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<\/p>\nTheir development program under former Lions great Nigel Lappin continues to identify and produce high-level AFL players from unlikely origins. Fourteen Cats in their preliminary final win over Hawthorn were selected with picks outside the top 30 of the draft. Most of them, in fact, were rookie or category B selections.<\/p>\n
Cats coach Chris Scott\u2019s ability to move and adjust with the game, year after year, and more importantly week after week, is why he is so often rated among the greatest all-time AFL coaches.<\/p>\n
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Quality: Lions forward Zac Bailey.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The craftsmen<\/p>\n
Small and mid-sized forwards can be hugely influential on grand final day. Just look at how often the Norm Smith Medal goes to one of these players, and how well-stocked both these teams are.<\/p>\n
The Lions and Cats both have a battalion of crafty forwards who have a huge influence on their matches each and every week.<\/p>\n
With the quality quartet of Zac Bailey, Charlie Cameron, Kai Lohmann and Cam Rayner, the Lions probably have a slight edge in forward-50m work and direct scoreboard impact. Although not tall, all four are strong overhead and capable of being played one-out as a deep forward, meaning they pose a constant threat to their opposition. You just can\u2019t take your eyes off these four for a moment; even when they look like they\u2019re having a quiet day, any one of them could spring to life and turn a game Brisbane\u2019s way, as they\u2019ve done so many times before.<\/p>\n
Geelong\u2019s smaller forwards are just as impactful, but in a slightly different way.<\/p>\n
Tyson Stengle is the Geelong small who likes to play closer to goal; more like a typical forward pocket than Gryan Miers, Bradley Close or Shaun Mannagh. Those three provide the Cats with drive and connection. They each have an enormous work rate, which they use to get up the ground and provide their team with a linking option as the Cats surge forward off half-back. All of them are excellent kicks inside their team\u2019s forward 50m and regularly get involved in Geelong\u2019s scoring chains.<\/p>\n
Harass Andrews<\/p>\n
The Lions have the best defender in the grand final and the Cats have the best forward. But don\u2019t expect this game to be a throwback to the old days; there\u2019s little chance of Harris Andrews and Jeremy Cameron playing head-to-head on each other for long stretches of the match.<\/p>\n
Ryan Lester is the ultimate team man for the Lions. He is likely to get first crack at Cameron and will be comfortable if the Cat\u2019s superstar is taking marks up on centre wing and beyond.<\/p>\n
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Lions defender Harris Andrews will be crucial to the contest.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Cats might instruct Shannon Neale to use his running power to get in behind Andrews, or maybe recruit Jack Martin will be given the task of helping bring the ball to ground. Whatever the plan, Geelong\u2019s mission against Andrews will be crystal clear: don\u2019t let him mark the footy.<\/p>\n
If they can stop him doing that, the Lions ability to rebound from defence will be seriously curtailed.<\/p>\n
The taskmasters<\/p>\n
Look out if the ball spills between Brisbane\u2019s Josh Dunkley and Geelong\u2019s Tom Atkins on Saturday. They are two of the most ferocious and selfless players in the AFL. In fact, only Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell<\/a> (214) sits between Atkins (226 in first place) and Dunkley (third with 213) on the leaderboard of AFL tacklers in 2025.<\/p>\n Tom Atkins is one of the most selfless and ferocious players in the AFL.Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n These two provide the quality control for their team at clearances and in contested situations. The grunt work they do is what allows their more heralded teammates to shine.<\/p>\n If Lachie Neale overcomes his calf injury and plays in the grand final, I expect Atkins will get the job of making sure the dual Brownlow medallist has limited impact on the contest, while still being tasked with driving the Cats forward, like he did in the preliminary final against Hawthorn.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not as easy to predict what Dunkley\u2019s role will be. I\u2019ll be intrigued to see who Fagan assigns him to. Will it be one of Geelong\u2019s dash brothers \u2013 Bailey Smith or Max Holmes \u2013 or will he get the job of being kryptonite to the man who impersonated Superman for the Cats last week, skipper Patrick Dangerfield?<\/p>\n![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/cdd45aa4d156760378a03e904a8c247f8d9ae9f1.jpeg\")
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