THIS season more than ever, different teams' unique styles of play have come to the fore. Most sides have a real identity, a brand, and in the process their assets become clear. 

So, what will be your club's best asset in this finals series? 

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Brisbane 

The Lions are arguably the most dangerous attacking side the competition has ever seen. Averaging the second-most points for in competition history with 54.5, beaten only by Adelaide's premiership-winning 2019 side, Brisbane has won its games this season by an average margin of 39.6 points. 

It boasts the competition's leading goalkicker in Jesse Wardlaw (19 goals), but the goals have been spread across 14 different players and the Lions have enjoyed a spread of five or more goalkickers in nine of their 10 home and away matches. 

This has been aided by elite forward pressure. Brisbane has broken its own record, set last season, for average tackles inside 50 with 17.8, two more each game than it was laying in season six. Courtney Hodder leads the way with 27, while six other players have registered double digits in the metric this season. 

Off the back of that forward pressure, the Lions are generating a shot on goal from more than half of their forward entries, a huge number given they are averaging 36.9 inside 50s per game - the third-highest average in AFLW history. 

First quarters have been their least damaging, winning six of 10 and going at 185.9 per cent, before exploding in second quarters, scoring 147 points, and conceding just 20 over the 10 home and away rounds. 

Melbourne 

As has been widely discussed, Melbourne's handball game has been its key strength this season. Around the contest the Demons are utilising neat, well-placed handballs to clear the ball before turning to their running, kicking game once out in space.  

Melbourne has set a new record for handballs this season, averaging 110.1 handballs per game, which has also led the side to a record 245.2 disposals per game. Around the ball this has been led by the quintet of Olivia Purcell (averaging 24.3 disposals), Eliza West (17.9), Tyla Hanks (18.1), Karen Paxman (18.7) and Lily Mithen (17.8).

Each of the five offer something a little different. West's in-and-under contested work is elite as the starting point of that handball game. Purcell can win it in close and break out to open space. Mithen has been rotating from the wing into the congestion and is simply relentless in her attack at the ball. Hanks, an elite midfielder, has spent more time forward to make the Demons more dangerous at forward stoppages and at ground level. And Paxman's intelligence and endurance, starting forward and pushing up to stoppages, has provided huge support to the already strong midfield unit. 

The side is also leading the competition for contested possessions this season, averaging 112.8 per game - 15.6 more than its opponent each week. That load has been spread well across more than half of the team, with 11 Demons averaging five or more contested possessions this week. 

Adelaide 

Thanks to experience across the board, Adelaide's ability to switch gears in games makes it a particularly difficult side to beat. Even when opposing sides have looked comfortable heading into final quarters, Adelaide has turned it on in final quarters to take the win. 

Three times this season the Crows have gone into three-quarter time on par or behind their opponents and gone on to win, and on a further three occasions have they been up by a goal or less and held on to win. They are the best finishing team in the competition this season, winning 70 per cent of their final quarters, conceding just 25 points and scoring 136 of their own. 

Six Crows have kicked multiple goals in fourth quarters this season, led by Danielle Ponter and Ashleigh Woodland (four each), compared to just two in first and third quarters, and four in second quarters. 

Adelaide is never out of the game, and in finals where scoring can be harder to come by, the gap between the Crows and opposing sides narrows significantly, making that last-quarter surge even more dangerous. 

Richmond 

As has become apparent over the past two months, Richmond defends to the death. Conceding an average 21.7 points per game from just 26.2 inside 50s, the Tigers are exceptionally difficult to score against thanks to a full field defensive mindset and desperate one-percenters on the last line, as exemplified by Gabby Seymour's smother in round five's last-gasp win against Brisbane. 

Richmond is allowing opponents to score from just 35.5 per cent of inside 50 entries, and only 10.7 per cent of those entries have resulted in a goal - the lowest in competition history.  

The side has had to do this without several key players throughout the season, including Rebecca Miller, Sarah Hosking, Maddie Shevlin and Katie Brennan, who are typically all vital to Richmond's structures. This persistent, desperate defensive style has proven that personnel doesn't matter as much as everyone buying into the system does. 

Geelong 

This season, the Cats are controlling play better than they ever have before, which has seen their movement into attack improve significantly. Averaging 65.8 per cent disposal efficiency - the highest in the competition this season - Geelong is also leading all sides for marks with 46.4 per game, and as a result, inviting less pressure from opponents. 

Of Geelong's 10 players who have registered 100 or more disposals this season, seven are going at a disposal efficiency of 65 per cent or higher. 

The Cats' lowest disposal efficiency of the season, 52.9 per cent, came in a very wet and slippery game in round two, whereby they held Fremantle goalless and registered a 26-point win. Outside of that game, Geelong never dropped below an efficiency of 60 per cent. 

Collingwood 

As has been Collingwood's strength for several seasons, a disciplined, reliable defensive line will be its best asset heading into a fourth consecutive finals series. This season, despite needing to sacrifice dynamic rebounders Jordyn Allen and Ruby Schleicher to roles in the midfield and on the wing at times, the Pies are conceding just 24.4 points per game - the fewest in club history. 

Across the 10 home and away rounds, Collingwood has held its opposition to fewer than 20 points six times while also averaging a club-high 57.3 intercepts. 

Six Magpies have registered 30 or more intercepts this season, led by underrated defensive stalwart Lauren Butler, and their top four interceptors have each also logged more than 2000 metres gained in that time. 

This experienced defensive unit sets itself up to create a wall, making it hard for opponents to break through or even, at times, exit their own defensive 50. The pressure ultimately builds up because of this and cracks start to form from which the Pies can then score. 

Western Bulldogs 

The aerial game has been the Western Bulldogs' area of dominance this season, in more than one way. The side has set new standards for both contested marks and hitouts over the past 10 weeks and has the potential to be its advantage over higher-placed sides come finals. 

Over the opening three rounds of the season, the Dogs were averaging a whopping 10.3 contested marks per game. This has marginally dropped away to 7.3 when considering all 10 home and away rounds, but they still lead the competition for the metric this season. Contested marks are important as they allow teams to win back control in some key moments, getting the game back on their terms, as proven in the Bulldogs' narrow round three win over Fremantle. 

Added to this marking prowess, the Bulldogs have also set a record for average hitouts this season. Led by the greatly improved Alice Edmonds, the Dogs are winning 36.4 hitouts per game, 27 of which are off Edmonds' hand.  

North Melbourne 

For the Roos, it's all about team balance right across the field. In the middle, they have elite ball winners, with each of Jasmine Garner, Ash Riddell, Jenna Bruton and Emma Kearney averaging 15 or more disposals per game. 

In attack they have marking targets. Tahlia Randall (20), Sophie Abbatangelo (11) and Vikki Wall (nine) have all been proven aerial options, while five players have laid nine or more tackles in the forward 50. 

In defence, Sarah Wright and Jasmine Ferguson have played as reliable key posts, which in turn has released the likes of Kearney, Brooke Brown, Erika O'Shea and Nicole Bresnehan to play aggressive rebounding roles. 

With the confidence in one another, the Roos are able to play a real attacking brand of footy, looking to gain ground with each disposal, whether that is rebounding out of defence or from centre clearance delivering inside 50.