Key AFL match-ups in Hawks-Dogs final
KEY MATCH-UPS IN HAWKS-BULLDOGS SEMI-FINAL
* Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) versus Dale Morris (Bulldogs): Hawthorn's game-breaker demands constant attention and Morris is just the man. While the Dog veteran doesn't have the pace, he has the footy smarts for the job.
* Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) v Caleb Daniel (Bulldogs): The two pint-sized midfielders loom large. Both have uncanny skills, both are prolific ball-winners and both are influential if afforded any space.
* Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn) v Luke Dalhaus (Bulldogs): A clash of two hard-nuts around the packs. Both were superb in their respective finals last weekend and are midfield linchpins for their sides.
Liam Shiels (Hawthorn) v Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs): The young Dog star was subdued by in the elimination final and Shiels has the runs on the board in shutting down influential opponents.
* Josh Gibson (Hawthorn) versus Clay Smith (Bulldogs): Gibson's defensive expertise was nullified by Jimmy Bartel last week, and the Dogs will likely deploy Smith in a similar decoy role.
