AFL grand final 2023: Collingwood Magpies defeat Brisbane Lions – as it happened

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As Jordan de Goey, who kicked a couple of crucial goals including one after the quarter-time siren, talks about Collingwood’s flag being the “cherry on top” and Magpies great Peter Daicos speaks of his delight at the success his sons Nick and Josh have achieved, I’m going to take the chance to say thanks again for joining us. That was a tremendous grand final and it was a thrill to be able to provide coverage. Enjoy the night, Magpie fans! And please read Jonathan Horn’s match report from the ‘G.

Updated at 04.08 EDT

Great to have our Guardian readers along for the ride with us. To Bob, who wrote from Athens to say a bar showing the grand final was going on not far from their apartment, what a ripper that place is. I was there watching the Cats dominate against the Swans last year.

Craig McRae, who is in his second season as Collingwood coach, said he always felt the Magpies were a “special” group. “I can see special things happening throughout training and we kept getting better every day. Now they are a premiership team. Two years ago, when we started our journey, this campaign, one of the major focuses was to bring the fans along for the journey. It’s been a hell of a ride. Thank you to the Magpie Army. We love you very much. You are incredible and you drive us every week to win the close games. You inspire us. This one is for you.”

I’m still recovering from the McRae bombshell. Anyway, the Collingwood coach did pay tribute to Chris Fagan and the Lions, with whom he was a premiership player during their dynasty between 2001 and 2003. “I’d like to pay my respect to Fages and the Brisbane Lions. I always have a soft spot for you guys,” he said. “It is one one of the best games I’ve been involved in. Congratulations on your year.”

Collingwood coach Craig McRae delivers a bombshell! His wife gave birth to a daughter this morning. And now he is a premiership coach! What an incredible day for the man known as “Fly”. Peter Moore with the honour of presenting the premiership cup to his son Darcy and McRae as the celebrations continue at the MCG.

Updated at 03.55 EDT

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore provokes massive roars of “Colllllllliiinnnngggggwoood” from the MCG stands after praising the support of their “19th man”, the Magpie Army.

Your passion, your loyalty, has made being a Collinghwood player this season something really special. Thank you for all those times you’ve dragged us across the line, all the times you’ve yelled at our TV. We feel it all and we are so grateful.

Updated at 03.54 EDT

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore pays tribute to Brisbane from the podium, saying they should be proud of their season and also their grand final performance. “You’ve played some unbelievable football and you’ve held yourselves in great character and we’ve really admired you all season long,” he said.

Today felt like a fitting end to what was an amazing season of football. Congratulations on an incredible season. We look forward to many more battles like that in the seasons to come.

Brody Mihocek, Brayden Maynard and Darcy Moore react after winning the AFL grand final. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated at 03.54 EDT

Dual-Geelong premiership coach Mark “Bomber” Thompson presents Collingwood coach Craig McRae with the Jock McHale Medallion as the flag winning coach.

The boy presenting Nick Daicos his premiership medallion tells the young Magpie champion he “should be very proud”. Well said. And spot on. What a star Daicos is. The crowd chants “USA. USA. USA” and waves American flags as Mason Cox receives his medallion.

Updated at 03.48 EDT

Massive cheers for Josh Daicos and Jordan de Goey, among other Magpies, as each player takes to the stage to receive their premiership medallion. But the biggest cheer of all is saved for former skipper Scott Pendlebury, who raises his arms in triumph on the podium.

Bobby Hill wins the Norm Smith medal

Collingwood forward Bobby Hill wins the Norm Smith medal for best afield, former dual-Brownlow medallist Chris Judd announces. What a remarkable recruit he has proven after being recruited to the Magpies from Greater Western Sydney. His four first half goals set the tone for the Magpies and he remained lively throughout the grand final.

I’d like to thank Brisbane for a great game. To everyone at the Collingwood Football Club, thank you for obviously making me and my family welcome here. To the Collingwood faithful, we love you guys. Up the Pies.

Bobby Hill is congratulated by Mason Cox and Brody Mihocek after winning the Norm Smith. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Updated at 03.44 EDT

Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews congratulates Collingwood and sends a message to his team; “Let’s go again next year”.

There are Daicos’s everywhere as popular former umpire Glenn James presents the grand final umpires with their medals for officiating the thriller.

As Collingwood players celebrate on the ground and the Magpie Army is raucous with joy in the grand stands at the MCG, the devastation on the Lions players is clear. To come so close and still fall shy is a bitter blow for all. Across the MCG their despair is clear. It was a mighty season but there are no flags for finishing second. How critical was the 50-metre penalty issued against Jarrod Berry late in the term? What about some of the misses? There are so many what if moments in grand finals and Brisbane, to their chagrin, will have much to consider over the off-season.

Collingwood supporters have gone wild all around the country including in live sites in Melbourne. Photograph: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Updated at 03.37 EDT

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is stunned by the success. He said “so much had to go right to pull off today and we did it”. “It was fun to play. I am sure it was fun to watch. There were so many clutch moments. It was incredible. Brisbane was unbelievable all day and kept coming at us. I am lost for words,” Moore said. “I grew up a Collingwood supporter. I was here in 2010, 2003, 2002, sitting in the stands. It feels surreal. It is just bizarre.”

Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is hugging his father, Peter Moore, a Magpies champion. Nick Daicos, who played brilliantly, pays tribute to the Collingwood coaching staff led by Craig McRae. “The coaching staff put a lot of faith in all of us to take it on. It was a fast start and end of the game (we were) composed. I can’t believe it. I’m lost for words.”

Updated at 03.35 EDT

The Colliwobbles are over! After a remarkable grand final, Collingwood win their first premiership in a grand final played in September since 1958. A remarkable performance by the Magpies, which fought grimly to hold off a gallant Brisbane in what was an outstanding grand final. It is their smallest winning grand final margin since their flag in 1903. It is their 16th premiership overall.

The Pies celebrate after the siren. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

Updated at 03.36 EDT

Full-time: Collingwood 12.18 (90) v Brisbane 13.8 (86)

Collingwood are the premiers! The Magpies win a thrilling grand final by four points over Brisbane.

Updated at 03.23 EDT

Q4. 1.30 minute remaining. Collingwood 12.18 (90) v Brisbane 13.8 (86) Daniher. Daniher. Daniher! Joe Daniher gives Brisbane a chance with 90 seconds left with a snap around the corner. Collingwood by four points.

Q4. 3 minutes remaining. Collingwood 12.18 (90) v Brisbane 12.8 (80) Collingwood are defending grimly. Scott Pendlebury has moved to the backline to add another layer of defence to Collingwood’s backline. The Magpies lead by 10 points.

Q4. 4 minutes remaining. Collingwood 12.18 (90) v Brisbane 12.8 (80) Steele Sidebottom puts the Magpies 10 points in front with an incredible goal from outside 50m. What an amazing kick! And what a gift from the Lions. Sidebottom had marked on the wing, but was held up by Jarrod Berry, who gives away a 50-metre penalty. The Pies by 10 points.

Q4. 5 minutes remaining. Collingwood 11.18 (84) v Brisbane 12.8 (80) Collingwood is back in front! Jordan de Goey is the man. He receives a handball from Nick Daicos and kicks a ripsnorter on the run from outside 50 metres. What a grand final this is turning out to be!

Q4. 5 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 12.8 (80) Cameron! Charlie Cameron puts Brisbane in front, somehow managing to keep his feet after fumbling before snapping truly on his left foot. He leaps in delight after kicking his third for the match.

Q4. 6 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 11.8 (74) The blood is pumping. Hearts are all aflutter. A premiership is on the line. A flag to be one. Who will prove the hero in the final six minutes? De Goey? Cameron? Neale? Daicos?

Q4. 8 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 11.8 (74) The crowd is 100,024. A full house for a thriller. And they are going ballistic in the stands!

Q4. 9 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 11.8 (74) The Lions are coming … one point at a time. This time it is Eric Hipwood missing from outside 50 metres. The last seven scores in the match have been behinds. After both sides kicked nine goals each in the opening half, they have managed just three between them since.

Q4. 11 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 11.7 (73) Keidean Coleman has caught the inaccuracy bug! Another behind, though admittedly it was a tough one on the run from outside 50 metres. Were there better options?

Q4. 13 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 11.6 (72) A Brisbane behind! Joe Daniher misses to the left from 40 metres out on a 45-degree angle. The inaccuracy is contagious. Meanwhile, Brisbane triggered its substitute Jarryd Lyons into the grand final, with Callum Ah Chee the Lion replaced.

Q4. 15 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.18 (78) v Brisbane 11.5 (71) Another behind for Collingwood, though this one is rushed after a long-range attempt from Jordan de Goey. Mason Cox, meanwhile, had heading off the ground and into the rooms after injuring himself in a marking contest.

Q4. 17 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.17 (77) v Brisbane 11.5 (71) The Magpies keep missing! First Nick Daicos from a tough angle, then Bobby Hill from a set shot. Anguish is evident on the fans of faces. Charlie Cameron was booed by the Collingwood army in the first minute after a heavy bump on Jeremy Howe, who was in agony after being crunched.

The Magpies have outscored their rivals in 13 of the 25 final terms they have played this year. Brisbane are slightly below 50%, having claimed 12 of the final 25 quarters they have played. But it is all to play for. Who will stand up in the last quarter of the 2023 season? Jarryd Lyons, the Brisbane substitute, is yet to be unleashed into the action. Could he have an impact?

Updated at 03.05 EDT

Three-quarter time: Collingwood 10.15 (75) v Brisbane 11.5 (71)

Lincoln McCarthy narrowly misses with a set shot that would have claimed the lead for Brisbane heading into the last term. What a thriller is unfolding at the MCG! Time to stock up for the final term, because this is shaping as a grand final for the ages. Geelong in 2009 is the last team to win a grand final when trailing at the final break, but given the lead changes today, Brisbane will fancy its chances.

Updated at 02.55 EDT

Q3. 3 minutes remaining. Collingwood 10.15 (75) v Brisbane 11.4 (70) Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury kicks his first goal in a grand final to put the Magpies back in front. The Collingwood crowd roars with delight to celebrate Pendlebury, who is playing his 383rd game. Selfless play from Bobby Hill, who gave up a shot from near the boundary to pass to the ex-Collingwood skipper.

Q3. 4 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.15 (69) v Brisbane 11.4 (70) Mason Cox has been reported! The American Pie is booked for elbowing Darcy Gardiner in the head, though there appeared nothing malicious in the incident.

Q3. 5 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.15 (69) v Brisbane 11.4 (70) Bobby Hill’s magical run comes to an end with the Magpie missing with a set shot. Inaccuracy is starting to become an issue for Collingwood, with the Magpies having nine more shots than their rivals, but trailing by one point. Mason Cox narrowly missed a shot one minute earlier when attempting to make something out of nothing near the goal square.

Q3. 8 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.13 (67) v Brisbane 11.4 (70) Deven Robertson kicks the Lions second for the term to put Brisbane back in front! Brisbane was able to catch the Magpies on the run, with Robertson able to mark on his own inside attack. Joe Daniher won possession on the wing, moved it quickly to Callum Ah Chee, who kicked long to Robertson.

Q3. 8 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.13 (67) v Brisbane 10.4 (64) Just one goal in the first 17 minutes of the third term! The free-flowing footy has been replaced by a stop-start tempo, with the desperate defensive actions from both teams coming to the fore. Collingwood has had eight more scoring shots, with Jack Ginnivan the most recent Magpie to have shot when narrowly missing with a dribble-kick from the boundary line.

Zac Bailey of the Lions. Photograph: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Updated at 02.46 EDT

Q3. 12 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.12 (66) v Brisbane 10.4 (64) Hugh McCluggage kicks the opening goal of the third term after a deliberate setup from the Lions. He marked on the wing but was brought within scoring range when Oleg Markov gave away a 50-metre penalty for failing to man the mark correctly. Brayden Maynard hit the post with a testing shot from just inside 50 metres moments earlier.

Updated at 02.30 EDT

Q3. 13 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.11 (65) v Brisbane 9.4 (58) Collingwood has had the better of the third quarter to date without a massive impact on the scoreboard. Brisbane have flooded numbers back to provide cover for their defence but, as a result, had few targets to kick for in attack when winning possession. After a free-flowing and high-scoring first half, the contest has tightened up.

Updated at 02.31 EDT

Q3. 15 minutes remaining. Collingwood 9.11 (65) v Brisbane 9.4 (58) Jamie Elliott falls short with a set shot from 35 metres out with the second half underway at the MCG. Shade is starting to cover the MCG, with more than half the ground now shielded from the sun on a blazing day in Melbourne.

Darcy Moore shields his eyes from the sun. Photograph: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Updated at 02.31 EDT

Half-time entertainment. After a frantic opening half, grand final stalwart Mark Seymour delivers some classics topped off by the Holy Grail which, of course, is what Collingwood and Brisbane are chasing. Seymour sets a mellow tone, which is probably a good thing for the hearts of fans given the score changed six times in the opening half. Talk about needing a breather! I’m off for a meat pie, heavy on the tomato sauce, and will be back in a second.

Mark Seymour and The Undertow perform during the long break. Photograph: James Ross/AAP

Updated at 02.24 EDT

What happens if it’s a draw? No one wants a repeat of 2010. The AFL have provided some information about the additional time process if scores are tied.

Process:1. Goal umpires confirm scores are identical;2. There is a six-minute break;3. Teams change ends;4. Three minutes of additional time shall be played, plus time-on;5. At the end of the first additional time period, the siren will sound and teams will immediately change ends without a break;6. The ball will be bounced (or thrown up) in the centre and a further three minutes of play (plus time-on) will commence;7. At the conclusion of this period, the siren will sound and the team with the highest score is declared the winner;8. If scores are still tied, steps three to eight are repeated until a result is determined.

Oof let’s hope for everyone’s sake that we don’t have to get to step eight.

This has truly been a superb grand final with the brilliance of stars from both sides coming to the fore. From the excellence of Collingwood’s small forwards led by Bobby Hill to Zac Bailey and Lincoln McCarthy’s magnificence at the other end, the skills on show have been sublime. Critical match-ups, too, have been important. Brownlow medallists Lachie Neale and Tom Mitchell have endured an even battle so far, with the Magpie marginally on top. Harris Andrews has been unable to find enough space given the close-checking of Billy Frampton, who is effectively playing as a defensive tall forward. It will be fascinating to see whether the heat plays a part in the second quarter, so frenetic has the action been to date. Collingwood has the lead courtesy of goals after the quarter-time and half-time sirens, but it would be a brave person to predict a victor at this stage.

Updated at 02.10 EDT

Norm Smith medal. Bobby Hill has set the MCG alive with brilliant goals and a proper speccie! If the Norm Smith Medal was awarded at half-time, his eye-catching deeds would surely have him at the forefront of judges minds. Nick Daicos has had 19 touches and used the ball beautifully and is among the contenders. Keidean Coleman has a staggering 22 disposals, 19 of them kicks, and has been creative off half-back. Brisbane forwards Joe Daniher and Zac Bailey, in particular, will also have claims if they can finish the grand final strongly.

Here’s who will be voting for today’s best on ground award, which will be presented by Chris Judd:

Updated at 02.04 EDT

Half-time: Collingwood 9.9 (63) v Brisbane 9.3 (57)

Collingwood leads Brisbane by six points at half-time after Jack Crisp kicks his second goal for the quarter from a set shot after the siren! It follows a similar effort from Jordan de Goey at quarter-time in a grand final being played at a frantic pace. Credit to Nick Daicos, who has been superb from the opening minute, who used some beautiful evasive skills on the wing to open space for Collingwood.

Jack Crisp applies the finishing touch to a fantastic half of footy. Photograph: Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Updated at 02.01 EDT