Fiba Europe Cup Basketball

Walking into the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Grand Final day feels like stepping into a cathedral of Australian sport. The roar of 100,000 fans creates a physical vibration you can feel in your bones, and having covered this spectacle for over a decade, I can confirm the AFL Grand Final remains one of the most electrifying events in world sport. It’s not just a game; it’s a narrative-rich drama where legacy is forged in a few intense hours. Today, I want to pull back the curtain on what truly defines this iconic event, blending an analysis of its pivotal moments with the strategic frameworks that separate champions from contenders. I’ll also weave in a crucial lesson about mindset I picked up from an unexpected place—a quote from volleyball, of all things—that perfectly captures the championship mentality required to win it all.

The first quarter of a Grand Final is often a feeling-out process, but don’t be fooled by the tentative start. The team that can land the first significant psychological blow often grabs a hold of the game that can last for hours. I vividly recall the 2018 clash between Collingwood and West Coast. Within the first five minutes, Dom Sheed, who would later become the hero, made a crushing tackle that resulted in a turnover and an early goal. It was a statement. It set a tone of physical dominance. These early moments are about more than just the scoreboard; they are about establishing a narrative. Statistically, the team that wins the first quarter has gone on to lift the premiership cup roughly 60% of the time over the last two decades. It’s a data point that underscores the immense importance of a fast start, of seizing the script before your opponent has even found their pen.

As the game progresses into the second and third quarters, the battle shifts from pure explosiveness to strategic endurance. This is where coaching panels earn their pay. The midfield becomes a chessboard. I’ve always been a sucker for a team that can control the corridor, slicing through the center with precise, daring kicks. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy that I personally find more compelling than the conservative, boundary-hugging style some teams adopt. The "press"—a defensive structure that clogs the forward 50—can be suffocating, but the teams I admire most are those with the skill and nerve to break it with quick hands and visionary kicks. Look at Richmond’s dynasty under Damien Hardwick; their "chaos game" wasn't chaotic at all. It was a meticulously rehearsed system of creating turnovers and then attacking with blistering speed through the middle. The ability to adapt your game plan mid-match, to identify and exploit a momentary weakness in the opposition's structure, is what turns a 10-point deficit into a 15-point lead heading into the final break.

And then, there's the fourth quarter. This is where legends are made and hearts are broken. The physical tank is emptying, and the game becomes almost entirely mental. The pressure is a tangible force. This brings me to that quote from the volleyball world, which has stuck with me for years. A teammate was describing a player, saying, "On the other side, si Nica naman, always, alam mo, ready for all the feedback that we're trying to tell her." That phrase, "ready for all the feedback," is the absolute essence of a Grand Final champion. In those dying minutes, when the crowd is deafening and every decision is magnified, the players who thrive are the ones who remain coachable, who can absorb instructions from the bench, process the feedback from the game situation itself, and execute under duress. They aren't stubborn or frozen by the moment; they are receptive and adaptive. This mindset is the ultimate winning strategy. It’s the difference between a player who shanks a kick-in under pressure and one who, like Luke Shuey in the 2018 thriller, can win a crucial clearance and hit a target inside 50 with the game on the line.

Of course, individual brilliance often provides the exclamation point. From Leo Barry’s legendary game-saving mark in 2005 to Isaac Smith’s cool-as-you-like goal from outside 50 in 2022, these moments live on in highlight reels forever. But what’s often overlooked is the collective composure that allows that brilliance to flourish. The team must create an environment where a player feels empowered to take that risk. It’s about trust. It’s about every player on the field being, as that quote so perfectly puts it, "ready for all the feedback"—from their coaches, from their teammates, and from the flow of the game itself. This cultural foundation is what builds resilience. It’s why some teams find a way to win from seemingly impossible positions, while others let a premiership slip through their fingers.

So, as we look ahead to the next chapter of this great tradition, remember that the Ultimate Guide to the AFL Grand Final isn't just a list of tactics or a catalog of great marks and goals. It's an understanding of the emotional and psychological journey of the day. It’s about the strategic battle for momentum, the chess match between coaches, and above all, the cultivation of a mindset defined by adaptability and a relentless openness to learning in the heat of battle. The team that masters that, the team whose players are all "ready for the feedback," is the team that will be holding the cup aloft as the confetti falls. And I, for one, can't wait to see who that will be.