Spring is here and that means one thing for footy fanatics across the country. Finals! The regular season is over and the time has come for every remaining team to stand up and be counted. There are four games taking place this weekend, with four different states represented.
Hawthorn Hawks vs Collingwood Magpies
The first game this weekend is between Hawthorn and Collingwood at the MCG. Kicking off on Friday night at 7.50pm, this match sees first play fourth in the first qualifying final for 2012. While it may not be sudden death, both teams will be keen to cement their place in the preliminary final in week 3. Hawthorn come into this game on the back of 12 wins from their last 13 games, and have also won both of their encounters against Collingwood this season. In contrast, Collingwood have recently had back to back losses against the Hawks and the Roos, and weren’t exactly tested last week against the Bombers. However, both teams are looking at a good line-up for this match, with Tyson Goldsack, Jarryd Blair, and skipper Nick Maxwell in for the Magpies and stars Lance Franklin and Luke Hodge in for the Hawks.
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Adelaide Crows vs Sydney Swans
This match between second and third takes place on Saturday at 2.45pm. Being the second qualifying final, the loser of this game will get a second chance next week against the winner of the second elimination final. Adelaide have lost just five games this season, although they have had an easy run-up to the finals compared to some other clubs. In contrast, the Sydney Swans had a very tough run home this year, losing to Collingwood, Hawthorn, and Geelong in the last month of regular season. The Swans also have a bad record against the Crows, having lost all but 2 of their last 14 matches.
Geelong Cats vs Fremantle Dockers
The second elimination final takes place between the Cats and the Dockers on Saturday at 7.45pm. Hosted at the MCG, the Cats have been building well for this one over the last couple of months. Geelong are probably the most likely challengers from outside the four, but will have a harder lead-up if they want to make the Grand Final. The Dockers are likely to struggle with the finals this year, after having reached them only once since 2006. To make things even worse, the last time they did make the finals, guess who they lost to – that’s right – the Geelong Cats, at the MCG in 2010, by 69 points.
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West Coast Eagles vs North Melbourne Kangaroos
This game takes place on Sunday at 1.15pm, and is last game of the weekend. The Eagles have looked pretty good during the last couple of months, even if they lost last week. West Coast have won both of their matches against the Roos this year, even managing to come back from 35 points to win in Round 15. The Roos finished eighth on the table this year, and are definitely outsiders for the title in 2012. However, they do have momentum on their side after having won 10 of their last 12 games. While the Roos came close to the Eagles earlier in the year, they will have to work very hard in what is a do-or-die encounter.