Cats and Hawks clearly the stand-outs

So the Grand Final we had to have is now here. It’s winner take all as the two best sides of the year meet on the last Saturday in September. The preceding eight finals haven’t really done much for anyone – maybe the Cats and Hawks should have played a best-of-five instead?

How is the Hawks’ timing? Did they pick the wrong year in which to peak as they take on a red-hot Geelong side? For the Cats, they don’t want to go down the same path as the Essendon side from the beginning of the decade who only had one flag to show for their three years of dominance.
For the winner, destiny awaits.

Every Grand Final has its own story lines. What are they for the 2008 version.

1989: Been there done that. Next.

Shane Crawford - Timing is everything. Crawford made his debut in the opening round of 1993. Hawthorn had made the finals in each of the previous 11 seasons and in that time won five flags. It wasn’t until 2000 that Crawford would play in a winning final and not until now, 304 games since the start of his career, that he gets to play in a Grand Final. Will he join the likes of Garry Lyon, Tony Lockett and Robert Harvey who toiled so valiantly for just a single Grand Final appearance which didn’t go their way. This could be the one and only Brownlow night Crawf is sober for.

No Brownlow Hangover – Speaking of which no Cat will have to play the Grand Final with the pressure of being the reigning Brownlow medalist. While it’s great that Adam Cooney won, spare a thought for him team-mate Scott West who came third in 1998, runner-up in 2000, fourth in 2005 and runner up again in 2006. Is akin to Pat Rafter who tried so hard to win Wimbledon which culminated in his five set loss to Goran Ivanišević in the 2001 final only for Lleyton Hewitt to stroll in the next year and claim the title when everyone else around him fell like flies.

Alastair Clarkson - During the tumultuous 2004 season, Hawthorn were looking for a new coach alongside Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Richmond. With so many former Hawks stars with their hat in the ring, it appeared likely that one of the premiership heroes would return to lead the Hawks. Rodney Eade ended up at the Western Oval while Terry Wallace landed at Punt Road. Gary Ayres didn’t go anywhere and the Hawthorn position went to an outside in Alastair Clarkson. There were rumblings at the time of his appointment and these weren’t lessened with a 14th finish his first year. But they have constantly improved and from 11th in 2006, they made the second week of the finals last year. Regardless of the result, it is obvious that Clarkson has done a fantastic job and this is a testimony of not only to sticking to your guns but not ignoring the lesser names just because others have theirs in lights.

Cat-aclysmic - When they played in that 1989 decider they were a mercurial team but one inexperienced in Grand Finals. It was their first finals series since 1981 and first Grand Final since 1967. They kept on making Grand Finals and kept on being pummeled. Now they are the experienced big game players who will hope to intimidate the Hawks on this stage. It is testament to how good this Geelong side is if they equal Reg Hickey’s supermen who went back to back in 1951-52.

Mark Thompson – Only 23 coaches in the history of VFL/AFL have stood on the podium brandishing the Premiership Cup more than once. Only 14 of them managed back to back flags. If the Cats win, Thompson will take his rightful place among the all-time greats. Funny to think how a few years ago he was under pressure. Win here and no one can question him ever again – unless he goes to Carlton like Denis Pagan.

Draft Day Blues – Speak to any Richmond fan about the draft and they will tell you they still have nightmares about taking Aaron Fiora ahead of Matthew Pavlich. Things don’t improve for Tiger fans given they had not one but two picks before Lance Franklin went at 5 in 2004. While Brett Deledio and Richard Tambling are good players they are nobodies compared to Buddy who is an out and out superstar.

Speaking of the draft, the jury is still out on the Luke Hodge – Luke Ball – Chris Judd verdict but Ball will definitely feel like the odd man out if he is the only one of the three without a Premiership medal.

How the Hawks can win – The New York Giants took on the unbeatable New England Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl and ruined the Pats’ perfect season by winning – this is where the Hawks need to look for inspiration as how else do you beat the practically invincible side? The Hawks have to be at their absolute best the whole game and harass the Cats into being less than theirs. In this type of situation the Cats biggest enemy is their own mortality because if they get into the unfamiliar situation of being behind they may panic thereby compounding the problem.

In a two-horse race anything is possible which is why they play the game, but this game should see the Cats toy with the Hawks as if they are a ball of wool. The last time the dominant team of the year made the Grand Final and didn’t win it was the 1991 Eagles and who beat them that day – Hawthorn. That was then though, this is now.

Prediction – Geelong by 28 points.

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