2019 AFL Grand Final

Round-by-round ladder positions of the two teams during the season.[3]

After ending a 37-year premiership drought in 2017 against Adelaide, Richmond entered the 2019 season after a stunning 39-point defeat to Collingwood in the 2018 first preliminary final but tipped to challenge for a second flag in three years after retaining the core of their 2017 premiers and adding Tom Lynch from Gold Coast.[4] However, the Tigers suffered misfortune during the first half of the season, with several of their star players sidelined due to injury, including star defender Alex Rance lost for the rest of the year after their Round 1 win against Carlton, and ultimately went into the Grand Final missing Rance and three young stars in Jack Higgins, Sydney Stack and Jack Graham, who had been the leading goalkicker in the 2017 Grand Final despite only playing in his fifth game.[5] At the conclusion of Round 14, the Tigers were ninth on the ladder with an average 7–6 win-loss record. However, they did not lose again in the home-and-away season, winning their last nine games to finish in the top four for a third straight year.[6] Richmond qualified for the finals in third place with a 16–6 win-loss record, behind minor premiers Geelong and second-placed Brisbane on percentage. The Tigers advanced directly to the preliminary final after an impressive 47-point victory over Brisbane in the second qualifying final at the Gabba, which marked their first interstate finals victory,[7] before reaching their second grand final in three seasons after a stirring 19-point comeback victory over Geelong in the second preliminary final at the MCG, including Lynch kicking five goals.[8]

Greater Western Sydney started season 2019 after a 10-point loss to Collingwood in the 2018 second semi-final.[9] Despite losing inspirational co-captain Callan Ward to an ACL injury early in the season,[10] a season-ending injury to star midfielder Stephen Coniglio and some indifferent form in the second half of the year,[11] the Giants qualified for the finals for the fourth straight year. They finished sixth with a 13–9 win-loss record. The Giants thrashed the Western Bulldogs by 58 points in the second elimination final[12] before two heart-stopping victories – a three-point win over Brisbane in the second semi-final at the Gabba[13] and a four-point win over last season's runner-up Collingwood in the first preliminary final at the MCG after a touched ball was incorrectly ruled as a goal[14] – catapulted the club into its first ever grand final appearance. It was just the second time since the introduction of the AFL final eight system in 2000 that a team reached the grand final without finishing inside the top four, after the Bulldogs' 2016 victory.

Both teams met twice during the home-and-away season; they first met in Round 3 at Giants Stadium when the Giants thrashed Richmond by 49 points,[15] and then again in Round 17 at the MCG when the Tigers won by 27 points.[16] They had also met once in a final before in a 2017 preliminary final at the MCG, which Richmond had won by 36 en route to the flag.

It was announced during the week that Richmond, as the higher-ranked team, would wear its full home kit, while the Giants would wear their predominantly white clash guernsey with white shorts.[17]

With an average audience of 2.197 million across the five major capital cities, this was the lowest rating AFL Grand Final on free-to-air television since OzTAM began recording television ratings in 2001.[18]

Tones and I performed "The Kids Are Coming" and "Dance Monkey", and was followed by Dean Lewis, who performed "Be Alright" and "Waves". John Williamson also performed Waltzing Matilda.[19]

Paul Kelly performed "Leaps and Bounds" and "Dumb Things". Mike Brady also performed "Up There Cazaly".

Conrad Sewell performed the Australian National Anthem "Advance Australia Fair".

Richmond chose Maureen Hafey – the widow of legendary Richmond coach Tom Hafey – as their ambassador to carry the premiership cup onto the field, while GWS chose Kevin Sheedy – their first ever coach. Hafey also presented the trophy to Trent Cotchin and Damien Hardwick during the on-field award ceremony.

The 2019 AFL Premiership Cup on display at the 2019 AFL Grand Final Parade

The teams were announced on 26 September 2019. Richmond made one change to the side, with Jack Graham dropping out of the side due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the preliminary final victory over Geelong. Pickett was announced to be taking his spot; having previously been picked up from South Fremantle in the WAFL during the midseason draft following the retirement of 2017 Premiership player Shaun Grigg, he had won the Norm Goss Medal in Richmond's VFL Grand Final victory over Williamstown.[21] Ultimately, Pickett, Tom Lynch, Shai Bolton, Ivan Soldo, Jayden Short and Liam Baker in for Rance, Grigg, Graham, Jacob Townsend, Dan Butler and Kamdyn McIntosh were the six changes from the Richmond team that beat Adelaide two years beforehand.

Greater Western Sydney, meantime, recalled Toby Greene and Lachie Whitfield, who both missed their preliminary final win over Collingwood due to suspension and injury respectively, into their side, with Lachlan Keeffe and Ian Hill both making way.[22] GWS also was missing former Richmond Rising Star Brett Deledio after he had been injured earlier in the finals.

Richmond

GWS Sydney

Umpires

The umpiring panel, comprising three field umpires, four boundary umpires, two goal umpires and an emergency in each position is given below.

Numbers in brackets represent the number of grand finals umpired, including 2019.

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