September 27, 2023 • 21 mins
Rohan Connolly from Footyology, joins Chris Coleman and Adam Jansen on this special episode, previewing the 2023 AFL Grand Final, between Collingwood and Brisbane!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Super Serious Sports Show with Chris Coleman and Adam Jansen.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Adam Jansen, it doesn't matter whether you follow the Aussie
Rules or follow the Rugby league. It is Grand Final week,
which means we've got heaps to do on the Super
Serious Sports Show. And in fact there's so much to
do that I thought it's probably a good idea to
get someone else into help.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Us, someone with a better credibility, someone with a.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Lot more credibility than you, and we put together from Footyology,
one of the greatest sports journalists in this country. I
hope it doesn't mind me sucking up to him like that.
Rowan Connelly, Welcome back to the Super Serious Sports Show.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
How Chris Snake, you can do all the sucking up
you like? All good?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Excellent Now.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I was talking to one of the guys here at
the radio station before we did this. I said, we've
got one of Australia's top footy journalists coming in. What
would you say was the burning question before the Grand Final?
And he said, and I will quote this is from
a Carton supporter. It's Brisbane versus Collingwood amongst the fans
of the respective sides, which one will have collectively more
teeth at the MCG on the weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Oh well, that's very harsh, very harsh. Well, actually hard
to ad so because one of the curios of the
Grand Final now is probably fewer supporters of the competing
clubs are at that than other games during the year
because of the ticket allocations, so they're probably going to
be a bit more even. Look for what it's worth,
(01:15):
I think that colling would support a stereotypes a bit
out of date now. I reckon supporter basis tend to
cross the socioeconomic divide, but that might be a bit
deep analysis. I think we still you can still do
all the jokes about stealing cars and you don't drive
to the game and all that sort of stuff. So
(01:35):
that's okay.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
We've got one Collingwood supporter that I know of currently
in the building. He's got all his teeth, he's a
very good looking young man, and yeah, he's against the
old stereotype. I try to find a Brisbane Lions fan,
but I don't think there's a single Brisbane Lions fan
in the city of Canberra. They're just not a thing here.
It's like everybody in canber either goes for a Melbourne
(01:56):
side or one of the two Sydney teams. So Chris
goes for GWS, I go for the Swan. It's been
a rough couple of days with the Swans, but we'll
get to that later. But it's a huge Grand Final
coming up with two I think very evenly matched teams.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Royan, yeah they are, and in fact that we'll finish
first and second on the ladder, and funnily enough, it's
the first time the teams had finished in the top
two spots have ended up playing off in the Grand
Final since twenty fourteen. Because it's just one of the
things about finals systems, I guess, is that you can
(02:31):
sweat and toil for five months to get to the
top spots on the ladder, but then unless you win
a few more games at the pointy end, you don't
get to decide it. So yeah, Colin Wood finished on top,
Brisbane second and I'll get to play each other. That
hasn't happened since Hawthorne Sydney in twenty fourteen. And well,
if you're going on omens and whatever, not a good
(02:51):
one in terms of getting a good game, because that
was an absolute thrashing. Hawthorne dealt the Swans that day.
Funnily enough, when the Swans went in favorite, we hope
for a better contest than that. But I think the
signs are good. I think they're the two best performed
sides of the year. They're both sides that score plenty,
so and you know, keen to sort of keep the
(03:14):
ball moving and play a fast, open brand of footing.
So I think, as you know, sometimes grand files can
be really scrappy, dour, slogging defensive affairs. I think it's
more likely that this one will be a bit free
of flowing and a bit high scoring maybe than usual.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Does it suggest, with it being the top two teams,
that maybe Brisbane and Colin would have worked out now
how to get around the extraordinarily limited preparation you wind
up with if you win your semi final, you've played
one game and effectively a month coming into the prelims.
Does it suggest that those clubs have maybe work that out.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That's a very good question. It's a real hobby horse
of mind, and well, look at quarter time last week,
Brisbane certainly would have been saying that the having played
one game for the best part of a month had
really set them back. I mean, they got caught on
the hop by Carton and they were more than five
goals down and fortunately a good enough side that they
(04:12):
are able to overcome it. Collingwood, you know, Collingwood made
the better start against GWS. So yeah, look the last
few years, that's been happening, Wess. So maybe the evidence
is that sides now are handling that preparation better. I mean,
the pre finals by was introduced in twenty sixteen, so
(04:34):
it's only been since then we've had this, I think
ridiculous scenario where sides get a week off before the
finals and then if you win your qualifying finally you
get another week off. They get to the preliminary final
and they've played one game in a twenty seven day
block or whatever it is, and they caught several sides
out in those first few years. But I think, yeah,
(04:54):
the last years, it's been happening, Wess. So I suspect
they're getting a better handle on how to prepare. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Now, Chris and I we both hate that week off.
We think it kills all of the momentum at the
end of the regular season heading into the finals. But
we have discussed this previously, where concussion is becoming a
big part of the game. Do you like us see
a shift where the week prior to the finals, the
week off prior to the finals will go and will
(05:23):
instead see a week off before the Grand final. So
if there isn't any concussions or any anything like that
in the prelim final, so they've got time to recover
before the big day, so have the week off the
week beforehand, like they do in America with the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
That's another good question, and I think there's momentum growing
for that. I mean, look, we have done that once now,
and that if people remember that two years ago in
twenty twenty one when we had the Perth Grand Final
and because of the quarantine requirements and whatever with COVID,
they shifted it then. And you're right, the concussion thing
(05:57):
is definitely consideration, and it would be terrible to see,
you know, someone who had very very mild concussion ruled
out of a Grand Final as a result because they
hadn't fulfilled that twelve day rest protocol. On the other hand,
I don't know if you I'd go so far as
to move the game a whole week back just to
(06:18):
safeguard against that. I mean, God, people have always been
injured in preliminary finals and missed out, and we're going
to see that again this year, unfortunately for Collingwood with
Dann McStay who did his knee in the preliminary last
week so he misses out. I'm not sure you move
the day to the grand final just to cater to
(06:40):
that concussion requirement. So I'm not a fan of any
break at all, because you know, I think you know,
one of the reasons you have a final weight and
you have a double chance if you finished top four
is because you've worked your bum off for five months
to get that advantage, and once you start giving everyone
a breather, you delete advantage. And you know, Whilst what
(07:02):
I said before, I think sides are getting better at
handling the extra break, but I think now maybe the
sides that finish in the bottom half of the eight
get too much not an advantage, but they get too
much of a chance, if that makes sense. And the
competition's so tight now anyway, there's so little gap between
the best and worst in the competition now that I
(07:23):
think any advantage you're able to eke out for yourself
over a twenty four round season, I think you're entitled
to maximize that, so I wouldn't be a fan of
any break at all. But at pre finals or even
pre Grand Final.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Now you mentioned that Dan mckstay picked up an injury
during the pre limb. Who can we expect to see
come in for him. Is it a situation where Jack
ginnovan will probably come into the side and maybe Taylor
Adams might get a reprieve and actually be in the
Grand Final squad.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
No, no, well, Taylor Adams has been ruled out. He
of course heard a hamstring and training a couple of
weeks ago and was hopeful of getting back, but Collingwood
had their main training session of the week on Tuesday
night and Adams very unfortunately got a bit of a
twinge in that hamstring again, so he has been officially
(08:15):
ruled out along with McStay. Ginevan started as the sub
in the Pulminary final. So look they've got several options.
They're lucky, they've got a fair bit of flexibility this
Collingwood side. So one thing that could happen is Billy Frampton,
who's a key position player. There's a chance he could
come in for McStay either plays a forward or play
(08:38):
as a ruckman, and maybe Darcy Cameron plays as a
key forward. The other school of thought is that maybe
they backed themselves with a bit more pace and run
and don't really replace McStay at all, or the player
who comes in for the injured player is more a
medium sizer, and maybe Jeremy Howe, who's capable of playing
(09:00):
an attack as well as defense, he goes forward. So yeah,
look Will Hoskin. Elliott's another one that's sort of a
third tool, not a genuine key position player. Going without
a key position player put a lot more pressure on
Brady my check and so I'm not sure they want
to do that. And look at Taylor Adams, he's in
some ways I think as big, if not a bigger
(09:23):
wasson McStay. Because Brisbane's got a great midfield and they're
a very good clearance and contested ball side, they're not
necessarily Collingwood's strengths. And when Collingwood won their qualifying final
against Melbourne, they really had a huge start to that
game in terms of winning the clearances and winning the
contesta ball and that in the end got them over
(09:46):
the line and Adams was a huge part of that.
So they're going to really miss his hardness around the
contest and I think, yeah, like they're both potentially catastrophic
losses of the Piers. So they've certainly got a few
selections headaches. Brisbane not so much. They've got Jack Payne
is a key defender who missed last week got an
(10:07):
ankle fifty to fifty proposition. But then he was replaced
last week by Darcy Gardner who came in and did
very well against the Blues. So Brisbane don't have the
same sort of worries in terms of the twenty three.
They end up going in with the Pies too.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I saw Brisbane their first game of the year, the
practice game against the Swans at the little tramway over
adjacent to the SCG. Their midfield looked slick at that
point and it has just got better and better week
on week. Can they improve one more time to knock
over the Pies this week?
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Well, I mean, if they all play to their top,
it's going to make it really hard for Collingwood. I mean,
you know, lcky Nerle said he's just won the Brown Leigh,
so he's had a pretty good season. You know. Mcluggage
a great player. Jared Berry probably a bit under sold
in some respects. They back pretty deep. They also get
great drive off half back to where Kitty Coleman has
(11:07):
been a real sensational discovery, if you like, for them
over the last couple of years, and he was fantastic
for them coming out of defense last week. And the
thing is only ever need to get sort of a
reasonable supply to footy because they are so potent up
forward and for me, that's their big strength. I mean,
they ranked second for points score this year. But you've
(11:28):
got key forwards in Joy Danaher and Eric Kipple who
can both kick a bag, and then you've got Charlie
Cameron who's absolute dynamo. Is that small forward cam Rainer Ditto,
you know he's capable of He's kicked half a dozen
goals in a game earlyer this year and kick four
against the Pies actually in that first game against them.
(11:49):
So they've only got to get a reasonable supply of
opportunity in that forward fifty and they're very, very hard
to stop. So the more I look at the personnel,
the more I look at the four lines, it all
logically suggests Brisbane. However, you know, there's just a couple
of things in the back of my mind that have
me worried. And they're about the venue where Brisbane have
(12:12):
lost fourteen of their last fifteen games at the MCG.
Now does that play on their mind. I think there's
a chance it will. I mean last time they played there,
they're leading Melbourne by twenty four points seven minutes to
go and managed to lose the game. So I think
that's an issue for them, and the crowd not so
much an issue. Like I said, Collingwood finally enough full
(12:34):
less supporting there than they do it other games at
the MCAG. But I think Collingwood just has a dependability
about it Brisbane. Even last week when in beating Carlton,
you know they gave Carton a five goal start. You
can't do that in the Grand Final. They left the
door a jarffa Carlton in the last quarter by not
nailing their chances. You can't do that. And that's just
(12:55):
my big sort of if about Brisbane. I think if
all goes well, their best players play well, everything guys
according to plan, I think they would probably win. But
that doesn't often happen in a Grand Final. And I
think Collingwood are brilliantly disciplined. I think they're very good defensively,
exceptionally well coached. Not that Brisbane as neither. So Look,
(13:18):
it's a real toss of the coin. I've had as
much trouble coming up tipping a winner for this Grand
Final as any Grand Final I remember, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Well, Ron, I've got two quick questions for you. You
just mentioned then that a man named Charlie Cameron. You
mentioned another man named Locke Neil during the week. Locky Neil,
as you mentioned, won the Brownlow Medal. Charlie Cameron kicked
seven goals right here in Canberra at Marnarker Oval. A
couple of GWS players had pretty handy game. Forty one disposals,
thirty eight disposals, Locky Neil twenty disposals, got three Brownlow votes.
(13:50):
What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Yeah, look that that was certainly the bone of some contention. Look,
I think the Brownlow has always been like this, and
there's a lot more there SEMs to be a lot
more microscopic focus on it these days. But you know,
I'm pretty old now. I've seen a lot of Brownlow
medals and I've seen a lot that were more contentious
(14:13):
in terms of who won them than Lucky Nele.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
And I Reckon. We sat at the same table at
the nineteen eighty nine Brown Law when Paul Couch went
to the surprise of almost everybody, you.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Went to a Brownlow.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Who my god. Yeah, well I was there. That is
a that is a long one.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
It's a long time. It's the only one I've been to,
so you know, it was the only night. Only what
I've actually been doing.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Person, they're rated to be perfect.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
The problem I would have made a mindset about Locky
Neil during the week.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Well, you know the point I'd make about the whole
thing about the umpires voting on it. I do tend
to think maybe they should allow them to look at
stats just to sort of clear clarify in their own
mind who's worthy of the votes. But it's pretty interesting.
I put a lot of stock and I'm sure most
people do in the AFL coaches and say Siation Award.
(15:01):
That is the coach of either side handing out a five, four, three,
two and one. Every week. Now, what's really interesting. Sure,
there are games, you know, In fact, there were I
think seventeen games this year where the person that got
the three Brownlow votes didn't pile a single vote in
the Coaches Award for the same game. However, come the
(15:23):
end of a season, the top six finishes in the
Brownlow Medal were the same top six finishes as in
the Coaches Award, So that to me suggests that overall
the umpires tend to line up with how the coaches
see the best players of a game. But you know,
look in however many games we have what one hundred
(15:44):
and we had next around this year, didn't we one
hundred and two hundred and seven home and away games?
Is my mass' is dodgy, But I think that's right.
Two hundred and seven home and away games, you're going
to get the odd anomaly. So whilst Neil, you know,
there's probably five guys that I reckon he might have
had winning it before him, But you know, it wasn't
(16:06):
like he was an absolute bolter, you know, So I'm
not too fussed by it, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Now, I mentioned earlier in the show Chris Coleman is
a GWS fan. I'm a Sydney Swans fan. Of course
I laughed at what happened to GWS for losing by
a point to Collin with the Other Night Karma, Chris
Coleman and Ron Connelly. Karma has bit the Swans in
the backside. Callum Mills is out for a roughly nine
(16:32):
months season.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
There, I thought you were talking about what I'd done
to your car.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
No, no, don't get me start. He doesn't know yet,
but yeah, Callum Mills is out for nine months after
injuring his shoulder wrestling. That was it, Mad Monday celebrations
Roco Ah, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
It was apparently. No, it's not ideal. And I saw
the club's press release and reading between the lines, I
think it's fair to say there Weston impressed at him
doing that. But I mean, put this way, if you're
going to do a silly injury, I guess immediately after
your team's season ends is good as better time to
(17:11):
do it any other time, because it'll it'll give him
some recovery time at least. But yeah, look, not ideal.
But what do you do. I mean, you can't wrap
those guys in cotton wall. They're entitled to have what
is it, eight weeks leave, I think, and you know,
if they want to get on the source and have
a bit of a wrestle, well, I've done sillier things
than that. Who am I to tell them?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Yeah, for the record, I don't have a problem with it.
I was just like, that's karma. That's karma for all
the Swans fans laughing at the GWS fans.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
And karma is what I've done to your car with
a C as well, Roko. Finally, I'm not going to
ask any things and when you've given us a good
analysis of that. But do we get the close one here?
It's one of those great footy lines in Melbourne. We've
got the close one here on the radio station that
gets the best game of the day on a Saturday.
Do we get the close one this week? Or does
it get blown apart?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
But look, I think we will, you could. I think
we're due, you know, like last year was a belting
twenty one ended up being a belting twenty in the end,
was pretty one sided. Nineteen was a smashing eighteen was
the last genuine thriller we had, and of course Collingwood
(18:20):
came out at the wrong end of that West Coast
beeding them by five points.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
If it was like that the twenty nineteen one, I
actually really enjoyed twenty nineteen did you. Yeah, really, how
many goals did how many goals did GWS kick after
their first one?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
There was no Grand Final in twenty nineteen. It was
never played.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It was yeah, Look, it was a bit of a dud.
I do like a close game, and I like an
open and a free scoring game, so I think we're
more likely to see a close game than a blowout.
But it's very hard to tell because as what can
often happen is a side knows that they're done and
then it's sort of like the whole bottom falls out
(18:59):
of their performance. I end up getting thrashed. Of course,
the one two years ago ended up I was at
seventy four points or whatever. It was incredible, seventy four
points won by the side that had been trailing by
nineteen points midway through the third quarter. So that was
just one out of the box. That one. The Melbourne's
went against the Bulldogs. I don't think we'll see that either,
(19:20):
but look, I'm happy to give you a tip. I'm
going for Collingwood by two points. I think this could
be an absolute classic.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
If you'd said Collingwood by one, I would have reminded
you that one point is the most common margin ever
in VFL AFL Footy, but two is not far off that, Roko.
It's been great to speak to you, mate. I appreciate
you taking time, valuable time out of your Grand Final
prep for the week. What have you got planned for
Grand Final? Give it a bit of a plug.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Here two hours with three aw out on the concourse.
I'm there from ten to twelve am, bright and early
start for me, so come along and say gooday anyone
who's at the game. I'm watching the game in the
press box. I'll be working on the game for ESPN
and Footyology. Pretty full day, but you know, look it's
(20:04):
a full day, but it's always a fantastic day. And
look after between finishing on air and the start of
the game, I'll make sure I do sort of a
lap of the ground and soak up the atmosphere because
it's a terrific time of year and the climax have
a lot of hard work and preparation on the parts
of a lot of people. So yeah, it's my Grand
(20:26):
Final as well, I guess, and I'm really looking forward
to it.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Well.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Collingwood are the Dominic Toretto's of the AFL. Because it
doesn't matter if they win by an inch or a mile.
Winning is winning and they usually win by that one point.
Chris Coleman, So, but I absolutely cannot wait for this
Grand Final. I'm with you. I think it's going to
be really close, and I think it's going to be
a very very narrow Collingwood victory because that's what they've
been doing over the last two years.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
And Connolly, great to speak to you mate. All the
best and we'll catch up with you during the off
season on the Footyology dot com dot a you website
and podcast.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Pleasure Guys anytime. Amplify CBL
The Super Serious Sports Show with Chris Coleman and Adam Jansen.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Adam Jansen, it doesn't matter whether you follow the Aussie
Rules or follow the Rugby league. It is Grand Final week,
which means we've got heaps to do on the Super
Serious Sports Show. And in fact there's so much to
do that I thought it's probably a good idea to
get someone else into help.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Us, someone with a better credibility, someone with a.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Lot more credibility than you, and we put together from Footyology,
one of the greatest sports journalists in this country. I
hope it doesn't mind me sucking up to him like that.
Rowan Connelly, Welcome back to the Super Serious Sports Show.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
How Chris Snake, you can do all the sucking up
you like? All good?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Excellent Now.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I was talking to one of the guys here at
the radio station before we did this. I said, we've
got one of Australia's top footy journalists coming in. What
would you say was the burning question before the Grand Final?
And he said, and I will quote this is from
a Carton supporter. It's Brisbane versus Collingwood amongst the fans
of the respective sides, which one will have collectively more
teeth at the MCG on the weekend.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Oh well, that's very harsh, very harsh. Well, actually hard
to ad so because one of the curios of the
Grand Final now is probably fewer supporters of the competing
clubs are at that than other games during the year
because of the ticket allocations, so they're probably going to
be a bit more even. Look for what it's worth,
(01:15):
I think that colling would support a stereotypes a bit
out of date now. I reckon supporter basis tend to
cross the socioeconomic divide, but that might be a bit
deep analysis. I think we still you can still do
all the jokes about stealing cars and you don't drive
to the game and all that sort of stuff. So
(01:35):
that's okay.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
We've got one Collingwood supporter that I know of currently
in the building. He's got all his teeth, he's a
very good looking young man, and yeah, he's against the
old stereotype. I try to find a Brisbane Lions fan,
but I don't think there's a single Brisbane Lions fan
in the city of Canberra. They're just not a thing here.
It's like everybody in canber either goes for a Melbourne
(01:56):
side or one of the two Sydney teams. So Chris
goes for GWS, I go for the Swan. It's been
a rough couple of days with the Swans, but we'll
get to that later. But it's a huge Grand Final
coming up with two I think very evenly matched teams.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
Royan, yeah they are, and in fact that we'll finish
first and second on the ladder, and funnily enough, it's
the first time the teams had finished in the top
two spots have ended up playing off in the Grand
Final since twenty fourteen. Because it's just one of the
things about finals systems, I guess, is that you can
(02:31):
sweat and toil for five months to get to the
top spots on the ladder, but then unless you win
a few more games at the pointy end, you don't
get to decide it. So yeah, Colin Wood finished on top,
Brisbane second and I'll get to play each other. That
hasn't happened since Hawthorne Sydney in twenty fourteen. And well,
if you're going on omens and whatever, not a good
(02:51):
one in terms of getting a good game, because that
was an absolute thrashing. Hawthorne dealt the Swans that day.
Funnily enough, when the Swans went in favorite, we hope
for a better contest than that. But I think the
signs are good. I think they're the two best performed
sides of the year. They're both sides that score plenty,
so and you know, keen to sort of keep the
(03:14):
ball moving and play a fast, open brand of footing.
So I think, as you know, sometimes grand files can
be really scrappy, dour, slogging defensive affairs. I think it's
more likely that this one will be a bit free
of flowing and a bit high scoring maybe than usual.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Does it suggest, with it being the top two teams,
that maybe Brisbane and Colin would have worked out now
how to get around the extraordinarily limited preparation you wind
up with if you win your semi final, you've played
one game and effectively a month coming into the prelims.
Does it suggest that those clubs have maybe work that out.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
That's a very good question. It's a real hobby horse
of mind, and well, look at quarter time last week,
Brisbane certainly would have been saying that the having played
one game for the best part of a month had
really set them back. I mean, they got caught on
the hop by Carton and they were more than five
goals down and fortunately a good enough side that they
(04:12):
are able to overcome it. Collingwood, you know, Collingwood made
the better start against GWS. So yeah, look the last
few years, that's been happening, Wess. So maybe the evidence
is that sides now are handling that preparation better. I mean,
the pre finals by was introduced in twenty sixteen, so
(04:34):
it's only been since then we've had this, I think
ridiculous scenario where sides get a week off before the
finals and then if you win your qualifying finally you
get another week off. They get to the preliminary final
and they've played one game in a twenty seven day
block or whatever it is, and they caught several sides
out in those first few years. But I think, yeah,
(04:54):
the last years, it's been happening, Wess. So I suspect
they're getting a better handle on how to prepare. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Now, Chris and I we both hate that week off.
We think it kills all of the momentum at the
end of the regular season heading into the finals. But
we have discussed this previously, where concussion is becoming a
big part of the game. Do you like us see
a shift where the week prior to the finals, the
week off prior to the finals will go and will
(05:23):
instead see a week off before the Grand final. So
if there isn't any concussions or any anything like that
in the prelim final, so they've got time to recover
before the big day, so have the week off the
week beforehand, like they do in America with the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
That's another good question, and I think there's momentum growing
for that. I mean, look, we have done that once now,
and that if people remember that two years ago in
twenty twenty one when we had the Perth Grand Final
and because of the quarantine requirements and whatever with COVID,
they shifted it then. And you're right, the concussion thing
(05:57):
is definitely consideration, and it would be terrible to see,
you know, someone who had very very mild concussion ruled
out of a Grand Final as a result because they
hadn't fulfilled that twelve day rest protocol. On the other hand,
I don't know if you I'd go so far as
to move the game a whole week back just to
(06:18):
safeguard against that. I mean, God, people have always been
injured in preliminary finals and missed out, and we're going
to see that again this year, unfortunately for Collingwood with
Dann McStay who did his knee in the preliminary last
week so he misses out. I'm not sure you move
the day to the grand final just to cater to
(06:40):
that concussion requirement. So I'm not a fan of any
break at all, because you know, I think you know,
one of the reasons you have a final weight and
you have a double chance if you finished top four
is because you've worked your bum off for five months
to get that advantage, and once you start giving everyone
a breather, you delete advantage. And you know, Whilst what
(07:02):
I said before, I think sides are getting better at
handling the extra break, but I think now maybe the
sides that finish in the bottom half of the eight
get too much not an advantage, but they get too
much of a chance, if that makes sense. And the
competition's so tight now anyway, there's so little gap between
the best and worst in the competition now that I
(07:23):
think any advantage you're able to eke out for yourself
over a twenty four round season, I think you're entitled
to maximize that, so I wouldn't be a fan of
any break at all. But at pre finals or even
pre Grand Final.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Now you mentioned that Dan mckstay picked up an injury
during the pre limb. Who can we expect to see
come in for him. Is it a situation where Jack
ginnovan will probably come into the side and maybe Taylor
Adams might get a reprieve and actually be in the
Grand Final squad.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
No, no, well, Taylor Adams has been ruled out. He
of course heard a hamstring and training a couple of
weeks ago and was hopeful of getting back, but Collingwood
had their main training session of the week on Tuesday
night and Adams very unfortunately got a bit of a
twinge in that hamstring again, so he has been officially
(08:15):
ruled out along with McStay. Ginevan started as the sub
in the Pulminary final. So look they've got several options.
They're lucky, they've got a fair bit of flexibility this
Collingwood side. So one thing that could happen is Billy Frampton,
who's a key position player. There's a chance he could
come in for McStay either plays a forward or play
(08:38):
as a ruckman, and maybe Darcy Cameron plays as a
key forward. The other school of thought is that maybe
they backed themselves with a bit more pace and run
and don't really replace McStay at all, or the player
who comes in for the injured player is more a
medium sizer, and maybe Jeremy Howe, who's capable of playing
(09:00):
an attack as well as defense, he goes forward. So yeah,
look Will Hoskin. Elliott's another one that's sort of a
third tool, not a genuine key position player. Going without
a key position player put a lot more pressure on
Brady my check and so I'm not sure they want
to do that. And look at Taylor Adams, he's in
some ways I think as big, if not a bigger
(09:23):
wasson McStay. Because Brisbane's got a great midfield and they're
a very good clearance and contested ball side, they're not
necessarily Collingwood's strengths. And when Collingwood won their qualifying final
against Melbourne, they really had a huge start to that
game in terms of winning the clearances and winning the
contesta ball and that in the end got them over
(09:46):
the line and Adams was a huge part of that.
So they're going to really miss his hardness around the
contest and I think, yeah, like they're both potentially catastrophic
losses of the Piers. So they've certainly got a few
selections headaches. Brisbane not so much. They've got Jack Payne
is a key defender who missed last week got an
(10:07):
ankle fifty to fifty proposition. But then he was replaced
last week by Darcy Gardner who came in and did
very well against the Blues. So Brisbane don't have the
same sort of worries in terms of the twenty three.
They end up going in with the Pies too.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
I saw Brisbane their first game of the year, the
practice game against the Swans at the little tramway over
adjacent to the SCG. Their midfield looked slick at that
point and it has just got better and better week
on week. Can they improve one more time to knock
over the Pies this week?
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Well, I mean, if they all play to their top,
it's going to make it really hard for Collingwood. I mean,
you know, lcky Nerle said he's just won the Brown Leigh,
so he's had a pretty good season. You know. Mcluggage
a great player. Jared Berry probably a bit under sold
in some respects. They back pretty deep. They also get
great drive off half back to where Kitty Coleman has
(11:07):
been a real sensational discovery, if you like, for them
over the last couple of years, and he was fantastic
for them coming out of defense last week. And the
thing is only ever need to get sort of a
reasonable supply to footy because they are so potent up
forward and for me, that's their big strength. I mean,
they ranked second for points score this year. But you've
(11:28):
got key forwards in Joy Danaher and Eric Kipple who
can both kick a bag, and then you've got Charlie
Cameron who's absolute dynamo. Is that small forward cam Rainer Ditto,
you know he's capable of He's kicked half a dozen
goals in a game earlyer this year and kick four
against the Pies actually in that first game against them.
(11:49):
So they've only got to get a reasonable supply of
opportunity in that forward fifty and they're very, very hard
to stop. So the more I look at the personnel,
the more I look at the four lines, it all
logically suggests Brisbane. However, you know, there's just a couple
of things in the back of my mind that have
me worried. And they're about the venue where Brisbane have
(12:12):
lost fourteen of their last fifteen games at the MCG.
Now does that play on their mind. I think there's
a chance it will. I mean last time they played there,
they're leading Melbourne by twenty four points seven minutes to
go and managed to lose the game. So I think
that's an issue for them, and the crowd not so
much an issue. Like I said, Collingwood finally enough full
(12:34):
less supporting there than they do it other games at
the MCAG. But I think Collingwood just has a dependability
about it Brisbane. Even last week when in beating Carlton,
you know they gave Carton a five goal start. You
can't do that in the Grand Final. They left the
door a jarffa Carlton in the last quarter by not
nailing their chances. You can't do that. And that's just
(12:55):
my big sort of if about Brisbane. I think if
all goes well, their best players play well, everything guys
according to plan, I think they would probably win. But
that doesn't often happen in a Grand Final. And I
think Collingwood are brilliantly disciplined. I think they're very good defensively,
exceptionally well coached. Not that Brisbane as neither. So Look,
(13:18):
it's a real toss of the coin. I've had as
much trouble coming up tipping a winner for this Grand
Final as any Grand Final I remember, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Well, Ron, I've got two quick questions for you. You
just mentioned then that a man named Charlie Cameron. You
mentioned another man named Locke Neil during the week. Locky Neil,
as you mentioned, won the Brownlow Medal. Charlie Cameron kicked
seven goals right here in Canberra at Marnarker Oval. A
couple of GWS players had pretty handy game. Forty one disposals,
thirty eight disposals, Locky Neil twenty disposals, got three Brownlow votes.
(13:50):
What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 1 (13:52):
Yeah, look that that was certainly the bone of some contention. Look,
I think the Brownlow has always been like this, and
there's a lot more there SEMs to be a lot
more microscopic focus on it these days. But you know,
I'm pretty old now. I've seen a lot of Brownlow
medals and I've seen a lot that were more contentious
(14:13):
in terms of who won them than Lucky Nele.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
And I Reckon. We sat at the same table at
the nineteen eighty nine Brown Law when Paul Couch went
to the surprise of almost everybody, you.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Went to a Brownlow.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Who my god. Yeah, well I was there. That is
a that is a long one.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
It's a long time. It's the only one I've been to,
so you know, it was the only night. Only what
I've actually been doing.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Person, they're rated to be perfect.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
The problem I would have made a mindset about Locky
Neil during the week.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Well, you know the point I'd make about the whole
thing about the umpires voting on it. I do tend
to think maybe they should allow them to look at
stats just to sort of clear clarify in their own
mind who's worthy of the votes. But it's pretty interesting.
I put a lot of stock and I'm sure most
people do in the AFL coaches and say Siation Award.
(15:01):
That is the coach of either side handing out a five, four, three,
two and one. Every week. Now, what's really interesting. Sure,
there are games, you know, In fact, there were I
think seventeen games this year where the person that got
the three Brownlow votes didn't pile a single vote in
the Coaches Award for the same game. However, come the
(15:23):
end of a season, the top six finishes in the
Brownlow Medal were the same top six finishes as in
the Coaches Award, So that to me suggests that overall
the umpires tend to line up with how the coaches
see the best players of a game. But you know,
look in however many games we have what one hundred
(15:44):
and we had next around this year, didn't we one
hundred and two hundred and seven home and away games?
Is my mass' is dodgy, But I think that's right.
Two hundred and seven home and away games, you're going
to get the odd anomaly. So whilst Neil, you know,
there's probably five guys that I reckon he might have
had winning it before him, But you know, it wasn't
(16:06):
like he was an absolute bolter, you know, So I'm
not too fussed by it, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Now, I mentioned earlier in the show Chris Coleman is
a GWS fan. I'm a Sydney Swans fan. Of course
I laughed at what happened to GWS for losing by
a point to Collin with the Other Night Karma, Chris
Coleman and Ron Connelly. Karma has bit the Swans in
the backside. Callum Mills is out for a roughly nine
(16:32):
months season.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
There, I thought you were talking about what I'd done
to your car.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
No, no, don't get me start. He doesn't know yet,
but yeah, Callum Mills is out for nine months after
injuring his shoulder wrestling. That was it, Mad Monday celebrations
Roco Ah, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
It was apparently. No, it's not ideal. And I saw
the club's press release and reading between the lines, I
think it's fair to say there Weston impressed at him
doing that. But I mean, put this way, if you're
going to do a silly injury, I guess immediately after
your team's season ends is good as better time to
(17:11):
do it any other time, because it'll it'll give him
some recovery time at least. But yeah, look, not ideal.
But what do you do. I mean, you can't wrap
those guys in cotton wall. They're entitled to have what
is it, eight weeks leave, I think, and you know,
if they want to get on the source and have
a bit of a wrestle, well, I've done sillier things
than that. Who am I to tell them?
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Yeah, for the record, I don't have a problem with it.
I was just like, that's karma. That's karma for all
the Swans fans laughing at the GWS fans.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
And karma is what I've done to your car with
a C as well, Roko. Finally, I'm not going to
ask any things and when you've given us a good
analysis of that. But do we get the close one here?
It's one of those great footy lines in Melbourne. We've
got the close one here on the radio station that
gets the best game of the day on a Saturday.
Do we get the close one this week? Or does
it get blown apart?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
But look, I think we will, you could. I think
we're due, you know, like last year was a belting
twenty one ended up being a belting twenty in the end,
was pretty one sided. Nineteen was a smashing eighteen was
the last genuine thriller we had, and of course Collingwood
(18:20):
came out at the wrong end of that West Coast
beeding them by five points.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
If it was like that the twenty nineteen one, I
actually really enjoyed twenty nineteen did you. Yeah, really, how
many goals did how many goals did GWS kick after
their first one?
Speaker 2 (18:33):
There was no Grand Final in twenty nineteen. It was
never played.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
It was yeah, Look, it was a bit of a dud.
I do like a close game, and I like an
open and a free scoring game, so I think we're
more likely to see a close game than a blowout.
But it's very hard to tell because as what can
often happen is a side knows that they're done and
then it's sort of like the whole bottom falls out
(18:59):
of their performance. I end up getting thrashed. Of course,
the one two years ago ended up I was at
seventy four points or whatever. It was incredible, seventy four
points won by the side that had been trailing by
nineteen points midway through the third quarter. So that was
just one out of the box. That one. The Melbourne's
went against the Bulldogs. I don't think we'll see that either,
(19:20):
but look, I'm happy to give you a tip. I'm
going for Collingwood by two points. I think this could
be an absolute classic.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
If you'd said Collingwood by one, I would have reminded
you that one point is the most common margin ever
in VFL AFL Footy, but two is not far off that, Roko.
It's been great to speak to you, mate. I appreciate
you taking time, valuable time out of your Grand Final
prep for the week. What have you got planned for
Grand Final? Give it a bit of a plug.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Here two hours with three aw out on the concourse.
I'm there from ten to twelve am, bright and early
start for me, so come along and say gooday anyone
who's at the game. I'm watching the game in the
press box. I'll be working on the game for ESPN
and Footyology. Pretty full day, but you know, look it's
(20:04):
a full day, but it's always a fantastic day. And
look after between finishing on air and the start of
the game, I'll make sure I do sort of a
lap of the ground and soak up the atmosphere because
it's a terrific time of year and the climax have
a lot of hard work and preparation on the parts
of a lot of people. So yeah, it's my Grand
(20:26):
Final as well, I guess, and I'm really looking forward
to it.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Well.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Collingwood are the Dominic Toretto's of the AFL. Because it
doesn't matter if they win by an inch or a mile.
Winning is winning and they usually win by that one point.
Chris Coleman, So, but I absolutely cannot wait for this
Grand Final. I'm with you. I think it's going to
be really close, and I think it's going to be
a very very narrow Collingwood victory because that's what they've
been doing over the last two years.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
And Connolly, great to speak to you mate. All the
best and we'll catch up with you during the off
season on the Footyology dot com dot a you website
and podcast.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Pleasure Guys anytime. Amplify CBL
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