- Apr 4, 2013
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- AFL Club
- Fremantle
The last round offers an interesting dimension, with Sydney possibly being given the ability to choose who they play in the first week of finals.
Hawthorn play Collingwood on Friday night, and given both sides form of late it could easily be a 10 goal margin to the Hawks. Geelong play Brisbane on Saturday afternoon and should win.
Sydney play Richmond on Saturday night. If Hawthorn belt the Pies and Sydney lose to Richmond by a relatively small margin, Hawthorn's percentage could easily move ahead of Sydney's and they would finish first. Sydney would finish second and play Geelong at home.
The Fremantle vs Port game is on at the same time, but both teams have come much closer to Sydney at home than Geelong did. While none of the three possible opponents have beaten the Swans, both the Power and the Dockers have been tough opponents for Sydney this year, but Geelong were thrashed by 110 points in their only encounter.
It is not outside the bounds of reason for the Swans to lose going into finals. In 2012, they lost the last round, and lots three of their four against top eight opponents. They still won the premiership. Also, other teams have tanked the last round to set up a better finals opponent in the qualifying final - see Essendon in 2001.
So will Sydney do it?
Doing so will also secure the Tigers appearing in consecutive finals for the first time since the 70s, and the march of the Tiger army from 8th might just wipe out whoever finishes fifth out of Freo or Port, and march on to beat the lose of 1 vs 4.
Hawthorn play Collingwood on Friday night, and given both sides form of late it could easily be a 10 goal margin to the Hawks. Geelong play Brisbane on Saturday afternoon and should win.
Sydney play Richmond on Saturday night. If Hawthorn belt the Pies and Sydney lose to Richmond by a relatively small margin, Hawthorn's percentage could easily move ahead of Sydney's and they would finish first. Sydney would finish second and play Geelong at home.
The Fremantle vs Port game is on at the same time, but both teams have come much closer to Sydney at home than Geelong did. While none of the three possible opponents have beaten the Swans, both the Power and the Dockers have been tough opponents for Sydney this year, but Geelong were thrashed by 110 points in their only encounter.
It is not outside the bounds of reason for the Swans to lose going into finals. In 2012, they lost the last round, and lots three of their four against top eight opponents. They still won the premiership. Also, other teams have tanked the last round to set up a better finals opponent in the qualifying final - see Essendon in 2001.
So will Sydney do it?
Doing so will also secure the Tigers appearing in consecutive finals for the first time since the 70s, and the march of the Tiger army from 8th might just wipe out whoever finishes fifth out of Freo or Port, and march on to beat the lose of 1 vs 4.