AFL Grand Final came down to a very exciting finish. Tensions were raised in the matchup between Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews and Geelong star Bailey Smith. The fiery confrontation unfolded late in the contest as each combatant fought for dominance on the pitch. Smith finished with an eye-popping 29 touches. He was never able to have his signature impact, culminating in a frustrating finish to the game for the young star.
Andrews was the anchor of Brisbane’s defensive third. Not only did he stand out as one of the team’s top performers, he finished second in the Norm Smith Medal voting behind only Will Ashcroft. The finale was not short on drama. One particular moment from Smith’s performance that was telling came during the third quarter, with Smith turned inside out by Dayne Zorko. Zorko took full advantage, creating a path for Lachie Neale to slot one of the evening’s most important goals just prior to three-quarter time.
Earlier in the game, Smith had punched it through into the goal square, resulting in an Ollie Dempsey goal. News cameras were able to quickly capture the often fiery debate between Andrews and Smith. Their increasing frustrations were on full display as the second half developed.
“There’s a bit going on here, not the day that Bailey Smith wanted, been a huge year for him, been OK today, but his frustration ringing out,” – Kane Cornes.
As the game continued, Bailey Smith’s frustration grew to the point of almost being thrown out of the match. Andrews would later downplay their exchange, proposing it was all in the spirit of competition – a byproduct of the intense and fiercely competitive world of football.
“All part of the theatre of the game to be honest with you … Bailey is a great competitor and I really admire the way he goes about it. I’m not sure whether that got caught on camera or not,” – Harris Andrews.
Andrews told us that given the intimidating situation, he was having a great time at the game. He was really loving it.
“I was enjoying myself out there, probably a bit more than Bailey, it is what it is, just get on with the job,” – Harris Andrews.
Patrick Dangerfield, a long-time veteran for the Cats, recognized the letdown his team experienced after their awful defeat. He stressed the need to process this loss as a group, recognizing that some disappointments can stick around.
“The hard part is there’s no guarantees in any given season,” – Patrick Dangerfield.
In particular, he focused on the uncertainty of what future seasons will look like. He’d be right if he reminded his teammates that past success doesn’t win future games.
“It’s everyone that starts again from the blocks, and just because you’ve had a reasonable season one year, there are no guarantees the next,” – Patrick Dangerfield.
Dangerfield wanted his teammates to process their emotions after this crushing loss and understand that it should mean something important as they go forward.
“So I think it’s important that you sit in it for a little bit; that as difficult as it may be, together this piece is really important,” – Patrick Dangerfield.
He finished by acknowledging that this defeat would continue to be felt deep by them for many months.
“Look, I think it’s going to hang around regardless. That’s the feeling you get when you make it to the last day of September and you don’t quite get there,” – Patrick Dangerfield.
As Brisbane rejoiced in their grand final victory, pundits recalled Smith’s annoyance on the pitch that day. Gerard Healy, calling the clash between Andrews and Smith absolutely necessary, such was the ominous nature of the scoreboard.
“Bailey Smith having an argument with Harris Andrews. It’s an argument Smith will never win with the scoreboard the way it is,” – Gerard Healy.
Both clubs definitely want to get used to coming years. They will take with them the priceless lessons gained from this cutthroat grand final battle royal.
