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.
5. The unexpected hero
Every year we are introduced to a player from each grand finalist who steps up when no one sees it coming. These players go a long way in determining how their team performs on the last Saturday of September, and these players listed are ones we believe could be the unexpected difference.
Brisbane's unexpected hero: Lincoln McCarthy
In terms of his time at Brisbane, this year hasn't exactly been his best but he will still have an important role to play come this Saturday. He has only kicked 26 goals this season; one coming against Collingwood. It is possible with a quiet year he might not get as much attention - unlike his fellow forwards - though an eye still has to be kept on the former Cat. 99 score involvements for the year and was the source of scores 23 times. He is also very calm under pressure, and if the game comes down to the final few minutes as some predict it will, he has kicked game-winners previously (see: 2019 against Geelong).
Collingwood's unexpected hero: Isaac Quaynor
Quaynor has come in leaps and bounds this year for Collingwood; a now-integral part of the defence that has charged into the Grand Final. Ranked 15th for intercepts, Quaynor's job coming up will be his toughest one yet. He will likely take the matchup on Charlie Cameron and if he can halt any damage from the livewire Lion, it might just win Collingwood the flag. Quaynor has only lost 17.2% of one-on-ones with 285 pressure acts. It seems Quaynor's job will be to wear Cameron like a shirt.
