After 23 rounds of blood, sweat and tears, the AFL finals are finally upon us. Weekly sports reporter Lance Jenkinson takes a look at who could be the game breakers of the 2013 finals.
Hawthorn – Jarryd Roughead
Jarryd Roughead is one of the most versatile key position players in the game.
You can position him in the forward line, down back, pinch hit ruck or even as a bigger bodied onballer.
Wherever he is on the field, you can bet that he will do a job for Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson.
Roughead’s importance to the team is set to be magnified in Friday night’s qualifying final against Sydney at the MCG.
He is ready, willing and able to fill the boots of superstar Lance Franklin in his one game suspension because he is commanding in the air, good at ground level and has an eye for goal.
Geelong – Steve Johnson
The easy option here is to go with the dependable hard nut Joel Selwood, but it will be the mercurial Steve Johnson who will provide the x-factor for Geelong.
Earlier in his career, Johnson was used mainly as a mid-sized forward, Hoover-like in his pick up off the deck, solid on the lead and mark and cheeky around goals.
Then he added the forward pressure component to his game that moved him into elite status as a forward.
Then came the engine, allowing him to move into the midfield of one of the slickest onball brigades in the AFL.
Johnson is a key link in the chain, accumulating a stack of possessions and most are of the highest of quality.
He will be a handful for opposition coaches to deal with.
Fremantle – Matthew Pavlich
Of all the teams featuring in the finals, Fremantle is the one that does not overly rely on their elite crop of players.
They have their stars, but more so because they fit into one of the best structured teams in the competition.
You could say Ross Lyon is the game breaker from the coaches box, but that would be cheating for this exercise.
We decided to go with the man who has consistently won matches off his own boots for years on end.
Matthew Pavlich has spent a large chunk of time on the sidelines with injuries this season, but for the Dockers to seriously challenge for the flag, they need the ‘Pav’ up and running in September.
Pavlich is a commanding presence across half forward because of his work rate.
If you’re one of the Dockers midfielders streaming forward, you can’t say no to Pavlich on the lead because you know that he would have doubled back two or three times to present and when he does get the ball, it usually pays dividends.
For the sake of the finals, let’s hope this champion of the game is injury-free for the next month.
Sydney – Kurt Tippett
Kurt Tippett is on the big bucks because he is a proven big game player.
While playing for Adelaide in last year’s preliminary final, he showed that he can handle the spotlight of a big finals game at the MCG.
Tippett commands the best defender because of his physical presence, his marking ability and solid set shot for goal.
In the second half of the year, when Tippett returned to the field after a lengthy suspension, the Swans have been more potent side with the former Adelaide Crow in their line-up.
The Swans function better in attack with Tippett and they are kicking bigger totals.
Tippett also has the ability to get on the end of the get-out kick, which Sydney, with their tough in and under style of play, regularly utilise.
One of the highlights last year was Tippett’s break out finals campaign, you get the feeling he is primed for another September to remember with the reigning premiers.
Richmond – Trent Cotchin
No question about it, Trent Cotchin is in the elite bracket of midfielders in the AFL.
A big finals campaign and we could be talking about a superstar in the making.
Cotchin is the most important cog in the Tigers side.
He wins his own ball on the inside and is breathtaking when he breaks away from a pack.
Cotchin has not had his best season with the club, but the natural growth of his teammates has eased the burden in any case.
He has blossomed into a great on-field leader for the Tigers.
Can Cotchin handle the pressure of finals football and the expectations of the Tiger Army?
On Sunday, when up to 90,000 people will converge on the MCG for a cut throat final, we should get our answer.
Collingwood – Dane Swan
To tag or not to tag?
Dane Swan would probably shake off the leash anyway.
Swan continues to rack up the possessions and there is not a thing the opposition coaches can do about it.
What makes Swan one of the most precious commodities for Magpies coach Nathan Buckley is his ability to flick the switch on for the big games.
Swan makes no secret of his dislike of preseason, he accepts of the process of getting to September, but you can tell he is like a kid in a lolly shop when the finals come around.
This is his stage and he will be the centre of attention because of his ability to rack up the kilometres within a game, get more possession than anyone else on the ground and provide the crucial link in the middle of the ground.
Swan also seems to prop up at the most convenient times to produce the game sealing goal.
Port Adelaide better keep a close eye on Swan on Saturday night or it will be lights out.
Port Adelaide – Justin Westhoff
If Port Adelaide’s clash with Collingwood is close with five minutes to go on Saturday, brace yourself for Justin Westhoff time.
Westhoff had an uncanny knack of being part of the big moments of the Power’s home-and-away campaign.
He can be a streaky player, but he is never out of the contest because of his ability to shine in the big moments.
Westhoff is your typical ‘wish we had one at each end’ type of player.
One minute you will find him on a hard lead, plucking the ball from the air and piercing the big sticks.
The next, it will be a game saving mark to bail out his defence.
At his best, Westhoff can match it with any key position player in the game, but he tends to be plagued with inconsistency within games.
Let’s just hope for the Power’s sake that he can do it for four quarters in the finals and elevate himself into the upper echelon of target men in the game.
Carlton – Matthew Kreuzer
So many Carlton players could be game breakers in the finals, but so many have fallen short of the mark this season.
The Blues only reached the finals due to Essendon’s demotion, but that fact could provide the kick up the bum that some of the under performing Blues stars needed ahead of the finals.
So, rather than judge the Blues game breaker on what has gone before, we’ll base it on what it could be.
Matthew Kreuzer should be the man who makes it all come together for the Blues in September.
The ruckman has quality midfielders at his feet, all he has to do is feed them and they could provide a shock or two in the finals.
Kreuzer is a hard match up because of his mobility, he is good at ground level and has a high skill level for a big man.
Is he ready for the physical demands of the bigger and stronger that tend to dominate in finals football?
A good place to find out will be against big Ivan Maric in Sunday’s eliminator.
