Facts and Figures
Average Score: 68.75 points per team.
Average Winning Margin: 31.5 points per game, which indicates there weren’t many close games. Despite that, there was a game with a one point margin.
Finals Week 1 (In a Nutshell): In Finals Week 1 I correctly predicted one out of four matches.
Friday (Game One of Four)
Port Adelaide (86) v Geelong Cats (43)
One Way Traffic as the Cats Outplayed
Facts and Figures: Port Adelaide brought an elite level of endeavour, intensity and pressure. It was 26 scoring shots to 18 in favour of Port Adelaide. Despite that, the Cats had two more hitouts, as well as six more clearances and 12 more centre clearances than Port Adelaide.
Pivotal Moment: Orazio Fantasia gave Port Adelaide a 41 point lead early in the 4th quarter.
Port Adelaide Game Changers: Aliir Aliir, Travis Boak, Orazio Fantasia
Geelong Cats Game Changer: Jack Henry
Saturday (Game Two of Four)
Sydney Swans (73) v GWS Giants (74)
Giants Take yet Another Giant Leap
Facts and Figures: It was 23 scoring shots to 19 in the Swans favour. They also had 20 more inside 50s, along withtwo more hitouts, as well as six more centre clearances. Despite that, the Giants had eight more clearances. They were outstanding for the 1st 3 quarters, but survived in the 4th quarter.
Pivotal Moment: Harry Himmelberg gave the Giants a 23 point lead at half time.
Sydney Swans Game Changer: Isaac Heeney
GWS Giants Game Changer: Josh Kelly
Saturday (Game Three of Four)
Melbourne Demons (93) v Brisbane Lions (60)
Demons Destroy Lions
Facts and Figures: It was 28 scoring shots to 15 in favour of the Demons. They also had 23 more inside 50s, as well as 15 more hitouts and two more centre clearances than the Lions. Remarkably, both teams had the same amount of clearances.
Pivotal Moment: Bailey Fritsch gave the Demons a 14 point lead early in the 2nd quarter.
Melbourne Demons Game Changers: Bailey Fritsch, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca
Brisbane Lions Game Changer: None
Sunday Game (Game Four of Nine)
Western Bulldogs (85) v Essendon (36)
Bulldogs Back to Their Best
Facts and Figures: It was 20 scoring shots to 16 in favour of the Bulldogs. They also had six more inside 50s, as well as eight more clearances and seven more centre clearances. Remarkably, Essendon had 17 more hitouts.
Pivotal Moment: Mitch Hannan of the Bulldogs made the margin 31 points near the midway point of the 4th quarter.
Western Bulldogs Game Changers: Tom Liberatore, Jack Macrae, Cody Weightman
Essendon Game Changer: Darcy Parish