Blue and white pride in Geelong, maroon and gold joy in Brisbane

The AFL Grand Final is here, and it’s Geelong vs Brisbane.

Whoever manages to salute will beryllium the archetypal team to person won 5 AFL premierships this millennium.

The first-ever expansive last betwixt the Lions and Geelong will beryllium the culmination of rivalry stretching backmost much than 20 years.

As the rampaging Lions collected a premiership three-peat successful 2001-03, they routinely bullied a young, rebuilding Geelong team.

But since then Geelong person been an undeniable and accordant juggernaut.

Milton and Julia Mavromoustakos. Photo: Mavs Greek Restaurant/Facebook

The Cats person missed finals conscionable three times – 2006, 2015 and 2023 – successful 21 years and won 4 premierships (2007, 2009, 2011, 2022) since ending a 43-year drought.

The Cats participate the expansive last arsenic strong favourites aft eight-straight wins, but Brisbane’s resilience successful the existent epoch means they can’t beryllium written disconnected successful the contention for 5 flags.

Neos Kosmos spoke to some Greek Australian concern owners, supporters of some clubs, who person strong connections to the teams.

Milton and Julia Mavromoustakos of Mavs Greek Restaurant successful Geelong emotion their city’s team.

Harris Andrews brings the cup. Photo: Supplied

Julia tells Neos Kosmos that they’ve ever watched their success and find it comic that the Cats are bluish and white, conscionable similar the Greek flag.

Over the years Geelong players person frequented Mav’s. In 2020, nine greats Mathew Stokes and Andrew Mackie visited for the Tastes of Central Geelong festival.

Julia besides shared that they are very grateful arsenic the nine has adjacent helped them successful fundraising 1 year when a household subordinate was sick and needed treatment overseas.

Every clip Geelong plays distant games, she says the metropolis is quiet, and similar successful 2022, they’ll beryllium closed for the day.

“We’ll beryllium watching connected tv, hopefully celebrating afterwards.”

Over successful Brisbane, Renae Dardanis and Kerry Konstantinou from Michael Innis Menswear person been dressing Lions players since the turn of the century.

The two sister’s full household are diehard Lions supporters.

Renae Dardanis and Kerry Konstantinou. Photo: Supplied

“We are highly arrogant of the Brisbane Lions team… the boys are heading into their third expansive last successful a enactment and aft winning past year’s cupful we couldn’t beryllium much blessed for the them, such a monolithic achievement,” they told Neos Kosmos.

Being a small concern they will still beryllium unfastened connected expansive last day.

Last year they had household and friends travel to the store to watch the game, had Brisbane Lions banners and streamers, wine and food platters and a large tv to watch the crippled on.

“We cheered, we laughed, we ate and drank! We’ll beryllium doing the aforesaid this year!”

Last year the team were celebrating their huffy Monday locally and co-captain Harris Andrews brought the premiership cupful into the store to amusement them.

“We person been sponsors of this large nine for 25 years and are beyond excited to beryllium a portion of their journey.”