FAFL 360: Finals Week 3, 2023

Match Results:
First Preliminary Final:
Wellington Vipers 12.14 (86) defeated by Brisbane Brumbies 20.13 (133) at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington, NZ.

Second Preliminary Final:
Perth Ospreys 17.10 (112) defeated Orange Miners 13.13 (91) at Perth Stadium in Perth, WA.

Grand Final Week:
It’s always a long season with the FAFL but this season was even longer. A player’s strike threatened to end the season before it began but after a few months of protracted negotiations, A shortened season was back on the cards and after 17 rounds and Finals, We’re finally here. 2 teams left and one game to go, The 2023 FAFL Grand Final!

Grand Final Week is always a big deal and starting off the week was the 2023 C.J. Willing Trophy Count. There were a few Favorites going into this year’s count including Wellington’s Nina Hivers, Cairns’s Milo Yates, Adelaide’s Jay Samuelson and Gold Coast’s Brendan Murphy but in the end, There was only one player who take out the award and after finishing short in 2022, Brisbane’s Mile Nguyen would finally win the Willing with 20 votes. 2 ahead of Last Year’s Winner, Milo Yates with 18.

Nguyen would share a few words on the win and the upcoming Grand Final later in the week with Seagull’s Wes Kerry.

Mile Nguyen: “I feel honoured into winning the C.J. Willing Trophy for this season, I wanted to prove to the team that I could be a useful player when the opportunity was right.”

“I have plenty of years left in me of my playing career and I hope I can achieve some more, maybe another title trophy with the team. That’s the next goal of my career.”

Next up would be the Final Training Sessions for both teams during the week. While Perth would have a big Public Training Session at their training base in Lathlain on Tuesday, Due to the Brumbies taking the early trip to Melbourne straight after their win in Wellington due to the need to go through customs and having a trip already booked for Melbourne for the Willing Trophy either way, The Brumbies would have their final training session as a public session at Punt Road Oval in the shadow of the MCG on Wednesday while the Ospreys were taking the long air trip from Perth to Melbourne.

While fans local to Brisbane were disappointed with the news, The club promised to host the biggest party the FAFL has ever seen at their base in Springfield if they did pull off the win on Saturday Afternoon.

At the Lathlain session, The Ospreys players felt like Rock Stars.

*Cuts to crowd of passionate Perth fans singing the chorus of Australian Crawl’s Errol while holding up signs and jumpers of Errol Cook.*

Crowd: “Ohhhhh! Errol! I would give everything just to be like him!”

It would give young stars like Errol Cook and Yan Ishida chance to feel starstruck.

Errol Cook: “The one thing you can say about our fans is that while we might be a young fanbase, We’re just as passionate as any other club. They’ve been a big part of getting us here after willing us on during all the close games we’ve had this year. They truly make you feel like a superstar.”

Yan Ishida: “Well at first I even wondered if I'd crack the rotation so from there to one of the team's driving forces in this endeavour is...it feels surreal, almost like a best-selling Manga.”

*crowd cheers behind her and starts chanting her last name*

Meanwhile in Melbourne, Some at the Brumbies expressed their disappointment at not getting to stop over in Brisbane while others relished the opportunity to be in Melbourne for the entire week.

Alice Pitney: “It's been an absolute rush, having to train wherever could host us but we're making the best of it. Just keeping my head down and working hard as always. For the finals festivities, it feels great to be on center stage for once. Who knew that groundskeeping job in Collingwood would lead to this?”

Kirk Ryan: "Been around a few years now. Got used to the crazy schedules away in Fremantle. So I'll be fine, and the group's hanging in there. Once we got here, and assembled the crew, we got to work right fast on the things from last match. We know Perth are a strong, tough group. I got a friendly rivalry going with Akamai and Arthur. But we know we have the talent and the experience to win the premiership this time 'round."

When we got to Friday, It was finally time for the annual FAFL Grand Final Parade through Melbourne on route to the MCG and the FAFL Footy Festival in the nearby Yarra Park. Some players were overwhelmed by the occasion and the big crowd that had come to see them while others took it in stride and enjoyed the attention and admiration they were getting from the crowd like Perth’s Greg Brackson.

Greg Brackson: "As everyone knows, I'm very used to being in the limelight but this is one of the biggest moments of my life and I'm more than ready to do what I always do on the field, and that is giving my all! I love my fans, and I've even seen a couple of them stripe-dying to look like me! For the Grand Final, I'll be dying my stripes to be a slightly more shiny gold than the Perth colors, as I'm that confident that I will stand out on top and get that trophy. Just watch for me, I'll be pulling out all the stops at the Grand Final!"

While some were just surprised to be here this year like Perth’s Aron Wheeler.

Aron Wheeler: Well... it happened way sooner than I expected, than anyone us expected. But I'm really glad that we made it here. Many of us will play a Grand Final for the first time, so the nerves will be there. I personally feel like we got nothing to lose, even getting here was a big success. Just have to beat Brisbane again like we did in the Qualifying Final. We did it once, we can do it again.

Once the two teams had arrived to the stage in front of a massive crowd representing fans of both teams both captains would share a few words with Brisbane’s captain Lou-Lou Fry’s speech being the highlight.

Lou-Lou Fry: Since I took over as captain in 2021, We’ve had some ups and downs but I knew that the one thing I wanted to do was lead the team out onto the MCG for a Grand Final and thanks to the Brumbies faithful, I will be able to do that tomorrow. You have been with us all the way and if we lift up the cup tomorrow, It will be because you were there every step of the way. You lift us up like no other fanbase and I’m proud to represent the Orange and Blue of the Brumbies. We appreciate you guys coming all this way to see us, We hope to make you proud tomorrow. Thank You.”

Before both teams went back to their hotels for the long wait until the Grand Final, Both captains would lift up the cup in front of the crowd with both captains trying to not let go before the other captain did. And after a brief Press Conference with the two coaches, All there is left now is the long wait and the restless night until tomorrow when these 44 players play in what may be the biggest game they ever play in, The 2023 FAFL Grand Final.

2023 FAFL Award Winners:
2023 C.J. Willing Trophy Winner:
Mile Nguyen (Brisbane Brumbies)

2023 Jimmy Newman Medal for Best Rookie winners:
Fallschirm Fledermaus (Orange Miners)
Yan Ishida (Perth Ospreys)

2023 Michael “Bendy Bruce Medal winner:
Brendan Murphy (Gold Coast Dragons) – 67 goals

2023 Coach of the Year Winners:
Hunter Ambrose (Perth Ospreys)
Zoe Burnley (Brisbane Brumbies)

2023 Most Improved Player Winner:
Cobi Williams (Geelong Rush)

2023 Best Captain Winner:
Brett Sanchez (Wellington Vipers)

2023 Best Veteran Winner:
Brandon Thorton (Wellington Vipers)

2023 Best Interchange Player Winner:
Samir Patel (Adelaide Butcherbirds)

2023 Best International Player Winner:
Dee Ashcroft (Hobart Wolves)

Current Injuries and Suspensions:
Adelaide Butcherbirds:
Rocco McManus (MID) – Kneeing Alfred Gurns (GEEL) – Returns: Round 1, 2024

Cairns Corals:
Myles Cilvantes (MID) – Right Shoulder (40 Days) – Returns: Season 2024

East Sydney Roosters:
Hillary Rier (DEF) – Right MCL Knee (80 Days) – Returns: Season 2024

Gold Coast Dragons:
Mark Jacotine (FWD) – Tail (14 Days) – Returns: Grand Final

Melbourne City Mariners:
Hewie Pearson (MID) – Kicking Joshua Thickscale – Returns: Round 2, 2024

Orange Miners:
Andrew Davis (DEF) – Spine (100 Days) – Returns: Season 2024

Perth Ospreys:
Taylor Sheridan (FWD) – Striking Taylor Howe (BRIS) – Returns: Grand Final or Round 1, 2024

Wellington Vipers:
Carmelita Toney (DEF) – Left AC Joint (70 Days) – Returns: Season 2024

This Week’s Games:
2023 FAFL Grand Final
Saturday November 18th:
Brisbane Brumbies vs. Perth Ospreys @ Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne VIC

We wish both teams the best of luck on Saturday but for now, See you next week.
Wes Kerry, Voice of FAFL Grandstand.