Impact ratings: Jon Ralph ranks every player taking part in the grand final
It’s often said Grand Finals are won by the bottom-six players on a team rather than the superstars. Jon Ralph reveals his 1-46 rankings and those who will define this year's decider.
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Jon Ralph ranks the Grand Final participants based on their star power and importance to the Grand Final’s fortunes.
1.Patrick Dangerfield
Peaking for the Grand Final. The most dominant football figure this decade gets his chance for a legacy-shaping flag. Took away the prelim in 10 minutes. Can he do it in a GF?
2. Jeremy Cameron
Barely sighted after an early goal in the 2019 GF. Now his moment of destiny awaits for Geelong’s star forward-wingman-onball hybrid. A huge Norm Smith Medal chance but Rampe will stick to him like a glove.
3. Tom Stewart
Sydney’s ‘Dam Busters’ better get to work because if the immovable object isn’t broken down, the Swans don’t stand a chance. Four All Oz nods in the past five years. And the key to Geelong’s tactical dominance.
4. Callum Mills
The coach’s pet. The ultimate safety blanket. This versatile and sublime midfielder embodies the Bloods’ culture as a tagger, loose defender, wingman, tackling machine and general Mr Fixit.
5.Tom Papley
If Mills is the glue that holds this side together, Papley is the emotional heartbeat. Footy’s greatest celebrator is an in-your-face energiser bunny who must kick multiple goals to keep the Swans in it.
6. Tom Hawkins
He made his name on this great stage and now gets his chance at a career-defining third flag. Darcy Moore bettered him in the first final before a prelim bounce-back. Tom McCartin will fancy his chances after keeping him to one goal and seven touches in round 2.
7. Lance Franklin
What more can you say? Cannot allow a Steven May-style shutout. He doesn’t need to dominate, he needs to compete to get the ball to ground to allow the small forwards enough chances. Even more important with Reid’s injury cloud.
8. Isaac Heeney
Has to be a Normie candidate in the manner of Dustin Martin, Steve Johnson and Paul Chapman. But after two quiet-ish finals the Boy Wonder must hit the scoreboard.
9. Tom Hickey
The journeyman has torched Melbourne and Collingwood in successive finals. In one of the areas Sydney has a key positional strength he must take advantage of the Stanley-Blicavs tandem.
10. Dane Rampe
An elevated ranking given he is the perfect match-up for Jeremy Cameron … Rampe won’t win the Norm Smith Medal if he quiets Cameron but might win the Swans the Grand Final.
11. Tom McCartin
Has an immense role on Tom Hawkins, having held him well in recent clashes. You only need to witness the raw power of Hawkins in prelim to realise the importance of McCartin’s match-up.
12. Tyson Stengle
Stengle has already won with by mixing steely resolve with on-field brilliance to resuscitate his career. Will get 3-5 chances. Can he turn them all into goals?
13. Luke Parker
Is there anything Parker can’t do? The ultimate ball-winning mid has had two cracking finals finding the scoreboard and the hard ball (17 contested possessions, nine clearances v Melbourne).
14. Chad Warner
The game-breaker. The smooth mover. The Swans mid who can change the game in 10 minutes. Can he cap his ascension to the game’s elite on Saturday?
15. Sam De Koning
Would be higher in this list given the importance of the task against Buddy if the Cats defence wasn’t such a team-based effort. Franklin will try every trick in the book against this unflappable 21-year-old.
16. Cam Guthrie
Guthrie went head-to-head with Warner, Mills and Heeney in round 2 and for all of his offensive clout might be needed to play the cooler role. So dependable, so calm in a crisis.
17. Mark Blicavs
Cats have mastered the key position switcheroo - Stanley into defence, Stewart loose, Blicavs as ruck-rover - so how do Sydney combat it and exploit it? In round 2 he actually played on Lance Franklin. Footy’s most versatile player.
18. Mitch Duncan
Sydney will attempt to take all the time and space from this game. It is the only way they will win. So Duncan’s glorious right foot is more critical than ever to pierce defences or if pushed onto a wing to replace Holmes.
19. Joel Selwood
You know Selwood has one more shot in the locker. You know he will crash or crash through. Just 12 touches last week after his brilliant qualification final but he will leave it all out there on Saturday.
20. Paddy McCartin
Only one intercept mark in three weeks as rivals design ways to drag him from the action. Does he have to take Gary Rohan, who could roam far and wide? Or can he reprise Brian Lake’s Norm Smith winning heroics …
21. Errol Gulden
Only 18 goals this year but his creativity and capacity to slow the game when all are panicking means he is made for finals football as a mid-forward who shredded the Pies early last week.
22. Max Holmes
Has become a genuine line-breaking, match-turning weapon on the wing and with Isaac Smith shut out against Brisbane last week Geelong will be desperate to pass him fit.
23. Rhys Stanley
A strong performance in a premiership would change all perceptions about the maligned Stanley, who has persevered despite all the setbacks and injuries.
24. Tom Atkins
The beloved Geelong cult figure can tag, he can tackle, he can win the Sherrin in his own right. Geelong will wind him up like a top and unleash him on Sydney.
25. Ryan Clarke
There isn’t a prolific and unsuspecting half-back flanker in the Cats side waiting to be shut down by Clarke. But he could go to Stewart and at least attempt to curb his influence.
26. James Rowbottom
Hugely underappreciated year at the coalface, critical touches late against Pies. On a four-match hot streak averaging 6.5 clearances.
27. Gryan Miers
Played the game of his life in the prelim - 100 ranking points, two goals, 10 score involvements, three direct score assists. Swans won’t give him an inch of breathing space.
28. Jake Lloyd
Another wonderful season racking it up and stopping a small defender - it was Brad Close and Luke Dahlhaus in round 2 - and is fresh from two excellent finals.
29. Sam Reid
Reid’s availability could swing this game. At his best he hits the scoreboard and allows Lance Franklin one-on-one-match ups. Miss the game and Sydney’s marking stocks look thin past Buddy.
30. Justin McInerney
Run and dash and polish. Battling foot soreness and has averaged only 13 disposals in the past three games. Does he have one more line-breaking game on the wing in him?
31. Jake Kolodjashnij
Took a dicky knee into the prelim and responded with 13 intercept possessions and four intercept marks. Will get a Will Hayward type and needs to keep flying for his marks.
32. Zach Guthrie
Took Isaac Heeney and kept him goalless in round 2. The perfect symbol of the Cats’ development coaching with a break-out year but Heeney could take the game from Geelong.
33. Brad Close
An unheralded Cat whose huge tank surging up and down the ground creates space in the Geelong forward line. A sneaky-good 24 goals for the year and 138 score involvements.
34. Ollie Florent
So versatile and dangerous whether as a pure mid, wingman or general defender. Sydney stopped in its tracks against the Pies. It needs its running man going to the last siren on Saturday.
35. Jack Henry
Likely to get the deepest forward not named Lance Franklin. Reid or McDonald. Low-key, low-fuss, maximum impact.
36. Isaac Smith
Kept quiet by Darcy Wilmot in the prelim but 518 metres gained in the qualifying final. Needs to run long and hard given doubts over Holmes to win a fourth AFL flag.
37. Zach Tuohy
The evergreen Irishman is as consistent and versatile as they come, capable of helping on the wing if Holmes doesn’t get to the line or across defence after another peerless season.
38. Will Hayward
Time to step again Will, given the queries on Sam Reid’s groin. Must hit the scoreboard against Jed Bews or Kolodjashnij
39. Robbie Fox
The X factor for his defensive spoils and sheer desperation. Can he make a game-breaking intervention one more time?
40. Nick Blakey
The sky is the limit for ‘Lizard’ Blakey, who can mix dash, intercept marking and a raking left foot. Needs to reprise his seven-mark, nine-intercept possession prelim final.
41. Gary Rohan
Three Grand Finals, three missed chances. Has never had a better chance to shrug off that painful history given the Cats plentiful supply and his match-winning qualifying final.
42. Dylan Stephens
The No.5 draft pick is slowly making a name for himself, hitting the scoreboard in both finals mixing wing and midfield and hitting up teammates in heavy traffic inside 50.
43. Jed Bews
Chris Scott knows Bews will give his all chasing down a mercurial Swans small forward like Tom Papley or Will Hayward.
44. Hayden McLean
What a task for McLean, who hasn’t played AFL since round 8 but has kicked goals in every game but one (0.2 in round 7) and will need to pinch-hit in the ruck. Sure to get good one-on-one, given the focus on big Bud.
45. Mark O’Connor
Will be in the Cats 23 but as a starter or a sub? 21 games this year almost exclusively as a defender despite his tagging reputation.
46. Braeden Campbell
Just 38 minutes of match-time in the seniors since round 16 despite playing all three finals as the sub.
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