Why Luke Hodge hopes to get his 2024 Grand Final tip wrong

Four-time premiership Hawk Luke Hodge has cast his eye to Saturday’s AFL Grand Final between Sydney and Brisbane at the MCG.

The Swans enter as favourites after finishing as minor premiers and winning through to the decider with a Qualifying Final win over GWS and a Preliminary Final victory over Port Adelaide.

Brisbane has had to go the hard way to get to the final game of the season, winning in an Elimination Final against Carlton, Semi-Final against GWS and Preliminary Final against Geelong – with those last two wins coming on the road.

As a result, Hodge thinks that the Swans do deserve the favouritism but he is expecting a ripper battle that could go either way.

“I'm sitting back thinking Sydney probably deserves to go in favourites because they've been the best team all year,” Hodge told SEN's Whateley.

“They've gone through the finals in fine form, so they deserve to rock up as favourites.

“But as we've seen in Grand Finals, it's an away venue for both sides and the Lions looked pretty convincing, and they weren't scared of the MCG last week.

“Both teams can play really exciting football, so it's a coin toss for me.

“I think it's going to be a ripper of battle between two teams that play an exciting brand of football.”

As for making a prediction, Hodge – who played 41 games for Brisbane – following his 305 games for Hawthorn, has picked the Swans to win while hoping that his tip is wrong given his ties to the Lions.

“The Lions are good enough to beat anyone on their day, it’s just whether they can sort of break it open and get the football played that they want,” Hodge said on SENQ Breakfast.

“Sydney can really shut down teams and they're exciting as well.

“But I'm going to do what I've done every week and go against the Lions because it seems to be good luck for them.

“I'll lean towards Sydney and hope that I get it wrong as I've done in the most recent two Lions games this finals series.”

Saturday’s Grand Final between the two interstate heavyweights begins at 2:30pm (AEST).