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The Roar's AFL expert tips and predictions: Grand final

Expert
28th September, 2016
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The Sydney Swans have won the grand final, defeating the Bulldogs. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
Expert
28th September, 2016
37
3635 Reads

Well, 206 games of AFL football in 2016 have brought us here – a grand final match-up between the minor-premier Sydney Swans, and the fairytale-from-seventh Western Bulldogs.

I’ll be writing in detail on the game with a full match preview to come tomorrow, so if you’re desperate to hear my thoughts you’ll have to hold your breath and wait for that – but my fellow tipsters have given their thoughts below.

Unlike the two of them, both tipping Sydney, I can confirm I’ll be tipping the Bulldogs. Maybe I’m on the bandwagon a bit but I think their finals form has been the best of any side, and their hunger can’t be matched.

The real intrigue though is, will The Crowd go with BJ Conkey to make it a tied finish? Five tips behind the lead and in dead last, I might as well tip Brisbane to win this week for all the good it’ll do.

Michael DiFabrizio
The romance of a Bulldogs flag is irresistible, but in tipping you can’t afford to get romantic. (Click to Tweet) It’s a head game, not a heart game.

For mine, it’s tough to see the Swans beaten here. With the season they’ve had, and the fact they’re probably playing as good as they have throughout that strong season, it will take a mighty effort.

And as I discussed in my Monday column, the Dogs would be coming from a historically long way back if they are to win.

The midfields of both teams should go toe to toe. There’s so much quality on both sides there. Let’s assume very little will separate them.

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The injuries? Again, I think we have to call it a tie. Both sides have concerns, we can only assume they’ll cancel each other out.

But where I see some separation is in the Swans’ forward line. I’m not just talking about Buddy Franklin.

The Swans are in such good shape they can dominate a team with only 40 inside 50s, as was the case last week. Do the Dogs have what it takes to counteract that level of efficiency? I’m not certain they do.

BJ Conkey
Sydney were the minor premiers for a reason.

They scored almost 400 more points in attack than the Bulldogs in home-and-away matches.

As we all know though finals, and in particular grand finals are a different beast.

Sydney was also minor premier in 2014.

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Those Swans players that took part in the 2014 grand final drubbing at the hands of Hawthorn will still be having nightmares.

Many players went missing that day and Sydney played arguably their worst game of the year. In saying that, the Swans didn’t play a finals match at the MCG in the lead up to the big dance in 2014.

I really think having that experience at winning in front of a parochial Victorian crowd against Geelong at the MCG will be a huge boost.

The Swans had five players with more than 10 Brownlow votes and inspirational captain Jarrad McVeigh is expected to line up despite a niggling calf.

The best thing about the Bulldogs is how resilient they’ve been in the finals series. After accounting for the Eagles in the west, the Dogs were down against Hawthorn and the Giants. The way they bounced back in those matches was outstanding.

While Jake ‘The Package’ Stringer and Marcus Bontempelli might be the stars, Caleb Daniel is the heart and soul of what’s made the Bulldogs a great team to watch.

The smallest listed player in the AFL throws his body into every contest and gets the much-needed crumbs.

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Sydney also pride themselves on this aspect of doing the one-per-centers. If they play like they did against Geelong they’ll be able to stifle the Footscray boys’ famous run from defence.

The best thing for Sydney supporters is that the Franklin-Tippett combination was the best it’s been. Coach John Longmire spread the pair out against the Cats and it paid dividends with both being able to lead up the ground at different times to really put Geelong’s defence under the pump.

The Swans being able to put the cue in the rack against Geelong means they have the fresher legs and I think this will prove to be the difference towards the end of the game.

Grand final BJ Conkey Michael Josh The Crowd
GEE v SYD SYD SYD WB SYD
Last round 1 1 1 1
Total 145 142 140 145

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