RICHO’S TOP 10: Playing Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs was the wrong move for Geelong Cats in AFL grand final

1. It’s always easy to critique selection after the event, but the Cats may have got the Rhys Stanley selection wrong.

Mark Blicavs had had two big finals playing as primary ruckman. But with Stanley coming in — with Tom Stewart out through concussion — it meant that both he and Blicavs had to spend time forward. Neither of these guys have ever really been goal kickers or natural forwards. It felt a bit cumbersome and changed the makeup of a team that had had two big finals wins to get to the grand final. Make no mistake though this Geelong team will be back in 2026. It won’t surprise me if in the coming trade period they strengthen their list as that’s what they always do.

2. Zac Bailey was a star all year, in fact he was an All-Australian.

He had a ripper game in the grand final kicking 3.6, but this is a performance that could have won him the Norm Smith Medal over Will Ashcroft if he had kicked straight. He could have joined illustrious company like Kevin Bartlett with seven goals in 1980 and Gary Albert with nine goals in 1989, the latter winning the Norm Smith in a losing side. Bailey was ah so close but the way the Lions are going will probably get another shot in the next few years.

3. Will Ashcroft is now in rare air with back-to-back Norm Smith medals.

He joins the likes of all time GOATS like Andrew McLeod and Dustin Martin. Of course, Dusty won three Norms and is the finals master. But at age 21 and only three seasons into his career Ashcroft could eclipse Dusty’s feats. Brisbane is only going to get better and he will most likely get to play in another grand final. Ashcroft is made for finals footy because he never fumbles and makes the right decision with ball in hand. He also speaks and carries himself well which is no surprise as his triple premiership winning dad Marcus is a very humble man himself. The kid is a star and his younger brother Levi ain’t too bad either.

4. For Brisbane to win a flag with eight players under 22 is scary for the competition and they will only get better after back-to-back flags.

Two of these under 22 players were key forwards Ty Gallop, 19, and Logan Morris, 20. The performance of these guys throughout the finals series was outstanding. As a key forward you don’t reach your physical peak until you are 24 or 25 so for them to compete the way they did was essential to the Lions’ premiership win. They didn’t kick a heap of goals on Saturday, but they didn’t get out marked and got it to ground for the Lions’ elite small forwards to then turn those crumbs into goals. The future is very bright for these two.

5. There are always unsung heroes in great teams.

These are the guys that rarely get talked about in the media but are as important as the big-name stars to a team’s success. Brisbane has two of these in their impregnable defence in Ryan Lester and Darcy Gardiner. They just get the job doneand don’t seek accolades. At times over the years, they have been in and out of this Brisbane team. Not now, they are the rocks of a back-to-back title defence and complement Harris Andrews perfectly. Speaking of Andrews, after this September he has to be in the conversation with Alex Rance and Matthew Scarlett as the best defender of last 20 years.

6. From heartache last year to jubilation for the Lion hearted big man Oscar McInerney.

He missed last year’s decider with injury and could not have handled it better. He put on a brave face. The Big O is the ultimate team man and his teammates love him. He also endured a tough year this season. He struggled at times and between rounds 11-18 he did not play in the senior team. But he regained some from and was selected late in the year. He again just played his role Saturday and deserves to be a premiership player. Who doesn’t love the Big O.

7. Tell me anyone in footy that isn’t happy for Chris Fagan.

The most likeable person in football by a country mile. I’ve watched his rise as a coach since 1989 when he was my junior development coach back in Tassie. He’s a great relationship building coach, but I think over the years he’s been underrated as a tactical coach. That’s been well and truly put to bed after back-to-back premiership wins, the second one against Chris Scott, who has been regarded as the best tactician in the AFL. What a great decision maker as well with his selection of Lachie Neale as the sub and the master stroke of bringing on the star at half-time. Neale swung the momentum with his clearance dominance at stoppage with the game in the balance. Fagan proved why he won the coaches’ best coach award for a third time this year and has done an unbelievable job changing the culture at Brisbane.

8. Charlie Cameron had a rough year.

The champion struggled at times to meet his own lofty standards set over a great career. This is a small forward that has been able to kick over 50 goals a season four times. But this year he went goalless in nine games. That’s tough for a forward and his confidence must have waned at times. But on the biggest stage he busted the game open in the third quarter. It was a match-winning burst from Charlie. We heard his goal celebration Country Roads four times on Saturday. The most we had heard it all season. Now on 436 career goals he is of the calibre of Stephen Milne, Luke Breust, Jeff Farmer, Eddie Betts and co.

9. Snoop Dogg was an outstanding get, he nailed the whole week and I loved his great performance to set the scene for the grand final.

Even if you don’t like his genre of music, it was an entertaining show. I enjoyed it live at the ground, and it came up even better on TV. The social media reaction normally tells the story as to whether people enjoyed it. I reckon 80 per cent of people agreed it was a great show. Well done Dogg.

10. Finally, I want to thank all the readers of this column.

As an ex-footballer working in the AFL media, I have never taken for granted how lucky I am to be able to talk about the sport I love to the fans. Thanks for reading and see you in 2026.