SUMMARY

THE FIRST non-Victorian Grand Final since 2006 will pit the two most recent Grand Final losers against each other.

Sydney, the most dominant team all year, is looking to avenge its heavy defeat to Geelong in the 2022 decider, while the Lions are looking to bury the demons of last year and win their first flag in 21 years.

SWANS v LIONS Follow it LIVE

It will be John Longmire's fifth Grand Final at the Swans, with the 2012 premiership coach desperate to change his current 1-3 record in season deciders.

Having come so close last year, Lions mentor Chris Fagan could become the first senior coach ever to win a VFL/AFL flag without having played the game at the top level. History also awaits his Lions side, which would become just the second team after the Western Bulldogs in 2016 to win the premiership from outside the top four.

The Lions have won five of their past six games against the Swans, but Sydney defied an even worse record last week in thrashing Port Adelaide at the SCG.

Sydney v Brisbane at the MCG, 2.30pm AEST

NO LATE CHANGES

SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Braeden Campbell
Brisbane: Conor McKenna

Darcy Fort comes into the Brisbane side for the injured Oscar McInerney in the only change for the Lions, while the Swans are unchanged after last week's win, meaning captain Callum Mills misses out.

Where and when: MCG, Saturday September 28, 2.30pm AEST

WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR? 

Round 19: Brisbane 11.13 (79) defeated Sydney 11.11 (77) at the Gabba

In arguably the best game of the home and away season, Brisbane kicked four goals to two in the final term to win a thrilling contest at the Gabba. The Lions started with five goals to one in the opening quarter before Sydney bounced back with six to one in the second to lead at the main break. After an even third term and five lead changes in the fourth, Cal Ah Chee's brilliant left foot snap settled the result with three minutes remaining. The Swans, already without key men James Rowbottom and Justin McInerney, fought admirably despite losing Dane Rampe and Tom Papley to injury early in the game, while Will Hayward was also hobbled badly by an ankle injury. Cam Rayner and Hugh McCluggage had a huge impact for the Lions along with Dayne Zorko off half-back, while Errol Gulden was Sydney's best.

THE STATS THAT MATTER

Sydney
The Swans have been a lethal intercept side all year and it was a huge feature of their win over Port Adelaide last Friday night. The Swans outscored the Power by 52 points from intercept possessions, their best differential this season. It was the 18th time this year that the Swans have outscored their opponents from intercepts, and they have won all 18 of those games. However, the most dangerous team on intercept all year has been the Lions, who have outscored their opponents by 13.2 points per game from intercept possessions.

Brisbane
Brisbane's kick-mark game has been pivotal to its success this season. The Lions have won 14 of the 17 games in which they have taken at least 100 marks, while they have a 3-1-5 record when they haven't reached 100. Their work by hand was also pivotal in opening up the game against Geelong last week. Of the 533m gained the Lions had against the Cats - their most in a final since the 2017 prelim against Richmond - 271m came from handballs in the second half alone compared to 177m in the first half. If the Lions need to chase the game, they are willing and able to take things on via handball.

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR… 

Sydney
From the moment Oscar McInerney dislocated his shoulder for a second time against Geelong last Saturday night, the focus turned to Swans ruck Brodie Grundy. The former Magpie and Demon has been reborn in Sydney this season, displaying some of the form that made him a two-time All-Australian at Collingwood. While his impact tailed off late in the season, he's had some good moments in his two finals so far and looks ready to have a major say on Saturday. Up against journeyman Darcy Fort and Joe Daniher, Grundy's impact at the contest will be absolutely crucial if Sydney is to nullify Brisbane's midfield weapons and let its own attacking guns loose.

Brisbane
The fortunes of Brisbane over a wild past fortnight have almost perfectly mirrored those of veteran Dayne Zorko. Shut down in the first half against the Giants two weeks ago, Zorko bobbed up with two late goals as the Lions famously overturned a 44-point deficit to win. And against Geelong, Zorko was guilty of some crucial turnovers at the Cats took control of the game before the veteran rallied to be one of his side's best in another comeback victory. Zorko had a massive 27 kicks (and just two handballs) against the Swans in round 19, but it's unlikely Sydney will give the All-Australian that much freedom this weekend. A hard tag from James Jordon, like James Peatling applied for the Giants two weeks ago, looms for Zorko on Saturday. How he can handle that will have a major say in who lifts the premiership cup.

PREDICTION

These two produced one of the games of the season back in round 19 and we look set for another belter on what is expected to be a warm and sunny day at the MCG. In a match-up between two of the highest scoring teams of the year, the ability of both sides to continue to take risks with ball in hand despite the pressure of a Grand Final will be telling. In such an even match-up on paper, it will ultimately come down to a battle above the shoulders, with both sets of players and coaches looking to banish recent Grand Final demons. Sydney has been the best team all year and deserves to start favourites, but the Lions are riding a stunning wave of momentum and will be ready to strike if given the chance. Sydney by 10 points in a Grand Final classic.

THESE will forever be Brisbane's kings of the pride.

After last year's heartbreak, a 0-3 start to the season, five season-ending knee reconstructions, missing out on the top four, three finals on the road, a semi-final win for the ages and storylines everywhere you looked, Brisbane is the premier for 2024 after a Toyota AFL Grand Final dismantling of Sydney.

SWANS v LIONS Full Grand Final match coverage and stats
THE MOMENT Shades of 'Aker' in Hipwood's goal for the ages
TALKING POINTS Cup of Joe, Katy roars, Swans' wrong call
NORM SMITH MEDAL All the votes as Will Ashcroft wins it
PLAYER RATINGS Every Lions player rated
PLAYER RATINGS Every Swans player rated
THE MOMENT Shades of Aker in Hipwood’s goal for the ages
CHRIS FAGAN Lions coach revels in greatest moment after fairytale recovery
JOHN LONGMIRE Swans coach laments another lost opportunity
'FIRST I'VE HEARD OF IT' Fagan in the dark over Joe’s future
'COULDN'T GO WITH THEM' Swans rue contest work, lack of pressure
'SOMETHING SNAPPED' Lion's surgery to wait till after celebrations
'EUPHORIC, UNBELIEVABLE' Lion's redemption after last year's horror
'LOVE BIG MOMENTS' Kai comes up clutch on grandest stage

In the redemption cup – the Lions looking to go one better than their four-point loss to Collingwood and Sydney hoping to overturn its disastrous 2022 decider – it was Chris Fagan's men who saluted by 60 points in an MCG masterclass in front of 100,013 fans. 

The 18.12 (120) to 9.6 (60) win delivered the Lions their first flag since 2003 and 12th through its Fitzroy history as Fagan lifted the cup in his eighth season at the helm.

This was a rough welcome to the jungle for the Swans – everywhere Sydney turned, Brisbane was there. Every way the Swans looked, the Lions had them covered.

It would have been a terrible case of deja vu for the Swans, with the club now losing its past four Grand Finals since 2012. Three of them have been thrashings.  

Where to start with Brisbane's band of heroes? It was a Lions' share: Lachie Neale, carrying an ankle injury, was sensational as he saluted with a flag in his third Grand Final attempt with 35 disposals and nine clearances. 

Will Ashcroft, having missed last year's decider with his knee injury, was superb and showed again he is a champion in the making with 30 disposals and a goal. He became a Norm Smith medallist in his second season in the AFL.

Kai Lohmann lit the fuse early and finished with four and Callum Ah Chee kept the flame alive throughout with four majors. Joe Daniher is considering retirement but showed he is at the top of his game, with only inaccuracy potentially costing him a Norm Smith Medal.

But where the Lions were hot, Sydney brought the cold. It was difficult to find a winner for the Swans, who had their star-studded midfield nullified, their forward line shut down and their back half picked apart. 

Katy Perry started the day with a roar, but the Lions added a mighty to it. Sydney struck first with the opening two goals, the first from Will Hayward and the second a superb snap from Tom Papley. But that mini lead didn't quite sum up the contest after the Lions' early inaccuracy.

Lohmann quickly changed that. The eye-catching Lion kicked their first, and then their second a minute later on his left foot to give Brisbane the energy it needed, his tongue-out celebration a spirit boost to match his side's ascendancy. 

They continued to control the play with their uncontested marking game as Hugh McCluggage cruised into a third goal, with the gun midfielder tallying nine opening-quarter disposals. 

James Rowbottom's long set shot was a steadier for the Swans, who were preferring their shorter forward targets than their key position options, but Charlie Cameron's snap from the boundary – and subsequent bow to the crowd – restored Brisbane's eight-point lead at the first change. 

Brisbane's premiership was won in an exhilarating second quarter. The Lions kicked seven goals to one for the term and they came from everywhere as the Swans, for the second time in three years, were pounded.

Lohmann kicked his third from the pocket, Cameron spotted Daniher cleverly for another, Ah Chee's brilliant finals series continued with two for the term, Jarrod Berry capitalised on Nick Blakey's turnover to slot a long goal and Eric Hipwood kicked one of the great Grand Final goals from the boundary line after dodging Dane Rampe, slotting the goal and reprising three-time Lions premiership star Jason Akermanis' pseudo shocked celebration afterwards. 

When Logan Morris booted their 11th, the Lions had leapt to a 46-point lead for half-time as their youth, speed and hardened run into the flag decider proved beneficial. 

Where the Lions' big names and lesser lights all stood up – from first-year player Morris to champion two-time Brownlow medallist Neale – Sydney couldn't find a winner as its midfield was battered, its defence under siege and forward line ineffective. 

Party time started early as Neale continued to dominate the midfield battle in the third quarter, with Daniher also showing up the Swans defence. If it is to be Daniher's last game of an enigmatic career – the 30-year-old is weighing his future – then he went out on a high, kicking 2.4 but proving pivotal to the Lions.

His forward presence, as well as important around-the-ground ruck efforts, helped a fleet of smaller Lions capitalise time after time. 

Lions fans spent most of the second half rejoicing, as more highlights came their way: the Cam Rayner hanger, Ah Chee enjoying a day out, one last Lohmann flying grab and, of course, a Daniher left-foot snap to close things out. The pride of Brisbane town – and beyond. 

Will finds the summit
It would have had to have been a 'What if?' that sat on Chris Fagan's mind throughout the pre-season: what if Will Ashcroft had played in last year's Grand Final? Could he have been the one-goal difference required? Ashcroft was sidelined with a knee reconstruction but spent all of his time out of the game working so he could power Brisbane back to the final Saturday of September. He wasn't letting this chance slip. Ashcroft joined his father Marcus as a premiership hero with a brilliant 30-disposal performance in the Grand Final and quickly doubled his medal collection by being named the Norm Smith medallist in just his 31st game, aged 20 years old.

Kai the kid
Brisbane fans will never forget the performance of Kai Lohmann, who took the MCG by storm and left it a premiership player. The electric half-forward went into the game in good form after 10 goals from his past five games and 32 for the season but he raised it a notch on the biggest stage as the Lions' livewire. He kicked their first two goals of the game and a third in the second quarter to take the game away from the Swans. His fourth goal came in the final minutes after another big mark deep in attack. Lohmann considered leaving the Lions last year as Hawthorn and Essendon tried to lure him back to Victoria after he had managed eight games in two seasons. But Lohmann stayed at Brisbane and became a key player this year, capping his brilliant breakout season with an iconic, flying blonde-haired effort that will live on for the Lions.

Darcy holds the Fort 
Plenty of attention heading into the game focused on the ruck battle after Oscar McInerney's shoulder injury ruled him out of the clash. But Darcy Fort, playing only his third game of the season, more than held his own against high-profile Swans recruit Brodie Grundy. Fort is a competitor who managed to not be dominated by Grundy, with the Lions big man gathering 12 disposals and 20 hitouts to Grundy's 22 and 35. McInerney has steered the Lions' ship for years and would have been shattered to miss Brisbane's defining game, but his understudy filled the void. 

SYDNEY             3.1     4.3      5.4         9.6 (60)  
BRISBANE         4.3    11.7    16.11    18.12 (120)  

GOALS
Sydney: Parker 3, Warner, Rowbottom, Papley, Heeney, Hayward, Fox
Brisbane: Lohmann 4, Ah Chee 4, Morris 2, Daniher 2, Rayner, McCluggage, Hipwood, Cameron, Berry, Ashcroft

BEST
Sydney: Rowbottom, Florent, Fox, Gulden, Parker
Brisbane: Neale, Ashcroft, Lohmann, Ah Chee, Daniher, McCluggage

INJURIES
Sydney: McDonald (ankle)
Brisbane: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Braeden Campbell (replaced Logan McDonald in the third quarter)
Brisbane: Conor McKenna (replaced Logan Morris in the final quarter)

Crowd: 100,013 at the MCG