Opinion AFL 2025 Grand Final - Weekend Wrap & Liked, Learnt, Hated GRAND FINAL EDITION

[Billy ray]

Hated.
Ffs no footy for 6 months

 

[Billy ray]

Gotta hang with family and shit

 

[TruRoo]

Hated - Devastation on Max Holmes face...I really felt sorry for him I hope Blues make a play for him.

Because one thing that will stop him being devastated on grand final day is never playing in one again

 

[B4Bear]

Because one thing that will stop him being devastated on grand final day is never playing in one again

Harsh but fair.

 

[Cleavy]

It's why the 3rd quarter is called the premiership quarter. Would love to see a stat that shows whoever wins the 3rd, results in flag.

I think they said something to the effect of "only once in the last 40 years has a team trailing at 3QT won the premiership"

 

[lethalsaints]

Loved the big mouth Smith being bullied

 

[Bagger72]

Because one thing that will stop him being devastated on grand final day is never playing in one again

Or he could be playing with Jagga smith, Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps, Cody Walker and Zac Butters.

 

[TruRoo]

Or he could be playing with Jagga smith, Sam Walsh, Patrick Cripps, Cody Walker and Zac Butters.

two of those blokes aren’t on your list, one is but hasn’t played a game and the other two are also finals failures

 

[Rank]

Awesome to see the Cats get destroyed and just crumble under the pressure when the lions put their foot down and attacked.

 

[MarcusP2]

I think they said something to the effect of "only once in the last 40 years has a team trailing at 3QT won the premiership"

And that was Geelong against the cursed saints.

 

[TiggyTig]

We already knew it but re-learned once again Danger goes missing on the biggest stage.

 

[jonnobackpocket]

Loved- Bailey Sniff getting to touch greatness, not the cup but Harris Andrew’s, should never wash that hand again. Loser

 

[NSWCROW]

Liked : seeing Hugh Mcluggage become " elite " this finals series

 

[PerthBoy86]

Liked the obvious. Not just Brisbane winning, but smashing them in an upset!

I knew Brisbane were the best in it when on, but I didn't know they were THIS good. Will be hard to stop.

Hated the umpiring in the first, but that's irrelevant now.

 

[Rank]

Amusing to see sCAT MAN all dressed up and almost crying in the last quarter.

 

[Grechy]

Yeah seriously good luck beating the Lions next year too. They’re beyond STACKED.

 

[L_W_P]

Learnt:

Real teams win premierships. Simple as that.

Aggregate a bunch of stars from other clubs, you look a million bucks H&A, but it doesn't work on the biggest days of the year.

Long may Geelong not realise that.

You mean like Ah Chee (GC), Cameron (Adel), Dunkley (WB), Fort (Geel) and Neale (Freo)?

Not to mention Daniher (Ess), Day (GC), Doedee (Adel), Joyce (StK), McCarthy (Geel) and McKenna (Ess) who all played a part over the last few years.

Or bringing in Allen and Draper?

The Cats issue wasn't that they had Cameron, Danger, Stanley, Stengle, Bowes & Martin.

It's that they didn't have anyone backing up Holmes. Give them a few free swings like Fletcher and the Ashcrofts and it's a different story.

Again, nothing against the Lions. Just how the system works.

If a team can string a few FS/NGA kids together, even when they are up the top, then sustained success should be expected.

 

[FootyLad0]

You mean like Ah Chee (GC), Cameron (Adel), Dunkley (WB), Fort (Geel) and Neale (Freo)?

Not to mention Daniher (Ess), Day (GC), Doedee (Adel), Joyce (StK), McCarthy (Geel) and McKenna (Ess) who all played a part over the last few years.

Or bringing in Allen and Draper?

The Cats issue wasn't that they had Cameron, Danger, Stanley, Stengle, Bowes & Martin.

It's that they didn't have anyone backing up Holmes. Give them a few free swings like Fletcher and the Ashcrofts and it's a different story.

Again, nothing against the Lions. Just how the system works.

If a team can string a few FS/NGA kids together, even when they are up the top, then sustained success should be expected.

This, 1000% this!

Lions have been STACKED full of first round picks including multiple father sons and academy kids.
Guess how many father sons or academy kids Geelong had playing today? ZERO

Not their fault but when people say dumb shit like old mate above it just frustrates the hell out of me.
Just blantantly pushing bullshit narratives.
Lions have traded in more players than Geelong have, Geelong have drafted and developed more kids that require extra work as they don’t get to jump to the top of the order every year to stack another superstar to the team.

They have to do it the hard way, non first rounders, rookie picks, cat b blokes.

Not Brisbane’s fault of course just don’t like when people make up shit.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

The Cats issue wasn't that they had Cameron, Danger, Stanley, Stengle, Bowes & Martin.

Did you watch the game?? 6 literal non-entities in a grand final

And yes one was injured in Cameron, but he knew that before halftime and didn't do the team thing, though always hard to blame players for not wanting to go off.

Then you get Bailey Smith trash talking Harris Andrews when his team is 60 points down.

Then you get Danger giving a speech after the game with a big smile saying '2nd doesn't get celebrated enough'

There is a massive problem right there.

 

[Madas]

If they got the advantage rule right in 23 it's a 3 peat

But then how would Collingwood win ?

 

[L_W_P]

Did you watch the game?? 6 literal non-entities in a grand final

And yes one was injured in Cameron, but he knew that before halftime and didn't do the team thing, though always hard to blame players for not wanting to go off.

Then you get Bailey Smith trash talking Harris Andrews when his team is 60 points down.

Then you get Danger giving a speech after the game with a big smile saying '2nd doesn't get celebrated enough'

There is a massive problem right there.

Sure, they played poorly. The Lions also played brilliantly after half time.

I don't remember anyone saying pregame that Geelong had traded in too many players from other clubs, or that they were some sort of "team of champions/mercenaries" instead of a champion team.

Geelong got their turn with Ablett, Scarlett & Hawkins on top of great drafting and development.

The Pies launched back up, in no small part, thanks to Moore, IQ & the Daicos boys.

Brisbane were around the mark but have gone to the next level thanks to Fletcher & the Ashcrofts.

The Hawks and Tigers were beneficiaries of the old priority pick system.

It's just the reality of the comp.

Teams can get their drafting and trading locked in but the random chance of picking up FS/NGA kids, particularly those being taken in the absolute top end of the draft, are clearly having the biggest impact on results.

 

[HairyO]

hugh only one vote

WHERE WE WATCHING A DIFFERENT GAME.

28 and 4... Dusty won 2 Norm Smiths doing WAY less.

 

[L_W_P]

28 and 4... Dusty won 2 Norm Smiths doing WAY less.

12 touches and 3 goals in the last qtr when the game was almost decided. Not sure he was really the difference maker.

Ashcroft easily their best mid.

Fletcher, Andrews and Charlie right up there as well.

I actually thought Neale had a very clear impact coming on after half time. Wouldn't have been shocked if he got more votes.

 

[PetterdHoisted]

Sure, they played poorly. The Lions also played brilliantly after half time.

I don't remember anyone saying pregame that Geelong had traded in too many players from other clubs, or that they were some sort of "team of champions/mercenaries" instead of a champion team.

Geelong got their turn with Ablett, Scarlett & Hawkins on top of great drafting and development.

The Pies launched back up, in no small part, thanks to Moore, IQ & the Daicos boys.

Brisbane were around the mark but have gone to the next level thanks to Fletcher & the Ashcrofts.

The Hawks and Tigers were beneficiaries of the old priority pick system.

It's just the reality of the comp.

Teams can get their drafting and trading locked in but the random chance of picking up FS/NGA kids, particularly those being taken in the absolute top end of the draft, are clearly having the biggest impact on results.

Well maybe I'm wrong, but we are now at nearly organically-grown 3 dynasties in the last 15 years that have feasted on Geelong in finals.

Maybe I'm wrong, but also maybe, building teams where the top 6 are recent imports with a love for surf, fishing and farms, might not stack up when it really gets hot in finals?

Danger's motivations for coming to Geelong were different, true, but he is clearly already well satisfied career-wise and wanting to see '2nd celebrated'.

I do think there is a difference in the hunger of a team, based on how you build it.

(and you can't say Richmond's dynasty benefitted from the old priority system !! - it succeeded despite it, famously the only bottom team in history forced to give their number 1 pick away (to Carlton), and later forced to give their second pick away (to Melbourne), and then when they finally got a priority pick of their own, it suddenly got moved from the start to the end of first round, 18 places demotion in the space of a year !! - Tigers just got damn lucky that they still ended up with Cotchin, Martin, Rance, respectively, despite all of that!)

 

[ShereKhan]

This, 1000% this!

Lions have been STACKED full of first round picks including multiple father sons and academy kids.
Guess how many father sons or academy kids Geelong had playing today? ZERO

Not their fault but when people say dumb shit like old mate above it just frustrates the hell out of me.
Just blantantly pushing bullshit narratives.
Lions have traded in more players than Geelong have, Geelong have drafted and developed more kids that require extra work as they don’t get to jump to the top of the order every year to stack another superstar to the team.

They have to do it the hard way, non first rounders, rookie picks, cat b blokes.

Not Brisbane’s fault of course just don’t like when people make up shit.

Well …. Your best 3 players in Danger, Jezza and Smith were acquired from other clubs because they wanted a quieter lifestyle and there’s pretty much only 1 x club that can provide that. So let’s not weep too much for how tough the Cats have it in building a list.