In an exclusive column for AFL.com.au and the AFL Record, Brisbane Lions assistant coach Adrian Fletcher writes on the tactics employed by the three strongest contenders for the 2013 premiership.

WILL history repeat? Will we see another Sydney Swans v Hawthorn Grand Final in 2013? Or will Geelong make it to another decider?

These three teams are the current benchmarks of the AFL competition so I have taken the opportunity to examine them.  

From the outside looking in, I have considered what I see as their vision right through to their game-plan and the playing stocks that will complement this. These are my thoughts and my thoughts only.

Vision: To be an elite disposal team with both foot and hand.

Mission: Dedicated to winning football games while providing superior entertainment through high speed ball movement. 

- Ranked first for effective disposal

- Ranked second for scores per inside 50

- Ranked third for long kicks  

Quite frankly – the Hawks are a scoring machine.  They rank second for scoring when the ball goes inside 50m (52 per cent) and first for goal percentage times in (30 per cent).  They are a high inside 50 entry team, averaging 57 per game, and with dynamic and dangerous forwards at their disposal (Franklin, Roughhead, Gunston, Hale, Breust, Rioli, Puopolo) they are extremely difficult to defend against.

Hawthorn thrives on stop play opportunities. While their clearance dominance from 2012 is slightly down, this could well be attributed to different personnel playing through the area or different tactic.  Although they are -3 in clearances compared to their opposition, when they do come away with the ball they are exceptionally damaging, scoring from stopped plays at 31.3 per cent. Their centre bounce set-up allows their forwards to create one-on-one opportunities, however, you will see their forwards push up to general play stoppages, creating maximum space behind them. This is a huge advantage when you have tall forwards who have speed along with super quick small forwards. 

Their strong, mature bodies in Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis and Sewell make them one of the best in the competition for contested ball.  Defensively they have made some slight adjustments.  They now seem more prepared to switch the ball in the defensive 50m area to create space, but once this is achieved, they then tend to go straight down this line rather than any further switching.  Since they have tall marking forwards, if the short kick is not available they are prepared to kick long (No.3 ranking).  If this ball is not marked, their quick crumbing players have no trouble getting to the contest to mop up.

Elite disposals players: Hodge, Lewis, Sewell, Mitchell, Guerra, Rioli.  

Elite runners: Their forwards and wingers need to have the ability for some serious ‘gut-running’ in order for them to get to each contest.  This is where the likes of Hill, Smith, Breust, Rioli , Savage, Shiels thrive. 

Goal scoring power:  Franklin, Gunston, Hale, Roughhead, Rioli, Puopolo, Bruest .

Forward pressure: Rioli, Puopolo.  

Vision: To be an elite football team through contested possessions. 

Mission: To win games with hardnosed integrity and a relentless approach to the opposition through physical presence at every individual contest. 

- Ranked first for contested possession

- Ranked first for preventing opposition scores per inside 50 (40.9 per cent)

- Ranked first for not allowing teams to have uncontested possessions against them. 

The Swans are an ‘in your face’ football team.  They thrive on contested football.  On most occasions you will see their players are matched up against a direct opponent from the beginning to the completion of the match.  They squeeze the life out of opposition ball movement - notable by their No.1 rankings for restricting their opposition effect kicks and scores per inside 50m entries.

On occasions, playing this one-on-one scenario across the ground can have an impact on the flow of their ball movement as when they do have ball in hand, their opponent is readily available to defend.  Uncontested football is not a focus, they are currently ranked 18 in this category.

In saying that though, once they win the ball, they are exceptionally efficient at getting the ball out of congestion by hand to their runners in Jetta, Malceski and Shaw creating a fast play opportunity.

Their physical size and strength is a huge advantage in tackling and creating second and third stoppages.  This is where their proficient ball winners (Kennedy, Jack, O’Keefe, Hannebery) dominate, with the Swans ranked first in the League for stoppages.  Their ruckmen (Mumford and Pyke) do a great job of keeping the ball close in the area assisting their ball winners.

Whilst they might not be the highest scoring team on the scoreboard, they tend to win the contest in most scoring areas across the game compared to their opposition.  They may not win by huge margins, but winning enough areas goes a long way towards a favourable result for them.

One-on-one players: Rampe, Grundy, Mumford, Pike, O’Keefe, Kennedy, Hannebery, Parker, Bird, Jack, McVeigh.

Big, strong ruckmen: Mumford and Pyke.

Long-running forwards: Goodes, Reid, Bolton, McGlynn, Tippett.

Players that can break away from congestion: Jetta, Shaw. 

Nullifying players: Smith, Richards, Bird. 

Vision: To be an elite football team through sweating on opposition turn overs.

Mission: To win games of football through intelligence and the ruthless ability to squeeze the opposition’s forward 50 space.

- Ranked first for turnovers created

- Ranked second for effective disposal

- Ranked first for handballs. 

Geelong is the master of sliding defensively. The Cats are determined to block up the opposition forward-line area.   Their aim is to first protect the opposition’s goals and then counter attack forward from there. They do this by having their forwards slide up into the midfield area and the midfielders sliding back into the defensive area, assisting the defenders and filling up any dangerous leading space. This forces the opposition to bomb the ball into their forward 50 area to an outnumbered situation. This is exactly what Geelong wants its opponents to do.

With a lot of numbers where the ball lands, kicking is not their preferred option to exit the area. Instead, they ues handball to move the ball forward.  This method allows the Geelong half-forwards (Motlop, Stokes, Varcoe, Christensen, Duncan) time to run hard into their open  forward space to be a kick-to target. When they mark the ball, their execution and decision making for going deep into the forward 50 area is dangerous. They have two key tall forwards in Podsiadly and Hawkins as their spine players to straighten them up. Goals from marks inside 50m has them ranked second in the AFL. 

Geelong's younger players thrive on this style, because it does not always rely on the big bodies for execution, compared to the contested style used by the Swans or Fremantle which has a heavy reliance on bigger bodies.  Geelong is ranked 14th for contested possession but seventh for uncontested.

A prerequisite for this game style is spoiling ability of the long ball to bring it to ground - enter Harry Taylor and Tom Lonergan with assistance from ruckmen West and Simpson. 

Aerial defensive players: Lonergan, Taylor, Mackie, and ruckmen (West, Simpson).

Intercept marking players: Enright, Hunt, Mackie, Corey, Bartel.

Wide receivers/possession players:  Motlop, Christensen, Stokes, Varcoe. 

Key forwards to straighten attack up: Podsiadly, Hawkins.

Decision making in traffic: Selwood, Johnson, Duncan, Kelly, Stokes, Christensen. 

So, which team has the right mix for a finals series?

Against Hawthorn, Geelong’s style stands up.  By pushing numbers back defensively, the Cats clog up the forward leading space.

For the Swans, because they play a 1-on-1 brand of contested football, it all comes down to match-ups.  Get these right and they can create enough quality ball movement.

On their day, I believe the Hawks have the brand to conquer both Geelong and the Swans. Yes, psychology will play a part – Hawthorn has not beaten Geelong for quite some time.  However their most recent loss will have taught them a few things.  When Geelong gets numbers back, Hawthorn needs to utilise possession, shift the ball and look for an entry when numbers are more equal.  Should Geelong rebound this forward thrust, Hawthorn needs two defensive lines, forcing Geelong to get through both lines before they can fully attack.