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There are some tantalising contests in week one of the finals and now there are eight teams, who are all contenders.
We’re taking a look at two players who’ll need to make a difference for their team.
Port Adelaide
Jason Horne-Francis: the last time Port Adelaide played against Geelong in Round 9, the former number one draft pick polled nine Coaches’ votes in a game his team won by a goal. To go with that, the Port Adelaide recruit has kicked two goals in each of the last three games of the season and has averaged the sixth most score involvements per game of any player in the competition with 7.52. The 21-year-old should prove difficult for Geelong to stop if he can perform to his optimum level.
Willem Drew is a player who goes under the radar; the 25-year-old deserves more credit, which was demonstrated in Round 24 when Drew kept Caleb Serong to 19 disposals. The Port Adelaide midfielder has averaged the most tackles per game of any player in his team with 6.30 and has featured in all 23 games. When Port Adelaide takes on Geelong in the second qualifying final, the obvious match-up for him is Patrick Dangerfield and perhaps Tom Stewart at times.
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Geelong
Tyson Stengle was a part of the All-Australian squad of 44 and has been a valuable part of the Geelong team. The small forward has averaged the third most score involvements per game of any Geelong player with 6.13. The 25-year-old nearly got Geelong over the line when they took on Port Adelaide in Round 9, in a game which they lost narrowly to Port Adelaide by a six-point margin; Stengle kicked four goals. Therefore, Oliver Henry and Shaun Mannagh could get off the leash, as the former Adelaide and Richmond player could cop some extra attention.
Oliver Dempsey has been immense for Geelong; when the Rising Star winner gets the ball something good generally comes from it. The 21-year-old should gain plenty of confidence from his display in Round 24 against West Coast; Dempsey finished the game with 21 disposals, a goal, ten score involvements and four intercept possessions. The young prospect should be up for the challenge when Geelong take on Port Adelaide; he will probably be matched up against Jase Burgoyne and Travis Boak at times.
Ollie Dempsey, your 2024 Telstra Rising Star ⭐️???? #WeAreGeelong pic.twitter.com/72p6AM1tUM
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) August 29, 2024
Western Bulldogs
Caleb Daniel has been made to fight for his place in the team and appears to have found a spot in the Western Bulldogs’ best 22; the utility has played in their last two games with an aggregate of 48 disposals. In both games, the 28-year-old has had six score involvements and has been an important part of the Western Bulldogs team. Daniel should be an asset when the Western Bulldogs take on Hawthorn. Last time the two teams met in Round 8, Daniel wasn’t a part of the team and Hawthorn won by a seven-point margin, so the experienced campaigner should definitely be a sub, at the very least.
Ed Richards is coming into the game against Hawthorn with good form; the 25-year-old has polled 15 Coaches’ votes in the last two games of the season. The utility has had the third most score involvements per game of any Western Bulldogs player, with 6.10. Along with that, he has spent more time in the midfield, which means that Marcus Bontempelli may spend some time forward.
Hawthorn
Jai Newcombe has been in great form for Hawthorn and will need to be at his best in a tough game against Western Bulldogs; it won’t faze the 23-year-old who polled 69 Coaches’ votes – which was the most Coaches’ votes of any Hawthorn player – and is an integral part of the Hawthorn midfield. It will be interesting who the midfielder is matched up against; it could be Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar, Ed Richards and Marcus Bontempelli at times.
James Sicily can count himself unlucky not to have been selected in the All-Australian team. The Hawthorn captain has had a stellar season and is a player that his team need firing, as they lost two of the three games in which he was unavailable for selection. The key defender has also become a goal kicker having kicked eight goals in 20 games and an option for Sam Mitchell to send forward. When Hawthorn last played Western Bulldogs in Round 8, they won by a seven-point margin; the 29-year-old had 20 disposals, seven score involvements, five intercept possessions and a goal and polled three Coaches’ votes.
Sydney
Nick Blakey was selected in the back pocket of the All-Australian team. The 24-year-old provides plenty of run out of defence and isn’t scared to take the game on; the defender has averaged the ninth most metres gained per game of any player in the competition with 499.65. There’s no disputing that Blakey is a player that has speed and uses it effectively and is a player who could play a pivotal role if Sydney are to win in the first qualifying final.
Nick Blakey. (Photo by James Elsby/Getty Images)
Brodie Grundy was touted as the recruit of the year by many experts in the first half of the season and a possible lock for the All-Australian team. Last time Sydney played against GWS in Round 15, the ruckman polled six Coaches’ votes and had a big impact on the game; the former Melbourne and Collingwood player had 28 disposals, seven score involvements and worked harder than GWS ruckman Kieren Briggs around the ground in a game that Sydney won by a 27-point margin.
GWS
Josh Kelly is such a talented player that could’ve been in the All-Australian squad if not for injury hampering his season, which meant the GWS vice-captain missed eight games. The 29-year-old can play inside midfield or on the wing; perhaps Kelly is the player to be matched up on Errol Gulden.
Jesse Hogan is the Coleman Medallist and the All-Australian full-forward, but it’s not only his goals that warranted him to achieve what he has this season. The former Melbourne and Fremantle key forward has taken the most contested marks of any player in the competition with 56, which is 11 more than the next best. The 29-year-old should be at his best and up for the contest in the upcoming Sydney derby.
Brisbane
Joe Daniher is an enigma; don’t get me wrong, the former Essendon player can do some great things and hit the scoreboard, but the mistakes that the key forward makes have to be limited. Hopefully, for Brisbane, Daniher can have a good game against Carlton, as he is a pivotal part of their team. At the very least the key forward needs to restrict the intercept marking of Jacob Weitering so that Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann can go to work.
Hugh McCluggage.(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Hugh McCluggage can consider himself unlucky not to have been included in the All-Australian squad of 44, given that the 26-year-old is a player capable of playing on the wing, in the midfield and on a half-forward flank. The Brisbane vice-captain is coming into the contest with Carlton in good form; McCluggage had three centre clearances and nine score involvements when Brisbane took on Essendon in Round 24 and should have the belief in a tough task against Carlton where he will be up against Blake Acres and Oliver Hollands at times.
Carlton
Nic Newman played like a man possessed in Round 24 against St Kilda; the 31-year-old had 35 disposals and the most metres gained of any player in the game with 638. The former Sydney defender has been such an important part of the Carlton team and will face a stern test when Carlton take on Brisbane, as Newman may be matched up on Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann at times.
Sam Walsh will need to be at his best to take the pressure off Patrick Cripps; Walsh may be the beneficiary of Cripps getting tagged. It will be interesting to see if he goes head-to-head with Lachie Neale or perhaps Josh Dunkley. There’s no doubt that the 2023 Gary Ayres medallist should be up for the challenge.
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