Fremantle vs Hawthorn - Subiaco - Saturday
Fremantle 6th - 13-9 - 103.88%
Hawthorn 7th - 12-9-1 - 110.67%
Fremantle will host a final for the third time in their history this Saturday as they comfront the experienced and in form Hawks in a cut throat contest.
Hawthorn have eleven wins and a draw from their past fifteen matches which puts them amongst the very best teams in the competition since Round 7, whilst Fremantle have won just three times since Michael Barlow went down with injury but one of those wins was last week.
A hard fought win over the Blues last friday night probably served as vindication for Mark Harvey who was questioned by many for his decision to rest so many big guns the week before (ironically against Hawthorn) in the hope of freshening his side up for an assault on the Blues.
Harvey knew his team only needed to win one of the last two if they were to secure a home final and he didn't want to take the risk of a six day break coming back from Tasmania.
It is hard to argue with that logic, given the Dockers appeared to be tiring as the season went on, and that sort of road trip is probably the hardest there is when coming from Perth.
Aaron Sandilands demonstrated that he is probably the games most influential big man with a 20 posession, 40 hit out game that helped feed Morabito, Hill, Mundy and co who for a lot of the night ran ragged.
Fremantle had the pressure and the run and spread of the early parts of the season, they just didn't nail all of their chances and were a bit wasteful going forward. But on the whole it was an effort that should fill them with confidence.
The question is now, how do they fare against an experienced and hungry Hawthorn side that is in it's best form since winning the flag in 2008.
That Hawthorn side is coming off a stiring three point come from behind win over the ladder leaders Collingwood last week and will welcome Luke Hodge back into the side for this Saturday.
It's hard to gauge how much it meant to the Pies given they could not lose top spot, but it was a good win just the same.
Collingwood led by more then three goals half way through the last quarter so they had to come from a fair way back.
Lance Franklin was superb with six goals, and Cyril Rioli starred through the middle and up forward with 27 touches and two goals.
Roughead, Ellis, Burgoyne, Stratton and a host of others were all solid contributors and they will be looking for more of the same.
Subiaco hasn't been a happy hunting ground of recent times for Hawthorn, but usually it has been the Eagles that have given them most grief, they did beat Fremantle on their most recent meeting in Perth last year on a friday night.
The interesting match to look at is two weeks ago. Hawthorn defeated Fremantle by 116 points in Launceston and Mark Harvey quipped that the game meant Freo had had a look at them, but the Hawks conversely hadn't seen any of what the real Dockers would look like.
That is probably clutching at straws but I like the sentiment in it. Harvey has had his war face on these past couple of weeks and the response has been good, they will need a similar response this week.
I think it best to just scrap that game from discussion, as Hawthorn are well aware that this Fremantle side will bear almost no resemblance to the one they faced so it's best they approach it is a blank canvas.
Hayden Ballantyne went down with another apparent stress fracture last week which will hurt, as he provides plenty of spark, but Des Headland is a man in the mix for selection and it wouldn't be a bad idea to give him a crack given his experience.
On the other side, Hawthorn will almost certainly persist with Wade Skipper as it's second ruckmen. His mobility will be important on the big ground at Subiaco when trying to counteract Aaron Sandilands impact.
Hodge, Guerra, Young, Ellis, Burgoyne and co will provide plenty of run and precision off half back and despite their overall lack of pace, they have the skills and long kicking ability to exploit Fremantle over the back of their zone.
Carlton were able to shoot over the top of the zone defence and score goals in behind them much like Collingwood did earlier this year when they beat Fremantle.
You could also see it in their losses to St.Kilda and the Bulldogs in the second half of the year.
Fremantle are quick, but their zone can be broken down. Pace though is something they can use as a strength.
Hawthorn can be outrun in space if they turn the ball over and Subiaco can be a dangerous ground if you don't hit your targets.
For Fremantle it is counter attack and precision. They rank second for scores generated from the corridor, and second for goals scored once inside fifty.
For Hawthorn it's about controlling the stoppages and using their foot skills to great effect.
It is the latter that wins out for mine. Hawthorn have the more experienced bodies, and the greater spread of midfield options that are in form at the moment.
If Fremantle win this, they will play a final at the MCG for the first time in their history, and in many ways their season deserves that.
However the reality is despite the freshen up last week they are still vulnerable and Hawthorn have the ability to exploit that with their match hardened finals experienced group.
The Hawks will tee up a clash with either Geelong or St.Kilda in week two of the finals at the MCG.
A simply mouth watering prospect.
Hawthorn by 20 points
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