Brisbane and Hawthorn engaged in a memorable AFL final, but the loudest sound at the MCG after the game was the jeering from the crowd.
Hawks players James Sicily, Tom Barrass, and Jack Ginnivan confronted the umpires, who were then targeted with bottles hurled from Hawthorn supporters as they exited the stadium on Saturday night.
Ruckman Lloyd Meek expressed his frustration while addressing reporters in the locker room. Coach Sam Mitchell managed to remain composed during a tense post-match press conference, where he discussed feelings of loss.
“This feeling is the pits,” Mitchell remarked.
Central to Hawthorn’s collective frustration was a crucial holding-the-ball free kick awarded against Jarman Impey in the final minute of play. This decision was one of several contentious umpiring calls throughout the match.
Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage subsequently scored the decisive goal, marking the ninth lead change of the game, with four occurring in the closing moments.
Meek was positioned near Impey when the free kick was called. “It’s heartbreaking… excuse the profanity, you can edit that one out,” Meek stated. “We pour our heart and soul into this.
“I was standing right next to him – I will be replaying that one for a while.
“We pour our heart and soul into this. “I was standing right next to him – I will be replaying that one for a while. “I just feel like I probably could have jumped on and knocked the ball out or done a ‘stacks-on’ – something… it’s hard, in the dying moments.”
Mitchell acknowledged his awareness of the bottles being thrown onto the field.
“At the end of the game, part of me wanted to break down in tears, part of me wanted to scream with rage, part of me wanted to throw chairs, you don’t know how to react,” he expressed.
“So when you’re in the stand, you need to continue to be feeling that emotion, because that’s why we love it, but how it manifests itself – we shouldn’t be throwing things on the field and doing those types of things. “But the passion in the stand and the passion of the game is why we love it so much. So I hope that for the vast majority it was felt responsibly.”
The AFL Fans Association condemned the behavior of some Hawthorn fans who threw bottles and cans onto the field after the match.
AFLFA president Ron Issko stated that while supporters have the right to be passionate and frustrated, there is a line that should not be crossed.
“Fans are entitled to disagree with umpiring decisions. They can boo, barrack and express their frustration. That’s part of being a passionate football supporter,”
Issko noted.
“But it is never, ever an excuse to throw bottles or cans on to the ground or at the umpires. What we saw was an ugly look for our game.”
Mitchell believed the game demonstrated to the football world that Hawthorn could indeed be seen as a “I think we’re in a mourning phase. What’s the first part, is it anger? I think I’m still half in anger, probably sense it in my body language,” team.
However, the highly competitive coach admitted this was the angriest he had felt after a match and mentioned it was too soon to reflect on how his players would process the outcome.
“What’s after anger? I don’t know, last is acceptance and – I nearly said a bad word – I’m a long way from acceptance right now. “I will sit in anger for a bit longer, I’m sure all the players will too.” he explained.
“What’s after anger? I don’t know, last is acceptance and – I nearly said a bad word – I’m a long way from acceptance right now.
“If you want to strive for great things, you will open yourself up for all sorts of emotion, the greatest of joy, and the deepest of pain,”
A match for the ages
Mitchell expressed pride in the Hawks, who mounted a remarkable comeback in the final quarter.
“That was a game for the ages. I’m sure I will appreciate it at some point,” he said.
“That was bonkers – just a rollercoaster of emotion,” he added.
For the Lions, Kai Lohmann excelled with five goals, including three in the pivotal third quarter. Harris Andrews again shone defensively, and McCluggage secured his return to form with the winning goal.
“It’s hard to digest right now. I’m just so proud of the way the boys were able to handle those moments late.” Andrews remarked.
“The Giants semi-final was probably my favourite game of all time,”
Charlie Cameron compared the match to Brisbane’s comeback in the 2024 semi-final against GWS, when they overcame a 44-point deficit to win by five points.
“But yeah, that was up there. Hughy McCluggage. What a star.” he stated. “It’s very exciting to be in the position where we can achieve something like that,”
Brisbane’s 20.11 (131) to 19.8 (122) victory secured them a place in the grand final against Fremantle next weekend.
The last encounter between the Lions and the Dockers took place at the Gabba on 30 May, where Brisbane lost by 25 points amidst a challenging stretch of form. However, the Lions now have experience on their side as they prepare for their first final against Fremantle, who are pursuing their first premiership.
Coach Chris Fagan encouraged the Lions to leverage their experience to seize the opportunity for an AFL premiership three-peat.
“But it’s not worth thinking about that because you get caught up in thinking the wrong way. “We’ve just got to get back, recover well, come back down and just follow our process.” Fagan remarked.
“But it’s not worth thinking about that because you get caught up in thinking the wrong way.
“We’ve just got to get back, recover well, come back down and just follow our process.”
