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2003 AFL Grand Final
Home Team	Brisbane Lions
Away Team	Collingwood
Date	27 September 2003
Stadium	MCG
City	Melbourne
TV in Australia
Network	Network Ten
< 2002 • AFL Grand Final • 2004 >

The 2003 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Brisbane Lions and the Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 2003. It was the 107th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 2003 AFL season.

The game was played in front of 79,451 spectators, a smaller attendance than previous years owing to the construction of new seating at the ground for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Brisbane won by a margin of 50 points, marking that club's third premiership victory.

[edit] Background

Brisbane had appeared in AFL Premiership for the past two years, winning both contests. The Collingwood Magpies had competed against Brisbane in the previous year's Grand Final, losing by a margin of 9 points.

At the conclusion of the home and away season, Port Adelaide had finished first on the AFL ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses, winning their second successive McClelland Trophy. Collingwood had finished fourth with 13 wins and 9 losses.

The 2003 Grand Final had a unique build-up. History certainly repeated itself this year as Anthony Rocca, a Collingwood forward and thought to be one of the most important players in the team, was suspended during the week for an elbow to the head of a Port Adelaide Power player during the Preliminary Final. This suspension was thought to be a major blow to the Magpies' chances.

The build-up was further magnified due to the Lions' chance of being the first team since the Melbourne Demons in the 1950s to win three successive premierships. Attention was also focussed on whether the Magpies would avenge their close loss to the Lions in the previous year's Grand Final.

In the week leading up to the Grand Final, Collingwood's Nathan Buckley was awarded the Brownlow Medal.

[edit] Match summary

The Lions dominated the Magpies and lead throughout the match, leading 5.5 (35) to the Magpies' 3.3 (21) at quarter time. They stretched their lead in the second quarter, leading 11.7 (73) to 4.7 (31) at half time.

Collingwood fought back in the third quarter, but still had a long lead ahead of them at the last break, trailing 9.7 (61) to Brisbane's 14.12 (96). The Magpies were at risk of being absolutely humiliated as the Lions piled on six goals during the last quarter, but Collingwood saved face by scoring three late goals, reducing the margin to 50 points.

Final scores: Brisbane 20.14 (134) defeated Collingwood 12.12 (84).

Simon Black of the Lions was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for being judged the best player afield. Jason Akermanis kicked 5 goals for Brisbane.

With this win, Brisbane became AFL Premiers for the third consecutive year. They would go on to contest a fourth consecutive Grand Final in the 2004 AFL Grand Final, but would lose that game to the Port Adelaide Power.

[edit] Leading goal scorers

Brisbane Jason Akermanis 5, Lynch 4, Caracella, Brown 2, McRae, Pike, Hadley, Black, Leppitsch, Hart, Bradshaw

Collingwood Didak 3, Burns 2, Davis, Woewodin, Buckley, Licuria, Tarrant, Fraser, Scotland