Preview 1: The Defence
Midfield:
Part two of this week’s preview takes a look at the midfield matchups. I will start the discussion with the Magpies.
Collingwood
I thought Collingwood’s midfield was fantastic against West Coast in the qualifying final. Swan and Pendlebury each had dominant games, with Wellingham adding three goals. Darren Jolly also lifted in the second half to help nullify Naitanui in the ruck. Luke Ball stood up around the stoppages.
In particular, I was impressed by the ability of the Magpie midfield to move the ball forward at all costs. When the game got tight, the big names in the middle all got their hands on the ball and kicked it 30 metres down the line to gain territory. This is premiership football as most finals games are tough and contested. West Coast threw everything at the Magpies, but the midfield stood up.
In further good news, the midfield unit will be completed with the return of Dale Thomas this week. Don’t underestimate the value of Thomas to the side. He brings such energy and is one of the hardest workers. I think his presence will lift the intensity and his gut running will add a lot of flare. He is a big game player as well and always performs in finals.
Hawthorn
Apart from the gun forwards, Hawthorn’s real strength lies in the depth in its midfield. Mitchell is in my opinion the premier in and under player in the competition and Hodge is an all-round gun. Burgoyne has had a really good year as well with Lewis enjoying a rich vein of form. Brad Sewell is also the sort of player who is designed for tough finals games.
The addition of Liam Shiels has also been a massive bonus for the Hawks as he is a fantastic tackler and big possession winner. Then add outsiders like Bateman, Smith and Rioli who all float through the centre and you have a really dangerous midfield unit.
Similarly to Collingwood, the Hawks tend not to tag through the centre. This means that we can expect all the stars from both sides to win a lot of the footy. When in its best form, Hawthorn is one of the toughest teams in the competition and can intimidate.
Matchups
Luke Ball v Sam Mitchell - This is going to be a defining matc-up. Both players are their side’s number one clearances players and getting first hands on the football is going to be crucial. Ball is in terrific form; however Mitchell is an All-Australian midfielder and is nearly unstoppable at the moment. Mitchell wins much more of the footy than Ball, but the key statistic is going to be clearances. Ball will undoubtedly pay close attention to Mitchell around stoppages, but expect both to play pretty wide of each other in the general field of play. Nevertheless, when Mitchell is allowed to run free, he can destroy sides, so someone like Sharrod Wellingham or Ben Johnson may be asked to mind him around the ground.
Dane Swan v Brad Sewell - It’s hard to see any tight tags been applied, however Sewell will probably be asked to go head to head with Swan around stoppages and try to limit Swan’s influence. Swan is fresh from 43 disposals against West Coast and has been in terrific form ever since his mid-season trip to Arizona. Sewell on the other hand has had a decent year without much fuss. Given the star studded Collingwood midfield, expect Sewell to be thrown a big job this week.
Scott Pendlebury v Jordan Lewis - This is a matchup, which could eventuate, and it should be an absolute cracker. Both are in terrific form, particularly in the second half of the year. Lewis has been thrown a few different roles this year, including forward tagging duties along with some midfield tagging roles. Importantly, he is winning a lot of the footy and kicking goals. Pendlebury on the other hand continues to rack up huge numbers week in week out. He had 38 disposals against West Coast. Again, both players are likely to play wide of each other.
Sharrod Wellingham v Shaun Burgoyne - Burgoyne has really added the cream to Hawthorn midfield and has proven this year why the Hawks were so keen to pay a high price for him. He has played all over the field, including defensive or defensive roles. He is the sort of player that has to be negated because he is far too damaging if left to run free. I think Malthouse will opt to use Sharrod Wellingham on Burgoyne as he matches him for pace. Wellingham was one of the Magpies best in the first half last week kicking three crunch goals to get his side back in the game. On the other hand, Clarkson may elect to use Burgoyne in a head to head role against someone like a Dale Thomas.
Dale Thomas v Chance Bateman - Bateman has had a frustrating year injury wise but is still an important player for the Hawks due to his pace. I expect him to do a tight job on the fit and fresh Dale Thomas who looms as Collingwood’s real X factor on Friday night. I feel that Hawthorn has to put attention into Thomas because he is one player that can really break the game open if it’s tight.
Dayne Beams v Luke Hodge - Hodge really struggled against Geelong in the qualifying final and looked to be very sore. However he bounced back last week with 27 disposals and a goal. The one thing you know about the Hawks skipper is that he can play through injury complaints and still have a real impact. Importantly, he always plays well against Collingwood, and he always lifts for big games. Collingwood needs to pay attention to Hodge, and Dayne Beams could be the man to do it. Beams is in good form and is winning a lot of the football. However, his decision-making was questionable against West Coast in the qualifying final (his efficiency was 47 per cent) and he does not have a terrific finals record. Perhaps a defensive job against the Hawks star will simplify it a bit for Beams. Beams is terrific around stoppages, puts his head over the footy and wins a lot of the footy, so he would really be able to have an impact against Hodge going the other way.
The Ruck
Darren Jolly v Max Bailey - Darren Jolly stood up when it counted in the second half against West Coast and I have no doubt that he will be able to push himself through two more weeks of football if required. The week’s rest will have been a huge help for Jolly.
On the other hand, Max Bailey has been a real good news story for Hawthorn. After numerous knee reconstructions, the faith the Hawks have shown in Bailey has really paid off and he has managed to play 15 quality games this year. Standing at 206cm, he has a genuine height advantage over the Collingwood rucks and he has shown an ability to get involved around the ground.
The ruck battle is going to be very decisive this week as both sides possess quality on-ball divisions. You would have to back Jolly to get on top given his experience. However, Hawthorn has a genuine advantage with its second ruck considering Hale is much taller than Leigh Brown and is a better tap ruckman.
The Wrap-Up
So as you can see, both Collingwood and Hawthorn have a lot of depth through the middle and the matchups are mouth watering. I think Collingwood’s midfield marginally gets the points because it has three genuine A-graders, all of whom made the All Australian side.
It goes without saying that the midfield battle will be very telling as both sides possess strong forward lines. If the forwards are able to get quality service and enough opportunities, you would expect either team to kick a winning score.
