The final two teams are officially locked in for the AFL Grand Final after two incredible preliminary finals. The Fremantle Dockers and the Brisbane Lions will go head to head in what is shaping up to be one of the greatest finals in recent history. What a year it has been for these two teams, and what a finals run from both of them.

The best team of this year against what is already a generational talent, will it be a purple or maroon victory on September 26? We must wait to see, but until then we must look back at the two amazing games which got us here.

Fremantle (12.11.83) def. Sydney (10.11.71)

This game was incredible in every way. For the first three quarters Sydney looked the way they did against my Brisbane Lions only two weeks ago. They were clean, clever, and so quick to score. Their pressure was immense, and Freo looked amateurish in the finals heat. I couldn’t believe how fumbly they were, and my heart sank every time they dump-kicked the ball inside their forward-50. Turnover followed turnover, and I thought it was going to be another game where the Swans ran away with it.

Boy was I wrong. The Dockers are never, ever dead, and they showed immense courage and fight to keep it competitive. No Wharfie Time on Friday, but Freo found a way to keep scoring in that last quarter. Like their comeback after a goalless first half in Round 18, Freo found another gear in the last part of the game.

There were a few incredible goals to get them there, including Voss’ fend-off and banana goal, but the standout player for me was Hayden Young. You couldn’t fault him throughout the game, but his goal late in the third quarter to stem Sydney’s momentum and keep the Dockers within 21 points was crucial. A tight angle for a left footer, the ball never looked like missing as he took his shot.

This was a hard fought win, and well-deserved. The Fremantle Dockers have been the best team all year, finishing with 19 wins and 4 losses. This Prelim final was a reminder, and I have no doubt Brisbane and Hawthorn would have been on alert with this win.

I called a Fremantle v Brisbane final earlier in the year, so I was a little surprised and discouraged when they both lost their qualifying finals. Freo have done it the hard way, but they’ve earned their shot at the big prize. We’ll see what they can bring on the final day, but I know it would have been a nervous 24 hours as they waited to see who their opponent would be.

Brisbane (20.11.131) def Hawthorn (19.8.122)

Two juggernauts of the 21st century, and the two most successful clubs since 2000. Only one could prevail, and what a way to do it.

Brisbane’s fifth straight prelim, an opportunity for a fourth straight Grand Final and a shot at a third flag—as a fan, what more could you ask from these guys? Meanwhile, Hawthorn have been building steadily for the last three years, getting closer and closer to that sought-after 14th premiership cup.

What an incredible game. I’ve been in shock since the start of the fourth quarter, scarcely able to believe what we witnessed. The highlights don’t do this game justice, it had absolutely everything, and those last two minutes had me on the edge of my seat.

This match was a roller coaster, and I truly had no idea how it was going to end until that very last clearance and mark. The momentum swings, skill, hunt, drive, and showmanship on display was just amazing. There aren’t really enough words to describe this game, and to all the commentators and fans calling this one of the best matches we’ve seen, you may be right.

As a Brisbane fan, I obviously wanted my team to prevail, but Hawthorn were relentless. Chris Fagan was right in his post-game comment when he said that no one deserved to lose that game. The Hawks took it to the Lions every time, and they had so many incredible moments. The Wizard, Nick Watson, was uncontainable, Mitch Lewis took what I thought was a game-winning speccy, and Josh Ward was on another level for them tonight. It’s no easy feat beating Brisbane’s midfield but they did so comfortably at times.

I thought Hawthorn would run away with it so many times, but Brisbane never let up. The stats sheet looked to be in their favour for marks and inside-50s, and while inefficiency hurt them, they eventually reaped the rewards from their efforts. Hugh McCluggage was massive in the most important moments, Kai Lohmann showed the league why he is one of the best finals players we’ve ever seen, Harris Andrews and Ryan Lester showed why they are our most reliable defenders, and Will Ashcroft reminded everyone that he was absolutely robbed of that All-Australian blazer on his way to a hat-trick of Premierships and Norm Smith medals.

Bring on the Big Dance.

Aftermath

Two epic preliminary finals mean two deserving winners and two unfortunate losers.

It would be remiss to skip over the efforts of the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Hawks. Both finals were epic fights, and their stories are both fantastic.

Sydney, after losing the Pullman Five, pulled off one of the greatest Qualifying Finals victories over the Brisbane Lions. The Swans smacked them 21.15 (141) to Brisbane’s 13.10 (88). It was a devastating showing for a Brisbane fan like me, but all credit to Sydney, they were fantastic. They didn’t put a foot wrong all game, letting Errol Gulden and their forwards put Brisbane to the sword (please forgive me for not rehashing it too much, it still stings).

Sydney’s loss to Fremantle would be crushing after such a dominant victory over the reigning premiers, but they fought until the end. Their coach, Dean Cox, was extremely proud of the team in his post-game comments, commending them for their efforts after all they’ve been through.

As for Hawthorn, they were in the top four for most of the year, with Brisbane snatching third position from them in the very last round. After the shock of ‘Wharfie Time’ earlier in Round 9, the Hawks were amazing in their own Qualifying Final against Fremantle. They got the week off and used it well to prepare for Brisbane, whom they kept up with brilliantly. You can’t fault their efforts or preparation, as they were in front for the majority of the match.

Respect is owed to this Hawthorn team and their coach, Sam Mitchell, who had some really great reflections about the game in his post-game interview. As difficult as those final decisions were, the game could have been won by either team much earlier. Leaving it so close in the end is brilliant entertainment, but it opens the door for coin-flip decisions like we saw. Tough as this loss is for the Hawks, you can see how much this means, and credit to them for such an incredible game.

One lowlight from the match is certainly the behaviour from ‘fans’ after the game, throwing bottles and cans onto the field in outrage. Their abuse, targeted towards the umpires, was disgusting, and I hope this is something we can stamp out in future. There were plenty of inconsistent calls both ways, so let’s just hope there aren’t too many issues in the Grand Final next Saturday.

Summary

Fremantle has been the best team all year, and Brisbane have been the best team when it counted in the last three years. Can the Lions pull off another epic Grand Final victory, or will the Dockers become Immortals and win the first flag for the club? I have no idea which way it will go, and I don’t even want to try guessing.

Seeing the Lions win would be massive, but I couldn’t fault it if Freo found a way through. What a treat this will be!