Can Grundy dominate? Can Zorko break loose? Who will Norm Smith win? All the big questions ahead of the 2024 GF

It’s that time of year again. With the AFL season coming to an end, we can finally look forward to our Grand Final match.

A first-ever State-of-Origin style GF isn’t exactly what Victoria has dreamed of, but it’s still a fascinating contest.

These two clubs have been benchmarks of success for many years, both with strong club cultures and being key points of success for the national sport of AFL.

But both teams are also linked with recent heartbreak in September, with Sydney finishing runners-up in 2022, and the Lions falling just short in 2023.

Neither Geelong nor Collingwood are about to bring back any Grand Final PTSD, and what fans have on their hands should be a high-scoring tight game.

Win a Ziggy BBQ on Grand Finals day, thanks to Barbecue Galore! Enter here.

For Sydney, this game was a clear expectation from Round 5. The Swans announced themselves as contenders once again with a stellar performance in the opening round against the Dees.

From then on, the Minor Premiers looked like an unstoppable force throughout the season, with a dangerous midfield trio of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Errol Gulden leading the way.

But like most teams, the Swans have struggled: a 100-point loss to Port here, a loss to the Saints there. Did anyone really expect the Swans to go 23-0 this year? I certainly didn’t.

Isaac Heeney takes a disputed mark. (Photo: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photo/Getty Images)

Brisbane, on the other hand, had a bumpy ride to the Grand Final, including an ACL injury and poor form.

It looked like the Lions were going to join the list of GF losers who failed to make the big dance next year. I’ll be totally honest, I wrote Brisbane off two or three times this season, and happily I was proven wrong by them.

Brisbane gave us two of the most thrilling finals in a row this year, one being Joe Daniher’s heroics and 44-point comeback that highlighted their semi-final win over the Giants, and then the glorious football dream that was the Lions’ opening match against Geelong.

The coaching battle is interesting. The Swans’ fast ball movement versus the Lions’ slow kick-mark tactics.

There are plenty of questions to be answered at the MCG. Like what will Brisbane do to prevent James Jordan from diminishing Dan Zorko’s influence? Will Dunkley play the same role over Heeney that he played over Jordan de Goey in last year’s game? Is Berry going to play a shutdown role over Gulden? How will Darcy Fort match up with Grundy? Will Sydney’s key forward Harris be able to hold Andrews (who will be the Billy Frampton of 2024) accountable?

But I think the game will depend on whether Brisbane can stop Sydney moving the ball down the left hand side of the field. A lot of the Swans attack is built around getting out of the backline and swinging to the advantageous side of Nick Blakey and Gulden, the Lions will need to put up some sort of team defensive effort to stop this.

Cam Rayner celebrates a goal. (Photo: Darryn Traynor/AFL Photo/Getty Images via)

Now some predictions!

First Goal Scorer: Jack Bailey
Norm Smith Medal:Chad Warner
tip: Sydney by 14 points

My advice is inspired by what I’ve seen from Sydney all year; no matter how many players they have tagged, they eventually win. It happened against the Pies at the end of the home and away season, and again against the Giants in the first week of the finals.

The loss of the Big O against Grundy means the Swans midfielders will be better served, allowing Sydney to dominate ball movement and be able to beat the Lions on the counter. But then again, what do I know?