AFL Grand Final 2022: The key match-ups that will decide Sydney v Geelong
Which Cat takes Buddy? Do the Swans tag Tom Stewart? Who gets Papley? We look at the key match-ups that will decide Saturday’s AFL Grand Final.
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Geelong and Sydney have so many weapons, Chris Scott and John Longmire will have to come up with some plans to get an advantage on Saturday at the MCG.
Here are some of the match-ups to keep an eye on when the Cats and Swans clash in the 2022 AFL Grand Final.
Sam De Koning v Lance Franklin
Jack Henry was the man to go to Buddy when the Sydney superstar kicked his 1000th goal way back in round 2.
But De Koning wasn’t playing at the SCG and should get the job on the Swans superstar on Saturday.
Arguably the best young key defender in the AFL will go up against the biggest name when it comes to full-forwards.
De Koning shut Brisbane star Joe Daniher completely out of the preliminary final, kept Bulldogs gun Aaron Naughton to a goal when they last played and did well on St Kilda’s Max King
It is going to be an extremely tasty match-up.
Jed Bews v Tom Papley
He doesn’t get a lot of external praise but Bews has barely been beaten this season, and has become the Cats dependable defender.
In his match-ups against Will Hayward, Luke Breust, Jack Mahony, Michael Walters, Robbie Gray, Maurice Rioli, Cameron Zurhaar, Kysaiah Pickett, Jamie Elliott and Charlie Cameron this season, Bews has only allowed the seven goals.
Only Rioli was able to kick multiple goals on Bews.
Papley has been huge for the Swans this finals series, kicking two and three goals against Melbourne and Collingwood in Sydney’s run to the grand final.
He rates elite for disposals, forward 50 marks, forward 50 groundball gets, goals and score involvements and the Cats can’t let Papley get off the leash and damage them.
Given Bews’ ability to blanket his opponents this season, you’d assume that he goes to Papley and tries to stop the Swans livewire small forward.
Tom Stewart v Ryan Clarke
Ever since Clarke came back into the Sydney side in round 15, he has pretty much tagged a player ever week.
This includes keeping Jack Sinclair to 11 disposals in 54 minutes of their matchup, Jordan Dawson to six in 40 minutes, Nick Daicos to 12 in 55 minutes in round 22, Christian Salem 12 in 99 minutes and Daicos, again, to 16 in 90 minutes in the preliminary final.
If Stewart isn’t the most important Geelong player in his loose role in defence, then he is pretty close.
In 2022, his 8.9 intercept possessions per game is the best in the competition for general defenders, as is his 2.9 intercept marks.
His 7.4 marks per game place him 6th in the competition, while his 23.6 disposals rank ninth and his 510m gained per game 10th.
Geelong depend a lot on Stewart dominating in defence, can Clarke stop him?
Jeremy Cameron v Dane Rampe
The height difference is stark – Rampe stands at 1.89m while Cameron is at 1.96m.
But the Swans will back their reliable defender to run with the Cats superstar, which is huge, given Cameron’s ability to roam across the field.
Rampe kept Cameron goalless in round 2 and the Swans would love a repeat performance on Saturday.
But in the 2016 elimination final, Cameron gave Rampe a bath – kicking three goals on him in the third quarter.
They have had plenty of battles over the years and they get to go again on the biggest stage.
Jack Henry v Isaac Heeney
Heeney is ranked elite for disposals, forward 50 marks, forward 50 groundball gets, goals and score involvements, demonstrating just how dangerous the Swans can be in attack.
Jake Kolodjashnij could also be in the mix to man the Swans star but Henry looks primed to get the job.
Heeney is able to produce the sublime and is a genuine match-winner for the Swans.
It will be a big task ahead of Henry.
Patrick Dangerfieldv Callum Mills
Dangerfield was on from the get-go against Brisbane in Geelong’s huge preliminary final win, kicking a goal within the first minute of the match.
It was the first part of what was a season best performance by the Cats superstar.
His 720m gained was a season high, his 16 contested possessions and eight clearances were the second best of the year for him, his 28 disposals was the third best and his eight score involvements his fifth-highest tally.
Only the score involvements – ranked fourth on the ground – wasn’t a game high.
The way Longmire uses Mills is fascinating.
A player who can hunt the footy with the best of them when in the midfield, Longmire does like to put Mills behind the ball as a loose defender when the pressure is on.
But Mills did go with Dangerfield when the two sides met earlier this year.
And given how good the Cats star was last week, there’s a good chance Longmire does the same on Saturday.
Tom Hawkins v Tom McCartin
Even if Sydney can stop Cameron, the Swans also have to worry about the force of nature that is Hawkins.
With brother Paddy McCartin more suited to taking key intercept marks, expect Tom to get the Hawkins match-up.
Hawkins only kicked the one goal against the Swans in Round 2, but it his selfless play which makes him a danger even if he doesn’t hit the scoreboard.
McCartin grew up as a Geelong boy, he now takes on and will try and stop the Cats gun full forward.
Rhys Stanleyv Tom Hickey
The first centre bounce at the MCG will only fuel the theory that you don’t need a star ruckman to be successful in the AFL.
Hickey has been huge for the Swans in the back-half of the season, matching it with Max Gawn, Luke Jackson and Darcy Cameron this finals series.
From Round 21 onwards, he has improved his hitouts to advantage to 8.4 per game – an increase of 40 per cent – his contested possessions have increased by 35 per cent to 13.4 and his clearances by 23 per cent to 4.8.
With Sam Reid under an injury cloud, Hickey’s importance to the Swans only increase.
At the Cats, Stanley has copped the brunt of criticism at times but he still plays an extremely important role for the Cats.
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Originally published as AFL Grand Final 2022: The key match-ups that will decide Sydney v Geelong
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