HISTORY is on Brisbane's side. 

Since the current top-eight system was introduced in 2000, the grand finalists have also met in the first week of September five times.

On four occasions, the qualifying final loser has atoned three weeks later, on the final day of the season. 

Brisbane did it first when it went the long way in 2003 to win a third consecutive premiership under Leigh Matthews. 

Sydney then did it in 2005 by beating West Coast by four points at the MCG, after losing to the Eagles by the same margin at Subiaco in the qualifying final. 

The reverse occurred 12 months later. Both games were decided by a point. Sydney beat West Coast at Subiaco in the first final, but the Eagles saluted in the Grand Final. 

West Coast beat Hawthorn by 32 points at Subiaco in the 2015 qualifying final, but the Hawks recovered, winning three straight finals, including the decider over the Eagles by 46 points to seal a three-peat under Alastair Clarkson. 

The Eagles beat Collingwood twice in 2018 and are the only team to win both match-ups in the same finals series since 2000.

West Coast defeated the Magpies at Optus Stadium, then recovered from a slow start to beat Collingwood by just five points at the MCG. 

Geelong comprehensively beat Brisbane by 38 points at the MCG in this year's qualifying final, before booking another Grand Final berth by sweeping aside Hawthorn last Friday night. 

The Lions qualified for a third straight Grand Final by defeating Collingwood on Saturday to book a fourth meeting with Geelong in 2025. 

That has only happened three times this century – Brisbane faced Collingwood four times in 2003, Sydney met West Coast that many times in 2005 – under the current finals system, not including drawn Grand Finals. 

This will be the 47th time in VFL/AFL history that two grand finalists have met four or more times, excluding drawn Grand Finals, in a single season.

Brisbane will be out to continue the trend of reversing qualifying final defeats in the game that matters most.