🏉 The Grand Finale

Good morning, it's Friday, 23 September. Straight off the top, we've got a bit of breaking news: It's full-time for the Sport Today newsletter. We’ve loved bringing our unique take on the day in sport - the news, the background, and the quirky stories that make sport the wonderful world that it is. But let's take one more run around the track, and we'll say a proper goodbye at the end.

⏱ 1,695 words = 8 minutes

👀 Federer's next career move?

THE MAIN GAME

🏉 The road to the AFL's Holy Grails ends at the 'G

Every time we hear Holy Grail by Hunters & Collectors it must mean the AFL Grand Final is right around the corner. And it is! So sort out your viewing plans, organise your snacks and warm up your vocal cords because tomorrow we're all fools for the Holy Grail.

Golden points: The 2022 AFL season comes to a close tomorrow with the Geelong Cats playing the Sydney Swans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Grand Final.

• The Cats arrive at the GF as the minor premiers on the back of a 15-match winning streak that started all the way back in May.

• They scraped home against Collingwood in week one of the finals, had a week off then bulldozed the Lions last Friday night to make the club's 19th GF where their record is 9-9.

• Geelong are healthy, in red-hot form and have skipper Joel Selwood as inspiration (if they needed any more - it's a grand final!). Selwood will play his 40th finals match, which is a new record. That's almost 2 seasons of just finals footy. Incredible.

• The Swans ain't exactly limping into the finals either. They've won their past 9 matches and if the Cats are in red-hot form, the Swans are in red-and-white-hot form (see what we did there?).

• Sydney upset defending premiers Melbourne in their Qualifying Final, rested up then pipped the Pies by a point in the prelim. If we could get another game like that in the GF then it's gonna be hard to argue this isn't the greatest AFL season ever.

• Unlike the Cats, the Swans are a little beat up. Sam Reid (groin) and Justin McInerney (ankle) have been named to play after suffering injuries against Collingwood. McInerney is expected to play but Reid is still touch-and-go and could be a game-time decision.

• It's been at least a decade since these teams have sipped out of the Holy Grail/AFL trophy as premiers (Geelong 2011, Sydney 2012) so the champagne will taste that much sweeter for the victors tomorrow arvo.

• More than 100,000 fans are expected to pack out the 'G for the 1st GF back since there since the start of the pandemic. It's gonna be overcast and chilly, but hey, it's Melbourne, what did you expect?

• Robbie Williams will entertain you as the headline act of the pre-game entertainment. He'll be joined by Delta Goodrem, not Kylie Minogue as rumours suggested. We can't get the thought of Robbie and Kylie out of our heads, but this pinpoint punt by Delta makes up for it.

• And finally, there will be meat pies at the Granny. Fans went into a meltdown when a social media post went viral saying there'd be no pies at the Grand Final. T'was but a joke and a sledge at Collingwood fans as there are no (Mag)pies at the GF, but there is plenty of the pastry variety with more than 17,000 set to be consumed.

Watch it: Now all you gotta do is sit back and enjoy. The game starts at 2:30pm AEST on Channel 7, but the coverage starts in the wee hours of the morning, and there's the Grand Final parade this morning too down the Yarra River! Hope nobody gets seasick.

QUICK SINGLES:

🏉 AFL: Chris Fagan and Alastair Clarkson refute the First Nations misconduct allegations during their time at Hawthorn. Fagan, current head coach of the Brisbane Lions, says he is "distressed" by the accusations and "categorically" denies them. Clarkson, who was meant to start as the Kangaroos' new head coach on 1 November, also denies any wrongdoing. The AFL will carry out its own investigation into Hawthorn's treatment of First Nations players, primarily rookies, by a panel that includes at least 2 First Nations representatives. It's expected to take about 2 months, so Clarkson and Fagan might not be back at their clubs until the results are revealed.

🏀 Basketball: Merde! France beat Australia and spoil Lauren Jackson's comeback. The French obviously didn't read the script - they were supposed to lose in Jackson's international return last night at the Women's Basketball World Cup. The Opals lost 70-57 but it was closer than the scoreboard says, with 7 lead changes in the 1st half and the match within a couple of buckets until right at the end. Jackson hit a 3 off the bench, but they were her only points of the night. Australia now has to win 3 of their 4 remaining matches to make the quarters, but Jackson says they can "rebound". Nothin' but net with that pun from LJ.

⚽️ Football: The Socceroos get a W in their last home match before the World Cup. The Aussies beat New Zealand 1-0 in Brisbane last night thanks to a cracking goal by Awer Mabil from outside the box in the first half (check it out below). Last night was used as a bit of a fact-finding mission by coach Graham Arnold - he says he's looking at as many players as he can before picking his World Cup squad, but getting a win is always nice. The teams play again on Sunday in Auckland before the Aussies fly out for the World Cup in Qatar.

🏉 NRL/W: It's prelim weekend in the NRL/W with grand final glory on the line. In the NRL, we've got the Cowboys hosting the Eels tonight in Townsville then tomorrow night it's a rematch of last year's grand final with the Panthers playing the Rabbitohs in Penrith. On Sunday at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, we've got the 2 NRLW prelims/semi-finals. The Knights play the Dragons first then it's the Roosters against the Eels. The winners on the weekend go through to the grand final in Sydney next Sunday. Footy season is almost over but we've still got the AFLW comp plus the Rugby League World Cup coming up.

LEFT OF FIELD

⚽️ Football: If you haven't seen the TV show Ted Lasso on Apple TV+, do yourself a favour and check it out. If you have and love a bitta gaming, we've got some good news for you. Ted Lasso and the AFC Richmond Greyhounds have made it into EA Sports latest football video game, FIFA 23. You'll be able to play as the Greyhounds as part of the Rest of the World category and you can play as Lasso in career mode. American actor Jason Sudekis plays Lasso in the show and he says it's a dream come true for himself and the rest of the fellas. Remember this quote from the man himself: "Your body is like day-old rice. If it ain't warmed up properly, something real bad could happen."

📽 Highlight reel: Check out the brilliant strike by Awer Mabil for the Socceroos last night. Ya love to see it.

📸 Photo finish: Roger Federer and a few up-and-comers in London. Fed bows out of professional tennis at the Laver Cup and he's teaming up with great mate Rafael Nadal in his last match tomorrow morning. He might have a future in tuxedo table tennis if he's looking for hobby in retirement.

THE POLLING BOOTH

Wednesday's result: 24% voted Can't Get You Out Of My Head as their favourite Kylie Minogue song.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• 🏏 10:00am Friday - One-Day Cup - Victoria v NSW - CitiPower Centre, Melbourne - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 7:50pm Friday - NRLPreliminary Final - Cowboys v Eels - Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏏 11:30pm Friday - Cricket - India v Australia, 2nd T20I - Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🎾 4:00am Saturday - Tennis - Laver Cup, Day 1 Night Session - London, England - Stan Sport

• 🏉 2:30pm Saturday - AFL Grand Final - Cats v Swans - MCG, Melbourne - Channel 7

• 🏉 5:05pm Saturday - Rugby Championship - New Zealand v Australia - Eden Park, Auckland - Channel 9, Stan Sport

• 🏉 7:50pm Saturday - NRL Preliminary Final - Panthers v Rabbitohs - BlueBet Stadium, Penrith - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• ⛳️ 9:30pm Saturday - Presidents Cup - USA v Internationals, Day 3 - Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 2:05pm Sunday - NRLW Semi-Final - Knights v Dragons - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 3:50pm Sunday - NRLW Semi-Final - Roosters v Eels - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏀 6:00pm Sunday - Women's Basketball World Cup - Australia v Spain - Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

THE MANAGER'S OFFICE

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