The match-up everyone's been wanting to see, in the biggest game of the year, for the AFL's Premiership Cup, on that last Saturday in September... Saturday, 30 September Geelong v Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (M.C.G.) 2:30 p.m. Melbourne time And it's also live on Setanta Sport USA, for the U.S. audience, Friday night, 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. A four-and-a-half hour block is scheduled, so that'll likely include pre-game pageantry and the post-match awards ceremony. All the news here as we lead up to the biggest weekend on the AFL's schedule. Will the mighty Cats repeat, and go back-to-back premiers, or will Hawthorn fulfill a promise for its up-and-coming team? Have your say here...
And parenthetically, speaking of Setanta, they've also added Monday night's Brownlow Medal count, live (Monday, 6:30 a.m. ET/3:30 a.m. PT) -- and there will be a separate thread on the Brownlow night's festivities.
And the opening betting line (Iaco asked, and sounded like a brilliant idea to me)... From TAB SportsBet in Victoria, and just on the game itself... Geelong -- $1.40 Hawthorn -- $2.80 And that's for each $1 bet. This, too, will be updated accordingly throughout the week.
...and 5.30 am UK time. At least I'll be at home this year rather than having to try and find a pub in a foreign city that would open early to show it, like last year. On the other hand, I think I'd rather be back in Prague than at home - not least because I'd get an extra hour before the game starts. It goes without saying that it should be a bit closer than last year, but with Geelong 2/5 to win, the bookies don't seem to think it'll be that close. It makes me wonder, not seeing any of the build up over here, Geelong's win last time seemed to be quite popular, but although Geelong seem to be regarded as clearly the better team, is there perhaps a feeling that people would perhaps rather see Hawthorn win with Geelong being seen as perhaps too dominant?
And for our finals tipping competition, here's the leaderboard... el-capitano -- 6 Spartacus -- 6 RichardL -- 6 ChrisH -- 6 babytiger2001 -- 5 mrsbabytiger2001 -- 4 bcwildcatjohn -- 3 Going to come down to a tie-breaker of the margin of victory for the winning team. So pick the winner, and the margin. Closest margin wins the 2008 Grand Final DVD. Others are welcome to participate, too, and there will be a prize up for grabs as well. I will keep you updated on that -- if not a DVD, might be a t-shirt or a hat, for example.
News, so far, on the Sunday morning, six more sleeps to go... To say that Geelong coach Mark Thompson has some selection quandries is a massive understatement. But he has said that while Travis Varcoe is likely to play against Hawthorn, Paul Chapman will certainly make a return from a hamstring injury, and with David Wojcinski and James Kelly also making strong bids for places in the Cats' 22-man squad, there are a few players ranging as candidates to be unlucky to miss out.
Hawks have some good odds, def having a punt. Hawks need Buddy to have a huge game, if he doesn't fire they could be in trouble.
In- and what were the results for these two during the reg season BT- since I'm too lazy to checkup and remember!
Actually, it was 11 points, the win to Geelong in Round 17. The only head-to-head meeting this season in the home-and-away rounds. Seven had that on their "GameDay" show this morning, as well as seeing it on Nine's "Sunday Footy Show." And speaking of Seven, let's hope they're airing the game live to all markets, including Melbourne. Which, for them, would be a first during the finals series. If they don't air it live, I would encourage Melburnians who can't get into the MCG to go picket Seven's HQ's at Docklands to protest their policy. Seriously.
Lance Franklin -- who's nursing a thumb injury from the preliminary final yet got through the game on Saturday night, incidentally -- didn't have a big game, yet the Hawks beat St. Kilda by 50-plus points. "Buddy" only kicked one goal against the Saints, while Mark Williams kicked five goals, Jarrad Roughead had four majors and goalsneak Cyril Rioli added two more. The Hawks are very deep in their scoring potential in the forward line. So if Geelong was to merely focus on one player -- that being Lance Franklin -- that would be a grave tactical error. They won't, anyway. There are more than enough quality defenders in the Cats' back line to counter what Hawthorn can offer.
More Sunday news... Mark Williams faces a nerve-racking battle to see if the Match Review Panel will cite him on a rough conduct charge for a fourth-quarter incident against the Saints -- a charge that could jeopardize the Hawthorn forward's Grand Final plans if it goes before the Tribunal and he's unsuccessful in beating the potential charge. Staying on Hawthorn, ruckman Simon Taylor may be the odd man out of coach Alistair Clarkson's 22-man selection at the expense of top ruckman Robert Campbell and favored back-up Brent Renouf.
And Hawthorn defender Luke Hodge will be examined all week to see if he's fit to play after courageously getting through the preliminary final win against St. Kilda -- a win that saw Hodge spitting up blood midway through the opening term after a couple of collisions with Saints players. Lance Franklin's thumb injury will be scrutinized by Hawthorn's medical team, as well.
Geelong captain Tom Harley insists that an extra 24 hours' rest and having been through the build-up process last year will give the Cats an advantage on Hawthorn, when it comes to preparations -- physical, mental and emotional -- during Grand Final week.
Hmmmm, this looks like it will be more like those cliff hanger finals between Sydney & West Coast, than last years final! Geelong didn't look that good on Friday, the Hawks looked good. hmmmmm I'll still think about this one.
Right there with you, Captain! I'm going to wait to hear the relative health of Chapman and Hodge before I tip Hawthorn...OOPS!
The news, on this Brownlow Monday night... Hawthorn's Mark Williams has been cleared of an alleged rough conduct charge, and will be free to play in the Grand Final on Saturday. The freak injuries sustained by Hawthorn's Luke Hodge last Saturday will not influence the hard-as-nuts defender to alter his style whatsoever, Hodge said on Monday. As if there was any doubt, Saturday's game is now officially a sell-out, as the last members' tickets were snapped up earlier today. And somewhat related to Hawthorn matters on Grand Final week, club president and former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has announced that he will not seek a run for the office of Lord Mayor of Melbourne.
No confirmation on Geelong forward Paul Chapman as of yet, but Cats team captain Tom Harley is backing him to play, saying that Chapman was too good and too experienced of a player to leave out.
What network provides cover for the GF parade Friday? And, for that matter, what network had the Brownlow count? Maybe I can dredge through some sites to find more video...
Setanta Sport USA had the Brownlow, live, from Network Ten's feed. No idea if any network has the Grand Final parade, exclusively. I will try and find that out.
Ok- I'll put in my tip in case I run out of time later in the week......... Hawthorn by 14!!!!!! I'm not sure why- I'm just feeling it!
There were over 10,000 at the final Hawks training run before Saturday. Here is video link - I had to run it under "IE option" in Firefox 3.02 http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/vi...ClipId=1396_425yhgfr&bitrate=300&Format=flash I believe there was also a big crowd also at Geelong. Could not find a video for the Cats session. Geelong should win the big one - but it is a GF -anything can happen.
The Grand Final teams are in: 2008 FINALS WEEK 4 GEELONG v HAWTHORN 2008 AFL Grand Final, Saturday, 2:30pm AEST, MCG GEELONG B: Harley, Scarlett, Hunt HB: Milburn, Taylor, Mackie, C: Selwood, Ling, Enright HF: Bartel, Mooney, S.Johnson F: Stokes, Lonergan, Chapman FOLL: Ottens, Ablett, Corey I/C: Blake, Rooke, Kelly, Varcoe EMG: Wojcinski, Gamble, Byrnes IN: Chapman OUT: Wojcinski HAWTHORN B: Gilham, Croad, Guerra HB: Ladson, Hodge, Birchall C: Lewis, Mitchell, Bateman HF: Rioli, Franklin, Osborne F: Williams, Roughead, Brown FOLL: Campbell, Sewell, Crawford I/C: Dew, Ellis, Renouf, Young EMG: Murphy, Taylor, Tuck No Change Field umpires: McLaren, Vozzo, S.Ryan Teams story: Wojcinski makes way -- sportal.com.au Bad luck for a very good player in David Wojcinski, but with a player the quality of Paul Chapman coming back in, someone had to make way. Hawthorn, meanwhile, remain unchanged from last week's preliminary final win over St. Kilda.
And my tip: It won't be the Grand Final massacre as the mighty Cats enjoyed last year against Port Adelaide, but Geelong will nonetheless go back-to-back. Geelong by 40