Grand Final – Geelong v Brisbane: Ballad of a meat tray

I don’t go to the Grand Final on Saturday.

 

I’ve never been to a Grand Final.

 

I go on Friday, though. Friday is a terrific day. A terrific occasion. The Footy Almanac Grand Final Eve lunch is simply a life-affirming event, masterfully orchestrated by JT Harms. This year my health is great, my responsibilities in check and the afternoon mine. My mate Ben comes along. We sit on a long table opposite Almanac royalty in Col and Luke, and we each spend time on stage with microphone in hand. I tip Brisbane by 6 points. What a day. So very grateful to be there.

 

Saturday is another terrific day. Howabout the weather? Four of us had agreed to meet at the Lomond for the match. The Lomond had been good to me during the 2025 finals. Collingwood v Adelaide with MOC, Geelong v Brisbane with Ben, Geelong v Hawthorn, Collingwood v Brisbane and now the Grand Final.

 

Grand Finals represent a time and place, don’t they? It’s very easy for me to place what was happening in my life when I think about the past four Grand Finals in particular.
2021: I’d lost the ground from under my feet. Watched Melbourne win in Perth with great support from Amelia and Brett at their house.
2022: I was rebuilding the ground underneath my feet and extremely happy to be doing so. Spent the entire game oiled up on a massage table. Didn’t see a moment of the game.
2023: I’d hit my stride. Watched at Ben and Melissa’s place as my Collingwood won a close one.
2024: I needed to stay home; recovering from recent surgery. My amazing girlfriend Sarah came over and looked after me as if I was a prince.

 

And so, to 2025.

 

Wow. Walking to the pub, I am ready. I have on my Hard Yakka throwback black and white (Collingwood) t-shirt and the warm sun is shining down. I am alive.
I feel thrilled and lucky to be watching the Grand Final with wonderful old friends at the pub. I feel a bit sad that my girl won’t be joining us, but I know that her generosity and kindness has her elsewhere this day.

 

I’m along Nicholson Street in glorious spring sunshine. When I arrive, the one circular table in the top bar is unoccupied. Already the small room is busy and it is vocal. I glance around at the crowd, make some eye contact and gesture my confusion about this table being free. Internally I’m performing cartwheels. This must be the universe looking after us.

 

And so one by one we arrive. From neighbouring streets we arrive at the pub. As each member of our party comes through the door and up the step to the top bar, they look up as if hit. As if hit by a wall of noise. A wall of happy-and-expectant-people-chatting-in-the-top-bar kind of noise.

 

We watch from the top bar at The Lomond, Brunswick East. Beside the fireplace. Our group of four score the only low table. It’s by the window, in a bar full of standing footy supporters. Enthusiasts. Supporters and enthusiasts of life, itself. A room full of good humour, happy disbelief.

 

“What a day!”

 

“Who are you going for?”

 

(A woman from County Galway, Ireland): “It’s Lions for today, so. I’m Lions to the death!”

 

She shows us all her t-shirt. On it is printed the massive head of some kind of hippy lion. Wearing sunglasses.

 

“If the Cats win, this old boy is still a cat, right? You see what I did there?”

 

“Genius.”

 

On the TV, players are onto the field. As players of each team hastily assemble for team photos out on the ground, I am reminded again of Collingwood player Oleg Markov, in those equivalent hectic moments before the 2023 Grand Final, and his actions during the corresponding team photo of Collingwood. And I smile like the man himself, with the audacity and unexpected beauty of the move. People can surprise you.

 

We’re on.

 

I’m happy for the Big O to be in ruck for Brisbane today after missing last year. I’m happy for P Dangerfield after his game last week. I’m happy for C Fagan given everything.

 

And it’s on.

 

“Guys – it’s free beer from now until the first goal.”

 

We fetch pints.

 

It’s tight. It’s tough.

 

It’s tight and it’s tough and we’re riding every bump.

 

“Balllll!!!”

 

“Nooooo!”

 

“BULLSHIT!!”

 

“Oooooohhhhhh!!!”

 

“Yeeeeeessssss!!”

 

There is nowhere to turn, nowhere to run.

 

There is no space, no advantage.

 

But still Brisbane go for their corridor kicks.

 

Still Geelong go for their headbands.

 

1 QT 
GEE 2.3.15
BRI 1.6.12

 

Still it’s tight. Still it’s tough.
Jeremy Cameron holds his wrist in exactly the same way that my daughter held hers when she crashed off the play equipment in Grade 1. Hers was broken.
Bizarrely, he sits on the bench with a bandage on the arm, as if he might continue to play.
The Guinness has been a treat. I join in the hazy pales.

 

HT
GEE 5.6.36
BRI 5.6.36

 

And now the game opens up. Lachie Neale ‘a dual Brownlow medallist is a handy substitute’ makes a difference. Geelong needs to react but they do not. Or they are not allowed to. Or they are cannot. Whatever. Jaspa Fletcher and Will Ashcroft and Levi Ashcroft are favourites at our table. Sons of.

 

Without a big shift, it feels over. It feels fresh. It feels alive.

 

3QT
GEE 6.8.44
BRI 9.9. 63

 

And there is no big shift. The cats exist now as meat on a tray for these rampaging Lions. The mane of Will Ashcroft shakes and shivers again. And again.
“Will Ashcroft for the Norm.”
“You might be right. Or Harris Andrews.”

 

And now it’s a procession. The bar is in fine voice, fine humour. There are no sour grapes here. All is celebration, all is cheer.

 

FT
GEE 11.9.75
BRI 18.14.122

 

And we’re yakking it up, we’re part of it, part of the moment in this town on this day. I see none of the presentations – for attention has shifted – appropriately – back to the room. We are all of us here now, right here now, in a floating room of admiration for a game, a game now over.

 

Later, an old fella shuffles alongside our table with a bucket full of raffle ticket stubs.
“OK people, here we go!”

 

“It’s a blue ticket!”

 

“D21!”

 

Not straight away, but pretty soon, the winning ticket-holder rolls into the bar, swaying in her red dress. She waves her ticket in the air. She gets to the front of the room to collect her prize, but when she learns what it is, she stops.

 

“MEAT TRAY?! BUT I’m a VEGAN!”

 

On Grand Final day, the pub meat tray raffle has been won by a vegan.
The bar has its moment. Hilarious.

 

Swiftly, deftly, the second placed winner of the raffle happily offers to swap prizes; an offer she accepts. Perfect.

 

Melissa joins us. She arrives from the MCG, where she has spent the day. We swap stories, share tales.

 

Around 7:30 pm a band starts up in the main bar. A five-piece outfit playing traditional Irish music. Fiddles and whistles and a bodhrán take us well into the night.

 

I wander home around 10 pm.

 

So Grand Final 2025? Brisbane Lions (18.14.122) defeat the Geelong Cats (11.9.75)
Maybe underneath it all, that’s all any of us is: a meat tray.

 

==

 

GEELONG 2.3 5.6 6.8 11.9 (75)
BRISBANE 1.6 5.6 9.9 18.14 (122)

 

GOALS
Geelong: Dempsey 4, Blicavs, Bowes, Close, Holmes, Mannagh, Mullin, Neale
Brisbane: Cameron 4, McCluggage 4, Bailey 3, Lohmann 2, L.Ashcroft, W.Ashcroft, Morris, Neale, Rayner

 

BEST
Geelong: Dempsey, Holmes, Humphries, Atkins, Smith
Brisbane: McCluggage, W. Ashcroft, Andrews, Bailey, Cameron, Gardiner

 

INJURIES
Geelong: Cameron (arm)
Brisbane: Starcevich (head)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Geelong: Jack Martin replaced Rhys Stanley in the fourth quarter
Brisbane: Lachie Neale replaced Sam Marshall in the third quarter

 

Crowd: 100,022 at the MCG

 

 

Check out more stories from ER at substack Here.

 

More from ER on the Footy Almanac can be read Here.

 

 

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