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5 matchups that will decide the Grand Final
One of the attractions of Australian rules football is the great individual battles that emerge within a team sport. Grand final matchups take that excitement to another level when the best performed players within the competition often end up playing on each other. All-Australians such as Judd & Goodes and Hall & Glass are expected to line up against each other in what will be terrific tussles, but here are 5 lesser profile matchups that are just as important to the outcome of the match:
1) 32.Amon Buchanan v 37.Adam Selwood
If Brett Kirk and Jude Bolton are the self-described Ford Cortinas of the Swans midfield, perhaps Buchanan is best described as a Mini Cooper. Small but solid, nippy and the ability to weave through heavy traffic but done so in a very stylish and eye-catching manner. Besides his ball-winning talents, Buchanan's delivery into the forward line is unerringly accurate and will be a major concern for the Eagles with the likes of Hall, O'Loughlin and O'Keefe usually on the end of those passes. Selwood performed extremely well in the qualifying final limiting Buchanan to just 14 touches while gathering 22 possessions himself. Selwood can manage to rack up many possessions in the game so Buchanan will also have to be on his toes to restrict the young Eagle's output.
Buchanan's inside 50 delivery against Freo was top notch, and he finished with 17 possessions.
Selwood blanketed Dogs captain Brad Johnson and ended up with 22 touches, while having 18 posesssions against Adelaide.
2) 31.Brett Kirk v 4.Daniel Kerr
During the week, Paul Roos described the midfield triumvirate of Judd, Cousins and Kerr as not only the best among the Eagles, but of the whole of the AFL. With such high regard for the damage the trio can inflict, there is big likelihood that the Swans best stopper will be assigned to one of them. Judd's pace would prove difficult for Kirk to handle, especially in the early stages of a game while Cousins's endurance and the fact he spends time at half-forward would make him an unlikely opponent. As such, Kirk will be thrusted with the onerous task of stopping Kerr, who has had a brilliant past 2 seasons highlighted by his high Brownlow finishes. The absence of Kerr in this year's qualifying final and the limited input he had in last year's GF due to an early injury went some way towards the Swans winning both matches.
Kirk had a game high 28 touches, 8 marks and 6 tackles versus Freo.
Kerr has average 27 posessions since his return to the team.
3) 30.Lewis Roberts-Thomson v 29.Ashley Hansen
This matchup resulted in a big 'win' for the Swans last year when Roberts-Thomson not only held Hansen very well, he provided great rebound from defence. According to some pundits, he deserved the Norm Smith Medal for his performance. However, the importance of Hansen to the Eagles's chances is not to be underestimated. In the 13 games Hansen has played this year, the Eagles have been unbeaten. Not a noted big goal-kicker, Hansen's strength lies in his willingness to lead up the ground and provide an option up towards the half-forward line and the wings. He gives the Eagles forward line a structure to work around with so that big marking forwards like Lynch and Hunter have the space and time to take their big grabs. The Swans's 'SOS' call to specialist coach Steven Silvagni this week hopefully will help Roberts-Thomson bounce back from a poor showing against Matthew Pavlich.
LRT was well beaten by Pavlich early, ending up with 10 possessions and 3 tackles.
Hansen had 2 big games since his return: 17 touches, 11 marks and a goal versus the Dogs and 21 touches, 11 marks and a goal against Adelaide.
4) 24.Jude Bolton v 5.Tyson Stenglein
Bolton is the undisputed clearance king of the Swans, averaging more than 5 per game during the 2006 season. The Eagles will be hoping to keep him below his season average and believe that "Stinga" is the man for the job. In the qualifying final, Stenglein held Bolton to a season low 8 possessions. Bolton needs to lift and break the hold of the Eagles no.1 tagger as the Swans will require him to fire in the many stoppages that are bound to occur on Saturday.
Bolton was one of the Swans best against Fremantle notching 26 possessions and kicking 2 goals.
Stenglein had 22 possessions in the preliminary final and 15 in the semi final.
5) 6.Craig Bolton v 32.Andrew Embley
Embley, standing at 190cm, is described as a 'tall wingman who pushes forward' and his flexibility poses matchup issues for many opposition coaches. In All-Australian Craig Bolton, standing 189cm tall, the Swans have the perfect matchup who can negate Embley in both his marking ability and mobility around the ground. Embley was sorely missed in the qualifying final when Bolton shut out his inexperienced replacement in Mark Le Cras and the Eagles struggled to find another avenue to goal. This clash of two in-form players should be a terrific battle and will be one to keep an eye on.
Bolton is in tremendous form, restricting the dangerous Jeff Farmer to just 1 goal in the preliminary final, a week after earning a well-deserved All-Australian berth.
Embley's form since returning in the semi-final against the Bulldogs has been terrific, picking up 29 possessions and 1 goal against the Dogs and 24 possessions and 2 goals against the Crows.
3 of the 5 Eagles mentioned did not play in the qualifying final where the Swans managed to pip the Eagles by a solitary point. The inclusion of Hansen, Kerr and Embley add further class to what was already a terrific side. Their respective opponents will have to be 'switched on' if the Swans are to have any hope of toppling the Eagles in the big decider.
One of the attractions of Australian rules football is the great individual battles that emerge within a team sport. Grand final matchups take that excitement to another level when the best performed players within the competition often end up playing on each other. All-Australians such as Judd & Goodes and Hall & Glass are expected to line up against each other in what will be terrific tussles, but here are 5 lesser profile matchups that are just as important to the outcome of the match:
1) 32.Amon Buchanan v 37.Adam Selwood
If Brett Kirk and Jude Bolton are the self-described Ford Cortinas of the Swans midfield, perhaps Buchanan is best described as a Mini Cooper. Small but solid, nippy and the ability to weave through heavy traffic but done so in a very stylish and eye-catching manner. Besides his ball-winning talents, Buchanan's delivery into the forward line is unerringly accurate and will be a major concern for the Eagles with the likes of Hall, O'Loughlin and O'Keefe usually on the end of those passes. Selwood performed extremely well in the qualifying final limiting Buchanan to just 14 touches while gathering 22 possessions himself. Selwood can manage to rack up many possessions in the game so Buchanan will also have to be on his toes to restrict the young Eagle's output.
Buchanan's inside 50 delivery against Freo was top notch, and he finished with 17 possessions.
Selwood blanketed Dogs captain Brad Johnson and ended up with 22 touches, while having 18 posesssions against Adelaide.
2) 31.Brett Kirk v 4.Daniel Kerr
During the week, Paul Roos described the midfield triumvirate of Judd, Cousins and Kerr as not only the best among the Eagles, but of the whole of the AFL. With such high regard for the damage the trio can inflict, there is big likelihood that the Swans best stopper will be assigned to one of them. Judd's pace would prove difficult for Kirk to handle, especially in the early stages of a game while Cousins's endurance and the fact he spends time at half-forward would make him an unlikely opponent. As such, Kirk will be thrusted with the onerous task of stopping Kerr, who has had a brilliant past 2 seasons highlighted by his high Brownlow finishes. The absence of Kerr in this year's qualifying final and the limited input he had in last year's GF due to an early injury went some way towards the Swans winning both matches.
Kirk had a game high 28 touches, 8 marks and 6 tackles versus Freo.
Kerr has average 27 posessions since his return to the team.
3) 30.Lewis Roberts-Thomson v 29.Ashley Hansen
This matchup resulted in a big 'win' for the Swans last year when Roberts-Thomson not only held Hansen very well, he provided great rebound from defence. According to some pundits, he deserved the Norm Smith Medal for his performance. However, the importance of Hansen to the Eagles's chances is not to be underestimated. In the 13 games Hansen has played this year, the Eagles have been unbeaten. Not a noted big goal-kicker, Hansen's strength lies in his willingness to lead up the ground and provide an option up towards the half-forward line and the wings. He gives the Eagles forward line a structure to work around with so that big marking forwards like Lynch and Hunter have the space and time to take their big grabs. The Swans's 'SOS' call to specialist coach Steven Silvagni this week hopefully will help Roberts-Thomson bounce back from a poor showing against Matthew Pavlich.
LRT was well beaten by Pavlich early, ending up with 10 possessions and 3 tackles.
Hansen had 2 big games since his return: 17 touches, 11 marks and a goal versus the Dogs and 21 touches, 11 marks and a goal against Adelaide.
4) 24.Jude Bolton v 5.Tyson Stenglein
Bolton is the undisputed clearance king of the Swans, averaging more than 5 per game during the 2006 season. The Eagles will be hoping to keep him below his season average and believe that "Stinga" is the man for the job. In the qualifying final, Stenglein held Bolton to a season low 8 possessions. Bolton needs to lift and break the hold of the Eagles no.1 tagger as the Swans will require him to fire in the many stoppages that are bound to occur on Saturday.
Bolton was one of the Swans best against Fremantle notching 26 possessions and kicking 2 goals.
Stenglein had 22 possessions in the preliminary final and 15 in the semi final.
5) 6.Craig Bolton v 32.Andrew Embley
Embley, standing at 190cm, is described as a 'tall wingman who pushes forward' and his flexibility poses matchup issues for many opposition coaches. In All-Australian Craig Bolton, standing 189cm tall, the Swans have the perfect matchup who can negate Embley in both his marking ability and mobility around the ground. Embley was sorely missed in the qualifying final when Bolton shut out his inexperienced replacement in Mark Le Cras and the Eagles struggled to find another avenue to goal. This clash of two in-form players should be a terrific battle and will be one to keep an eye on.
Bolton is in tremendous form, restricting the dangerous Jeff Farmer to just 1 goal in the preliminary final, a week after earning a well-deserved All-Australian berth.
Embley's form since returning in the semi-final against the Bulldogs has been terrific, picking up 29 possessions and 1 goal against the Dogs and 24 possessions and 2 goals against the Crows.
3 of the 5 Eagles mentioned did not play in the qualifying final where the Swans managed to pip the Eagles by a solitary point. The inclusion of Hansen, Kerr and Embley add further class to what was already a terrific side. Their respective opponents will have to be 'switched on' if the Swans are to have any hope of toppling the Eagles in the big decider.
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