missing when things get a bit hard.

Learnt: Swans are mentally cooked. If your club makes a GF you're hoping the opposition is Sydney.

 

[Satan]

Liked the german sausage before the game
Learned swans dont learn
Isaac Heeney

5

Isaac Heeney

Age

28

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

7.7

5star

M

4.9

5star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.2

4star

D

14.3

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

5.5

3star

M

4.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

0.8

3star

D

10.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.8

3star

has revealed he was carrying a stress fracture in his ankle throughout Sydney’s AFL finals campaign, and it flared up on Saturday at the worst possible moment.

Compounding the failed punt taken by coach John Longmire on Logan McDonald’s injured ankle, the Swans had to deal with the prospect of one of their prime movers being hobbled as they were blown away by the Brisbane Lions in their 60-point grand final hammering.

Hated another blowout game for neutrals

 

[dean33]

Liked - lions were sublime and fully deserved the flag.
Learnt - I’d much rather have the tigers record of 3 flags from 3 attempts over a 4 year period than the swans always making it but embarrassing themselves in the process.
Hated - BT commentary, getting worse each season. Time to put to pasture.

 

[Dazzler9]

Channel 7 commentary was pathetic.

My children and wife watched their first game of footy today. They asked me at one point why the commentator (BT) keeps getting things wrong. LOL

 

[Andronicus]

Liked - lions were sublime and fully deserved the flag.
Learnt - I’d much rather have the tigers record of 3 flags from 3 attempts over a 4 year period than the swans always making it but embarrassing themselves in the process.
Hated - BT commentary, getting worse each season. Time to put to pasture.

You learnt today from watching the game that you would rather win grand finals than lose them?

Genius.

 

[dean33]

You learnt today from watching the game that you would rather win grand finals than lose them?

Genius.

Sorry you’ve probably had a few beers today so I’ll try and spell it out for you. I’d rather win a few flags over a short amount of time and then fall out of finals for a while and not challenge rather than challenge consistently but have nothing to show for it.
I constantly hear what an awesome club Sydney are because they make finals all the time, what’s the use of making finals if you can’t win a flag?

 

[Andronicus]

Sorry you’ve probably had a few beers today so I’ll try and spell it out for you. I’d rather win a few flags over a short amount of time and then fall out of finals for a while and not challenge rather than challenge consistently but have nothing to show for it.
I constantly hear what an awesome club Sydney are because they make finals all the time, what’s the use of making finals if you can’t win a flag?

How about instead of the childish condescension you go back and read what you wrote again.

You may have meant something different, but either way, you would rather win 3 from 3 than lose 4 in a row, even if it is over a longer period.

Again, genius.

 

[Venkman]

Channel 7 commentary was pathetic.

It was better last year with all the Luke Hodge butth*rt.

 

[san mewman]

liked daytime GF, the way it should always be.
hated the kit clashing.
learnt not much.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Learnt again that a top 4 finish isn't necessary to win a flag.

The pre finals bye has taken away one of the main advantages of being top 4.

 

[PCORF]

Like: Fagan getting a flag. Great to see a truly good person earn success. How genuinely excited Oscar was for Fort.

Hate: Swans ruining 2 GFs in 3yrs. How hard is it to at least turn up and compete? Bunch of soft Bondi boys who go missing when things get a bit hard.

Learnt: Swans are mentally cooked. If your club makes a GF you're hoping the opposition is Sydney.

Liked: The Lions roared to premiership number 4 despite some poor goal kicking at times. They dominated. Charlie Cameron finally gets a medal on his 3rd try. Total team effort from start to finish.
Hated: Final quarter was garbage time all the way and certainly not the most inspiring footy. Amartey was a disaster.
Learnt: There is no guarantee in Grand Finals.

The Swans were never winning this thing and I knew it all week. The Lions were inspired after their comeback against GWS, they had unbreakable belief. They were disappointing at times this season but ignored the critics and became the 3rd side to go 4-0 in a finals series joining that mighty Crows side (Jarman!) in 1997 and the Bulldogs in 2016. A good road record this season helped too. Brisbane also the first team since 2013 (Hawthorn) to win the premiership the year after losing the grand final and were the first fifth placed team since 1998 to win it all.

The Swans have not won a premiership from top spot on the ladder for over 100 years since the 1918 South Melbourne team won their semi and Grand finals each by 5 points and only lost 1 game that season.

Since moving to Sydney

They lost the 1996, 2014, 2016, 2024 GF from top spot.
They lost the 2022 GF from third.
They lost the 2006 GF from fourth.
They won the 2005 and 2012 GF from third.

Sydney will be in finals contention for a few more years. They are going to have another chance but need to put this game away fast. They had a great season, not a perfect season. Nobody had a perfect season.

Other sides such as Hawthorn, Geelong, Port, Collingwood and possibly Carlton and GWS are sure going to be challengers as well.

 

[NSWCROW]

Liked: Fages, Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

31

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

and Josh Dunkley

5

Josh Dunkley

Age

27

Ht

191cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.8

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

11.3

5star

M

4.3

4star

T

5.8

5star

CL

3.2

5star

D

20.7

5star

K

7.0

3star

HB

13.7

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

5.3

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

14.2

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

7.0

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

4.0

5star

CL

1.4

4star

jagging a flag.

Learnt: " Trusting the process " isn't just a basketball meme. It's a beautiful sight to behold when done right

Hated: A dud GF after that batshit insane Earth 52 H&A season

 

[voorhees]

liked- Fagan -your a premiership coach..congrats to you.
learnt- super talented players can melt like ice on the biggest day and there teams melt with them.
Hated- Swans had a great year, yet it all fell into a heap so quickly

 

[Yellow Feathers]

Learnt: I have no idea how the best team of the season can completely capitulate within a quarter.