or signup to continue reading Who starts favourite in the grand final and why? Osborne start favourite, purely because they have been the most consistent side all season and have only lost one match compared to the Brookers who have lost four. The Tigers also have had the luxury of a week off to freshen up after taking the direct route into the grand final. I feel having the week off counts for something but not everything and is only a slight advantage that is often overrated.
Which side impressed you the most in your head-to-head battles during the season? I would have to say Osborne. But in saying that, we beat Holbrook in the season opener which I thought was a cracking contest and I walked away thinking that the Brookers were a genuine flag contender again. Then when we played Osborne at Osborne, we started really well but the Tigers flicked the switch in the second quarter and blew us away with seven goals.
Their class shone and their experience in big matches is unrivalled. So both sides have impressed me and I feel both deserve to playing off in the grand final. Which side boasts the best midfield? Great question but it's a bit like splitting hairs and I think both coaches will back their midfielders and go head to head and I would be surprised to see a tag by either side.
To answer your question though, Osborne, just. The Tigers bat really deep in the midfield but you look at the Brookers and they have got a lot of classy onballers. If one team dominates the midfield battle, they will win the flag.
There is a popular theory that the best defence wins grand finals. Which side boasts the superior backline? I think both backlines are suspect under pressure compared to their attack. Both sides have got dangerous forward halves and it is their backline that is the Achilles heel.
Clearly the George Alexander match-up is going to be crucial for the Brookers. It's no secret that when George kicks goals, Osborne win. I also feel Luke Gestier will have to play a key role for the Brookers to win.
If he can clunk his grabs and convert, the Brookers can definitely kick a winning score. How do you see the ruck battle between the two youngsters in Dan Madden and Jayden Hucker? The two big boys have got contrasting styles. Madden has come along in leaps and bounds in his development and is a big unit now and good luck if you try to wrestle him off the ball.
Hucker has grown from strength to strength over the past two years and has improved out of sight from what I've seen. I feel the ace Aalbers has up his sleeve is that he can also throw Dunc McMaster into the ruck. If big Dunc can also have an influence, it will help tip the scales in the Tigers' favour.
Would Myles Aalbers have left Walbundrie concerned after watching the Brookers' thumping 98-point win over CDHBU in the preliminary final? No, I wouldn't have thought so. It just highlights what we already know, that Holbrook is a great side that is capable of anything when they perform near their best. Aalbers knows he is in charge of a great side as well.
So I don't think it would be panic stations, Myles would just do his homework on the match as usual and then pick his best side for Saturday. Do you think Brooker midfielders Jock Triggs and Brad Carman could be running on empty late in the grand final after missing so much football lately? I think losing the second semi-final and then playing in the preliminary final would have benefitted Triggs and Carman greatly. The extra game definitely would have helped with their match-fitness.
I'm hearing Triggs and Carman have been doing extra on the training track for a while and both worked hard on their rehab. So I think they will be confident of running the grand final out and match fitness won't be an issue for the pair. Is Josh Kable the best intercept defender you have seen in the competition? I'm not sure that Josh has stolen Dunc McMaster's crown as the best intercept defender quite yet but I do rate Kable highly.
Josh does read the play really well and it is something that Osborne will be mindful of. Aalbers will certainly be instructing his players to lower their eyes when delivering into attack and not just bomb it so Kable can use his aerial prowess. You can make Kable a lot more accountable by using those chip kicks when going forward.
Would you play Tiger trump card Connor Galvin predominantly in the midfield or spend more time in attack with his ability to hit the scoreboard? I would certainly throw Connor forward at different stages but maybe spend 70-30 of his time in the midfield. The beauty about Connor is that he kicks goals from the midfield anyway. But it is certainly something that Aalbers can throw at the Brookers, depending on how the match is unfolding.
I still think Connor does his most damage around the stoppages because of his pinpoint delivery and leadership. Do you think your Albury premiership teammate John 'Cowboy' Mitchell is capable of producing another match-winning grand final display or is his best football behind him? I've got no doubt 'Cowboy' has got plenty of good footy left in him. He was a bit of a freak during his time at Albury, just rock up late in the season, be quiet for a fortnight and then all of a sudden he is flying.
What I rate about 'Cowboy' is he has got a great footy brain and the skills to go with it. Johnny is one of the few players with the X-factor to be a match-winner if he turns it on. What are your thoughts on Cody Hewat being allowed to play in the grand final while still under investigation for an incident during the preliminary final last weekend? It is a bit of a grey area to be honest.
I can see both sides of the argument but I don't think it would worry Osborne. You can see why Holbrook want Hewat in the side and you can see why CDHBU want a resolution either way before the grand final. Unfortunately for the league, it is what it is.
It is a quick turnaround and there is a lot to work through and until he is proven either guilty or not guilty, it will remain one of the biggest talking points of the season. At the end of the day, Cody hasn't done anything wrong until he is proven guilty, so we can talk about it all we want but that won't change anything. I personally don't have an issue with him playing simply because there is no guilt proven yet.
Who are you tipping and why? I'm tipping Osborne, purely because they have been the best team all year. If they can win the midfield battle and use the ball better than Holbrook similar to the second semi-final, they will have one hand on the premiership cup. But I can see it being a see-sawing affair and still up for grabs in the last five minutes.
I'm tipping to be less than a kick in it. Can we expect to see you wearing your Osborne scarf at Walbundrie and watching the grand final alongside Tigers president 'Spud' Webster? Ha ha, no I will have my Bulldogs jumper on and supporting our thirds who play Howlong in the grand final. Obviously I've still got a soft spot for the Tigers and a close bond with the players after winning a flag with them last year.
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