The Adelaide Crows and the Richmond Tigers get to sit at home, pop a coldie and watch two AFL finals this week in order to learn who their opponents will be when they resume playing in the preliminary finals.
In what we consider one of the most egregious miscarriages of justices ever perpetrated in the world of sports, or the world in general, for that matter, the GWS Giants play host to the West Coast Eagles, despite the Giants losing their opening round final to the Crows. If they lose to the Perth side, will they produce a note from their mothers and gain entry to the Grand Final?
The Eagles could be the team of destiny this season, pulling off an upset in an extra-time thriller over Port at the Adelaide Oval. Those who like a good underdog story will be pulling for the Eagles, if for no other reason than to extinguish the perverted possibility of an all-Sydney Grand Final.
History, however, seems to be on the side of the Giants. They beat the Eagles in Rounds 10 and 22, so Adam Simpson had better have a trick or two up his sleeve, or wherever he stores his tricks. Further back, however, the Eagles have beat the Giants three times, including a kicking festival in Round 8 of 2014, where they ran up 188 points from 30 goals and eight behinds. More like a video game score than a footy game score.
The Giants may have home ground, but they will be sans star goalkicker Jeremy Cameron and their forward half has been misfiring of late, with Round 21 being the last time they managed to score above 100. Their high water mark was 146 in Round 14, but that was against the Brisbane Lions, so the number is irrelevant. They will also be missing ruckman Shane Mumford, so it would seem that they require a herculean effort if they want to avoid a straight sets exit.
