Australia Treated To The Best 3 Matches Of The Year From Each Footy Code In The Same Weekend

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT

The hostilities between Australia's winter football codes are non-existent this week, as the punters realise that the tide rises together.

While Aussie Rules die hards will insist that NRL can't even fill stadium, and while NRL fans will contend that rugby league does far bigger TV ratings - nobody can argue that the past 24 houts of sport wasn't the greatest we have ever seen in this country.

Even the poorly promoted rugby union international ended up generating the type of buzz not seen since the 2000s.

This comes as all three Australian footy codes put on the best products possible over the weekend - with the AFL, NRL and Test Rugby showcasing the very best they have to offer.

It all started on Saturday with the AFL grand final at the MCG, where Brisbane asserted themselves as premiers once more after staging an almost supernatural comeback against the Fremantle Dockers who were on the verge of their first-ever trophy.

The Lions slotted seven points in dramatic circumstances after kicking a goal a minute to clinch their second three-peat with a 14.12 (96) to 12.17 (89) victory.

This was followed on Saturday afternoon with an underdog sporting narrative not seen since the 2015 Cowboys, as last year's wooden spooners, the Newcastle Knights defeat the Penrith Panthers dynasty 22-14 with 12 only men.

This nail-biting finish has secured the Steel City's first grand final in 25 years after.

The rugby league was then followed by an evening broadcast between the Australian rugby union side and the South Africans.

The Wallabies held with both hands on for a dramatic 42-38 win against the Springboks in Perth, surviving with just 11 men on the field at the end after four yellow cards.

Each match was the best that their code has put on this year, and each broadcast enjoyed vast overlaps in fanbases.

The one takeaway from all three games, is that Queenslanders are the key ingredient to Australian sporting excellence.