The Australian Football League (AFL) looks to put another year marred by doping scandal aside when the Hawthorn Hawks defend their title against the Sydney Swans in the season-ending Grand Final in Melbourne on Saturday.
The league’s hopes of drawing a line before the playoffs under a 19-month probe into the use of banned supplements were dashed by legal action and the fate of dozens of players charged by the national doping authority remains in limbo.
The Melbourne-based Essendon Bombers, one of the league’s oldest and influential clubs, were booted out of the playoffs last year, slapped with a record fine and saw their head coach suspended for 12 months.
But their shadowy supplements programme, administered to players in 2012, continues to overshadow Australia’s richest and most well-attended competition long after it first came to light in February 2013.
Essendon fought hard to have the probe deemed illegal and charges against 34 of their former and current players dropped, but their court action against the AFL and doping authorities was dismissed last week, paving the way for sanctions.
The saga is set to dog the AFL well into the off-season, and could have chaotic ramifications for Essendon and next year’s competition if the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority issues a rash of suspensions.
The controversy will nonetheless be put aside tomorrow, when an expected crowd of 100,000 packs the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch a keenly anticipated rematch of the 2012 Grand Final. Two years ago, Hawthorn were raging favourites to win their 11th premiership title, but succumbed in a tight 10-point loss, with poor kicking for goal costing them dearly.
The heartbreak spurred the brown-and-gold team to win last year’s title, downing Grand Final debutants Fremantle by 15 points.
In contrast to the two previous deciders, Hawthorn are the underdogs this year against a classy Sydney side that finished top of the table at the end of the regular season.
Where the Alastair Clarkson-coached Hawks staggered into the final on the back of a three-point win over fast-finishing Port Adelaide, the red-and-white Swans enjoyed a virtual training run in their 71-point semi-final win over North Melbourne.
Both finalists are tough, fast and boast talent across the park, but Sydney may have the edge if their mammoth forward line clicks.
All eyes will be on Lance Franklin, a power forward who played nine seasons for Hawthorn before crossing to Sydney this year.
Franklin remains close to the club that nurtured him, and particularly to former teammate Jarryd Roughead, but he was jeered by Hawthorn fans on his return to Melbourne during the regular season.
“It’s going to be a hostile environment, something that a lot of these [Sydney] boys have experienced already in 2012,” said Franklin, 27.
“There’s a lot of experience in the change rooms that has been there and done it, so we’ve got full confidence in ourselves that we can get the job done.”
Roughead, second only to Franklin in goals kicked this season and a worthy rival in size and strength, said there would be little love for his former teammate.
“We’re still going to be mates, but I suppose for two or three hours next week we probably won’t be mates,” he said.
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