2020 AFL Grand Final ultimate preview: Tigers, Cats name line-ups, Tom Hawkins speaks after COVID-19 test
Geelong star Tom Hawkins will take his place at full-forward after the most talked-about ‘sniffle’ in Australia. Have the Cats or Tigers made any changes for the Grand Final? See the line-ups.
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Richmond and Geelong will have no excuses when they face off in the first night Grand Final.
The Tigers and Cats are close to full strength for the decider, with Richmond ruckman Ivan Soldo the only player missing from either side’s best 22.
Both teams have named unchanged line-ups from their winning preliminary finals, just the third time both Grand Final teams have gone in unchanged in VFL-AFL history.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE FULL TEAMS AND LATEST NEWS
Geelong’s injury list has just three players on it — Jack Steven, Nathan Kreuger and Nakia Cockatoo. Tigers Soldo, Jack Higgins, Noah Cumberland, and Bigoa Nyuon are unavailable through injury while Sydney Stack and Callum Coleman-Jones are suspended.
Hawkins missed training early in the week with a sore throat and had to take a COVID-19 test, but he said the sniffle was not unusual and he went through a similar thing in the lead up to the game’s restart earlier this year.
“It was probably taken a little bit out of context but that is the kind of year and situation we are in,” he said.
“If anybody feels a little bit under the weather we take precautionary measures and isolate away from the group.
“I’ve been through this before, it is nothing that is new so it hasn’t affected me.”
Although he did train in the Cats’ main session on Wednesday, Hawkins spent some time watching on from the sidelines.
He said that was a precaution to not push his health and he would ramp up his preparation as the week closed.
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To cop a cold in the week of the Grand Final did leave Hawkins mystified.
“We have been away for 100 or so days and I have felt fine, it’s just funny how it works,” he said.
“I had a bit of a sniffle actually before the season restart and I was thinking, ‘how is this for timing’.
“I knew that what I had was under control and I would be fine.
“I’m not trying to bluff you here at all, I’m feeling 100 per cent and good to go.”
Without the fanfare of a parade and other Grand Final week traditions, Hawkins said he felt like the build up to Saturday night had mirrored regular preparations for matches inside the Geelong hub.
“I got to enjoy it with some supporters who live up here in Queensland last night and it’s totally different (from a normal Grand Final) but I have enjoyed it,” he said.
“It’s been a really enjoyable week, knowing that our time within the season is coming to an end and we get that little bit of freedom at the other end.”
Richmond has mooted that it will travel to Brisbane on Friday night to prepare for the game but Hawkins said his team would take a bus down from Gold Coast on game day as they have throughout this season.
2020 AFL GRAND FINAL TEAMS
RICHMOND v GEELONG CATS
Saturday October 24, 7.30pm AEDT at the Gabba
TIGERS
B: David Astbury, Dylan Grimes, Noah Balta
HB: Liam Baker, Nick Vlastuin, Bachar Houli
C: Kamdyn McIntosh, Dion Prestia, Marlion Pickett
HF: Kane Lambert, Jason Castagna, Dustin Martin
F: Tom Lynch, Jack Riewoldt, Daniel Rioli
FOLL: Toby Nankervis, Shane Edwards, Trent Cotchin
I/C: Jack Graham, Shai Bolton, Jayden Short, Nathan Broad
EMG: Oleg Markov, Josh Caddy, Mabior Chol, Jake Aarts
CATS
B: Jed Bews, Harry Taylor, Jake Kolodjashnij
HB: Lachie Henderson, Mark Blicavs, Tom Stewart
C: Mitch Duncan, Joel Selwood, Sam Menegola
HF: Luke Dahlhaus, Gary Rohan, Gryan Miers
F: Mark O’Connor, Tom Hawkins, Gary Ablett
FOLL: Rhys Stanley, Patrick Dangerfield, Cam Guthrie
I/C: Jack Henry, Brandan Parfitt, Zach Tuohy, Sam Simpson
EMG: Tom Atkins, Zach Guthrie, Esava Ratugolea, Brad Close
HOW DANGER PLANS FOR CATS TO BUST OPEN GF
Meanwhile, Patrick Dangerfield says a blistering start in Saturday night’s historic Gabba Grand Final could hold the key to the club’s premiership hopes, saying the lessons of their Round 17 loss to Richmond haven’t been lost on the Cats.
And Dangerfield – who will play in his maiden Grand Final on the weekend – forecast that the Cats will go into the game with a firm plan to try and curb the influence of Richmond’s big-game player Dustin Martin.
“They (Richmond) have been the benchmark, the pinnacle of excellence over the last four years, so the challenges are ahead of us,” Dangerfield told the Herald Sun.
“They are a wonderful side. We have to be at our best to compete with them, and I am confident we can do that.”
The Tigers jumped the Cats in their home-and-away clash last month, keeping their opponents goalless in the opening term and to only just one goal in the first three quarters.
Geelong kicked three more goals in the final term, but the game was effectively gone at that stage, as the Tigers won by 26 points.
“The main lesson is you have to start well against the great sides if you want to beat them,” Dangerfield said.
“The games where we haven’t played well this year, we haven’t started well. You cannot give away a start like that to a team like Richmond.
“The game is won and lost on who can play their brand for the longest period of time … it is about being able to execute in front of goal and convert your chances.”
He said Martin’s outstanding finals record – he is one of only four players to have won two Norm Smith Medals – guaranteed the Cats would put a lot of homework into him ahead of the first Grand Final clash between these two clubs since 1967.
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“They have a heap of them (very good players),” Dangerfield said of the star-studded Richmond side.
“(But) we are very respectful of the fact that he (Martin) is a champion of the game. At this stage, he has been better than anyone over the last few years.
“We are not going to be blinded by that. That would be irresponsible in terms of how we prepare.
“Beyond that, we know they have a really good system that stands up in the big games and we have to make sure we nullify that.
“They are more than just one player; but they do have some special players as well.”
Dangerfield spent just over half of the Round 17 clash in the midfield, but has spent much more time in attack in the past two finals.
He said a decision later in the week will determine how his forward-midfield role split will work in the Grand Final.
“We don’t review until later in the week and then we will start to prepare for Richmond,” he said.
“We will assess it as the week comes and when you get to game day, it could change again.
WHO WINS FROM HUGE GRAND FINAL INCLUSIONS?
– Sam Landsberger
Two Victorian clubs are set to battle for the 2020 AFL premiership — in Queensland.
It’s the dual-premiership hardened Richmond up against the star-packed veteran Geelong side.
Who wins?
Sam Landsberger looks at all the factors and gives his verdict in his ultimate Grand Final preview.
REVEALED: WHO WILL UMPIRE GRAND FINAL
The umpire who replaced ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain in the preliminary final has won a ticket to Saturday’s historic night Grand Final.
Umpire Simon Meredith was not selected for semi-final weekend, but returned for the Port Adelaide-Richmond clash after Chamberlain was axed.
Veteran Shaun Ryan officiated his final game in the Brisbane-Geelong preliminary final, missing out on a ninth Grand Final.
Meredith will officiate his sixth Grand Final, and first since Richmond smashed Adelaide in 2017, at the Gabba when the Tigers face Geelong in the first all-Victorian clash since 2011.
Meredith started his season umpiring AFLW out at Casey as the league’s top umpires lent a hand, and has progressed to the second last Saturday in October.
He will be joined by veteran Matt Stevic, who has been chosen for his eighth Grand Final in the past nine years, and first-timer Craig Fleer.
Fleer umpired one final last year, the first time he had progressed beyond the home-and-away season.
Rob Findlay, who is yet to umpire in a Grand Final, has been selected as the emergency.
Richmond will wear its home uniform as the higher ranked team with the Cats set to play in white shorts.
Umpire Curtis Deboy, who penalised Port’s Hamish Hartlett for deliberate out of bounds — which led to Kane Lambert’s matchwinning goal — did not make it through to the Grand Final.
Like Meredith, Deboy got a preliminary final call-up after missing the semi-finals.
SIX FACTORS THAT WILL DECIDE THE GF
CATS’ GABBA FORTRESS
Geelong’s unique hub set-up – the Cats have taken over Southport Sharks and the connecting Mantra hotel – has helped transform the Cats from home-and-away heroes to finals force.
They have exclusive access to the 164m by 140m ground, which they can tailor for any venue.
For example, the 156m by 138m Gabba fits inside, whereas the 170m by 116m GMHBA Stadium doesn’t.
“To be able to train here and get used to grounds we’re playing on week-in, week-out is great,” football boss Simon Lloyd told the Herald Sun.
The Cats (5-0) are the only undefeated side at the Gabba this year, where they boast a monster percentage of 228.5.
Richmond had a clear home ground advantage in its two recent Grand Finals, crushing Adelaide and GWS at the MCG.
But the Tigers, too, have enjoyed elements of hub life.
When the season restarted in Melbourne in June they won one of four games before hitting the road, and felt disconnected due to Victoria’s COVID restrictions.
But who would’ve thought that, after years and years of Geelong whinging at not receiving home finals down the highway, a Grand Final against Richmond would gift it grounds for confidence.
CATS NEED TO SOCIAL DISTANCE UP FORWARD
Both premiers are deep in lockdown mode – Richmond and Dan Andrews – much to the frustration of their opponents.
Geelong’s 4.7 (31) against the Tigers in Round 17 was the club’s lowest score since 2001, and the only time it has been held to one major at three quarter-time this century.
The Cats almost matched the Tigers for forward-50 entries, but scored from just 27.5 per cent – their poorest return this year.
Every time they tried to isolate Tom Hawkins on Noah Balta it seemed Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes or Toby Nankervis would pop up out of nowhere to kill the contest.
“To beat them you need to be able to score,” Cats coach Chris Scott said on Saturday night.
“But what they want you to do is open yourself up so much that in trying to score and penetrate their defence they get such good looks the other way.
“That’ll be the puzzle.”
Last year you needed to kick at least 99 points to beat Richmond and in shortened games that number is 62 this year.
Can the Cats manufacture 10 or more goals? They average 94.6 points at the Gabba, and three of their five games there have been against top-six teams.
FAST START VS FAST FINISH
Geelong has “shopped early to avoid the rush” in its two finals victories and Richmond has spent the final quarters waving Centurion Amex cards around.
Damien Hardwick said their finish against St Kilda was a “real Richmond-like performance” because their pressure went “through the roof” and they won contested ball and tackles “convincingly, and then the Tigers belted Port Adelaide when it counted on Friday night.
The Tigers are one of the worst clearance teams in the AFL, but they won the count by 12 in the final quarter against Port’s stoppage beasts as ruckman Toby Nankervis palmed some of the sweetest hits of his career.
Nankervis was the No.1 Tiger for tackles and applying pressure while Dion Prestia and Trent Cotchin (five clearances each) went to school with midfield coach Adam Kingsley and formulated a plan that worked.
The Cats have ambushed Collingwood and Brisbane with Nathan Buckley and Chris Fagan’s boards flashing red from the opening minutes of both finals.
NINE CHANGES
The Cats and Tigers are both at full strength, barring perhaps Richmond ruckman Ivan Soldo (knee), and there are a flood of changes from Round 17.
The Cats have brought back Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett, Gary Rohan, Rhys Stanley and finals wildcard socks-up Sam Simpson — with Tom Atkins, Ben Jarvis, Lachie Fogarty, Esava Ratugolea and Brad Close making way.
How much better does that sound?
Then you look at Richmond. Dion Prestia, Shane Edwards, David Astbury and Nathan Broad have replaced Jack Ross, Oleg Markov, Jake Aarts and Soldo.
Both sides are set to go unchanged although Geelong desperately needs something to change given it is 1-5 against Richmond since the 2017 finals, and that sole win was largely against the Tigers’ VFL team last year.
Richmond’s system is so ingrained its players would know where to run blindfolded, although the Cats did lead by 21 points at halftime of last year’s preliminary final without Tom Hawkins or Mitch Duncan.
TRASH TALK
Chris Scott slagged off Richmond and then Alastair Clarkson dismissed Geelong.
“With the greatest respect to them (Richmond), they’re not Hawthorn in the multiple premiership years in a row, I don’t think,” Scott said earlier this year.
“I don’t think they’re Geelong, St Kilda or Collingwood through that sort of 2009-10 period either.”
Then, after Hawthorn stunned Richmond, Clarkson reflected on his club’s 10-goal loss to the Cats the week earlier.
“We lowered our colours to a good side last week. I hope I’m not discrediting Geelong by saying that, but they’re not that good,” Clarkson said.
The Cats are that good and the Tigers are 100 minutes away from joining Geelong and Hawthorn and this century’s best.
In fact, Richmond is shooting for what the great Cats team of 2007-11 failed to achieve, and that is go back-to-back.
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KEY MATCH-UPS
HARRY TAYLOR vs TOM LYNCH
Taylor is piecing together a mighty October. Charlie Dixon failed to take a mark for the first time in six years against the 34-year-old and he has also taken the scalps of Mason Cox and Eric Hipwood, albeit with supply limited. But Lynch bagged four of his five goals in last year’s preliminary final against the Cats warrior who has started to slow, and Geelong’s woeful centre bounce numbers highlight how vulnerable its oversized backline is one-on-one.
DUSTIN MARTIN v JAKE KOLODJASHNIJ
Dustin Martin – the greatest finals player of the modern era – had 17kg on Darcy Byrne-Jones on Friday night, and used every ounce to embarrass the Port Adelaide lightweight at times. Well, Kolodjashnij has the Richmond rock star covered by a kilo, and is set to play on Martin and, the Cats hope, as their deepest defender. There might be a few sleepless nights for the twin from Tassie although backline coach Matthew Scarlett assigned him Charlie Cameron as a warm-up challenge — he passed.
PATRICK DANGERFIELD v DYLAN GRIMES
Danger played 86 per cent of the semi-final forward and then nine per cent of the preliminary final in the midfield. It’s not even a conversation anymore – he is a forward, and he’d probably win the Coleman Medal if he played a full season next to Hawkins. Dangerfield’s subdued celebration on Saturday night – his first preliminary final win in five attempts – depicted a man who was already thinking about upstaging Sheppard and the DMA’s as the No.1 Grand Final performer.