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AHEAD of Thursday night's start to the AFL finals, Bendigo Pioneers' coach and former GWS Giants assistant Damian Truslove casts his eye over the eight remaining contenders and ranks them in order of flag favourtism.
1 - RICHMOND
Record: 12-4-1, 12.9.9%
Ladder: 3rd
Attack rank: 5th
Defence rank: 2nd
Average points per game:
For - 67 Against - 56
Quarters won: 39
Past 4 games:
def Adelaide by 44
def Geelong by 26
def Fremantle by 27
def West Coast by 27
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* Once they exit their defence 50 they will look to move the ball forward as quickly as possible.
* They have an outstanding team defence. They rely on applying pressure to the ball-carrier, which allows their defenders to drop off and take intercept marks and start their ball movement.
* Content to lose stoppages as long as they create pressure on the ball-carrier to get the ball back at half-back and launch.
Three key players - Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Jayden Short.
Opportunities to beat them - Gain the ascendancy at stoppage, get the ball quickly into front half and forwards need to have a good day.
2 - PORT ADELAIDE
Record: 14-3, 136.4%
Ladder: 1st
Attack rank: 2nd
Defence rank: 1st
Average points per game:
For - 70 Against - 51
Quarters won: 42
Past 4 games:
def Collingwood by 16
def Essendon by 50
def North Melbourne by 36
def Sydney by 26
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* They try to get ascendancy at stoppage through out-number.
* Similar to Richmond, their style is to get the ball into their forward 50 as quickly as possible and defend the ground well once it's in there.
* Aggressive with their ball movement in that they will use the corridor and have very good forward 50 pressure.
Three key players - Charlie Dixon, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Travis Boak.
Opportunities to beat them - Must even up the numbers at stoppage, get the ball inside 50 as quickly as possible and take away the way they like to play.
3 - GEELONG
Record: 12-5, 136.8%
Ladder: 4th
Attack rank: 1st
Defence rank: 4th
Average points per game:
For - 73 Against - 53
Quarters won: 42
Past 4 games:
def Sydney by 6
lt Richmond by 26
def Essendon by 66
def Western Bulldogs by 11
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* Looking for repeat inside 50s by way of winning stoppages.
* When the ball goes into their defensive half will control it by foot on skinny side of the ground.
* Defenders are outstanding with intercept marking ability.
Key players - Tom Hawkins, Tom Stewart, Patrick Dangerfield.
Opportunities to beat them - Ranked low for hit-outs to advantage. If you can get ruck dominance there is an opportunity to get first use at stoppage.
4 - BRISBANE
Record: 14-3, 124.9%
Ladder: 2nd
Attack rank: 3rd
Defence rank: 7th
Average points per game:
For - 70 Against - 56
Quarters won: 40
Past 4 games:
def Carlton by 17
def Sydney by 32
def Gold Coast by 45
def Collingwood by 8
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* Patient side that wants to control the ball by foot.
* Outstanding pressure around the contest, forcing the opposition into a handball game that leads to turnovers.
* Set up behind the ball defensively really well, creating opportunities for repeat inside 50s.
Three key players - Lachie Neale, Dayne Zorko, Daniel Rich.
Opportunities to beat them - They are a team that likes to have an out-number in defence, so get the ball into forward 50 as quickly as possible and test defenders 1 v 1.
5 - WEST COAST
Record: 12-5, 117.0%
Ladder: 5th
Attack rank: 7th
Defence rank: 6th
Average points per game:
For - 64 Against - 55
Quarters won: 33
Past 4 games:
def North Melbourne by 15
def St Kilda by 15
lt Western Bulldogs by 2
def Essendon by 15
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* A high-scoring team from stoppage on the back of Nic Naitanui's ruck dominance.
* Aggressive defenders who play off their man. Rely on pressure on the ball-carrier to intercept mark in the back half.
* Once they mark in the back half will look to control the ball on the skinny side.
Three key players - Nic Naitanui, Jeremy McGovern, Andrew Gaff.
Opportunities to beat them - You can get them on transition out the fat side of the ground with quick movement to create opportunities.
6 - ST KILDA
Record: 10-7, 116.2%
Ladder: 6th
Attack rank: 4th
Defence rank: 9th
Average points per game:
For - 68 Against - 59
Quarters won: 39
Past 4 games:
def GWS by 52
lt West Coast by 15
def Hawthorn by 14
lt Melbourne by 3
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* They are a kicking team that wants to control the ball by foot and not use a lot of handball.
* As soon as they get a turnover across half-back they will go through the corridor as quickly as possible.
* Elite pressure inside their forward 50.
Three key players - Jack Steele, Dan Butler, Jack Billings.
Opportunities to beat them - Bit short in defence allowing opportunities for contested marks inside your forward 50.
7 - COLLINGWOOD
Record: 9-7-1, 109.5%
Ladder: 8th
Attack rank: 13th
Defence rank: 3rd
Average points per game:
For - 57 Against - 52
Quarters won: 34
Past 4 games:
lt Port Adelaide by 16
def Gold Coast by 22
lt Brisbane by 8
def Carlton by 24
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* High possession team by hand and foot. Want to keep the ball off the opposition at all costs.
* Pressure the ball-carrier well and defenders will drop off to go for marks.
* Lower their eyes going inside 50. Always looking to hit-up, which comes back to keeping the ball off the opposition and not taking risks.
Three key players - Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Jordan DeGoey.
Opportunities to beat them - Once you win the ball you've got to go quick and test their defence. Put speed into the game.
8 - WESTERN BULLDOGS
Record: 10-7, 106.7%
Ladder: 7th
Attack rank: 6th
Defence rank: 10th
Average points per game:
For - 65 Against - 61
Quarters won: 39
Past 4 games:
def Fremantle by 30
def Hawthorn by 36
def West Coast by 2
lt Geelong by 11
TRUSLOVE SAYS:
How they like to play:
* Out-number at the contest and have good shape around the contest.
* Handball more than any other team in the finals. Strong focus on controlling the ball by hand.
* Best kicker of the ball is Caleb Daniel, so try to get the ball to him for the kick going inside 50.
Three key players - Jack Macrae, Caleb Daniel, Marcus Bontempelli.
Opportunities to beat them - Frontal pressure. When they start their handball chain you've got to come at them aggressively.
WEEK ONE FINALS
Qualifying final - Port Adelaide v Geelong (Adelaide Oval, Thursday, 7.40pm)
Qualifying final - Brisbane v Richmond (Gabba, Friday, 7.50pm)
Elimination final - St Kilda v Western Bulldogs (Gabba, Saturday, 4.40pm)
Elimination final - West Coast v Collingwood (Optus Stadium, Saturday, 8.10pm)
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