That 'one day in September' is the pinnacle of Australian Rules football. Moments etched in folklore forever, players and coaches bonded for life over the achievement of premiership glory; it's every AFL player's dream.
But there is always the other side of the coin.
Teams that have strived tirelessly to earn themselves a spot in the decider, yet end the day without the ultimate prize, are soon left behind in the memory of the average fan.
Moments that could've been historic for years are soon forgotten. Charlie Cameron's lead-changing goal with five minutes to go in 2023's grand final could've been one of Brisbane's most iconic moments of all time, had Jordan De Goey not delivered an outrageous response mere seconds later.
Outstanding individual performances become irrelevant, as the focus rightly turns to the champions of the AFL that year. Think back to 2016, when formers Swans captain Josh Kennedy put together a gigantic performance, including 34 disposals and three goals, before the Bulldogs sealed the close affair in the final term. Had Sydney won, Kennedy would surely have had a Norm Smith Medal around his neck.
The aforementioned examples feature this year's grand finalists, Brisbane and Sydney, who are two clubs that know this torturous feeling all too well. At the final siren on Saturday, one team will be filled with ecstasy, joy, and relief. However, for the other side, the pain will only continue.
They say you have to lose one to win one. For Sydney, they might have had to lose three.
A premiership has been over a decade in the making for the Swans, one of the most successful clubs win-percentage-wise during the 2000s. Since their stunning 2012 premiership, which featured John Longmire in just his second year at the helm, the Swans have lost their last three grand final appearances.
The Swans were comprehensively smashed by a Hawthorn side on track for a three-peat in 2014 despite heading in as favourites. The Swans were again tipped to spoil the fairytale run by the Western Bulldogs in 2016, yet were overcome in the final quarter to hand the Bulldogs the unlikeliest of premierships. The Swans remained competitive in 2017 and 2018, before bottoming out in 2019 and 2020, missing consecutive finals series for the first time since 1995 and 1996.
But Sydney are never down for long, and found themselves back in the eight in 2021, and another grand final in 2022. This time, a gruelling preliminary final against Collingwood the week before, as well as an inexperienced, youthful brigade, led to an 81-point crushing against a Cats team who too had been on the cusp of premiership glory for years.
A loss on Saturday will hand Sydney their fourth-straight grand final loss. For a team so successful year-on-year during the home and away season, another year without reward would be devastating. It would be the first fourth-consecutive grand final appearance loss since Geelong came runners-up in 1989, 1992, 1994 and 1995 without a flag in between.
Luke Parker and coach Longmire will be a couple of participants to experience the full pain of a fourth-straight defeat, albeit they hold 2012 medals. Dane Rampe and Jake Lloyd too were a part of the 2014 defeat, a loss on Saturday handing them a fourth grand final defeat with no additional success to boot. Tom Papley, Isaac Heeney and Harry Cunningham will all have lost their third, whilst an additional ten could lose their second straight -ย Blakey, Campbell, Florent, Fox, Gulden, Hayward, McCartin, McLean, Rowbottom and Warner.
Of course, there have been previous final heartbreaks too, where the Swans have come ever so close to the big dance. A 2013 preliminary final loss to Fremantle, two semi-final defeats in 2015 and 2017, as well as a one-point elimination final Sydney Derby loss to GWS in 2021. Sydney have effectively been a chance in September for ten of the last 12 seasons, yet have failed to achieve the ultimate success.
Brisbane too have been so close, yet so far. For six years the Lions have enjoyed home and away season success, finishing top-four thrice, and fifth another three times. A back-to-back grand final loss for Brisbane will be the first in the AFL since St Kilda in '09 and '10, though the Saints had the draw in between.
Until last year however, the Lions continued to fall short of the final Saturday. In 2019, the Giants bundled the Lions out in straight sets, following Brisbane's loss at the hands of eventual premiers Richmond.
In 2020, the stars were aligned for a Brisbane premiership, let alone a grand final appearance. Given the COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria, the Grand Final was to be held at the Gabba, and Brisbane too held a home Gabba preliminary final against Geelong. The Lions were comprehensively beaten by the Cats however, scoring just 6.6 whilst Geelong rampaged in attack with 27 scoring shots.
The Lions fell heartbreakingly close to winning in another semi-final, ensuring a second straight-sets exit in three seasons. A one-point loss at the hands of Bailey Smith and a rushed behind by Laitham Vandermeer saw the Lions fall to the eventual runners-up Bulldogs.
The Lions were rolling with momentum in 2022, as Joe Daniher's late goal stunned the Tigers, and an MCG hoodoo was overcome with a 13-point win against Melbourne. However, the Lions stumbled against the soon-to-be premiers Geelong, losing by 71 points.
It wasn't until their first top-two finish under Chris Fagan that the Lions broke through into the decider. Steady wins over Port Adelaide and Carlton ensured their entry into the big dance, but they fell to a rampant Collingwood outfit by a mere four points, agonisingly close to the ultimate success.
The Lions have been driven by last year's heartbreak, as an interstate-team grand final presents Brisbane with their greatest opportunity to win a flag.
"You're the sum of all your experiences," Fagan said in the post-match press conference after his side's preliminary final win.
"Obviously disappointed what happened in the grand final last year, as close as it was, and you know it was driving us coming into this season."
Jarrod Berry vulnerably spoke to Channel 7ย about how big of a factor the 2023 grand final loss has driven himself, and the group.
"To get the opportunity again, from last year's disappointment, the role I played in it, it's pretty special. To get back and get another crack, it means the world to me," Berry said.
"(The grand final loss) has driven me everyday... now we're here again."
Jarrod Berry has worn the agony of last yearโs Grand Final for 12 months.
Raw emotion in the rooms tonight: pic.twitter.com/GlgyTtQr17— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) September 21, 2024
Sydney too feel more prepared after their 2022 grand final experience.
"I feel like this year, the way we've played, the body of work we've put in on the track and on the field, it was our expectation to be there this weekend," Gulden said last Sunday.
Yet either way, when the final siren sounds on season 2024, there will only be one winner. A decade's work of home and away success for Sydney, including three painful runners-up efforts, will be overviewed by a victory on Saturday. For the Lions, six straight years of top-end ladder positions, and a harrowing grand final defeat will be redeemed by a triumphant performance.
Yet, on the flipside of the coin, one club's heartbreak will only continue. Either a fourth-straight grand final loss, or back-to-back runners-up years. No matter the result, the losing side will be a compelling, gut-wrenching story.
