WHILE the coaches and players rightfully take the limelight ahead of this weekend's Grand Final, recruiters and list managers at both competing clubs deserve some praise.

Building a list capable of challenging for a premiership takes plenty of planning, execution and, of course a dose of luck, but mining through Hawthorn and West Coast's lists exposes some trends.  

AFL.com.au has broken down the clubs' 25-man preliminary final line-ups (including emergencies) to see where the Hawks and Eagles have found their players and how they have assembled their Grand Final teams.

*AFL.com.au has replaced Jon Ceglar, who was an emergency last week, with Jack Gunston, who missed the preliminary final with injury

AFL.com.au's Grand Final preview

HAWTHORN
First round picks - seven
Luke Hodge (draft pick No.1), Jarryd Roughead (No.2), Jordan Lewis (No.7), Cyril Rioli (No.12), Grant Birchall (No.14), Ryan Schoenmakers (No.16), Isaac Smith (No.19).

Five of the Hawks' six triple-premiership players (excluding Mitchell) were early draft picks, showing the core of their dynasty was built at the draft. The stability provided by captain Hodge, forward Roughead, midfield ace Lewis and half-back Birchall has been central to the Hawks' success, while the club was desperate for Rioli in his draft year and snapped him up when he got through to pick 12. Although some top-10 picks by the Hawks haven't worked out (such as Mitch Thorp and Beau Dowler), the club was adamant it wanted to build up its tall stocks with early picks.

Second round - three
Billy Hartung (No.24), Bradley Hill (No.33), Liam Shiels (No.34).

It's easy to group together Hill and Hartung, both of whom were clear and smart choices by the Hawks to bolster their running stocks. The duo are midfielders built for the running game, with both carrying vital zip and endurance. Other clubs may not have picked them because they didn't have the same contested-ball count as other midfielders at under-18 level, but the Hawks knew their list and knew they would be able to fit in seamlessly. Hawthorn sees Shiels as a future leader and he has served the club well as a second-round pick.

Third round - three
Sam Mitchell (No.36), Ben Stratton (No.46), Angus Litherland (No.55).

Mitchell this week claimed his third top-three Brownlow Medal finish and surpassed the 200-vote milestone, once again underlining his champion qualities. He has been the VFL's gift to the Hawks that keeps on giving, and he enters Saturday's clash as one of West Coast's main men to stop. Stratton's speed and ability to play on all types of forwards caught the eye of Hawthorn recruiters, who backed in his athleticism and have been rewarded for it.

Fourth round or later/rookie draft/pre-season draft - five
Paul Puopolo (No.66), Taylor Duryea (No.69), Matthew Suckling (No.22, rookie draft), Luke Breust (No.47, rookie draft), Will Langford (No.85, NSW rookie draft).

The rookie list has been good to Hawthorn, particularly for players hailing from New South Wales. Under the rules, they acquired Langford as a product from that area, even though he also qualified as a father-son pick. Breust and Suckling were arguably better selections – further off the talent map, they club chose them as rookies and have seen them prosper. Premiership teams rely on their late picks coming through, so the development of Duryea in defence and recruitment of mature-ager Puopolo has been important.

Trade/free agency - seven
Josh Gibson (traded from North Melbourne in exchange for picks No.25 and 41), Brian Lake (traded from Western Bulldogs, with pick No.27, in exchange for picks No.21 and 41), Shaun Burgoyne (traded from Port Adelaide in complex deal), James Frawley (unrestricted free agent), Ben McEvoy (traded from St Kilda for Shane Savage and pick No.18), David Hale (traded from North Melbourne for picks No.27 and 71), Jack Gunston (traded from Adelaide, with picks 53 and 71, for picks No.24, 46 and 64).

They say success breeds success, and that fits Hawthorn's strategy since its 2008 premiership. In every year since that flag the Hawks have been able to land an important recruit from a rival club by dangling the lure of premiership glory. In 2009 they grabbed Gibson and Burgoyne, the next year got Hale across, in 2011 landed Gunston and added Lake the following year. In 2013 they saw a weakness in their ruck stocks and brought in McEvoy and last year signed Frawley as a free agent. The Hawks have been great traders, making themselves a destination club and getting deals done by giving up picks to extend their premiership window.

WEST COAST
First round - seven
Nic Naitanui (No.2), Chris Masten (No.3), Andrew Gaff (No.4), Brad Sheppard (No.7), Dom Sheed (No.11), Shannon Hurn (No.13), Luke Shuey (No.18, priority pick)

The Eagles haven't wasted their early choices, with the core of their Grand Final stars being first-round draft picks. No premiership can be won without top-end talent and the Eagles have chosen wisely in these areas. Naitanui's ascension into the most damaging ruckman in the game has rewarded the Eagles' call to choose him at pick No.2, while Gaff, Shuey and Masten are also reliable midfield options. Sheed has proven to be a very good player in just his second season, while Hurn, in his 10^th, has been a consistent line-breaker since his debut.

Second round - five
Sam Butler (No.20), Scott Selwood (No.22), Jack Darling (No.26, priority pick), Matt Rosa (No.29), Scott Lycett (No.29)

Recruiters still shake their heads at how the Eagles managed to secure Darling in the 20s, given he has been a central part of the Eagles' forward line since his debut. Butler and Rosa have been consistent and solid players for many years, and that's what you want from second-round draft selections: players who can slot into a first-choice team for seasons and stay there. Although Selwood and Lycett are likely to miss out on Grand Final selection, they have offered valuable depth throughout 2015.

Third round - three
Mark LeCras (No.37), Will Schofield (No.50), Mark Hutchings (No.60)

LeCras is the Eagles' biggest win as a later national draft pick, having been an All Australian, leading goalkicker and best and fairest winner. Shrewd recruiting saw the Eagles identify Hutchings as a late draft pick, having been delisted from St Kilda's rookie list. Hutchings is another example of the Eagles looking at WA-raised players on the fringes at other clubs and bring them into the fold.

Fourth round or later/rookie draft/pre-season draft - four
Matt Priddis (No.31 rookie draft), Callum Sinclair (No.12 rookie draft), Jeremy McGovern (No.44 rookie draft), Patrick McGinnity (No.7 pre-season draft)

The Eagles have long been fans of the rookie draft and the ability to add on players who might have been overlooked or who carry a question mark in their game. Brownlow medallist Priddis came into the club as a rookie and is now its premier midfielder, while McGovern has been central to the team's success this year. Sinclair is another who was given a chance via the rookie system after showing his wares at WAFL level, an advantage for the Eagles given their proximity to the local competition.

Trade/free agency - six
Josh Kennedy (traded from Carlton in exchange for Chris Judd in complex deal), Xavier Ellis (unrestricted free agent), Sharrod Wellingham (traded from Collingwood in exchange for pick No.18), Jamie Cripps (traded from St Kilda in exchange for pick No.40), Elliot Yeo (traded from Brisbane Lions in exchange for pick No.28), Josh Hill (traded from the Western Bulldogs in exchange for pick No.49)

The Eagles have targeted West Australian products in their drafting and increasingly made it a priority with their trading strategy, too. Aside from Ellis, who arrived at West Coast after an injury-affected career at Hawthorn, the rest of the Eagles' batch of recruits are homegrown and been great successes. Kennedy won this year's Coleman Medal, Wellingham has hit career-best form at half-back, and Yeo and Cripps were brought back to WA after only two seasons interstate. 

SNAPSHOT: HOW THE HAWTHORN AND WEST COAST LISTS COMPARE