Ah yes, the magic of hindsight. After every loss particularly in the case of the grand final, the team and commentators assess what went wrong for the losing side. In this case I think a mistake Geelong made was not to play David Wojinski.
No I am not saying that his inclusion would have changed the result. Hawthorn thoroughly deserved to win. But Wojo’s inclusion may have changed the margin.
From a neutral observer (Swans fan) Wojinski appears to be an X factor player. It is often difficult to define exactly what makes an “X factor” player but for me it is a player who is not necessarily a star player, but one who can provide a brief burst of brilliance and really lift their side.
I believe Wojinski is an X factor due to his electrifying pace. Geelong could have definitely used some to lift them.
Hawthorn had two X factor players who stood up for their side. Cyril Rioli and Stewart Dew. Rioli performed some fantastic individual feats throughout the match, that really lifted the Hawks throughout the match. Dew or “the keg” as I like to refer to him as, kicked 2 goals and assisted in a third with his booming left foot.
So if Wojo should have played, who should have missed out? Well the decision to put Chapman back in I think was the right one. He is a gun player and was far from the Cats’ worst.
Mathew Stokes was flagged by the commentators as the person who should have gone, but he was an important player to the Cats forward line, and was a star in last year’s GF.
No for me the man who should have been dropped was James Kelly. Kelly is a good player but was equally underdone as Wojinski was. It may have simply been the toss of the coin. But while Kelly is a solid midfielder, he lacks the X factor that Wojo has. He also only amassed 10 disposals.
The X Factor player has been crucial in winning teams a grand final over the years (Dew, Rioli, Pickett (2004)) and Geelong couldn’t find one when it mattered. Pure speculation I know, but hey sometimes it is fun to talk about some of them.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
West Coast defender Tom Barrass will miss the Eagles' clash with Gold Coast, after the AFL Tribunal upheld his one-match suspension for a dangerous…
Has there ever been a team more “quietly” unbeaten and on top of the ladder, like Geelong this year? The Cats are a game…
Geelong coach Chris Scott has hit out at the AFL Tribunal's decision to clear Charlie Cameron for his dangerous tackle on Jake Lever, saying…
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
The AFL Players' Association has come out swinging against the league for their decision to hand Port Adelaide forward a three-match suspension for using…
