| 2024 AFL Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||||||||
 On-field celebrations at theMCG | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Date | 28 September 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Melbourne Cricket Ground,Melbourne,Victoria, Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 100,013 | |||||||||||||||
| Favourite | Sydney | |||||||||||||||
| Umpires | Matt Stevic,Simon Meredith,Craig Fleer,Nick Foot | |||||||||||||||
| Coin toss won by | Brisbane Lions | |||||||||||||||
| Kicked toward | Punt Road | |||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | ||||||||||||||||
| Pre-match entertainment | Katy Perry,Tina Arena &Mike Brady | |||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Cody Simpson | |||||||||||||||
| Accolades | ||||||||||||||||
| Norm Smith Medallist | Will Ashcroft | |||||||||||||||
| Jock McHale Medallist | Chris Fagan | |||||||||||||||
| Ron Barassi Medallist | Lachie Neale,Harris Andrews | |||||||||||||||
| Broadcast in Australia | ||||||||||||||||
| Network | Seven Network | |||||||||||||||
The2024 AFL Grand Final was anAustralian rules football match that was contested between theSydney Swans and theBrisbane Lions at theMelbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 28 September 2024.[1][2] It was the 129th annualgrand final of theAustralian Football League (AFL), staged to determine thepremiers of the2024 AFL season. The match was attended by 100,013 spectators, a record for an AFL match between two non-Victorian teams. Brisbane won by a margin of 60 points, marking the club's fourth AFL premiership and their first since2003.[3]Will Ashcroft of the Lions was awarded theNorm Smith Medal as the best player on the ground.[4]
Sydney came into the2024 season after a six-point elimination final loss toCarlton in 2023. They dominated the start of the season, at one stage having a win–loss record of 13–1. Although becoming somewhat less dominant in the second half of the year (which included a 112-point loss toPort Adelaide in round 21), they ultimately finished on top of the ladder with a 17–6 win–loss record to claim theminor premiership.[5] They defeatedGreater Western Sydney by six points in the first qualifying final to progress to a preliminary final in which they defeatedPort Adelaide by 36 points. Sydney's last grand final appearance was the2022 AFL Grand Final, which they lost toGeelong by 81 points.[6]
Brisbane came into the 2024 season after losing the2023 Grand Final toCollingwood by four points. They struggled early, sitting with a win–loss record of 2–5 after seven games, before a strong second half to the year which saw them qualify for the finals with a 14–8–1 record, finishing fifth on the ladder.[7] They beatCarlton by 28 points in the first elimination final to advance to thesemi-finals,[8] in which they came back from a 44-point deficit in the third quarter to defeatGreater Western Sydney by five points.[9] In their preliminary final, they came back from a 25-point deficit in the third quarter to defeatGeelong by 10 points to advance to the grand final.[10]
Sydney was aiming to win its sixth premiership, and its first since2012, having lost its last three grand finals in2014,2016 and2022. Brisbane was aiming to win its fourth premiership, and its first since winning three in a row in2001,2002 and2003.[11] It was the first grand final meeting between Sydney and Brisbane, thoughSouth Melbourne (who relocated toSydney in1982) andFitzroy (who merged its AFL operations with theBrisbane Bears in1996 to become theBrisbane Lions) did meet in the1899 VFL grand final, which saw the latter prevail by one point. It was the first grand final since2006 in which both teams competing were from outside ofVictoria, and the first ever between two teams from statestraditionally dominated byrugby league.[12]
The two sides met once in the 2024 home-and-away season in which Brisbane 11.13 (79) defeated Sydney 11.11 (77) during round 19 atthe Gabba. Sydney was the favourite among bookmakers, withodds of $1.73 for the win against Brisbane's $2.10.[13]
The 2024 grand final was the first in which theRon Barassi Medal was awarded. The award, named in honour of ten-time premiership player and coachRon Barassi, Jr who had died in September 2023, was henceforth awarded to the captain or co-captains of the winning team.[14]
US pop starKaty Perry performed a 17-minute set on-stage as the pre-game entertainment, singing amedley of "Roar", "Dark Horse", "Gorgeous", "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "I Kissed a Girl" (withTina Arena), "Chains" (with Tina Arena), "Lifetimes", and "Firework".[15][16] The pre-game entertainment was supported by 4× ARIA Award winnerChristine Anu with her daughter Zipporah Corser-Anu for the First Nations Ceremony alongside the Songlines Youth Choir, and singerMike Brady performed "Up There Cazaly".[16] The national anthem was performed by Australian singer, actor and athleteCody Simpson.[17] The performance was greeted with a positive reception.[18][19]
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 9:35 am | AFL Grand Final curtain-raiser:AFL Futures Match |
| 12:38 pm | AFL Grand Final Sprint heats |
| 1:30 pm | AFL Grand Final motorcade |
| 1:33 pm | Mike Brady performs "Up There Cazaly" |
| 1:40 pm | Katy Perry performs |
| 2:13 pm | Teams enter the ground |
| 2:24 pm | Delivery of the premiership cup byJosh J. Kennedy |
| 2:25 pm | Welcome to Country—Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Colin Hunter Jr. |
| 2:26 pm | The Australian National Anthem performed byCody Simpson |
| 2:30 pm | Game starts |
| Half time | AFL Grand Final Sprint final |
| Post game | Post game presentation |
All times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT +10)
Sydney opened the game slightly stronger than Brisbane. No goals were scored by either team in the first ten minutes untilWill Hayward kicked the first for Sydney, and aTom Papley goal followed soon after. Brisbane then kicked two quick goals, both fromKai Lohmann in the 16th and 17th minutes, to take a lead they did not relinquish for the remainder of the match. At this point, Sydney had enjoyed a territory advantage with nine inside-50s to five, but Brisbane had marked and converted more effectively in their forward line.[21]
Three more goals followed, withHugh McCluggage kicking a goal for the Lions in the 24th minute followed by goals from Sydney'sJames Rowbottom and Brisbane'sCharlie Cameron in the final four minutes of the quarter.[22]
Brisbane 4.3 (27) led Sydney 3.1 (19) by eight points at quarter time. Although scores were close, Brisbane had more control of general play, and had missed several very gettable shots at goal. Sydney was unable to stop Brisbane's short-passing ball movement game, with Sydney having less than 35% time in possession and Brisbane dominating the uncontested marks and handball receives statistics.Hugh McCluggage, with nine disposals and a goal, was the best on ground for the quarter;[23] and forwardCallum Ah Chee, although he had not scored, had been involved in setting up most of Brisbane's scoring chances.[21]
Through the first ten minutes of the second quarter, both teams scored one goal: Lohmann kicked his third goal in the 6th minute, andRobbie Fox kicked a goal from a 50m penalty in the 8th minute.
From that point onwards, Brisbane took control of the quarter. Over the next five minutes, Brisbane kicked four behinds from gettable shots, before a run of six goals in only fifteen minutes:Joe Daniher kicked the first from a 30m set shot in the 16th minute; Daniher then set up the second, cleanly winning the subsequent centre bounce and kicking straight toCallum Ah Chee 40m from goal, who converted the set shot;Jarrod Berry kicked the third in the 22nd minute, after intercepting a hurried rebound and converting a 45m set shot;Eric Hipwood, kicked the fourth in the 24th minute with a banana kick from the forward pocket boundary line, after which he mimicked a memorable celebration which former LionJason Akermanis had done after kicking a similar goal in 2005;[24] Ah Chee kicked the fifth in the 26th minute from a mark 15m from goal; andLogan Morris kicked the sixth in the 29th minute from a mark 20m from goal.[25][26] Sydney at one stage went ten minutes without an inside-50, and at half time, Brisbane 11.7 (73) led Sydney 4.3 (27) by a commanding 46 points.
Through the twenty-minute purple patch to end the quarter, Brisbane dominated all statistical indicators, including: disposals 55–26; contested possessions 17–8; inside-50s 13–3; and clearances 7–2.Will Ashcroft had six disposals during this period through the midfield, while many of Sydney's midfield leaders had none.[26]
Callum Ah Chee kicked a goal in the 9th minute to increase the Lions' lead, before anIsaac Heeney goal for the Swans in the 13th minute broke a sequence of seven consecutive Brisbane goals. Brisbane then continued to dominate for the rest of the quarter, with four more goals for Brisbane fromWill Ashcroft,Cameron Rayner,Logan Morris and Ah Chee, extending the three-quarter time margin to an unassailable 73 points.[27]
With Brisbane's premiership victory assured, the final quarter was played at a more leisurely pace. The Swans kicked four consolation goals, three coming from veteran midfielderLuke Parker in his last game for Sydney, and the other coming fromChad Warner. Brisbane kicked two final quarter goals: Lohmann at the 17th minute, and Daniher, in the final game before his retirement, in the 27th minute. The final margin was 60 points, Brisbane 18.12 (120) defeating Sydney 9.6 (60).[28][29][30]
Brisbane dominated several key statistical indicators, including disposals (385–305) and tackles (64–45).[25] Playing under its typical style of methodical ball movement and short passing,[31] Brisbane outmarked Sydney 158–88 and was able to control the uncontested game and prevent Sydney from scoring heavily from turnover, an area where Sydney was strongest in the league throughout the year.[32] Although inside-50s were relatively even (Brisbane led 51–49), Brisbane's quality of entries was significantly higher, and Brisbane dominated the marks inside-50 statistic 22–9 across the whole game, after leading 14–2 in the decisive first half.[26][21]
Brisbane Lions midfielderWill Ashcroft won theNorm Smith Medal as best on ground, scoring 14 out of a maximum 15 votes for his performance which included 30 disposals, 11 score involvements, and one goal. The son of triple premiership winning Brisbane playerMarcus Ashcroft, Ashcroft was in only his second season and had missed the first half of the season recovering from anACL injury; at 20 years old, he was the youngest Norm Smith Medallist since inaugural winnerWayne Harmes (Carlton) in1979.[33]
MidfielderLachie Neale finished second with 35 disposals, including 18 contested, at 86% efficiency, and nine clearances.[34] ForwardsCallum Ah Chee (four goals, eleven score involvements) andKai Lohmann (four goals, one goal assist) finished third and fourth respectively.
| 2024 Norm Smith Medal Voting Panel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Voting Panellist | 3 Votes | 2 Votes | 1 Vote |
| Jack Riewoldt (Chair,Fox Footy) | Will Ashcroft (BL) | Callum Ah Chee (BL) | Lachie Neale (BL) |
| Riley Beveridge (AFL.com.au) | Lachie Neale (BL) | Will Ashcroft (BL) | Callum Ah Chee (BL) |
| Shaun Burgoyne (Channel 7) | Will Ashcroft (BL) | Lachie Neale (BL) | Callum Ah Chee (BL) |
| Anna Harrington (AAP) | Will Ashcroft (BL) | Lachie Neale (BL) | Callum Ah Chee (BL) |
| Rory Sloane (2024 retiree) | Will Ashcroft (BL) | Callum Ah Chee (BL) | Kai Lohmann (BL) |
| Player | Team | Votes | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Ashcroft | Brisbane | 3,2,3,3,3 | 14 |
| Lachie Neale | Brisbane | 1,3,2,2 | 8 |
| Callum Ah Chee | Brisbane | 2,1,1,1,2 | 7 |
| Kai Lohmann | Brisbane | 1 | 1 |
Other Brisbane players considered among the best were forward and back-up ruckJoe Daniher (two goals, four behinds),[23] midfieldersHugh McCluggage (21 disposals, including nine in the first quarter) andJarrod Berry (20 disposals), taggerJosh Dunkley (nullified star midfielderIsaac Heeney), and rebounding defendersBrandon Starcevich (six rebounds and nullifiedTom Papley),Dayne Zorko (nine rebounds, seven intercepts) andNoah Answerth (four rebounds).[35]
Few Sydney players were considered to have played good games, and only midfieldersJames Rowbottom (18 disposals, one goal) andRobbie Fox (21 disposals, one goal) received a grade higher than 7/10 when their performances were assessed by three major sportswriters.[36][37][38]
2018 premiership player and formerWest Coast Eagles forwardJosh Kennedy was the AFL premiership cup ambassador; he delivered the cup to Brisbane's premiership cup ambassador,Leigh Matthews, who coached the club to itsthree-peat from 2001 to 2003. Sydney had nominated a former club captain and 200-game player with the Swans,Stuart Maxfield. Four-time premiership coachDavid Parkin presented theJock McHale Medal to winning coachChris Fagan; theNorm Smith Medal was presented by three-timeGeelong premiership player and2007 winnerSteve Johnson; and1963 Geelong premiership captainFred Wooller presented the inaugural Ron Barassi Medals[39] to winning co-captainsLachie Neale andHarris Andrews.[40]
The teams were announced on Thursday, 26 September. Sydney made no changes to its preliminary final 23. ForwardLogan McDonald was declared fit despite an ankle injury suffered in the preliminary final, although with just one first half kick before being substituted off with a recurrence of the injury, Sydney was ultimately criticised for selecting him.[41] Sydney was also missing captainCallum Mills, who passed a fitness test but had been out of the team since a hamstring injury suffered at training in early September;Dane Rampe captained the team in his absence.[42] Brisbane made one change to its preliminary final 23: ruckmanOscar McInerney was ruled out after twice dislocating his shoulder in the preliminary final, and he was replaced byjourneyman ruckmanDarcy Fort, playing only his third game of the season.[43]
At age 63, Brisbane coachChris Fagan became the oldest coach to win a grand final,[44] (he later won another at age 64); and having played his entire senior career in the Tasmanian leagues, he became the first premiership coach never to have played a match in the VFL/AFL or (when it was the top Victorian league prior to 1897)VFA.[45]
The umpiring panel, comprising four field umpires, four boundary umpires, two goal umpires and an emergency in each position, was announced on Wednesday, 25 September.
| Position | Emergency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field | 2Nick Foot (1) | 9Matt Stevic (12) | 21Simon Meredith (9) | 26Craig Fleer (2) | 12Andrew Stephens | |
| Boundary | Matthew Tomkins (6) | Matthew Konetschka (6) | Michael Barlow (3) | Daniel Field-Read (1) | Damien Main | |
| Goal | Matthew Dervan (3) | Sam Walsh (2) | Steven Piperno |
Numbers in brackets represent the number of grand finals umpired, including 2024.
| Grand final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 September (2:30 pm) | Sydney | def. by | Brisbane Lions |  Melbourne Cricket Ground (crowd: 100,013) | Report |
| 3.1 (19) 4.3 (27) 5.4 (34) 9.6 (60) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 4.3 (27) 11.7 (73) 16.11 (107) 18.12 (120) | Umpires:Craig Fleer,Nick Foot,Simon Meredith,Matt Stevic[47] National anthem:Cody Simpson[48] | ||
| Parker3 Fox,Hayward,Heeney,Papley,Rowbottom,Warner1 | Goals | 4Ah Chee,Lohmann 2Daniher,Morris 1Ashcroft,Berry,Cameron,Hipwood,McCluggage,Rayner | |||
| Rowbottom,Florent,Fox,Gulden,Parker | Best | Neale,Ashcroft,Lohmann,Ah Chee,Daniher,McCluggage | |||
Seven's coverage, simulcast on streaming service7+, began at 9 amAEST with the Grand Final Brunch, hosted byRebecca Maddern, followed by the Grand Final Countdown from 10:30 am withLuke Darcy. Pre-match coverage began from 12 pm withHamish McLachlan andBruce McAvaney hosting. The match was commentated byJames Brayshaw,Brian Taylor,Luke Hodge,Matthew Richardson,Abbey Holmes andDale Thomas. This was the final match before the new AFL television broadcast deal begins, allowing all matches on the network to be streamed via 7+.[49]
Fox Footy's coverage, simulcast onKayo Sports, began at 9 am with the annualNorth Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast from the Plenary Hall atMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Fox Footy televised its own Grand Final Day coverage from the AFL Fan Festival inYarra Park with their own talent, which, for the first time since 2020, did not include the annualFox Footy Longest Kick due to a revitalisation project atBirrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra River.[50] Due to Seven's exclusive rights to the live broadcast, Fox Footy's coverage went dormant during the game, instead showing a full replay of Seven's match coverage broadcast at 6 pm AEST.[51]
| Station | Region | Callers | Special Comments | Boundary Riders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple M | National | Mark Howard,Luke Darcy[i] | Jason Dunstall,Nathan Brown, Ash Chua (statistician) | Michael Roberts |
| ABC Radio | National | Corbin Middlemas, Clint Wheeldon | Mick Malthouse,Cameron Ling,Brett Deledio | Kelli Underwood |
| AFL Nation | National | Andy Maher, Matt Hill | Dermott Brereton,Brad Johnson | Matthew Cocks |
| NIRS | National | Barry Denner, Peter Cardamone | Darryl White,Robbie Ahmat | Sam Duncan |
| 3AW[ii] | Melbourne,VIC | Anthony Hudson,Tim Lane | Matthew Lloyd,Jimmy Bartel | Jacqui Reed |
| SEN | Melbourne,VIC | Gerard Whateley,Dwayne Russell | Gerard Healy,Kane Cornes | Sam Edmund |
| K Rock | Geelong,VIC | Tom King, Ben Casanelia | Mark Neeld,Troy Selwood | Jason Doherty |
| 6PR | Perth,WA | Adam Papalia,Karl Langdon | Brad Hardie, Mark Stone | Mark Foreman |
