The Tiges just need watch the dogs in last years GF, most thought the swans get up they just gotta believe
They'd have every right to believe Swannie given the level playing field between the contenders. Both have done everything right being undefeated and both beat GWS by 6 goals with home crowds and if anything the Tiges just got to practice their win on the big stage. The GF will be neutral fan territory (if Tiges fans can get their hands on more Melb based tickets being handed on Crows fans have had more time to get their hands on the interstate ones) and neither side has any experience on the big occasion bar both their coaches would you believe? If anything it's Adelaide's to lose finishing minor Premier but all it takes is a bit of misfortune with injury or missing the goals and the other side gets that winning feeling.
From a non club supporter's point of view it looks like shaping up to be a cracker contest but either team can have a dirty one or a blinder and that's nothing to do with the occasion. A wise old coach explained that to me once. It's like this he said. You play on average 5 games of sport and 3 of them are a good hard day at the office for you personally. One of them you can't take a trick, fumbling and bumbling and it feels like you're running underground but the other one you've got the ball on a string and running a foot above it on cloud nine and that's the day you're in the best players. Then there's those days when all the planets align and the majority of the team is having a blinder or a shocker and/or vise versa with your opponents. When the sports Gods are smiling the team feels they could play another game straight after but when they're not they come off absolutely stuffed busting their guts running underground and chasing jumpers. That's a fine dividing line at AFL level but the capricious sports Gods are no respecters of mere mortals with their trivial special occasions and hype
Please pretty please oh great sports Gods smile on MY team just this once and I'll never ask another favour again.. promise.. cross my heart and hope to die
For the rest of us we just want a good hard day at the office and may the best team win and as one pundit astutely noted that then comes down to the performance of the respective last half dozen selections for each side