Good evening, and welcome to a game that we have been waiting all week, all season and all summer for. It’s Brisbane and Collingwood together again, locking horns for the first time since the magnificent 2023 grand final.

But there’s a twist. Instead of this being a rematch of two of the league’s hottest teams, it’s a D-Day battle between two on the brink of crisis. Neither Brisbane or Collingwood have won a game this season, and the loser of this game will — externally anyway — have their flag chances dismissed.

It’s going to feel like a final at the Gabba tonight, such are the stakes for this game. Don’t miss a minute with me in the blog, as we enjoy one of the biggest games of the season so far.