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.

 

[dean33]

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.

You seem like a fun guy

 

[Osho]

Liked the german sausage before the game

Germans do, or did, 2 things really well:
Sausages and Submarines.

Thus the old German chestnut joke that Germans unrestrainedly laugh over: what do you get when you put a German in an empty closet for 6 months?

A Submarine.

I note also the aryan gods that play for Brisbane and performed exquisitely on GF day.

 

[Osho]

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

Brisbane pressure was very high and Swans could only match or resist it for a qtr.

Brissy also seems to have some more rugged inside players, and they look larger. Not sure if the latter is a visual effect of different kits.

 

[joe444]

Liked:
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

. Such a bull.
Also, the finals system in general. None of this first-past-the-post stuff; you have to stand up when the moment arises.

Learned:
Amartey, McLean and McDonald are a VFL forward line.
There is something wrong with a losing team that only has 33 tackles to three quarter time in a Grand Final.

Hated:
Sydney. Repeated failures like this take a group effort, from the top to the bottom, not just the 22.
The pre-finals bye. It played a role this year as it has most years.

 

[Do_Beta_Rapport]

Liked: Fagan getting his flag, silencing the doubters and those that tried to end his career with that hatchet job by the ABC.

Learnt: Starcevich has a strong character; after Hill sat his nuts on his face literally and figuratively last September, bounced back with a fantastic game.

Hated: Another crap grand final over at half time. What a waste. Also, watching Grundy play run around with unicorns on his boots and do SFA while the Pies pay for some of it.

 

[BG32]

Liked: The first Quarter
Hated: The game was over before half time

 

[bilko2]

Channel 7 commentary was pathetic.

A lot of the first half camerawork was taken from too far away. This wasn't helped by the sunny day - contrast of the shadows. Ordinary direction there.

 

[peetoo]

Why even write about the Sydney fail?

Just republish the stuff from 2022.

Not even worth discussing

 

[peetoo]

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.

Any final

 

[Proud New Father of 3]

Liked - The full circle of Ashcroft missing the finals last year only to come back and be huge on Grand Final Day and last week in his first Prelim. Somehow underrated and doesn't get spoken of in the same vein as the likes of young guns like Daicos, Sheezel or Gulden. Absolute jet.

Hated - Another trash Grand Final. People love to hate the Pies, but how often has a GF involving the Pies been boring? Showing up on Grand Final Day is undervalued and the Swans consistently forget to get off the plane. Turning into a joke club.

Loved - Sitting next to your average Swans supporter at the pub. Acted like diehard supporters in the first quarter, spent the next 3 talking about their favourite shows on Netflix. As someone from Sydney, GWS has a smaller following, but it would take 10 Swans supporters to make up the support 1 GWS supporter brings. They are frauds. So many bandwagon w*nkers in Sydney with fresh scarves now heading to landfill.

 

[kickazz]

Liked: Hipwood's goal was "the moment". Happy for Lions who got so close last year.

Disliked: Media again going for the "story" NSM instead of the best player.
BT making So. many. Mistakes

Learnt: Swans need to change up the game plan because they definitely won't have belief now.