Grand Final Preview

By Simon Andrews

Previous Meetings 

Rd 3: Kingborough 10.13 (93) def. by Launceston 16.10 (106)

Rd 15: Launceston 19.19 (133) def. Kingborough 7.9 (51)

Rd 20: Launceston 16.18 (114) def. Kingborough 5.6 (36)

Qual Final: Launceston 19.19 (133) def. Kingborough 6.6 (42)

It all comes down to this. After a long and dramatic 2022 TSL season, the two best sides throughout the year will meet at UTAS Stadium in the Grand Final. The Launceston Blues will be looking to cement their place as a TSL dynasty by securing a historic three-peat, while a Tiger win would go down as one of the great upsets in Tasmanian Football. The Blues will enter the ground heavy favourites, having overcome the Tigers in all four of their meetings in 2022 with an average margin of 71-points. However, as they highlighted in last week’s see-sawing Preliminary Final, you can never underestimate the fight of these Tigers or rule them out completely. 

Launceston is packed with stars across all lines. Starting with the back line, Alec Wright made the 2022 TSL Team of the Year off his ability to intercept mark and be the catalyst for the Blues penetrating forward ball movement. 

As the ball enters the centre, there are several Blues capable of performing some magic. Jobi Harper has led by example in 2022, commanding his troops with authority while always maintaining a strong presence on-field. Fletcher Seymour has backed up a stellar 2021 campaign with an outstanding 2022 season. Seymour’s stats and overall influence are now at an elite level, so be sure to watch for his poise when taking multiple clearances and piercing the ball into the Blues forward 50. 

Launceston’s forward line has without question, been the competition’s most effective and dangerous this year. The Blues have secured the most goals in 2022 with 334, over 100 more than next best Clarence. Much of this is due to their marks inside 50, which have increased by 48 compared to last year. Keep a close eye on goalkickers Jackson Thurlow, Brendan Taylor and Jake Hinds and hard-working mid Brodie Palfreyman.  

While the Blues have all the pressure that comes with trying to procure their third consecutive premiership, the Tigers, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. Kingborough travel up North with a full head of steam, ready to attack their first ever TSL Grand Final appearance head-on. Drawing upon the confidence gained in their thrilling prelim final win will be key to overcoming the Blues. 

As long as Kingborough stay within reach of Launceston on the scoreboard at each of the breaks and believe in their system they will remain a strong chance. 

One key player in the yellow and black will be ruckman Marcus Gardner, who can dominate both the hitouts and kick clutch goals up forward, such as the game winner last week. The Tigers aren’t short of options up forward, with names such as Tyler Carter, Luke Graham and Jordan Lane capable of match-winning performances.

Contested beast midfielders Eddie Cole and Kieran Lovell will have big roles to play, while the defensive unit will need to be on-song, with Ben Donnelly to hold the last line of defence and Elijah Reardon to provide bounce off half back. 

Clean ball movement and an open game style will likely benefit Launceston. The Tigers must scrap and fight for every contest. If they allow the Blues to control the flow of play for any significant stretch, the game is over.  

Launceston enters this Grand Final matchup as heavy favourites, with the majority of the Blues playing list boasting grand final experience, but as we all know, Grand Finals can be funny things, and this should be a cracking contest.

All three matches will be live streamed, with the senior TSL Grand Final to be streamed live and free via afl.com.au and the AFL Live Official App.

The Development League Grand Final will be live streamed on the AFL Tasmania YouTube channel, while the STJFL U18s decider will be live streamed via Duff TV

Fans can download the AFL Live Official App on the App Store or Google Play Store.

Pre-sale tickets are now available online, with tickets also available at the gate. Adults $15, Concession $10, U16 $2.