In the 2023 AFL Grand Final, Bobby Hill played a matchwinner's game, and Joe Daniher stood up for Brisbane. But two experienced Lions lowered their colours. Here's whose stocks are up and down.
Our footy experts cast their eye over the week's action to find out whose stocks are up -- whether it's a coaching masterstroke or a player having a blinder -- and whose are down.
Brisbane
Stocks up: The Lions could manage just 43 inside 50s - a staggering 14 fewer than their 2023 average, so you have to give kudos to Brisbane's smalls in attack. Chances were few and far between, but they nailed them; Zac Bailey started like a house on fire, kicking two cracking efforts on the run before moving up the ground, Lincoln McCarthy also kicked two, and Charlie Cameron kicked three from limited opportunities. Even Hugh McCluggage snuck forward on a couple of occasions to hit the scoreboard.
Speaking of taking the game on from limited opportunity, Joe Daniher had himself a very good Grand Final outing. As well as hitting the scoreboard for three goals, including one to keep the Lions within a kick with just 90 seconds left in the game, Daniher took an equal-game-high three contested marks - and good ones. He was asked to be the bail-out man a number of times and delivered as Brisbane tried to get the ball out of their back half. Well done, Joe.
Stocks down: While Daniher managed to impact the game with three majors and a number of key contested marks up the ground, his key forward partner Eric Hipwood really struggled. Hipwood managed 10 disposals and just the solitary behind (a shank, no less) as he was completely outplayed by the undermanned Collingwood defence, which was without Nathan Murphy for most of the afternoon.
Further up the field, aside from one spectacular moment in which he gathered the footy and spun his way out of trouble to set up Charlie Cameron in the fourth term, the Lions didn't get enough out of Jarrod Berry. With just five touches to his name at half time, Berry needed to impact the contest. He did, but negatively; Berry gave away two 50 metre penalties, one to Nick Daicos, and the second to Steele Sidebottom, after which the Collingwood veteran was brought up to the 50m arc, and nailed what would be the winning goal.
Collingwood
Stocks up: On a day in which many doubted Collingwood's ability to stay with the Lions' scoring power, Bobby Hill stepped up magnificently. He kicked a career-high four goals, all in the first half, and took what would normally be a mark of the year contender. Hill was a constant nightmare for the Lions' defence; Brandon Starcevich battled away but was too slow to stay with the crafty Hill, who may well have played the perfect game had it not been for two misses from another couple of gettable chances. Hill's game (18 disposals, five tackles, one goal assist, and four goals) earned him the Norm Smith Medal.
It's fair to say Jordan De Goey needed a big moment. Having been well held until midway through the final term (aside from a cracking after-the-siren effort on quarter time), he was on the receiving end of a chain of handballs at the top of the 50, with his side trailing by less than a kick with five minutes remaining. Cue a goal. An immediate response to Brisbane hitting the lead through Charlie Cameron just seconds earlier, De Goey took the moment with both hands and nailed the chance to swing the lead and momentum back in Collingwood's favour.
Stocks down: It was the most frustrating of games for Beau McCreery. The livewire forward involved himself in the play from the outset, and was actually quite good for most of the afternoon, but it was definitely an 'almost game' from McCreery. Three behinds, no goals (but one assist to Hill), a brain fade holding the ball which gifted Zac Bailey a shot from 50 out at a crucial stage of the fourth, and he snubbed the Auskick kid! Let's just say Beau's happy the Pies won!
So too is Billy Frampton. The late in for Dan McStay, Frampton was tasked with keeping Harris Andrews quiet in the Pies' forward line. While Andrews got away from Frampton late and dictated the play in the air, Frampton will also regret a number of simple skill errors; he dropped three uncontested marks inside forward 50, including a soda just 10 metres out, while he also gave away two crucial frees against in the fourth term with the Lions pressing.
And finally, it was heartbreak for defender Nathan Murphy, who was subbed out with concussion on the stroke of quarter time. The defender was playing an effective sweeping role in the first 15 minutes of the contest, but was brought from the ground after attacking a contest bravely with Brisbane's Lincoln McCarthy coming the other way. McCarthy's shoulder clipped Murphy's head, and it was enough for the Collingwood doctors to make the tough call, bringing Magpies sub Patrick Lipinski into the game.