What's your preferred grand final matchup?

[Magpie Since 1986]

This is essentially it. Collingwood and Carlton will have the MCG rocking the most, Collingwood vs Brisbane next with memories of 2002 and 2003, then Carlton vs GWS at least still having Carlton in it. That said, part of me hopes for a Brisbane vs GWS grand final that sucks the life out of Melbourne until they realise the AFL isn't all about them anymore, it's a national competition. And hey, if you're not interested, other cities are.

The problem with this take is that almost nobody in Sydney or Brisbane outside the die hards gives a s**t about AFL. As a Victorian, Id happily watch West Coast v Adelaide cause you know the outcome would mean so much to so many in those states. Whereas GWS v Brisbane, outside a very small minority, nobody cares who wins.

 

[VicPark Bitter]

If I was a betting man I'd put some cash right now on a GWS/BRISBANE grand final. They are the two form teams of the preliminary finals. No disrespect to the great Collingwood.

form lines and betting odds are totally irrelevant to the point of the post you replied to.

 

[____]

I don’t agree with that either.

Played the weakest Top 8 team in St Kilda and then played a Port Adelaide with woeful skill display. Collingwood is hardly any better so I assume they will have an easy run to the GF before being blown away by Brisbane who will destroy them.

I'd give my leftie for you to be right.

Us v GWS is the grand final I want. I only have met three GWS fans and all of them live in western Sydney so really no one will make my life hell if we lose to them in a GF. I don't even want to think of the repercussions of losing to the old enemy in a grand final, especially after two decades of giving them s**t about 02 and 03 they will return it with interest. We'd never hear the end of it.

 

[adogsfan5]

Carlton vs Collingwood.

I feel at this point we can’t lose.

The above - massive for Melbourne, the public holiday will have the city rocking. The MCG will be the loudest it’s ever been.

Collingwood v Brisbane - two best sides in it. Will be a cracker. I can’t wait to see Charlie in a GF.

GWS v Brisbane / Carlton - great for western Sydney and building their club. Great for the north. Carlton in it is still huge.

 

[Kappa]

Carlton vs Collingwood.

I feel at this point we can’t lose.

The above - massive for Melbourne, the public holiday will have the city rocking. The MCG will be the loudest it’s ever been.

Collingwood v Brisbane - two best sides in it. Will be a cracker. I can’t wait to see Charlie in a GF.

GWS v Brisbane / Carlton - great for western Sydney and building their club. Great for the north. Carlton in it is still huge.

Did GWS's last grand final appearance build their club ?

 

[adogsfan5]

Did GWS's last grand final appearance build their club ?

Well they lost by 16 goals and didn’t fire a shot so probably not

 

[Demon13304]

Did GWS's last grand final appearance build their club ?

They never rally got a chance to build from their only GF Appearance considering the next 2 years were heavily covid affected

 

[Kappa]

They never rally got a chance to build from their only GF Appearance considering the next 2 years were heavily covid affected

Did membership and ratings in NSW go up?

 

[Madas]

Anyone who says they wouldn’t be interested in a Carlton vs Collingwood grand final, is lying.

No
I just want to see the best teams play and the Carlton Bradbury’s are not in this mix .
Don’t even deserve to be there

GWS v Brisbane would be a good game

Brisbane v Collingwood would be interesting

 

[Madas]

Brisbane at the Gabba is the toughest game in footy, they haven’t lost all year. I just can’t see Carlton winning.

But who knows, finals are a different game.

Never underestimate the power of the green when it comes to Carlton

 

[cliffdrabble]

A Brisbane v GWS GF would be the AFL's worst nightmare, they might have to give tickets away to sell out the G for the GF.

No such problems if Collingwood make the GF though so you can bet your bottom dollar that the umpires will favour the Pies in the prelim.

Just like the PAPLEY push in the back on Darcy MOORE in last year's PF

 

[cliffdrabble]

It's bizarre that Melbourne thinks it has rivals.

You're on the irrelevant Victorian club list along with North, Saints & Dogs.

Collingwood's greatest rival historically has been Melbourne. Carlton only became relevant in the 60's after they were gifted a great zone and started winning premierships.

The DOGS and SAINTS have been far more relevant than Carlton for the last 20 years.

 

[BigVic]

They never rally got a chance to build from their only GF Appearance considering the next 2 years were heavily covid affected

2020 started with a win over Geelong at empty Sydney Showgrounds before the season was suspended then the COVID bubble began with the Giants narrowly missing out on Finals.

2021 they did made a SF but had to play their finals in Tasmania and Perth due to lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

GWS making it will be terrible, as would Brisbane.
I think Collingwood beating Carlton by 15 goals would be good for football.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

I think Collingwood beating Carlton by 15 goals would be good for football.

I'm set for life if that ever happened.

 

[Demon13304]

Did membership and ratings in NSW go up?

Idk you'll have to ask the Wookie.

But I'm pretty sure Giants membership is at an all time high , I'm not sure about tv rstings, as its a pretty hard thing to measure.

 

[PizzaPie]

Two interstate clubs, just to stick it to the AFL!

Yeah, the AFL would hate for the newest expansion club to be playing against one of its first expansion clubs. Especially with both sides being from traditional Rugby League states. All those millions of dollars the AFL invested in those teams wasted on them being successful!

 

[Osho]

Carlton only became relevant in the 60's after they were gifted a great zone and started winning premierships.

How many flags have Blues won before and after the release of the Beatles first album?

Sounds like some Dribble, Cliff!

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

No
I just want to see the best teams play and the Carlton Bradbury’s are not in this mix .
Don’t even deserve to be there

GWS v Brisbane would be a good game

Brisbane v Collingwood would be interesting

Didn't even have to look at which club you supported.

A team that has won 11 of its last 12 with the only loss being a dead rubber, is probably one of the best teams.

 

[campbell]

AFL want Pies vs Blues.
The umpiring this week will be atrocious, slanted towards their desired outcome.

 

[Kapow!!!]

Didn't even have to look at which club you supported.

A team that has won 11 of its last 12 with the only loss being a dead rubber, is probably one of the best teams.

I'd agree with that. If you knocked off Brisbane at the Gabba that would be a monumental achievement in and of itself and rather worthy of a spot in the Grand Final. You could argue Carlton has gotten through by doing 'enough' in each final (i.e. Were by far the better team against Sydney then just grimly held on and then were the worse team against Melbourne but Melbourne kicked themselves out of it) but even then I can't help but admire the composure in big moments in big games and the grit to get it done. Carlton won't be daunted by the big moments for the remainder of their season.

But personally (from a purely subjective standpoint) I think Carltons storyline would be more compelling with a close loss this year into being a red hot force in 2024 that every team is throwing the kitchen sink at to stop, looking to avenge their own close loss in their fairytale. I like how Brisbane has been denied their chance (mostly by their own doing) and get to break through against the new hottest commodity in footy, it would do wonders for the game up here in QLD.

I like how GWS has constantly been mocked and deried as a souless franchise and completely blew their chance at solidifying their worth as a genuine club on the history of the game in 2019 getting that chance at redemption in the hardest way possible. It would mean the absolute world to that club and their fledgling supporter base.

I even respect Collingwood being through the ringer of a close Grand Final loss in 2018, prelim loss in 19, bottomed out in 21 before another close loss in 22, getting their own chance at redemption. Add in a renewing of the classic rivalry of the early 00s against that Brisbane juggernaut and a historical chance at redemption and I honestly think a combo of these 3 teams in the GF is a more compelling narrative.

Again, that's my own personal view as of the 19th September, 2023. Carlton knocking off Brisbane at the Gabba would be massive and could rewrite that (I don't know what sort of mood I'll be in next week etc. etc.).

 

[PizzaPie]

Didn't even have to look at which club you supported.

A team that has won 11 of its last 12 with the only loss being a dead rubber, is probably one of the best teams.

Also finishing fifth in an 18 team competition after 23 games (and knocking off the top side along the way), then winning two finals in a row to be (at worst) one of the last four teams left in contention, usually qualifies as being "one of the best teams". Really the only way it doesn't is if the criteria for being one of the best teams is making it to the grand final, which is still possible for Carlton anyways.

It's amazing how confident some people are in their own intangible justifications for discrediting completely tangible results. Even winning a premiership doesn't deter some of the morons, there's always a reason why that particular premiership wasn't really a premiership, not like the other ones.

 

[PizzaPie]

I'd agree with that. If you knocked off Brisbane at the Gabba that would be a monumental achievement in and of itself and rather worthy of a spot in the Grand Final. You could argue Carlton has gotten through by doing 'enough' in each final (i.e. Were by far the better team against Sydney then just grimly held on and then were the worse team against Melbourne but Melbourne kicked themselves out of it) but even then I can't help but admire the composure in big moments in big games and the grit to get it done. Carlton won't be daunted by the big moments for the remainder of their season.

But personally (from a purely subjective standpoint) I think Carltons storyline would be more compelling with a close loss this year into being a red hot force in 2024 that every team is throwing the kitchen sink at to stop, looking to avenge their own close loss in their fairytale. I like how Brisbane has been denied their chance (mostly by their own doing) and get to break through against the new hottest commodity in footy, it would do wonders for the game up here in QLD.

I like how GWS has constantly been mocked and deried as a souless franchise and completely blew their chance at solidifying their worth as a genuine club on the history of the game in 2019 getting that chance at redemption in the hardest way possible. It would mean the absolute world to that club and their fledgling supporter base.

I even respect Collingwood being through the ringer of a close Grand Final loss in 2018, prelim loss in 19, bottomed out in 21 before another close loss in 22, getting their own chance at redemption. Add in a renewing of the classic rivalry of the early 00s against that Brisbane juggernaut and a historical chance at redemption and I honestly think a combo of these 3 teams in the GF is a more compelling narrative.

Again, that's my own personal view as of the 19th September, 2023. Carlton knocking off Brisbane at the Gabba would be massive and could rewrite that (I don't know what sort of mood I'll be in next week etc. etc.).

There are much easier ways, using objective data and results, to form views that don't sound like the deranged rantings of a lunatic hell bent on asserting their own warped reality on people that live in the real world.

 

[Kapow!!!]

There are much easier ways, using objective data and results, to form views that don't sound like the deranged rantings of a lunatic hell bent on asserting their own warped reality on people that live in the real world.

We're answering a question about personal preference. It's about as subjective a question as you can get. You can use objective measures but...which data is objectively important? Why is that important? Why should it be important to me?

...and once again we're back to subject analysis.

 

[PizzaPie]

We're answering a question about personal preference. It's about as subjective a question as you can get. You can use objective measures but...which data is objectively important? Why is that important? Why should it be important to me?

...and once again we're back to subject analysis.

I'm not talking about your preferences, I'm talking about your crazy response when your statement that Carlton are not in the mix of best teams was challenged...

I just want to see the best teams play and the Carlton Bradbury’s are not in this mix .