Australian Football

Finals Week 3

1PF

2PF

Premiership Season 2013 - Finals Week 3 Review

Total Crowd 128,818 (Avg 64,409)

Preliminary Final weekend saw two contrasting - yet equally enthralling - matches, the results of which will see Hawthorn and Fremantle play off for the premiership in next Saturday's Grand Final.

The First Preliminary Final saw the two sides that many thought would meet in the Grand Final - Hawthorn and Geelong - face off, and they produced a match that would have been well and truly worthy of the last Saturday in September, with all the twists and turns that fans have come to expect from recent matches between these two teams.

Hawthorn had a slight edge for a large part of the first quarter but wasted several opportunities, allowing the accurate Cats to take a one-point lead into the first change. Geelong held sway for the first half of the second term before the Hawks hit back to close the gap to four points at half time.

The third term was relatively even and at the 21-minute mark of the quarter the Cats led by just one point but they kicked the last three of the term to take a lead of 20 points into the last quarter and it looked as though the so-called “Kennett Curse” would continue.

As late as 13 minutes into the last quarter Geelong’s lead was still 19 points but the Hawks responded to the challenge and kicked the last three goals to snatch a dramatic five-point win.

The Second Preliminary Final, played on Saturday night between Fremantle and Sydney, did not have the same tension of the previous night’s game but was characterised by the incredibly intense, almost manic, pressure applied by the Dockers on the Swans in the first half.

Sydney, having struggled to cope with a long injury list in the second half of the season, were unable to counter-punch, and the Dockers established what proved to be an unassailable 39-point lead by half time. The match opened up to a certain extent in the second half, but the Swans could not make any inroads in the third term.

The Dockers eased down in the last term but ran out comfortable 25-point winners to set up what will hopefully be a fascinating Grand Final. While it is the first “Big Dance” for Fremantle, it will be the fourth Grand Final for their coach, Ross Lyon, who went close to achieving the ultimate success in three premiership-deciders with St Kilda, but is still searching for his first flag.

R-23, Ladder