AFL Finals Series 2009

st kilda and geelong playing an AFL game

An explosive and intriguing end to the regular home and away season saw last year's premiers Hawthorn bundled out of the finals series by Essendon in a spiteful clash, and Adelaide clinching a win over Carlton to secure a home final. We can now look forward to this year's finals series, which is shaping up as one of the best yet.

After dominating for most of the season and finishing clearly on top of the ladder, St. Kilda has dropped a couple of games recently. They are looking to claim only their second premiership in the club's history, with their only other one coming in 1966. In that famous and thrilling encounter, St. Kilda defeated Collingwood by a solitary point with less than 15 seconds left on the clock. These two teams are now set to do battle again on Sunday in the First Qualifying Final.

After losing in a surprise result in the grand final last year, Geelong finished the season in second place but has also looked weaker recently as a result of injuries and inconsistent form by some players. The Western Bulldogs and Collingwood, on equal points behind the top two teams, seem to be in form at the right time and are serious contenders for the premiership.

Although no team has ever won the premiership after finishing outside of the top four since the revamp of the finals series in 2000, Adelaide could be the first to achieve the feat after showing signs of match winning brilliance in its demolition of Carlton. They meet Essendon in Adelaide on Friday night in the first elimination final. With Adelaide in hot form and Essendon without key personnel due to suspensions being handed out as a result of their game with Hawthorn, the Crows should make short work of them.

The Brisbane Lions host Carlton at home on Saturday night in the second elimination final. Although a close game to call, the home ground advantage should give the Lions the edge. Whoever does win will have to face either Geelong or the Western Bulldogs in semi-final two in the following week, which is likely to spell the end of their campaign.

Choosing a winner from the top five teams is a difficult proposition, but public sentiment may be behind St. Kilda. Everyone loves a good sporting story, and in this case it has been over 40 years in the making.

The fixture for week one of the 2009 Toyota AFL Finals Series is as follows (all times are local):

Friday September 4
First Elimination Final, Adelaide v Essendon at AAMI Stadium, 7.45pm

Saturday September 5
Second Qualifying Final, Geelong v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, 2.30pm (series ticket match)
Second Elimination Final, Brisbane Lions v Carlton at the Gabba, 7.30pm

Sunday September 6
First Qualifying Final, St Kilda v Collingwood at the MCG, 2.40pm