Bulldogs and GWS stake their claim for Premiership glory

HAWKS “Fourthorn” still a distinct possibility

BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE

Not for as long as I can remember has the Premiership flag been open to anyone of the top six teams but this year’s crackerjack season has set up just that scenario leaving only the bold to make a standout prediction.

Hawthorn will always be the favourite going on their hat trick of wins over the past seasons but from the rest, there is little to choose as even the underdogs of the past, Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs have shown enough to suggest that they are quite capable of going all the way.

To be frank, it will be great for the game if one of the above mentioned can find a way to the Grand final and I am a fan of it. But write off the Cats, Crows and Swans at your peril.

The Bulldogs total annihilation of the high flying Eagles in the West threw shockwaves through the competition suggesting that they regained their early mojo. Greater Western Sydney on the other hand showed that they are not overawed by their more accomplished neighbor thrashing the Swans in a spiteful and physical battle and announcing to the rest that they are ready for all comers.

What has thrown the cat among the pigeons is the shock losses of Hawthorn and minor Premiers Sydney going down to their former nemesis Geelong and the GWS.

While the Hawks can blame themselves for their plight due to inaccuracy when it mattered, the Swans have no such excuse falling to consecutive drubbings by their cross town rivals, albeit, in their infancy and quite undeterred by their minor premiership status.

The Swans performance appear to have them vulnerable against the Adelaide Crows and the number of injuries in the bruising encounter with the Giants will do them no favours.

Hawthorn will hope that the brilliant Bulldogs will bring their inconsistency to their clash or they will have the fight of their lives to progress to the preliminary final. The Bulldogs produced a sizzling brand of football to snuff out last years Grand finalists West Coast in Perth and their form is ominous if they can repeat that performance against the reigning premiers.

Hawthorn, eying the “Fourthorn” that will make them one of the best outfits in the history of the game are in an era where the competition has caught up with them and only finals experience and bringing their A game from now on can see them scamper to that famous dream.

With Geelong and Greater Western Sydney already sitting in a plum position and awaiting the winner of Adelaide and Sydney and Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs as their next opponents it is an unfamiliar situation where the destiny of this year’s flag is as open as the sky above.

The setting is fascinating as it is arousing due to the closeness of the competition this year and my strong instincts indicate that the Premiers this year could well be someone out of the expert’s calculations making this one of the most memorable seasons ever.

The team that will challenge the odds and try to write out their own piece of history are the mighty Hawks who are a flag away from emulating the only team to win four flags in a row, Collingwood, who did so between1927 to 1930.