Australian Football Association of North America

Cats Omit Wojcinski, Hawks Unchanged

by Johnson Leung reporting for AFANA in Melbourne

For the second year in a row, Geelong have to make the painful decision of leaving a player out of their side to contest the Grand Final. Last year it was Mark Blake, this time it is David Wojcinski, who makes way for the return of forward Paul Chapman.

Chapman missed the preliminary final win over St Kilda with a hamstring injury, but has trained well enough this week to come back into the side. Ironically, Wojcinski, played for the Cats in their 2007 grand final win over Port Adelaide, returned to the team in the preliminary final after he was injured in round 15.

Cats football manager Neil Balme said it was a "no-brainer" to pick Chapman if he was well enough, adding that Wojcinski was obviously disappointed with the decision.

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has named an unchanged side from the Hawks' outfit which confident dismantled St Kilda in last weekend's preliminary final, with Simon Taylor, Thomas Murphy and Travis Tuck named as the emergencies.

Taylor, who had played 18 games this season, was rested for round 22 so the Hawks could give younger ruckman Brent Renouf a run and the understudy impressed during the finals, despite only playing seven games in his debut year. Murphy was a late withdrawal from the preliminary final side for Stephen Gilham.

"Because of what's at stake, it's always a little bit more difficult," Hawks football manager Mark Evans said. "But it's a great position for the club to go into the grand final with an unchanged line-up and after a good result in the preliminary (final).

"There were some discussion points, just making sure we ticked every box and challenged what we thought was the best 22 to tackle the Cats.

"Whoever misses out in a grand final is in an unlucky position."

TEAMS

GEELONG

B: Tom Harley, Matthew Scarlett, Josh Hunt

HB: Darren Milburn, Harry Taylor, Andrew Mackie

C: Joel Selwood, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright

HF: Steve Johnson, Cameron Mooney, Jimmy Bartel

F: Paul Chapman, Tom Lonergan, Mathew Stokes

FOLL: Brad Ottens, Gary Ablett, Joel Corey

I/C: Max Rookie, James Kelly, Travis Varcoe, Mark Blake

EMG: David Wojcinski, Ryan Gamble, Shannon Byrnes

In: Chapman

Out: Wojcinski

HAWTHORN

B: Stephen Gilham, Trent Croad, Brent Guerra

HB: Rick Ladson, Luke Hodge, Grand Birchall

C: Chance Bateman, Sam Mitchell, Jordan Lewis

HF: Michael Osborne, Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli

F: Mark Williams, Jarryd Roughead, Campbell Brown

FOLL: Robert Campbell, Brad Sewell, Shane Crawford

I/C: Stuart Dew, Xavier Ellis, Brent Renouf, Clinton Young

EMG: Tom Murphy, Simon Taylor, Travis Tuck

No change

Sources: AAP, Herald Sun