Brisbane Lions vs Gold Coast Suns results, video highlights, latest news; Zach Merrett and Bailey Smith slammed by Caroline Wilson

For the first time ever, Brisbane and Gold Coast will meet each other in a final, which, funnily enough, has occurred in the Suns' first ever appearance in September altogether.

The winner of this match heads to the MCG to take on Collingwood, the loser's season is over.

For Brisbane, the reigning premiers, a loss tonight would feel like a disappointing season, but we know going back-to-back is extraordinarily difficult.

They boast the best list in the competition, if you ignore the gaping Joe Daniher sized hole at full forward.

For Gold Coast, they squandered their opportunity to finish inside the top four in round 24, but made up for it with last week's heroic win over Fremantle.

Even with a loss tonight, it will likely feel around par for what they hoped to achieve once it became clear they would make the eight.

But they will not see it that way, of course. The last time these two teams met, Gold Coast battered Brisbane in the rain 130-64.

They were comfortably the better team all afternoon and flexed their muscles on the Lions.

And that was with Lachie Neale picking up 36 disposals and kicking a goal. He will not be out there tonight after injuring his calf.

They also met in round eight, with Brisbane winning a low scoring affair 66-49.

Will the Suns take advantage of a wounded Lion and launch themselves into a preliminary final tonight?

Or will Brisbane do what they've done all season, which is have a tough, unexpected performance and then immediately rebound with a win the following week.

Time will tell!

Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson has weighed in on Zach Merrett's meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell, saying the star midfielder's frustrations with the club have been ongoing for years.

Wilson believes there are those within the four walls at the Bombers who view the 29-year-old as "selfish".

"I think this is a highly complex story. There's huge anger from Essendon that their captain has done this," Wilson told 3AW.

"At the end of every year Zach Merrett goes to a lot of mentors, and he does it during the year too, and asks advice and vents his frustration, so they become known and Essendon has to cover them up.

"Brad Scott said during the week they've given (Merrett) big pay rises to keep him happy … look, there's been rumblings about this for six weeks, that Hawthorn were into him.

"Remember earlier this year Merrett was pictured sitting outside (a pub) with three former Essendon captains just having a bit of a chat.

"I think there is a feeling from Essendon that there is a selfishness as well as brilliance about Zach Merrett, and we've heard this for years.

"Now, he's clearly a very good player and he's lost faith in the club clearly and now the club has hit back.

"It's a mess. He will win their best and fairest and yet there's every chance he won't go now.

"What does Essendon do? Do they get everything they can or do they hold firm?"

Australian football legend Leigh Matthews finds it hard to imagine Merrett being welcomed back into the club, especially as captain.

"You wouldn't have thought you'd be able to do a U-turn and still be the leader of the club," Matthews said.

"You've got a player approaching 30, he's thinking 'what do I do for the last phase of my career'.

It is selfish, but individuals have to look after their own.

"I'm biased, I prefer stayers than goers. I have much more respect for players who stay at their club and see out the hard times like the Suns tonight and guys like Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson.

"They've stayed. They could've gone back to Victoria.

"I think Merrett's got every right to work out what he wants to do in the last phase of his career. I personally hope he stays.

"It is difficult now to think he can walk back into the club without scarring."

Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson has slammed Geelong star Bailey Smith for verbally abusing a photographer at club training during the week.

The midfielder stuck his middle finger up at Geelong Advertiser photographer Alison Wynd while she went about ordinary aspects of her job during an open-to-media training session.

He then swore in her face, demanding she delete the photos.

Wilson did not hold back in her criticisms of Smith, calling out the immaturity of his actions.

"There seems to be one set of rules for Bailey Smith and one set for everyone else," Wilson told 3AW.

"I know there are a lot of women who work in the media this week who are disgusted by what happened to Alison Wynd down at Kardinia Park this week.

"A Geelong Advertiser photographer doing her job on a day where the media had been invited in to cover training.

"Not only does this young player who, I'm sorry, is behaving like a brat, give her the finger, but then he swears at her when she reminds him that she's just doing her job.

"Now, this is not the first time, apparently, he has targeted Alison Wynd and I think it is really disappointing that it took another club person to ring her up and apologise and that when Bailey Smith did apologise, it was via text message. I mean, how weak is that?

"This is a guy who gets up on stage, and I applauded him for doing it, and talked about his mental health battle, is he the most selfish player in football? What about other people's mental health?"

Wilson also called out the AFL for not sanctioning Smith. Days later they fined Brisbane star Lachie Neale $1000 for flipping the middle finger at a fan who was provoking him during his side's qualifying final loss.

"What a lot of the younger female journos are upset about is that it's just been swept under the carpet. He sent her a text message apologising. All Geelong has done is ring her up and apologise," Wilson said.

"There must be serious concerns about his behaviour because Andrew Dillon had to go and visit him at his home and tell him it could all fall apart for him."

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