Review Grand Final, 2023 - Collingwood vs. Brisbane Lions

[Macca180]

Much better to lose a GF in a close match dubbed one of the best GFs in the 21st century than get flogged in a GF or prelim. It was a great week and one we will all remember. More importantly, we - players and fans - have experienced a taste of the final success. We all want to taste that success again. Nothing will motivate the players more.

This x100

Proud of the boys

But **** me when Charlie kicked that goal... I was up and about.

 

[Chezzalenko Reborn]

Hey Chezza! You still working with the umpires at all?

Hello my good friend! I was just thinking of the times I'd come and see you in yo0ur section. Those were good days!

I am still in fact a goal umpire. League's best goal umpire for 2023 by the way...... for Townsville!

So for all the haters there.... BITE MY SHINEY METAL MEDAL!

Hope you are well mate

 

[John_Proctor]

...

After that, the Preliminary Finals should have been flipped. Yes, I acknowledge the fact that Collingwood's ladder position would ordinarily dictate they get the Friday night game and the 8 day break for the Grand Final. However, they already had the advantage of essentially hosting the Grand Final, which as you've alluded to, very few teams get to do under the current arrangement.

I felt that an 8 day break on top of playing the Grand Final on your home ground, against a travelling team with one less day to prepare, was excessive. Particularly after Collingwood played a team in the prelim off a 6 day break, while Brisbane played a team off an 8 day break.

The whole notion of "top team plays the Friday prelim" was originally introduced as a way to benefit the top team where they were outside Victoria, like Port in 2004. I don't think at the time that advantage was ever intended, or needs, to extend to the Melbourne based clubs.

The other alternative was to play the Port v GWS on the Friday night. Yes, both clubs would have had a 6 day break but it would have been the same for both. Then, from that point on, all teams would have a 7 day break, except the Friday prelim winner earning an 8 day break.

That didn't happen however, with the AFL wanting Melbourne v Carlton on the Friday night, evidently putting $$$ ahead of a fair and equitable competition. Yet again.

Appreciate the above may sound like sour grapes. However I did raise the prospect of all of the above happening right back when the Collingwood v Melbourne QF on the Thursday was first mooted. That it all came to pass pretty much exactly as I predicted with virtually no critical analysis by the media was particularly galling, but not really surprising.



Anyway, none of the above made a lick of difference on Grand Final day. We had conditions in our favour but your guys simply handled them better. Congratulations.

I think one of the issues for the AFL with scheduling is covering all possibilities.

Lets say they made the Brisbane prelim Friday night and the Collingwood/Port one Saturday.

In the event that Port Adelaide had beaten Collingwood in the Prelim then Brisbane would have had an 8 day break and been at home in Prelim week and Port would have had to travel to Melbourne, back to Adelaide then back to Melbourne with 1 less day break than Brisbane would have had. Where as if Carlton had beaten us they would have flown home and not needed to travel again.

So while Collingwood was advantaged by the situation on the balance of probabilities it may have been the fairest outcome.

(re-read the above but switch Brisbane and Port to consider how annoyed we'd be in the reverse scheduling option)