Somehow, even at the parade to celebrate the AFL grand final appearance of two non-Victorian teams for the first time in 18 years, there was Collingwood. Dozens of their fans lined the route, and even more were running around at the footy festival just north of the MCG, where the parade finished.

Brisbane half-forward Cam Rayner was there 12 months ago, the day before his side’s defeat to the Magpies in the 2023 decider. “I remember last year, there was a lot of Collingwood supporters who were pretty vocal, which is good,” he said with a smile.

Lions’ fan James MacIntyre had come down from Brisbane, the first time he and wife Gloria had been in Melbourne since the Taylor Swift concert in February. “A lot more older people here this time,” he said, as two children ran past with black and white flags.

“My uncle’s a Collingwood supporter so I can’t say anything,” the 60-year-old said. “We’re about to rewrite the history books, correct the mistake, [last year’s margin of] four points is a bit rude.”

Sydney captain Dane Rampe, preparing for his fourth grand final, was blunt about the game’s narratives. “What I’ve learned over the couple of losses that I’ve had, is that no one cares about your story,” he said.

The Swans were humbled in the 2022 decider by a rampant Geelong. “It would be great for us to get back there and win after ‘22, it’d be great for Brisbane to get back and make amends for last year. But they don’t care about our story and we don’t care about theirs, and that’s the way it is.”

As minor premiers and long-time ladder leaders, the Swans are widely considered favourites. But the Lions have rejected the underdog tag. “I think we’re the equal-dogs”, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan suggested.

MacIntyre, with his Lions scarf around his neck but without a grand final ticket, was unimpressed with the lack of confidence from his team’s coach. “That’s a bit of a cop-out really,” he said, more assured in his team’s ability. “It’ll be Brisbane by 20.”

Ben and Kate Holt, Melbourne-based Lions fans from the Fitzroy side of the family, were just happy their team had made it this far. “It’s a very big achievement for your team to make the grand final,” Ben said. “It’s just the whole week and being involved in it, just the joy the team gets here for the week,” before Kate added: “The vibe.”

The pair are regulars at the Gabba during the season, but they said watching the Lions play in Victoria lacks the atmosphere of the team’s home games. “The grand final week is the one time I find that the vibe is actually here, whereas you get that in Brisbane all the time,” Ben said.

In their hands was Jeff, one of several canines spotted around the festivities, these true-to-life equal-dogs, having almost as good a time as their owners. “He was just licking the floor over there, he loves the attention because everyone comes up to him,” Ben said. Kate promised him a crepe on the way home, on this glorious spring day.

Swans midfielder James Rowbottom suggested his team had “brought the good weather”, and the celebration of the southern game showed how far the tentacles reach. Melbourne-based Swans fan Catherine Connolly was there with her pre-school aged daughters Abbie and Isabelle, metres away from where husband John was keeping their spot on the fence reserved for an unimpeded view of the passing players.

The Irish-born couple have been Swans fans since Tadhg Kennelly ran around for Sydney, and four-year-old Isabelle attended her first match this year. “She sat nearly the whole way, just the last 10 minutes her patience was like, ‘are we going yet?’,” Connolly said, adding the footy festival – with games, activities and music – gives the younger ones a way to be part of it all. “That’s our plan, to go over there and bring the kids, and let them have the full experience.”

These fans are likely to remember the day, but for the players, the sights and sounds are quickly put aside. “In all honesty, I feel like I’m just focused on the game,” Rayner said. “Last year, I was probably a little bit in awe about the whole week and felt like it’s a new thing. The one thing we’ve been trying to tell the younger boys this week is enjoy it but when we go out there on Saturday we’ve got a job to get done, so that’s what everyone’s focused on.”

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