00:00:00 Speaker 1: Brisbane has climbed the mountain again two premierships in the twenty twenties, the first club to do so, the first to win five this century. It's Code Sports after dark ed Lauren Wood Rush Barnes with me outside of the CG party, music coming from all angles.

00:00:15 Speaker 2: A pretty amazing data witness.

00:00:16 Speaker 3: Incredible. I don't think any of us saw it coming. The blowout of that last quarter. I think at half time you would have had BEA's each way and Brisbane just took over.

00:00:24 Speaker 4: Yeah, they did. I thought there was an omen. I was standing in this very spot when the Geelong marching band and march of fans rolled through. I thought it might have been an omen. But gee, Brisbane. They took a little while to get going, as both teams did, but geez, once it worked, it really really works, didn't it.

00:00:39 Speaker 5: It was just amazing, quite.

00:00:41 Speaker 2: An emphatic result.

00:00:42 Speaker 1: Me when you were at forty seven point margin, felt a little bit like twenty twenty one maybe where Nolvan raced away from the Dogs and the game was on a nice edge midway through the third quarter.

00:00:50 Speaker 2: But what do you think was the turning point in that third quarter?

00:00:53 Speaker 5: It just felt like the midfield broke for Geelong, didn't it.

00:00:55 Speaker 2: Really?

00:00:55 Speaker 3: They were sort of holding holding sway. They won some cluences that didn't do a lot with them, and then at a certain point things just snapped for them. I don't know whether that was locking Neil taking over, but at some point Brisbane just owned the center and then Geelong's defense could do no more. I think those young defendants for Gelong held them together really. Conor O Sullivan Jack Henry had a great day until those last sort of quarnt loss. At Henry's was very good until the last quarter and things just fell apart, I think to the Cats.

00:01:19 Speaker 4: I think the snapping might have been Jeremy Cameron's forum, which we'll get to no doubt shortly. But as you say, I mean, Harris Andrews was just a rock down back. He gave Shannon Neil an absolute bath, and I'm sure Shannon wouldn't mind me saying that. I think he'd be the first to admit that himself. They just couldn't get into the game, could they. Any of the Geelong forwards and I mean Dane z orco Like it was just these experienced players human cluggage. Zach Bailey that really just led from the front that he's even touching on. Of course the Normsooth feddalist will Ashcroft back to back no less so once, as I say, once it got going, I spoke to Human Cluggage in the rooms afterwards and asked him was it anything specific that was said by the coach or one of the players. As we know, it can be even the unlikeliest names that can bob up with that little nugget of gold on it's like like Grand Final day to sort of provide that sparker. It was nothing. It was just once thing's got humming, you know, Zach Bailey finally matters to to find the goals and it just went from there.

00:02:10 Speaker 2: He could have kicked eight.

00:02:11 Speaker 1: Zach Valley probably kicked himself out of a Norm Smith and he got a feel for the Norm Smith medal voter, it's probably the most diverse array of contenders we've had in a Grand Final in some time, and you could see that in the voting. There are a lot of different ways up with Harris Andrews. You you were very different. We weren't voting on the actual medal in the coach squads. After Dark Metal, Yeah.

00:02:27 Speaker 2: After Dark Medal but a lot of different options.

00:02:29 Speaker 1: It was such an even even game from those top end prison players.

00:02:32 Speaker 5: Why did you vote for Harris Andrews.

00:02:34 Speaker 1: I just thought when the game was on the line in the early in the third quarter, he was.

00:02:38 Speaker 2: Massive for them. Huge first up.

00:02:39 Speaker 1: He had a very consistent game, but it just felt like there was a passage of about ten minutes when the game was hot, when every single too long.

00:02:45 Speaker 2: As hack he stood in the way of And it.

00:02:46 Speaker 1: Didn't help that they kicked it to him a couple of times and kicked it straight to it.

00:02:50 Speaker 2: But he was just a rock for them.

00:02:51 Speaker 5: I thought, yeah, go for Ashcroft.

00:02:53 Speaker 3: Just to the record, I gave him my three voters Andrews because I thought there was the problem that Chris God just couldn't solve twice his final series. One time they won, the other time I just couldn't get around it. But we will Ashtroft. That's two normousis back to back. He got your votes, Loan, what kind of ascendency is this? Now for the mulleted one.

00:03:08 Speaker 4: I'll take that. I mean, you throw on enough times, it's going to stick eventually, isn't it. So we've got to basket out glory every now and then when it comes to these sort of predictions, but no rare air really back to back Norm Smith's. It's only been done twice before, of course Andrew McLoud and Dustin Martin, the former of course being the chair of today's panel, and gave Will Ashcroft the three. So it's an incredible club to be joining for Will. I just thought, as you said then, when the game was there to be won, he was the one that was really providing that drive. And it all stems back to his own highlights, no lessie. He told us in the rooms afterwards that he turned to YouTube this morning as he woke up just across the road from here at the Pullman Hotel and looked at his own highlights from last year. He doesn't normally do that sort of thing, but something just came to him in that moment to turn back and have a look at what he was able to achieve. He's got incredible belief in his game. He's an incredibly confident individual, works just so hard on every aspect of his game. So I guess greatness inspires greatness, doesn't it.

00:04:03 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a lot of fun to be in the Brison rooms after the game. Chris Fagan was in there nice and early, was there having a bit of fun with the reporters. A lot of family and friends in there waiting for players to come down while they propertied a couple of laps. In the end, they had plenty of time out there and when they came in there were some great stories to be told in the afternat.

00:04:20 Speaker 4: It's my favorite part of the day isn't it. I mean the anticipations there. We're obviously all on deadline for the newspapers across the country, so we are nervously looking at our watches, but they obviously soaking in. The families make their way in and just that moment you see the photographers come in first, and that's when you know the players are close. They were led in by none other than Oscar Macinernie, of course, who was the heartbreak story in years gone by. He had the trophy aloft. It was magnificent, and none other than Dane z Orco, the big eski full of four x gold was waiting for them in true queenslanda style. He was pinging cans absolutely everywhere, so it was it was sort of put the helmet on and shield your head for a few of those moments there, but Darcy will Not of course got the song going and there were incredible scenes. Chris Fagan, I think his jeans were pretty wet as well after coppying, a bit of a soaking on the ground. So it's just amazing. Every single year, you know, you sort of think that this stuf would get tired, but I think for the Brisbane players, this one felt almost better than last year and they celebrated in style.

00:05:16 Speaker 3: I've got two fears coming out of the ruins of first fear, so Jonathan Brown, so Cam Rayner came up to him and said, you o us a haircut after he promised yesterday he get his head trim like ky Loman into a bit of a mohawk. Brown He's trying to avoid it. I think I am, But then he said I'm in too deep now, so I think he's going to cop a chart. He said, maybe I should do it now before I have a few more beers, which might be smart. And Darcy Wilmont also, I spoke to him after he was quite in a scary movie to get the song going, and then he said, I said, what lessons did you learn from last year to help you with the Grand Final celebration.

00:05:44 Speaker 5: He said, go harder again this year. So I'm a.

00:05:47 Speaker 3: Little bit neurious about what state Darcy will be in tomorrow morning, but I'm sure.

00:05:51 Speaker 5: He's gonna have a great night.

00:05:52 Speaker 2: I spoke to Jasper Fletcher.

00:05:53 Speaker 1: He was unequivocal that the second flag meant more to him than the first thing. He said he was really upset for his good nighte Jared Berry, and he was so happy that Oscar mac Andernie and Darcy Garda could get that first premission middle. He also spoke about what could have been a real turning point in the game when he was mowed down Jeremy Cameron in the middle of the ground, a one armed Cameron just desperate arm out broad Fletcher the ground.

00:06:13 Speaker 2: He could have been a big turning point for the Cats.

00:06:15 Speaker 1: They got a goal out of it, But Fletcher talked about his response to it. He just said it was a pound the rock sort of game. He had to get straight back up. The Cameron really knocked a bin out of him as well. He needed to help from the trainers. But he gets back up and has a massive second half and ended up getting Best on Ground votes from Louie College.

00:06:30 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was a real captain hook moment from Jerem McCain, wasn't He just hooked him in and realed him over. I guess we have to talk about jess at some point. That was the moment I think where things really crashed down for Jolong, that that injury therefored line. I've never seen it that dysfunctional in the past three or four years. That just couldn't get anywhere. Part of that was Harys Andrews, but their game style today was just going nowhere over and over again, long bombs down the wing. It wasn't happening for them. Jessu was putting his arm wrapped in his jumper in the Chaine rooms where they fear it's a broken arm, and he could barely get in the game apart from that tackle after that collision with Patrick Gangerfield in the second quarter, how much did it ruin their chances on.

00:07:02 Speaker 4: You think, oh, massively, Josh. I think it was all clear for all to see. The commentators in that moment, we're questioning two things there. That why he wasn't said for a head injury assessment in that moment for that clash and then also the arm. I mean every station that you were listening to basically said he's broken his forearm. The way that he was carrying it, he was almost you know, he was so limp in his arm and carrying it like it was almost in a sling. And that was before he even got to the rooms. He spent you know, a good sort of ten to fifteen minutes in the rooms. We were all waiting for the word to come through that they were going to sub Jack Martin on I think he was even waiting, and then of course had the three quarter time break, Jack Martin still had the warm up top on it. I think all of us were sort of sitting there astound of why haven't they pulled this lever when he was just so incredibly hampered in that moment. But I don't know. I mean, he's a big game player. You almost have to risk them to a point. But if you're out there with a broken arm in a Grand Final, your team is clearly up against it. I mean, surely you've got to pull the trigger, don't.

00:07:57 Speaker 5: You, Especially that Jack Martin, who is a difference making player.

00:08:00 Speaker 3: It doesn't always come up, but he's a guy that can change a four line in an instant to kick three goals out of nowhere and suddenly you're back in the game. It was strange, and it was strange if they weren't going to say about coming they waited so long to sub about Stanley.

00:08:10 Speaker 5: They needed to make that move. Quicker.

00:08:11 Speaker 3: Stanley gave them virtually nothing all day, So if you're not going to move Cameron out, they had to do the same with Martin.

00:08:17 Speaker 5: We saw Breisman took the risk. John didn't want to take the risk. They made that move at halftime, got Neil into the game, Locky Neil.

00:08:22 Speaker 3: It worked for them, even though they were taking out a runner and Geelong was seemingly too scared to pull that leaver that they had.

00:08:28 Speaker 1: Chris Fagan said he lost a lot of sleep over that decision to make. He said he knew that after the game he was either going to feel like a genius or an idiot.

00:08:37 Speaker 4: I mean, he could have he could have just about guarded a vote. Lucky Neil, like he was just incredible. Talk about when when the momentum was starting to swing, he was right right there, and you know he never had any doubt in his mind, and he showed it.

00:08:48 Speaker 1: Today a few little things that we should touch on. That Chris Scott Mension and his presser. He had another crack at the sub rule.

00:08:54 Speaker 2: Of course, it was probably.

00:08:59 Speaker 3: Just witness and it was also the most important sub moment for the sub rule. And it's on its way out, which is a bit of a sadness almost an in memorium I think today for.

00:09:07 Speaker 4: That, and it sort of goes to the narrative, doesn't it. I mean, we saw John Ralph and Glen McFarland's incredible piece about Chris and his sort of long running war with the AFL, and she's even after a forty seven point dubbing as it was in the end, he sort of didn't miss an opportunity to give him one on the way out, did he?

00:09:21 Speaker 2: He did not have that sup dog. What do we think of the pregame entertainment?

00:09:25 Speaker 3: Yeah, not the best. I don't think it was pretty good Snoop. I think he did really well with what he had. But I think when you bring in a Snoop dog, it means the crowd is watching, not participating.

00:09:33 Speaker 5: I think that's what we got today.

00:09:35 Speaker 3: I think he did a pretty good job in the daylight, but it's a tough ass for an act like that at com.

00:09:39 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's an incredibly hard by Harby. How am I going high bar after the last few years. Of course, Robbi Williams and Delta Gudrum basically set in the Standard a few years ago and had the place absolutely rocking. It didn't really seem like it was an in ground thing. I thought he looked incredibly cool and he sort of had the room sort of bopping where we were, But it seems more of a vibe factor, I'm told by some of the young people that were watching on TV. But I am also informed that he left the stage at two o'clock, left the ground at about two eleven PM, so I don't know. Maybe Patrick Dangerfield and Bailey Smith went with him. I didn't say that until on fans, Please.

00:10:15 Speaker 1: Don't I didn't see any Gelong players get on the Snooperville within the red buggy that cut him off at records speed, like almost the quickest I've ever seen a vehicle drive across the mcgs out of there.

00:10:24 Speaker 4: Yeah, I had the motor home out in Bronton Avenue too, which we've never seen before. So you know what he's put the put back on the global stage.

00:10:31 Speaker 5: Again.

00:10:32 Speaker 4: He really bought in until the game was actually on, So you have to.

00:10:35 Speaker 3: Feel so over the people in the Shane warn stand the real people that sit over that side. They saw nothing. He was facing the other side the complete whole performance. They saw the back of the stage.

00:10:43 Speaker 4: He bring back the round, not turn around.

00:10:44 Speaker 3: At one point at all during this performance. So it sucks to be them, but I'm sure it was good on TV.

00:10:49 Speaker 1: We might say a round stage next year in the end of the closed off stage. One thing that might go as well is boundary thrones between the arcs.

00:10:55 Speaker 2: We're going to have. Last disposal were all probably next year. It fell out the game was unpired.

00:10:58 Speaker 1: It's unplied very well, I thought, but it felt like it was unplied without the insufficient in tenderal.

00:11:02 Speaker 2: It was quite yet up.

00:11:03 Speaker 5: Yeah, that went out away and we had about a million throwings.

00:11:06 Speaker 3: I think in the first half it just felt like it was over and over getting kicking up and down the wings.

00:11:09 Speaker 5: So hard work for the boundary umpires. Hopefully it's a little.

00:11:12 Speaker 4: Bit easier for the next year, and a huge game on the stoppage count too. I think we surpassed the average that we've seen throughout this season by about the end of the second quarter as well, So I think Greek Swan was obviously watching very very closely on two fronts, both as the new AFL football boss and of course the former Sea of the Lion. So he'll be happy that it went off without a hitch and that his Lions got the win. But you know, obviously pressure is on to reduce the game time then too.

00:11:35 Speaker 5: We can't finish this without talking about Dante Felder. You mention it.

00:11:37 Speaker 3: They're huge in the prelim, not so much in the granny. What did you think of Patrick?

00:11:41 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean I think he'll be sitting here incredibly disappointed with his performance. And that goes to a number of big names Gelong players. We mentioned Bailey Smith as well, who was having a bit of a knark with Harris Andrews late in the game, which I just think was a pretty bad look really like, I mean, your team's nearly fifty points down and you're sort of busy fighting with the opposition who's now to back premiership player. I didn't think that was a great look from Bailey when the heat was on, but danger I think he would have had such high hopes after that performance in the preliminary final that you know he could come out here get it done. It was effectively the only individual thing that he's yet to do in the game, of course, is to captain a premiership and potentially enormosmith. I know he would have been right up there in the calculations for people before the game, but no, I think he'd be incredibly disappointed to right.

00:12:21 Speaker 3: It felt like they got caught a little bit too long because jeremccahan was off the field. I think they felt they needed dangerfield forward to be a target, but then he wasn't winning any contest forward and so the midfield started to turn. So they needed him in the midfield, but they didn't really put him in there.

00:12:33 Speaker 4: So it needs to be everywhere and ends up kind of nowhere. Right.

00:12:35 Speaker 3: Yeah, they needed him to do one or the other, and he ended up not really doing much forward, so I think they just got caught with nothing when they needed almost both.

00:12:42 Speaker 1: Yeah, the preliminary final probably his best game in quite a few years, and it was his second at a month. They might need to reconsider how health and play him next season. How to manage him through the season might be difficult to say to the captain. Look, you might only play fifteen to sixteen games, but that's what it takes to have him anywhere near that level.

00:12:59 Speaker 2: Next season that might be what they need to do.

00:13:01 Speaker 5: Definitely.

00:13:02 Speaker 2: Yeah, we're just.

00:13:03 Speaker 1: Looking ahead to the twenty twenty seas well. I think we're going to see a lot more of Jelow in brisbanees and they they were vying for Team of the Century so far basically. But you look at the additions next year, Brisbane pick up Oscar Allen and Sam Dreva at least for three hours.

00:13:14 Speaker 2: See Geelong probably get Ryan Marshall and James Warhur. It doesn't look but be going anywhere.

00:13:18 Speaker 3: Charlie cam and Charlie Cerno has still been whispered about as well as a potential target. There the two sides that are continuously contending. History says if you lose a Grand Final by a bit, you don't really come back the next year. So pressure is on Geelong toil. I guess reverse that trend. But you're tired to see either of these sides really missing out. Chatting with Logan Myers in the Ruins and said, hopefully you get a couple and get urt next year, So I think the Brisbane would be pretty fun.

00:13:40 Speaker 4: It's not supposed to be like this. I think if you're sitting at home now watching this, you know you follow a team that's maybe perennially down the bottom of the ladder. You're just incredibly frustrated with teams like this. But it just goes to show the destination clubs or destination clubs no matter what's going on. If, as you say, Brisbane can add a little bit of cream, there could it before consecutive Grand finals? Isn't it amazing? We're minutes after this year's group model, look at it next year. But that's the nature of the beast. Will Ashcroft is the same. He basically said tonight that he can't wait to get back and start doing the work again. I think he's crazy. I think he needs to go and have a rest. But this is the way these guys think.

00:14:11 Speaker 3: I think it shows that it's not completely broken. But the salary cap system doesn't work the way it's opposed to it. If a running premier can bring in two free agents at pretty good coin like Brisbane can, all credit to them. Obviously, it's fantastic way by the cap team there. They're doing a great job, but the premier shouldn't be able to do that, so there's something that needs to be fixed along the way there somehow.

00:14:28 Speaker 5: But great work by Brisbane obviously, so the.

00:14:30 Speaker 1: Lines back to back premier is by forty seven points at the MCGAM Actually catch up on all the postgame coverage on the Herald Sun and Code Sports websites will be out for the postgame functions tomorrow as well as Geelong, Cantleigh and Brisbane who keep following up all the news from today. Thanks very much.