No.1 Oval in Tamworth is where we will see the Kangaroos take on the Saints for the second year in a row and the fourth time in 5 years. It is also the Saints fifth straight Grand Final in a row; this is a record in the TAFL as the previous best is 3 straight Grand Finals held by both the Kangaroos and the Nomads. So far it is two wins to the Saints and one win to the Kangaroos. The Kangaroos will go into this game as the favourites and deservingly so as they have only lost one game all year. The Saints have the goals on the board as far as Grand Finals go and like the Hawthorn Hawks in the eighties, they played in seven straight Grand Finals, they are Grand Final specialist and if you take them lightly it will be at your peril.
The Kangaroos have a gun midfield when they are all on the ball of Cotter, Hodge and Cam Douglas and as was pointed out to me the other day all three are Tony Gillies Medallists. With that sort of quality in there and boosted by Lachlan Maloney and the ruck work of Ryan Painter it is no wonder that they have only lost one game for the year. And now that they have Dan Overeem back in the forward line with the ever reliable Tony Bishop and with Mitch and Cam Douglas, Cotter and Hodge rotating through there and big Geordie Ackeroyd presenting as a big target the Kangaroos forward line is a very potent one. In fact they have scored 110 points more than the Saints forward line and this is after the Nomads had three 100 point plus wins for the year. Now looking at their back line it is also a solid unit held together by Col Daye and Daniel Johnson. Their back line has been the best defensive unit in the TAFL this year having conceded only 883 points all year.
The Saints have been building to this game all year. After losing Corey Wheeler, Shaun Mansbridge, Darren Pithers and Jason Gobbert Coach Nick Baird has had to restructure his team and they are now playing as a very solid unit. And the fact they didn't have Stew Walker for the first half of the year due to suspension Baird certainly has done a marvellous job. The Saints mid field has been boosted by the find of their season Leigh Turner in the ruck. This has released Justin Pay to play as a ruck rover to great effect. Their running mid fielders are veteran Pete Dunlop, KJ Te Velde and new comer to AFL Rusty Brien. While maybe not as star studded as the Kangaroos they are a tight and effective unit. Their forward line has been adaptable all year and morphs as required into what they need on any given day and their other great find of the year is Mike Gould who has made centre half forward his own. The Saints back line is their big strength though with Joe and Sam Kimmince, Jono Elphick, Matt Harrison and Fraser Hughes it has been hard to penetrate all year. Hughes is in doubt after appearing to tear his calf last week against the Nomads.
Prediction: all in all this Grand Final will be yet another tough hard hitting affair between the two best teams in the TAFL over the past five years. Although my heart says go with the Saints, my head tells me the Kangaroos have the runs on the board and they will win by 9 points.
Last Modified on 13/09/2011 23:32