It's building.
The tension, excitement, and nerves grow as each day goes by in anticipation of the 2023 Grand Final this Saturday.
The Brisbane Lions meet with an old enemy in Collingwood in a 2003 replay 20 years on. Of course, so much has changed since then; the players and the rules in particular, but one thing hasn't changed.
Both sides have that game-changing player that no matter what position they play, can flip the game on its head and change the direction of the momentum in literally seconds.
Looking back, 2003 had the likes of Nathan Buckley, Michael Voss, Simon Prestigiacomo, and Jason Akermanis, to name a few.
So, we took a look at the stats to see who the likely game-changers are for each side in the build-up to the final gameday of the year.
4. The forwards
To win the game you need to outscore your opponent, but it's also how these scores get generated that will come into the equation. Is the majority going to come from set shots? From stoppages inside 50? Or, will it be from on the run? Caused by a turnover? There are a lot of ways to score but the forwards will have work to do to put their team in the best position.
Brisbane's game-changer: Charlie Cameron
For most of his time in Brisbane, the speedster has been put under pressure for his lack of defensive efforts. But this season, he has silenced the critics and made the opposition nervous on a weekly basis. This season saw Cameron lay 44 tackles inside 50 with 326 pressure acts. Not only has his work inside forward 50 has been good, but it has also helped down back, adding a further 31 tackles to his tally outside the forward 50. 56 goals this season, and if he gets the opportunity to cause a turnover and score, it could be a day out for Cameron.
Collingwood's game-changer: Brody Mihocek
With a man down in Daniel McStay, more responsibility falls onto Mihocek. The question floating around Collingwood will be; does he play a supporting forward role for Mason Cox or does he take the reins as the main forward? Mihocek kicked 46 goals this year with 52 marks inside 50 out of a total of 108. Taking this into account, he can play up the ground, dragging Harris Andrews out of defence and putting pressure on the rest of the Brisbane defence to make up ground.
