Eleven Collingwood players set to play in Saturday’s AFL grand final have one thing in common … they have never beaten Brisbane. They have a combined career record against the Lions of 0-45.
Josh Daicos, John Noble, Oleg Markov (0-6), Isaac Quaynor (0-5), Beau McCreery, Bobby Hill, Billy Frampton (0-4), Darcy Cameron, Nathan Murphy (0-3) Nick Daicos and Jack Ginnivan (0-2) have played through an era in which Brisbane have beaten Collingwood in their last six meetings spread over four years:-
Rd 15 2020 – Brisbane 6-6 (42) d Collingwood 5-4 (34) at the Gabba
Rd 3 2021 – Brisbane 11-7 (73) d Collingwood 11-6 (72) at Docklands
Rd 22 2021 – Brisbane 22-10 (142) d Collingwood 8-9 (57) at the Gabba
Rd 5 2022 – Brisbane 15-8 (98) d Collingwood 14-7 (91) at the Gabba
Rd 4 2023 – Brisbane 18-8 (116) d Collingwood 11-17 (83) at the Gabba
R23 2023 – Brisbane 19-10 (124) d Collingwood 15-10 (100) at Docklands
Two other Collingwood players have never beaten Brisbane in Magpie colors - Patrick Lipinksi (0-2) and Tom Mitchell (0-1). Even Collingwood coach Craig McRae has never beaten Brisbane. He’s 0-3 against his former club.
But what about games between the clubs at the MCG, they’ll say. The numbers say they’ve only met at headquarters twice since 2011 – Brisbane won by 67 points in 2014 and Collingwood by 45 points in 2017.
And what about the Lions’ record at the MCG under Chris Fagan, they’ll ask? Yes, it’s 1-11 over seven years, but in their last visit in Round 18 this year they lost by a point to a fancied Melbourne in Round 18 after being 26 points up early in the last quarter. And three games before that they beat Melbourne by 13 points in the 2022 semi-final.
Did it matter in 2001, when the Lions won their first flag against Essendon? Not exactly. They’d beaten Collingwood by 26 points in Round 15 that year after a 1-12 record at the ‘G’ which went all the way back to 1997.
Grand Final Experience
Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom will play in their fourth AFL grand final, having been a member of the 2010 side that beat StKilda by 56 points, and the sides that lost to Geelong by 38 points in 2011 and West Coast by five points in 2018. Both have outstanding records on the big day, with 35-year-old Pendlebury having had 29 possessions in 2010, 33 possessions in 2011 and 20 possessions in 2018, and 32-year-old Sidebottom 25 possessions and two goals, 23 possessions and two goals, and 14 possessions.
Seven other members of the 2018 grand final side will be back – Mason Cox, Jack Crisp, Jordan deGoey, Will Hoskin-Elliot, Jeremy Howe, Brayden Maynard and Brody Mihocek - while Tom Mitchell played in the Swans’ 2014 grand loss to Western Bulldogs.
All-Australian
Three Collingwood players – brothers Nick and Josh Daicos and captain Darcy Moore – were selected in the 2023 AFL All-Australian side after Jordan deGoey and Isaac Quaynor were in the A/A squad.
Leading Possession-Winners
Nick Daicos has been Collingwood’s leading possession-winner this year despite missing four games through injury, averaging 31.1ppg. Then came Josh Daicos (25.3ppg), Tom Mitchell (25.0), Jordan deGoey (24.2), Scott Pendlebury (22.8), Jack Crisp (21.2), Steele Sidebottom (20.9) and John Noble (20.4).
Leading Goal-Kickers
Brody Mihocek topped the Collingwood goal-kicking for the fifth time in a row this year with 46. He headed Jamie Elliott (39), Bobby Hill (29) and the injured Ash Johnson (21) and Dan McStay (20). Nick Daicos (18), Beau McCreery (17), Mason Cox (17), Josh Daicos (16) and Jordan deGoey (16) completed the top 10.
Brisbane Connection
Jack Crisp is the ex-Lion who has not missed a game in nine years and 207 games since being traded from Brisbane to Collingwood with pick #5 and pick #25 for Dayne Beams ahead of the 2014 National Draft. Having also played the last six games of the 2013 season with Brisbane his run of 213 games in a row is third highest in the AFL all-time behind Melbourne’s Jim Stynes, who played 244 games in a row from 1987-1998, and Adem Yze, the new Richmond coach, who played 226 without a miss from 1997-2007. Crisp has a 6-6 record against Brisbane. The other half of the Brisbane connection is one of the sad stories of the grand final - Dan McStay, a 161-game Lion from 2014-22 in his first season at Collingwood, will miss the grand final due to injury.
A Finals Debutant
Billy Frampton will make his finals debut in the grand final as the replacement for the injured McStay. The 26-year-old former Port Adelaide and Adelaide utility big man, in his sixth AFL season at his third club, has played 15 games for the Pies after 24 games in five years in Adelaide.
Retribution?
Subject to final selection, John Noble, son of ex-Brisbane football manager David Noble, is also set for a welcome inclusion. He was the victim of a selection bombshell when dropped for Collingwood’s first final after playing 92 consecutive games from debut. He’s played seven finals.
Foreign Legion
Eight members of the Collingwood grand final side started their AFL careers at rival clubs – Jack Crisp (Brisbane), Darcy Cameron and Tom Mitchell (Sydney), Bobby Hill and Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS), Jeremy Howe (Melbourne), Oleg Markov (Richmond) and Patrick Lipinski (Western Bulldogs). Mitchell, who leads the Pies in clearances, contested possessions and tackles this year, also played at Hawthorn and Markov at Gold Coast.
Brownlow Votes
We all know Nick Daicos led the Collingwood vote in Monday night’s Brownlow Medal count with 28 votes, but which other Pies featured? Tom Mitchell, in his first season in black and white, had 12 votes to head Jordan deGoey (8), Josh Daicos (8), Scott Pendlebury (6), Jamie Elliott (5), Brody Mihocek (5), Mason Cox (3), Steele Sidebottom (3), Darcy Moore (3), Jack Crisp (2), Isaac Quaynor (1), Jack Ginnivan (1), Nathan Murphy (1) and John Noble (1).
Played Every Game
Josh Daicos, Tom Mitchell, Jack Crisp and Isaac Quaynor have played all 25 games this season. Scott Pendlebury, Brayden Maynard and Beau McCreery played 24 games, and Darcy Moore, Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Bobby Hill, Nathan Murphy, John Noble and the injured Taylor Adams 23.
Oldest & Youngest
Collingwood will field eight players aged 30-plus in the grand final – Scott Pendlebury (35), Jeremy Howe (33), Mason Cox (32), Steele Sidebottom (32), Jamie Elliott (31), Will Hoskin-Elliott (30), Brody Mihocek (30) and Tom Mitchell (30). Nick Daicos (20) and Jack Ginnivan (20) are the youngest Pies.
