Just four teams are left in the race for this year’s AFL premiership, and if the regular season meetings are anything to go by then we could have a pair of unexpected AFL grand-finalists.
While a North Melbourne versus Port Adelaide grand final would be the dream scenario for fans of the underdog, it will be the Sydney Swans and Hawthorn who are favoured to reach the grand final.
Both teams will come in fresh after a week off earned after victories against Fremantle and the Geelong Cats, but they’ll be wary of the form displayed by North Melbourne and Port Adelaide in the semi-finals.
The Roos dominated their match against the Cats from start to finish, while the Power came from five goals down in the second half to stun an injury-ravaged Fremantle in enemy territory.
Will they form the ultimate underdog grand final next Saturday? Or will order be restored and the Swans and Hawks move through as expected? Let’s take a look at each of the two preliminary finals.
Sydney Swans versus North Melbourne
Friday, September 19
7:50pm
ANZ Stadium
The first preliminary final will see the Swans pitted against North, who handed them their worst loss of the season in Round 4 with a convincing 43-point victory.
It was, however, a different Sydney side that Brad Scott’s men faced back then, as the 2012 premiers were without Adam Goodes, Kurt Tippett, Craig Bird and Sam Reid, and Lance “Buddy” Franklin was struggling to adjust to his new surroundings.
On a dirty day for the red and white, Buddy was held goalless for the only time this season by Scott Thompson, two years after being one of his three victims (Luke Delaney and Nathan Grima being the others) in a 13-goal performance for Hawthorn back in 2012. Ironically, Thompson restricted Buddy to just 13 possessions.
But how times have changed since then. The Swans have since surged to their first minor premiership since 1996 and are in the box seat to reach their fourth grand final in the last decade. They will be aware of not only the convincing fashion in which North defeated them earlier this season, but also how they impressively defeated the Cats last Friday night.
A seven-goal first quarter set the Roos up for their second consecutive finals victory and they will enter this Friday night’s showdown at ANZ Stadium with the utmost confidence that they can advance to their first grand final since 1999.
However, the Roos could be without Brent Harvey, who is still pending the outcome of his tribunal challenge for his bump on Geelong captain Joel Selwood last week. Although it would rob Brad Scott’s men of any experience, they still went undefeated during his recent three-week suspension for rough conduct in Round 21.
Will the North Melbourne fairytale continue into the last Saturday of September, or will the Swans send them crashing back to earth?
Prediction: Sydney Swans by 14 points.
Hawthorn versus Port Adelaide
Saturday, September 20
4:45pm
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The last time Hawthorn met Port Adelaide at the MCG, Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli kicked 14 goals between then as the Hawks handed the Power their worst ever loss in the AFL, winning by 165 points.
More than three years on, and with a new board and coach leading the way, the Power are now just four quarters away from their first grand final since 2007.
Hawthorn were impressive in the second half of their 36-point victory over the Cats in the first week. However, the Power will have reason to be confident on Saturday, as they defeated the reigning premiers by 14 points at the Adelaide Oval in Round 10.
That will count for nothing, however, as Hawthorn will be favoured to progress to their third consecutive grand final and prove once and for all that there is indeed life after Franklin.
Not since the Brisbane Lions in 2001 to 2004 has any team reached three consecutive grand finals, let alone successfully defended their flag. The Hawks remain on track to achieve this feat, but first they would have to put an end to the Port Adelaide juggernaut that no-one thought possible this time two or three years ago.
In the end, it will be their week off and superior finals experience that gets them to the last Saturday in September.
Prediction: Hawthorn by 16 points.
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