COLLINGWOOD star Adam Treloar will write exclusively for AFL.com.au during this year's finals series as well as appearing on the AFL Exchange podcast.
In week one, Treloar assesses a star midfielder of the top eight teams as they head into the first week of the finals.
NEVER play in front of Sydney Swans' midfielder Josh Kennedy at a stoppage.
Try to push Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield off his line and apply the bumper bar to West Coast running machine Andrew Gaff.
They are just a few of the basics I take into games against the AFL's best midfielders.
Is it easier said than done? You bet!
Particularly when you have the likes of Greater Western Sydney big man Shane Mumford lurking in the shadows.
As I ran to the centre of the ground to play for Collingwood against my old team in round 16, a booming voice rang in my ears.
It was Mumford welcoming me to the contest in his usual hospitable manner.
"It is going to be a long day 'Ads'," he said. "I'm going to hurt you, trust me".
He went a little quiet after quarter-time as we got on top in the game but he made good on his promise.
After I handballed the ball from a centre clearance he crunched me late and was lying on top of me saying: "I told you I'd hurt you, Ads".
And I had a good relationship with Mummy!
'If he gets in my way ...': No mercy from Mumford
That's just him. He loves to set the tone and his teammates love him.
He will be an extra midfielder in the club's first final, which will be played against the Swans on Saturday night.
The fact he played in a premiership for the Swans won't make one difference when he enters the fray.
Mummy aside, here's an insight into tactics opponents might use to beat some of the game's best midfielders this finals series:
West Coast
Luke Shuey is always on the move at stoppages, especially at centre bounces. That's risky. If you're one foot out of position opponents will hurt you the other way, so he walks a fine line. That said, he gets it right nine times out of ten. If I had to pick the best inside-outside midfielders I'd pick Shuey and Dan Hannebery - that's how highly I rate Shuey.
Luke Shuey and Stephen Coniglio clash in round 21. Picture: AFL Photos
Western Bulldogs
The Dogs are by far the best defensive running team in the comp. If they don't win contested ball they are heading one way and that is defensively to help their backmen out. When you play the Bulldogs, you tag Marcus Bontempelli. He is shy but on the ground he talks and he leads. He actually imposes himself and has impact around the ball, hitting bodies and creating two-on-ones. If someone tackles you, he always comes across and tackles you as well. It is almost like a he's trying to make a statement. That gets a massive tick.
Geelong
Patrick Dangerfield completely changed the Cats' midfield. Last season everyone would sit on Joel Selwood. Now they are so dynamic because Danger offers so much with his explosiveness and power. How often do you see him get a ball and run out of a stoppage? You know he is the go-to man but you almost can't do anything about it. You have to start off him and then, as he makes his run, push him so he is off the line of the ball and doesn't get a chance to run at it freely. If he does get the ball you want him flat-footed. With Selwood, he forms the best one-two combination in the AFL.
Hawthorn
The Hawks won't go man-on-man. It's more about starting points for them. No-one rivals that shimmy Sam Mitchell does. He pretends he is going one way to get you off balance, then he goes the other way. If you give him time and space at a stoppage he will kill you. Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Jordan Lewis fight hard at every stoppage the opposition wins so they don't get a quality clearance.
There's nothing like the Mitchell shimmy, says Adam Treloar. Picture: AFL Photos
Sydney Swans
You have to play Josh Kennedy from behind because he is so strong. If you give him your back he can push you under. If you play him side-to-side he can push you away. You have to be right up him and chopping his arms. You can't give him too much distance because if you let him have room he gets a clean break. The Swans midfield has three All Australians and is super-organised. They never argue out there about who is the go-to player. Look for Kennedy, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker to win the clearance and handball backwards from the stoppage and come around again using their outside runners.
Greater Western Sydney
If the Giants win a clearance or make the opposition turn the ball over, their midfielders swarm forward. If Callan Ward wins it from a stoppage, Tom Scully and Josh Kelly run inside 50 from the wing and then Dylan Shiel or Stephen Coniglio try to outnumber opponents forward of the ball. The scary thing is the Giants' midfield is just as good going the other way too now. Scully, Kelly and Lachie Whitfield are among the game's best gut runners so they surge back to help the defence if they don't win the contest to support defenders. You have to try to beat them at their own game; win contested ball and limit their efficiency or disposals from a stoppage. If you give them time and space they will hurt you more than anyone else in the AFL.
Adelaide
Generally a team's best players are in the midfield but Adelaide's premier players are generally forwards and defenders. The exception is Rory Sloane, who can pretty much do it all. They commit numbers to the ball carrier and try to outnumber you every time. If you can get it out of that congestion there is an opportunity because there is so much space to run into because their forwards stay closer to home and don't come up like normal forwards. That's why they score so many goals 'out the back'.
Adelaide star Rory Sloane can just about do it all. Picture: AFL Photos
North Melbourne
They rely heavily on runners. Daniel Wells adds a lot of class and has support from Shaun Atley and Sam Gibson. You have to beat them on the outside. If you can limit them at the ball and then go, you are a chance. They are a very good contested ball team with Ben Cunnington clean, Jack Ziebell courageous and Andrew Swallow deceptively quick once he gets going.
