Selection, weather, venue: The factors that could decide the grand final

This week on the Real Footy podcast, Michael Gleeson, Caroline Wilson and Jake Niall look ahead to the grand final and the factors that could impact the result of the game.

Dan McStay will miss the decider, so who should Collingwood bring in? Who shapes as an unlikely important player for the Magpies? How will the dimensions of the MCG affect the game, and the fact it will be played on a warm afternoon when most games so far have been played at night? Should Taylor Adams come back in for the Pies? And will Jack Payne be fit to return for Brisbane?

The way the Blues turned their season around from where they were mid-year should not be lost in the wake of their preliminary final loss. Carlton have been an adornment to September this year and are a great example of a group of leaders that stuck the course. Was this an outlier, or are the Blues really back? Meanwhile, Charlie Curnow was below his best throughout the finals series. What went wrong for the Coleman medallist?

The panel also looks at what the future holds for GWS, who will be going into next year with a top draft pick in Aaron Cadman to improve their side. Can the Giants get better in 2024?

Plus, a potential solution to the yearly grand final ticketing uproar, why the pre-finals bye won’t budge, the Lions’ most extraordinary achievement, what Andrew Dillon’s priorities should be when he takes over as CEO next week and much more.