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The wait is over as we reach the pinnacle of the 2013 AFL season with Hawthorn locking horns with Fremantle in the big dance. Live scores and commentary of the 2013 AFL Grand Final begins from 2.30pm AEST.
Hawthorn has made it into this year’s grand final after losing just three games in the home-and-away season, getting past Sydney in the Qualifying Final and then flying home late against their bogey team Geelong in last week’s preliminary final.
While Fremantle got through the regular season with a solid 17 wins, then surprising many by flying past the Cats at their own stomping ground, then were maniacal against the Sydney Swans.
So today’s contest is between two complete opposites: one team who loves to attack, and one team who know how to defend grimly.
You can look all you like at past matches between the two sides, or the only time the two have played at the MCG – but in reality, there’s nothing in an historical sense that can really quantify who is the better team in this contest.
What you could look at is Hawthorn’s form against Sydney over the last couple of seasons, as many believe Fremantle surpassed Sydney at their own game during last week’s Preliminary Final.
Hawthorn this season did have two strong wins against the Swans, but of course most of our minds are sent back to last year’s Grand Final which went right down to the wire, with the Swans claiming a ten point win.
On that day, it was the Swans manic pressure that spooked the Hawks, but that’s not to say the Hawks can’t repel that sort of game-style.
One big question that leads into today’s decider is whether the Dockers can uphold that pressure for an entire game.
No doubt, last week Freo caught the Swans at a pretty low point and their pressure is some of the best we’ve seen.
But, coming up against a fired-up Hawthorn, can the Dockers keep up that sort of intensity for a full four quarters, like Sydney did in last year’s Grand Final?
No doubt one key barometer for the Hawks will be Lance Franklin, especially today where this could very well be his last game for them.
I was intrigued to hear the chorus of detractors last week on Franklin during the Cats game, despite the fact he was given a completely different role than being forward.
A lot of that had to do with the knowledge of Lonergan’s strengths in the forward battle.
So Clarkson decided to make him work more up the ground and it worked as he helped in numerous scoring chains for the Hawks.
Today will be interesting to see what the coach does with Franklin, especially with the possibility of some wintry weather about – if it’s wet will he stay near the midfield?
The Dockers are a side that will be aiming to win the contested ball by a fair margin today, and plenty of that has to do with the niggle that the Dockers provide during a game.
Ryan Crowley’s name has popped up consistently throughout the build-up to today’s game, but we all know Hayden Ballantyne can also dish it out, along with Tendai Mzungu, Michael Walters and Chris Mayne.
So, does Hawthorn respond and keep the heat on where the game could escalate? Or do they try their best to block that out of their minds and attempt to play on? The latter option is not as simple as it seems.
To be honest, there’s so many questions that come up for today’s game:
Can the Hawks kick straight? Do the Dockers have enough goal-kicking power? Can the Hawks defence hold up? Attack or defence?
But one burning question will surround the Hawks by day’s end:
Will this side, who some believe peaked early with their premiership in 2008, leap up to claim a title that has been deserved for so long? Or will this be another golden chance of glory go begging?
[roargal]
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