Full Recap: AFL Grand Final 2014 - Hawthorn v Sydney

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Live Coverage: 2014 AFL Grand Final
Live Blog AFL Grand Final - Hawthorn v Sydney

LUXBET AFL GRAND FINAL INSIDER

TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy
LUXBET SAYS: Sydney $1.65. Hawthorn $2.25.

GRAND FINAL TEAMS

Sydney Swans
Coach: John Longmire
B Nick Smith, Ted Richards, Rhyce Shaw
HB Gary Rohan, Heath Grundy, Dane Rampe
C Kieren Jack, Josh Kennedy, Lewis Jetta
HF Dan Hannebery, Lance Franklin, Harry Cunningham
F Adam Goodes, Kurt Tippett, Ben McGlynn
FOL Mike Pyke, Luke Parker, Jarrad McVeigh
I/C Craig Bird, Jake Lloyd, Nick Malceski, Sam Reid
EMG Tom Mitchell, Jeremy Laidler, Dean Towers
Unchanged
 

Hawthorn
Coach: Alastair Clarkson
B Josh Gibson, Brian Lake, Grant Birchall
HB Sam Mitchell, Ben Stratton, Luke Hodge
C Bradley Hill, Will Langford, Isaac Smith
HF Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Jordan Lewis
F Ben McEvoy, Jarryd Roughead, Paul Puopolo
FOL David Hale, Liam Shiels, Shaun Burgoyne
I/C Cyril Rioli, Taylor Duryea, Matt Spangher, Matt Suckling
EMG Jonathon Ceglar, Jonathan Simpkin, Brad Sewell
IN Ben McEvoy, Cyril Rioli
OUT Jonathon Ceglar (Omitted), Jonathan Simpkin (Omitted)

MATCHDAY SCHEDULE

10am - Curtain Raiser – Australian U17s v Allies U18s
12.30pm - Grand Final Sprints heats
1.10pm - Team warm-ups
1.30pm - Retiring players lap of honour
1.36pm - Tom Jones and Ed Sheeran perform
2.02pm - Mike Brady performs
2.26pm - National anthem
2.30pm - Grand Final starts
5.20pm (approx) - Presentations



WHY SWANS WILL WIN
Sydney is statistically the best team for restricting high scores. But what makes them so hard to beat is their unpredictable switch to attack.
It's starts in defence. Nick Malceski, Rhyce Shaw, Dane Rampe, Lewis Jetta and Gary Rohan can send the ball down to Lance Franklin, Kurt Tippett, Ben McGlynn, Sam Reid and Adam Goodes in a heartbeat.    
The Hawks know better than anyone that Buddy can win a match off his own boot. Even if he is kept quiet for three and half quarters, the Hawks will fear a 10-minute Buddy purple patch could be the difference between glory and heartbreak.  

WHY HAWKS WILL WIN
Winning grand finals is about making the most of the opportunities when you get them, especially when the combatants are evenly match as they are this year.
And no team takes its chances like Hawthorn.
The Hawks are the most accurate goalkicking team in the AFL. And they spread the goal-kicking load more than Sydney. For example, if Jack Gunston or Luke Breust are blanketed, then Paul Puopolo or David Hale can be relied on to hit the scoreboard.
Plenty of teams have won the key stats in grand finals, but lost because they failed to execute inside 50. Think St Kilda in 2009 and Fremantle last year. 
But Hawthorn, which also ranks No.2 for converting inside-50s into scores, are the kings of scoreboard pressure.

QUESTIONS

We know Cyril Rioli has been selected for the Hawks but does he play or will Alastair Clarkson spring a late change?

WEATHER

It's a warm and sunny grand final week in Melbourne, but matchday will be partly cloudy. A maximum of 19C is forecast, with wind to increase late in the afternoon.     

RECENT HISTORY

Round 18, 2014, MCG
Hawthorn 15.14 (104)
Sydney 13.16 (94)
Round 8, 2014, ANZ Stadium
Sydney 15.17 (107)
Hawthorn 13.10 (88)
Qualifying final, 2013, MCG
Hawthorn 15.15 (105)
Sydney 7.9 (51)
Round 23, 2013, ANZ Stadium
Hawthorn 17.10 (112)
Sydney 16.4 (100)
Round 7, 2013, MCG
Hawthorn 18.11 (119)
Sydney 12.10 (82)
Grand Final, 2012, MCG
Sydney 14.7 (91)
Hawthorn 11.15 (81)
 


NORM SMITH MEDAL

$7.50 Lance Franklin
$7.50 Josh Kennedy
$9 Sam Mitchell
$9 Luke Parker
$12 Dan Hannebery
$13 Luke Hodge
$13 Jordan Lewis
$15 Jarryd Roughead
$16 Kieran Jack
$21 Ben McGlynn
$23 Shaun Burgoyne
$23 Jarrad McVeigh
$26 Jack Gunston
$26 Isaac Smith
$26 Kurt Tippett
Odds: Luxbet

FIRST GOALKICKER

$6 Lance Franklin
$6.30 Jarryd Roughead
$7.80 Kurt Tippett
$8.85 Jack Gunston
$11.50 Adam Goodes
$ 11.50 Ben McGlynn
$ 12 Luke Breust
$13 David Hale
$13.50 Luke Parker
$23 Sam Reid
Odds: Luxbet

KEY MATCHUPS

Ted Richards v Jarryd Roughead

Roughead enters the big dance in scintillating form, having booted 15 goals in his past four games. Without his six-goal haul against Port Adelaide, the Hawks simply would not have made the Grand Final.
Sydney's veteran key defender Ted Richards will likely be assigned the job.
Roughead kicked bags of three and four goals against Sydney this year. In those games he was matched up on both Richards as well as Heath Grundy.

Will Langford v most damaging Swans midfielder

The 22-year-old Langford had the best game of his 19-match career in last week's preliminary final.
His 29 possessions and 10 clearances are career highs and those numbers also led the Hawks for the match.
Langford also played a crucial role in the third term when he went onto Travis Boak and restricted the Power captain's influence.
If one of Sydney' midfielders gets off the chain. Expect Langford to be handed a shut-down job.


Will Langford at Hawks training at Warverley on Tuesday. Photo: Michael Dodge (Getty) 

Nick Smith v Luke Bruest

It's not just Roughead and Jack Gunston who pose a threat to Sydney's defence. Bruest booted a career-best 54 goals for the year and was named All Australian.
Smith is Sydney's best medium defender, so expect an intense battle right from the start.  

Josh Gibson v Lance Franklin

If Gibson can stop Franklin and the Hawks win, he will forever be remembered as a grand final hero - but that is a gigantic ask.
Buddy has 23 goals from his past four outings, and also has the runs on the board against his former house mate.
Opposed to Gibson, Franklin kicked 2.7 against the Hawks in Round 8 and 3.5 against them in Round 18.
That’s 17 scoring shots in two games. Look out he finds his radar in front of the big sticks, so and help from Brian Lake and Ben Stratton is crucial.


Lance Franklin celebrates one of his three goals against Hawthorn in Round 18. Photo: Getty

MILESTONES

Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) - 250 games
Ben McGlynn (Sydney) - 100 club games
Josh Gibson (Hawthorn) - 100 club games  

WHISTLE BLOWERS

Veteran umpire Simon Meredith has made a remarkable return from a major health scare mid-season to be selected as one of the three field umpires.
Three months ago, Meredith's umpiring career hung in the balance when he suffered a brain haemorrhage during the Sydney v Port Adelaide match in Round 13.
He will join Matt Stevic and Matthew Nicholls as the field umpires.
Meredith has umpired in the past three Grand Finals, while Stevic umpired the 2012 Grand Final between Hawthorn and the Swans, while Nicholls umpired his first Grand Final last year. 
Luke Walker and Chris Appleton have been appointed goal umpires. Mark Thomson, Ian Burrows, Matthew Tomkins and Nathan Doig will run the boundary, 

 

 

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