AFL Grand Final depth chart: Jason Johannisen No.1 but Gary Rohan puts in another stinker
JASON Johannisen roars to the top of the Grand Final depth chart but the news wasn’t as good for Gary Rohan. Jon Ralph ranks every player 1 to 44.
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JASON Johannisen entered Saturday’s contest ranked No.5 on the Grand Final depth chart and roared all the way to the top of the pops.
Unfortunately it was the same old story for Swan Gary Rohan, who is yet to perform at the big dance.
Jon Ralph ranks the most important men on Grand Final day.
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1. JASON JOHANNISEN (Bulldogs)
The key figure in Bevo’s territory game shone despite six clangers and was a Jeremy Laidler fingernail from wowing every judge as the best on ground. Finished with 865 metres gained. His family another great Aussie migrant story.
2. JOSH KENNEDY (Sydney)
A towering figure in a game up for grabs with six minutes left. Finished with three goals, 34 touches, six tackles and six clearances. The perfect stats list and big impact all day.
3. TOM BOYD (Bulldogs)
Mighty as a down-and-dirty ruckman and a three-goal forward. Like Tom Hawkins in 2011, he redefined his career in two hours. Six contested marks. We were wrong.
4. LIAM PICKEN (Bulldogs)
How do you split him and Boyd? Three goals, the perfect last quarter, the unanimous player of the AFL finals. With Bevo’s fingerprints all over his resurgence.
5. HEATH GRUNDY (Sydney)
Handled the heat with 12 intercepts and nine marks. Couldn’t have done any more. And 21 touches at 86 per cent effectiveness.
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6. MARCUS BONTEMPELLI (Bulldogs)
Criminally under-rated game. Had five hit-outs to advantage from third-ups, 20 of 22 touches were effective (including every kick), seven tackles, six clearances and two score assists.
7. JOEL HAMLING (Bulldogs)
What a finals series from the delisted Cat, who stifled Buddy’s influence, laid crunching tackles and played the cooler role on the most game’s most dangerous figure.
8. DANE RAMPE (Sydney)
Simply impassable. The gatekeeper not only put the clamps on Zaine Cordy and Jake Stringer he had 11 marks and went at 96 per cent. What a year for the Swans’ success story.
9. TOM MITCHELL (Sydney)
Finished with 13 tackles and two goals and just kept getting to the right spots. Is it possible Sydney is letting him go home by low-balling him?
10. DALE MORRIS (Bulldogs)
Most couldn’t walk with a broken back. Morris kept Tom Papley quiet, pulled off the game’s great tackle and was flawless (93 per cent) with ball in hand.
11. JACK MACRAE (Bulldogs)
Never gets the plaudits for his valuable link-up role. Equalled JJ’s 33 touches, hit targets, kept running, helped the territory game.
12. KIEREN JACK (Sydney)
Has there been a more courageous Grand Final mark? Jack had 17 touches to half-time but only five thereafter. Two early misses hurt.
13. TORY DICKSON (Bulldogs)
Went in with a ranking of 12 and easily justified it. Three big goals when the Dogs were battling for a way home plus five tackles.
14. MATTHEW BOYD (Bulldogs)
The old dog kept Luke Parker quiet all day and added his customary steel in defence with 27 touches. Play on, Boydy.
15. SAM NAISMITH (Sydney)
Super first half with control of the centre square as Kurt Tippett struggled. What an emergence for the bush ruckman from Gunnedah.
16. LUKE DAHLHAUS (Bulldogs)
The Geelong Falcons grommet again came up big with eight tackles and 13 of his 23 touches in the first half when the heat was on.
17. EASTON WOOD (Bulldogs)
To start the final term went back with the flight on the last line then took out Hannebery legally with a brutal bump. A defining 60 seconds. Stifled Ben McGlynn and Tom Papley
18. FLETCHER ROBERTS (Bulldogs)
Totally shut-out Kurt Tippett and Xavier Richards and totally justified his position in the side ahead of Matt Suckling.
19. DAN HANNEBERY (Sydney)
So much hard run but only seven kicks (15 handballs) before Easton Wood’s tackle brutalised him. Just five second-half touches.
20. TOM LIBERATORE (Bulldogs)
Dogs needed to neutralise Swans at the coalface and it was Libba leading the charge. Finished with eight clearances, eight tackles and so much heart.
21. ISAAC HEENEY (Sydney)
The reputation grows. Another polished performance, aggressive all day and that sidestep in traffic is a thing of beauty. 22 touches.
22. ZAC JONES (Sydney)
Made a real impression in two finals. Gave lots of drive with 21 touches at 86 per cent, although opponents got plenty of it.
23. JORDAN ROUGHEAD (Bulldogs)
Must have known his eye issues could relapse at any moment. Three big grabs late, came hard in the second half.
24. SHANE BIGGS (Bulldogs)
Clean and quick and full of poise, he played every game and held up his end on Grand Final day against Gary Rohan and Tom Mitchell.
25. LUKE PARKER (Sydney)
At half-time looked the game-breaker but would add only eight second-half touches after 11 and a big goal before the long break.
26. NICK SMITH (Sydney)
His first goal for years and solid service in time on Tory Dickson, Liam Picken and Jack Macrae. Another solid Grand Final.
27. JAKE LLOYD (Sydney)
The silent assassin again rolled around for 21 touches and five inside 50s with no fanfare against Josh Dunkley and Clay Smith.
28. LACHIE HUNTER (Bulldogs)
Went head-to-head with Isaac Heeney and broke even despite five clangers. Unquestionably the best year of his career.
29. TOBY MCLEAN (Bulldogs)
Held his spot through the finals and contributed 18 clever touches. Needs to get ducking out his game but has time.
30. JARRAD MCVEIGH (Sydney)
Broke even with the dangerous Caleb Daniel in a nil-all draw but he or Callum Mills needed to provide offensive drive. It never came.
31. LANCE FRANKLIN (Sydney)
Still kicked a booming goal, had seven tackles and hit up teammates with perfect passes. But an ankle injury dulled his impact. Not a stinker despite some critics.
32. CLAY SMITH (Bulldogs)
Had 14 touches and a nice goal from a 50-50 free kick for another Dogs fairytale story who paid tribute to a fallen mate.
33. TOM PAPLEY (Sydney)
Not Sydney’s worst with 15 touches and plenty of industry but couldn’t get to the fall of the ball enough to hit scoreboard.
34. JOSH DUNKLEY (Bulldogs)
Two massive finals followed by a quieter outing, with his seven tackles the highlight against Jake Lloyd and Isaac Heeney.
35. GEORGE HEWETT (Sydney)
At least could boast a solitary goal but almost no impact amid 11 touches in a quiet finals series in total.
36. JEREMY LAIDLER (Sydney)
Had six tackles and five intercept possessions but another besieged member of the Swans backline.
37. ZAINE CORDY (Bulldogs)
The huge boundary-line goal after his tackle on Callum Mills set the tone but too often was led to the ball by Heath Grundy
38. CALEB DANIEL (Bulldogs)
Was on track for a monumental stinker but had 11 of his 14 touches after the long break. What a year, but not his day.
39. JAKE STRINGER (Bulldogs)
Saved his day with the mighty snapped goal and the selfless squared ball to Picken for the sealer after three out-of-bounds kicks. Had five clangers from 12 touches.
40. BEN MCGLYNN (Sydney)
Was to be his fairytale. Turned pear-shaped. Had five tackles and nine touches but a nothing day.
41. XAVIER RICHARDS (Sydney)
Joel Hamling and Fletcher Roberts totally shut him out of the biggest game of his life. No goals, no assists, no impact
42. CALLUM MILLS (Sydney)
Handed Zaine Cordy an early goal after taking him on, looked nervy most of the day. The three-week break clearly impacted the Rising Star.
43. KURT TIPPETT (Sydney)
Just had to be more than a back-up ruckman given his contract and importance to the Swans but couldn’t hit the scoreboard and couldn’t make his presence felt.
44. GARY ROHAN (Sydney)
One goal after a play-on call from mark. Otherwise had four clangers from five touches. Another nightmare.
Originally published as AFL Grand Final depth chart: Jason Johannisen No.1 but Gary Rohan puts in another stinker
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