As many as 17 Queenslanders – a record by a long way – are set to play in an historic Toyota AFL Finals Series which features both Queensland clubs for the first time.
It’s Brisbane in a qualifying final against Geelong at the MCG Friday night and Gold Coast facing sudden death in their first final against Fremantle in Perth on Saturday night.
This is after Adelaide host Collingwood in a qualifier tonight (Thursday), and GWS host Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon in an elimination final. And individually the Queensland highlights are many.
Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron will play his 24th final. He’s second only to Jason Akermanis (28) for most finals by a Queenslander, and ahead of Jason Dunstall (21), David Hale (21), Marcus Ashcrofty (19) and Michael Voss (19).
Brisbane’s Harris Andrews and Dayne Zorko will play their 17th final to join Nick Riewoldt in each fifth spot, ahead of Kurt Tippett (16), Clark Keating (15) and the injured Eric Hipwood (14).
Adelaide’s Ben Keays and Gold Coast’s Lachie Weller will play their first final in their 160th AFL game, ending the second-longest wait to a final among Queenslanders.
Zorko, 167 games to his first slice of September action, is the only player who waited longer. He’s also the oldest Queensland finals debutant at 30 years 210 days in 2019.
At the other end of the scale, Brisbane’s Ty Gallop will make his Finals debut in just his third game. Only Adelaide’s Aaron Keating was quicker – he played in the 1997 preliminary final in his second game.
Subject to final selection, Brisbane’s Sam Marshall will play his first Final in his eighth game, slotting in behind injured Brisbane pair Keidean Coleman and Jack Payne, who were five games, and Hawthorn’s Brent Renouf, who played his first final in his sixth game.
Levi Ashcroft, who hasn’t missed a game in his first season, will become the second-youngest Queensland finals player all-time behind Jason Akermanis.
Ashcroft, in his 24th game, will be 18 years 265 days. Akermanis was 18 years 195 days in Brisbane’s first final in 1995. Brisbane’s Jaspa Fletcher, Dayne Beams at Collingwood, and Brisbane’s Joel Macdonald, were 19 in their first final.
Levi and Will Ashcroft will be the second pair of brothers to play together in a final, following Michael and Brett Voss at the Lions in 2020.
Gold Coast will field five and possibly six Queenslanders in their first final – Weller, Bodhi Uwland in his 49th game, Conor Budarick in his 54th game, Alex Davies in his 40th game, Ethan Read in his 24th game and, if selected, Jake Rogers in his 19th game.
Just outside the likely finals team but hoping for a selection surprise are 31-year-old 186-gamer Alex Sexton, 20-year-old Jed Walter, and, on the comeback from injury, 19-year-old 25-gamer Will Graham.
Also this weekend, Geelong’s Jack Bowes will play his third final in his 141st game, and, barring a selection shock, Hawthorn’s Mabior will play his fourth final in his 106th game.
Sadly, Fremantle 28-year-old Corey Wagner, 10 years and 57 games into his career and now at his third club, will miss the Dockers’ finals campaign following a serious pec injury in the last round of the home-and-away season.
GWS’ Lachie Keeffe, who has played only three AFL games this year and none since April, will watch as the Giants launch their finals campaign. The 119-game veteran is 34 and has played eight finals.
The SUNS first AFL final will see five non-Victorian teams in the finals – a huge fillip for the expansion of the one-time 12-team Melbourne-based competition when six games each week were played at 2pm on Saturdays.