AFL Grand Finalists: Brisbane - Route to the final and key players

Brisbane are back in the AFL grand final and will be out to make up for the disappointment of last season’s loss to Collingwood.

The Lions lost a thrilling grand final by just four points last season and will be desperate to avoid such heartbreak once again.

To do that they will have to get past a Sydney side that have been flying all season, but there is little to separate the two teams, and another nail-biter could be on the cards.

The Lions have the players to get the job done, and fuelled by the disappointment of 12 months ago, they will be a dangerous animal.

Brisbane won three premierships in a row from 2001 to 2003, before Port Adelaide denied them a fourth on the bounce in the 2004 grand final.

Let’s take a look at Brisbane’s route to the grand final and their key players.

. What: Sydney v Brisbane
. Where: MCG, Melbourne
. When: 14:30 (AEST) Saturday September 28th, 2024
. How to watch: Kayo, Foxtel, Channel 7
. Odds: Sydney 1.75, Brisbane 2.10

Route to the grand final

Clearly still affected by the 2023 grand final loss, the Lions got the 2024 campaign off to a shocking start, losing their three opening games.

They remained inconsistent before going on a nine-match winning streak that looked like it may take them to a top-two finish.

However the Lions faltered towards the end of the regular season, and although they beat Essendon in the final game, they still had to settle for fifth spot on the ladder.

Winning the grand final when finishing out of the top four is a big ask, but Brisbane are now just one win away from bucking the trend.

Chris Fagan’s side have stepped up to the plate in finals, showing great character and quality to win all three games so far.

They made light work of Carlton in the elimination final, beating the Blues 99-71 at the Gabba, before completing an incredible fight back to win at Greater Western Sydney in the semi-final.

Brisbane then beat Geelong by 10 points at the MCG in the preliminary final, to set up the showdown against the Swans in the grand final.

It now remains to be seen whether the extra game will take its toll on the Lions, or whether they still have enough in the tank to see the job through.

Key players

Lachie Neale

The two-time Brownlow Medalist has had another outstanding season for the Lions when averaging 29.1 disposals a game.

Neale was at the top of his game once again as Brisbane came from behind to beat Geelong in another thrilling preliminary final.

He put in a special performances, finishing with 31 touches and collecting a game-high 26 disposals.

Neale will be playing in his third grand final and will be hoping it is very much a case of third time lucky.

The gun midfielder can be backed at 7.00 to win the Norm Smith medal for best on ground in the grand final.

Joe Daniher

The key forward is a big-game player, just like he showed in the semi-final win over Greater Western Sydney.

Daniher booted 50 goals during the regular season, and if the Lions are to win the grand final, they will need him to bring his shooting boots once again.

He can be backed at 10.00 to kick the first goal of the grand final or 1.09 to score at anytime.

Dayne Zorko

Zorko will be another big player in the grand final and will be key to the Lions’ chances of beating Sydney.

Finished the win over Geelong with 32 touches, and has been one of the stars of Brisbane’s 2024 campaign.

Zorko is another player who could end up being best on ground, and is 13.00 to win the Norm Smith Medal.