MATTHEW RICHARDSON’S TOP 10: I wrongly told my girls they could meet Katy Perry at the AFL grand final

1. Every year there seems to be a heartbreak story leading up to the grand final.

This year we have two in popular Brisbane ruckman Oscar McInerney and Swans skipper Callum Mills. It’s a tough pill for Mills to swallow being cut three days out from the game, but backing him to recover from a hamstring injury in 17 days was risk the Swans were right in not taking. The decision ends a frustrating year for the injury-plagued skipper. McInerney bravely played on as long as he could against Geelong after dislocating his shoulder twice in the prelim. The Big O is the ultimate team man and is loved by his teammates. He is also a crucial player and the Lions will miss him greatly. He is among the top ruckman in the AFL, so he is a big out for the Lions.

2. I made a mistake a few months ago which has come back to haunt me.

I made my daughters a promise I am now unable to deliver on. Katy Perry had just been announced for the grand final entertainment and my girls love her They asked if they could meet the Roar singer and I big noted myself and said yes. Here we are two days out and I need to make it happen against all odds. Does anyone have a contact? I’m getting desperate.

3. Chris Fagan is the oldest coach in the competition and heads into his second grand final in a row.

His players love him and he is a real father figure for his team. His journey is a great story given he never played in the VFL/AFL. Fagan started his coaching career in the early 1990s as a junior development coach in Devonport, Tasmania. I was lucky to be in that program as a kid. I loved Fages then and it’s no surprise he’s been such a success.

4. John Longmire is a different story. He was a star player at North Melbourne who won a premiership in 1999 and a Coleman Medal in 1990.

Full-forwards like Horse generally don’t have the patience to be good coaches. He bucked that trend and is looking for a second premiership as coach in his fifth grand final. What a coach he has been at the Swans. Like Fagan, he is a father figure to many of the Swans players.

5. Who does Swans stopper James Jordon go to in the grand final?

Will Longmire send him to Dayne Zorko at half-back or get him to run with Lachie Neale after the centre bounces. My tip is he will go to Zorko as he’s integral to the Lions’ ball movement from half back. As for Neal, he’s just about untaggable.

6. There will be great match-ups all over the ground on Saturday but these are the ones I think could decide the outcome.

For the Swans, Brody Grundy has looked a little tired of late with a huge workload this year. They need him to dominate a ruckman who has hardly played all year in Darcy Fort, while Errol Gulden and Nick Blakey are the guys that get the Swans ball movement moving outside the corridor. Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald stepped up in the preliminary final and again need to take scoreboard pressure off the midfield by kicking straight. For Brisbane, with no Big O, its up to Joe Daniher to make an impact in the forward 50 and in the ruck contests up front. If Cameron Raynor and Zac Bailey repeat their preliminary final efforts and Neale does what Neale does best - dominate clearances - the Lions will be closer to having one hand on the premiership cup.

7. What an extraordinary performance by Patrick Cripps to win his second Brownlow medal with a staggering 45 votes.

Cripps and runner-up Nick Daicos, on 38 votes, broke the existing vote-tally record. And to think in 1986, 17 votes was enough to win. Their tallies show their professionalism to produce at an incredibly high standard every week. Now the Blues must cash in and challenge for a premiership while they their skipper is performing at this level. The clock is ticking loudly for Carlton.

8. Another Brownlow dominated by midfielders, so let’s be honest it has become an award that only the top six to seven midfielders can win.

And it’s become incredibly predictable. No forward has won since Tony Lockett in 1987 and the last defender to win was Gavin Wanganeen as a back pocket in 1983. What about we give an award to the competition’s best forward and defender on Brownlow night as well. Maybe it’s as simple as the highest vote winner from either end of the ground. Or we come up with a new concept altogether. Just a suggestion. Thoughts?

9. It was like Elvis had entered the building last Friday night at the SCG. I’m talking about Bruce McAvaney and his comeback to Channel 7 footy for the preliminary finals.

In sports broadcasting he is the Elvis Presley – The King. The crowd before the game on the outer wing at the SCG gave him a standing ovation. It was so good to watch. The 100,000 strong crowd at the MCG will be equally thrilled to see him back doing what he does best at the grand final.

10. I tipped Brisbane pre-season and it was shaky for a while but here we are.

So I think Brisbane will win by 10 points with Daniher to snag the Norm Smith Medal.