On Saturday I watched one of the most incredible finishes to an AFL Grand Final in history.
From my perspective as a Director of the Brisbane Lions, it was an amazing outcome - and one that, even after watching the replay of the final five minutes multiple times since, I’m still struggling to believe really happened.
I do feel for Fremantle and their supporters, having been on the other side of the equation in 2023 when we lost what had been another incredibly close Grand Final in the final moments.
There has been no shortage of commentary around what allowed the Lions to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But, as always, I find myself looking for the learnings that can be taken from one scenario and repurposed into another.
So, what business lessons can we take from what we saw on Saturday?
The biggest one for me is the role preparation plays in being ready to seize an opportunity when it arises.
In both sport and business, there is a direct connection between the ability to execute when the moment arrives and the months - or more often, years - of preparation that happened before it.
Many years ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Steven Bradbury, who famously won Olympic gold for Australia in speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Most Australians know Steven’s story. He came from last place in the final straight to win gold after the entire field ahead of him crashed on the final corner. But hearing him speak about the experience gave me an entirely different perspective.
Yes, the actions of others provided him with the opportunity to win that medal. But he had to be in the race to take advantage of it.
It was years of hard work, discipline and preparation that saw him qualify for that final and put himself in the position to take his place in history when the opportunity presented itself.
I thought about that again on Saturday.
When Wharfie Time rang out around the MCG and the Lions players looked at each other and executed on their strategy, all of the hard work and discipline that had gone into refining their skills came to the fore.
Will Ashcroft’s lightning reflexes and fast footwork saw him in the right place time and time again. The countless hours Charlie, Zac and Logan have spent practising kicking goals meant they were ready when those moments came. And across the field, every player knew the role they had to play and executed it to the highest level of their ability.
But what happened in those final minutes wasn't created in those final minutes.
It was the culmination of years of work across the entire club.
The players are the most visible part of that, but behind them are coaches, high-performance and medical teams, analysts, football operations staff and so many others whose work ensures those players are physically, mentally and strategically ready when the moment comes.
And beyond football operations sits another team working just as hard off the field - building the commercial strength, member and fan engagement, partnerships, facilities and organisational foundations that allow the football program to perform at its best.
Not everyone gets to kick the winning goal. Not everyone is standing on the MCG when the siren sounds.
But extraordinary outcomes are rarely the work of the people we can see in that final moment.
They are built by organisations where people understand the goal, understand the role they play in achieving it, and do the work - often long before anyone is watching - to make sure they are ready when their moment arrives.
And that, for me, is where the business lesson lies.
In business the medals might be figurative rather than literal, but the principle is exactly the same.
Opportunities will come. Some you'll be able to predict and plan for. Others will appear unexpectedly, perhaps in the equivalent of the final five minutes of a Grand Final.
The question is: when they do, will you and your team be ready?
What are you doing today to ensure that when your opportunity presents itself, your people are prepared, practised and polished enough to capitalise on it?
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