Grand final prognostications and Norm Smith Medal predictions
GREG BAUM
Melbourne by 9 points
They’re overdue, they’ve been the best team all year and their preliminary final form was awesome. The Dogs were hard to fault, too, but they’ve had to go the long way ’round again.
Norm Smith: Max Gawn.
WAYNE CAREY
Melbourne by 15 points
The Demons will win because they have the best defence in the competition. Defence is what stands up in grand finals.
Norm Smith: Jake Lever
DANIEL CHERNY
Melbourne by 17 points
Melbourne are humming and have threats all over the ground. Ultimately their defence should be the difference though.
Norm Smith: Christian Petracca
ANTHONY COLANGELO
Western Bulldogs by 3 points
The Dogs’ preliminary finals win was even more impressive than Melbourne’s and Luke Beveridge’s men are playing with the kind of spirit and momentum that drove them to the 2016 flag.
Norm Smith: Tom Liberatore
The battle for the premiership.Credit:The Age
MICHAEL GLEESON
Melbourne by 8 points
Hard to split right across the ground. Melbourne have the edge in tall defenders; Dogs in small defenders. Biggest difference is Melbourne’s Gawn/Jackson pairing, where they might get an advantage. The Dogs are good offensively; Melbourne will try to hold them up and strangle them from scoring, then plan to score themselves from stoppages and transition from defence.
Norm Smith: Max Gawn
EMMA KEARNEY
Melbourne by 15 points
Melbourne’s high-pressure game will nullify the Bulldogs’ ability to use their quick hands around stoppages and make their forward-50 entries scrappy, which will play into the hands of Jake Lever and Steven May.
Norm Smith: Angus Brayshaw
SAM McCLURE
Melbourne by 19 points
The Demons have been the strongest team all season. Their defence has been rock solid, their midfield is full of rockstars and their forward line has too much X-factor.
Norm Smith: Kysaiah Pickett
BOB MURPHY
Western Bulldogs by 4 points
The Demons believe they can win, no doubt, but Bevo may have his boys hypnotised. Hypnotism trumps belief.
Norm Smith: Bailey Dale
JAKE NIALL
Melbourne by 14 points
The midfields are of similar strength overall but the Demons have both a superior defence (headed by May and Lever) and defensive method that has stood up for nearly the whole season.
Norm Smith: Christian Petracca
DAISY PEARCE
Melbourne by 15 points
The Demons’ will deny the Bulldogs the midfield dominance and ball movement that has been so impressive this year. Bont’s heroics will get them close but the even spread of Dees contributors will overwhelm them in the end.
Norm Smith: Marcus Bontempelli
JON PIERIK
Western Bulldogs by 2 points
The Demons may have the best defence but the Bulldogs have the midfield smarts to weave their way through Steven May and Jake Lever for what would be another Cinderella victory.
Norm Smith: Marcus Bontempelli
PETER RYAN
Melbourne by 11 points
Melbourne’s defensive system, combined with an explosive centre square combination, will give them a slight edge over the well-coached and talented Bulldogs as they ride momentum to a drought-breaking flag.
Norm Smith: Clayton Oliver
SCOTT SPITS
Melbourne by 17 points
In a hard-fought game between the two best teams of the season, Melbourne will shrug off the Bulldogs late with Tom McDonald booting the sealer.
Norm Smith: Marcus Bontempelli
CAROLINE WILSON
Melbourne by 27 points
Simon Goodwin and Max Gawn have moulded a side that has been the most balanced and dominant team all year, with a midfield that has only become more polished throughout September. It’s tough to see this healthy, super-confident Demons side falling at the final hurdle.
Norm Smith: Ed Langdon
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