Which finalist is best placed to deliver premiership glory?

If Richmond, for some reason, doesn’t continue its current winning streak all the way through to the last Saturday in September, just who is the team best placed to deliver premiership glory?

The Tigers probably will go all the way, but in the unlikely event they don’t, let’s examine where the other finalists are at.

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North Melbourne and Essendon are two clubs that are just happy to be there after years in the wilderness, but both will fancy their chances of snaring a win and won’t be limiting their thoughts to just one.

The last finals win for the Bombers was against Melbourne, which gives you some idea of just how long ago it was. The Kangaroos have an average losing margin of 78 points in finals played since their last flag.

Five of these losses have been by 87 points or more.

Both clubs have similarly ranked defences and good solid midfields with a sprinkling of class, but have been let down at various times by dysfunctional forward-lines, which will eventually see them come up short.

In terms of this week, the absence of Brent Harvey, and the experience of Jobe Watson and Paul Chapman, tips the match in Essendon’s favour.

Port looks to have re-captured something closer to their early season form over the last two or three weeks, and will be looking to put the Tigers right back in their place.

Similar to Richmond, they look irresistible when they’ve got their hard-running, fast-moving game going. The Power midfield is tough and skilful, their defence is reliable and tough to penetrate, and they have an array of potent and versatile forwards, and along with significant helpings of x-factor that never goes astray in finals.

The Richmond brains trust must put more thought and energy into stopping Robbie Gray than anyone else. He is the heartbeat and creative centre of the team.

Adelaide Oval will be heaving like never before under the weight of expectation from two rabid supporter bases.

Geelong are, by consensus, the weakest of the top four teams heading into this finals series, largely due to being unconvincing when beating weaker teams, and having been put to the sword at various stages by each of Sydney, Hawthorn and Fremantle.

Their best is dazzling, but seldom does it last longer than a ten or fifteen minute burst, and their poor patches have a tendency to go for longer. It’s hard to see them winning three matches in a row against the sort of opposition they’ll be coming up against.

Hawthorn have fought through injury to senior players and illness to their senior coach to impressively secure another top two finish.

We know their best is incredibly hard to stop, and they know how to produce it under the fierce pressure of finals.

Slick ball movement is their forte, thanks to a team of outside runners that are both skilful and the best anticipators in the league. Watch them swarm once they know their teammate is about to win the ball.

Not one player in brown and gold will ever shirk an issue, and opposition defences can be made to look lost at sea in the waves of forward Hawk momentum and a multi-pronged, high scoring attack.

Sydney plays host to Fremantle in what I predict will be the first of two occasions this September. The Swans are the team to beat, and in a funny way, their loss to Richmond on the weekend only reinforced the point.

There can be no doubt that the Tigers are the form team of the competition, albeit lacking the class of the top four sides. The fact is, Sydney were able to be within three points despite not being at full intensity for the first quarter and missing the best forward in the game (Lance Franklin), arguably their two best midfielders this season (Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn), as well as their number one ruckman in Mike Pyke.

They’ll be producing a much sharper and formidable unit on Saturday.

Fremantle are their main danger, clicking into gear at the right time thanks to a new-found potency in attack over the last three weeks, complementing their famed defensive pressure.

With Nat Fyfe to be welcomed back into a side that kicked nine goals in a row against an in-form Port on the weekend, their claims are irresistible. It won’t be easy to contain a side consisting of him, Sandilands, Mundy, Barlow, Ballantyne, Walters and Pavlich for four quarters.

The second wave of players, led by the immensely talented Lachie Neale, are also capable of much destruction.

The winner of Sydney and Fremantle will have one foot in the grand final with a home preliminary final to come, most likely against Geelong. The loser will be my tip as the other team to get there.

The case can be made that this is the best weekend of pure football for the year, and we’re going to be served up four potential classics, with storylines many and varied.

Let finals football begin!