AFL finals LIVE: Pies coach's cheeky parting shot ignites Dees ...

The 2023 AFL finals series is here, with minor premiers Collingwood taking on Melbourne in the first qualifying final at the MCG.

But the drama unfolded pre-bounce with players forced off the ground due to severe weather.

Amid heavy rain, there were concerns over lightning so the warm ups for both teams was delayed.

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“I’ve spoken to the AFL – the warm ups for this clash have been pushed back,” Fox Footy’s Jon Ralph explained.

“The rule for the AFL is if there’s thunder and lightning within 10km of the MCG, they will stop the game for a minimum 10 minutes.

“There’s certainly no time limit on when the game can restart.

“The show will go on.”

Despite the warm up delays, the 7.20pm AEST start is expected to remain.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae has already delivered a cheeky parting shot to the Demons ahead of the big final on Thursday night.

McRae left his press conference on Tuesday telling reporters: “See you in a couple of weeks”, implying his side would enjoy a week off with a win.

The Magpies welcome back skipper Darcy Moore, Nathan Murphy and Beau McCreery to face the Dees; opting to use Jack Ginnivan as the sub while John Noble becomes the first heartbreak tale as he’s been dropped after 83 straight games for the club.

Melbourne have named Tom McDonald as the man to replace the injured Jake Melksham while Michael Hibberd is also back.

Fox Footy’s David King believes it’s the Demons who head into the finals in peak condition.

“I just feel like they’ve timed their run really well,” King said on SEN.

“I think Melbourne are right now close to perfection with how they want to look.”

While Ginnivan was named early as Collingwood’s sub, Melbourne opted to go with Bailey Laurie.

This match gets underway at 7.20pm AEST from the MCG.

Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 6.30pm AEST.

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