Fridays’s only AFL Finals Week 3 match is between Hawthorn Hawks and Geelong Cats. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:50 local time with the game to be played at MCG. The home team Hawthorn Hawks are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Hawthorn Hawks and Geelong Cats.

Round: Preliminary Final 7:50 PM September 20, 2013
Stadium: MCG
Weather: 18° Shower or two.

Featured Bookmakers:

Hawthorn Hawks $1.45 vs Geelong Cats $2.80 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Hawthorn Hawks $1.41 vs Geelong Cats $3.00 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison by AFL Odds:

Hawthorn Hawks	1.45	1.38	1.41	1.38	1.45	1.40
Geelong Cats	2.80	3.05	3.00	3.05	2.80	2.85

Preview:

Geelong has taken the long and hard way to arrived at week three of the finals.

A surprise loss to Fremantle at home in their first finals’ game a fortnight ago (72 – 87), saw them face off against Port Adelaide last week in an elimination final.

A slow start and poor second quarter had Geelong behind by 23 points at the major break and their season hanging by a thread but, a five goal to one third quarter, helped the Cats regain the lead and taking that momentum into the final quarter, they were able to hold off Port’s late challenge and record a 16 point victory (96 – 80).

Again it was an example of Geelong producing their best quarters at a time rather than the entire match. Up against a rested and complete Hawthorn outfit, a similar performance to that of the past two weeks will not be good enough.

Minor Premiers Hawthorn earned last week off after impressively disposing of Sydney in week one of the finals 105 – 51.

That performance only enhanced Hawthorn’s favouritism for this year’s Premiership Flag and with Geelong coming off three tough games in as many weeks and, losing inspirational leading Paul Chapman due to suspension, Hawthorn, with the benefit of resting last week will field a strong, fit and fresh side.

Remarkably, Geelong has won the past eleven matches between the two clubs. Nine of those victories were by a margin of ten points or less including the four most recent clashes when Geelong started as outsiders in betting markets on each occasion.

It’s now or never for Hawthorn to break “Kennett’s curse” and they have no excuse not to.

Really watch for them to assert their dominance in the second half of the match and, as they did against Sydney, be able to pull away from Geelong and cover the 13.5 line in the process.

Teams:

Hawthorn Hawks:
B:B Stratton B Lake B Guerra
HB: S Burgoyne J Gibson G Birchall
C: I Smith S Mitchell J Hill
HF: L Breust L Franklin J Gunston
F: P Puopolo J Roughead C Rioli
FOLL: D Hale B Sewell L Hodge
I/C: J Lewis M Bailey B Whitecross L Shiels
EMG: M Spangher J Anderson K Cheney
IN: L Franklin C Rioli
OUT: M Spangher (omitted) J Anderson (omitted)

Geelong Cats:
B:J Rivers T Lonergan J Hunt
HB: A Mackie, H Taylor J Bartel
C: J Kelly J Selwood M Stokes
HF: A Christensen N Vardy S Motlop
F: J Podsiadly T Hawkins J Caddy
FOLL: M Blicavs M Duncan S Johnson
I/C: J Corey C Guthrie J Murdoch T Varcoe
EMG: T Hunt S Kersten T West
IN: Caddy, Murdoch
OUT: Chapman (suspended), T Hunt (omitted)

Rioli, Franklin, Johnson make AFL returns

Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli could be used as the substitute when he makes his return in Friday night’s AFL preliminary final against Geelong at the MCG.

Rioli is back from an ankle injury for his first game in almost a month, with the Hawks also regaining fellow star forward Lance Franklin from suspension.

They dropped Matt Spangher and Jed Anderson.

The Cats, who lost in-form forward Paul Chapman to suspension and dropped Taylor Hunt, regained Josh Caddy from an ankle injury.

They also included youngster Jordan Murdoch for his first game since round 21.

Murdoch kicked three last-term goals to help the Cats overcome the Hawks in the two teams’ most recent meeting in round 15.

He’s played just three AFL games since.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson said Rioli trained well on Tuesday to demonstrate his readiness to return, but might be used as the sub because of his lack of match fitness.

“That’s a possibility,” the Hawks coach said.

The Cats remain without injured star small defender Corey Enright.

Spearhead Tom Hawkins, who has missed two of Geelong’s past five games with the back injury that has nagged him throughout the season, has been named despite lingering fitness concerns.

Potential replacement Shane Kersten is an emergency.

Sydney plumped for speed, adding Ben McGlynn and Gary Rohan for Saturday night’s preliminary final against Fremantle in Perth.

They replace injured pair Kurt Tippett (knee) and Tom Mitchell (ankle).

McGlynn, who missed last year’s premiership win with a hamstring injury, returns from a calf problem, while Rohan was recalled after being dropped for last weekend’s semi-final win over Carlton.

Coach John Longmire said McGlynn had been close to selection against the Blues but was definitely right to go this weekend.

“We ruled him out last week even though he was touch-and-go, but that hopefully gives him the opportunity to come in and have a really good strong contribution this week against Fremantle,” Longmire told the club’s website.

Utility Lewis Roberts-Thomson, who played his first game since injuring a knee in April with Sydney’s reserves side last weekend, was named an emergency.

The Dockers have made one change, regaining All Australian defender Michael Johnson from a calf injury, replacing Tom Sheridan.

“We obviously know the year that he’s had,” Dockers football manager Chris Bond said of Johnson.

“He plays a very important part of our back six and he’s up against some real quality opposition as well, so he’s a very important in for us.”