Lions run riot for first AFL flag since three-peat
Roger Vaughan |
SNAPSHOT OF THE 2024 AFL GRAND FINAL
RESULT: Brisbane 18.12 (120) beat Sydney 9.60 (60) on Saturday at the MCG.
THEY SAID IT: “To the players, I’m so proud of you … we’re going to have some fun over the next few days.” Brisbane premiership coach Chris Fagan in his post-game speech.
MAN OF THE MOMENT: In his grand final debut, Brisbane young gun Will Ashcroft won the Norm Smith Medal as best afield.
KEY MOMENT: When Eric Hipwood is pulling off party tricks, the opposition is doomed. With the Lions dominating late in the second term, Hipwood snapped superbly from a pocket and celebrated with his best impersonation of another Lions premiership goal-kicking wizard, Jason Akermanis. With all due respect to Hipwood, he can miss the simplest set shot. Game over.
THE STAT: At 63, Fagan is the AFL’s oldest premiership coach and the first never to have played at this level.
INJURIES: Brisbane’s Cameron Rayner was crunched by Brodie Grundy in the second term, but returned to the game. Capping a dirty day for Swans star Isaac Heeney, he limped off in the third quarter. Sydney key-position player Logan McDonald was subbed out at half-time.
WHAT’S NEXT? Party time in Brisbane. Two years after they were thrashed by Geelong, another demoralising grand final loss and much food for thought at Sydney.
AAP
