What a massive afternoon of finals footy we had down at the S.C.G. as Finals Week 1 kicked off on Sat, 5 Sept, 3:15 pm AEST. Punters who eyed up the market beforehand saw the Sydney Swans at 3.64 after seeing some support with Sydney Swans 3.7→3.64 (firmed), while the Brisbane Lions came in as the elect at 1.27. When the dust settled, it was the red and white faithful walking away grinning after a commanding display.
Both sides arrived at the contest coming off strong form. Sydney Swans headed into the clash coming off a win after their 123–70 victory against North Melbourne, while the Brisbane Lions's last start was a win following a 159–96 triumph over Collingwood. But once the first bounce went, form lines were thrown out the window as the home side put on a clinic.
How the match unfolded
The scoreboard attendant certainly earned their pay packet on this afternoon. Sydney Swans put the foot down in style, piling on a massive score to leave the visitors in their wake. When the final siren sounded, the official result read Sydney Swans 141–88 Brisbane Lions, handing the Swans a comprehensive 53-point victory.
Looking back at the head-to-head ledger from earlier in the year, June 2026 saw Brisbane Lions take the points 126–83, while March 2026 went the way of Sydney Swans 104–60. This finals encounter added another fiery chapter to their rivalry, comfortably clearing the total points line of 195.5 as the scoring flowed freely at the S.C.G.
How the tips went
Let's take an honest look at how our published selections fared across the board during Finals Week 1. In the head-to-head market, the tip on Brisbane Lions resulted in a loss as the visitors couldn't handle the rampant Swans on their home deck.
In the line market, Brisbane Lions -25.5 also resulted in a loss given the convincing margin of the home side's win. However, punters who looked at the totals department tasted success, with Over 172.5 resulting in a win as both outfits contributed to a high-scoring affair that finished well past the 200-point mark combined.