<p>The MCG will be a lonelier place than usual in the first week of September during the AFL Finals this year. But the offering taking place there might be the best contest of the four on offer this weekend.</p> <p>The Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn, two of the hottest teams in the competition face off in an Elimination Final under Friday night lights.</p> <p>It’s a shame really that this is a knockout match because both of these sides play fantastic brands of football, and the rest of the AFL Finals series will be poorer for one of them being out.</p> <p>But it means we’re set for an absolute belter of a game at the home of footy.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn Finals Preview</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Dog’s fans won’t like remembering this, but was It the round eight clash where ‘Hokball’ was born?</p> <p>A stunning, against-the-odds win against the Dogs at Marvel Stadium saw the heat turned right up on coach Luke Beveridge at the team. At that point, it was inconceivable to even contemplate that both these sides would make the finals let alone play against each other. Yet here we are.</p> <p>The Hawks went from a 0-5 start to finish seventh on the ladder and played some of the most attractive and sustainable footy in the competition along the way.</p> <p>The Dogs started the year strong and then, after a sharp dip, took a while to properly start building but once they cracked back into the top eight, despite the precariousness and volatility of the season that was, never really looked like giving their spot back up.</p> <p>In finishing sixth, The Dogs will play their first final in Victoria since the Grand Final in 2016.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Key Players To Watch.</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Marcus Bontempelli</h3> <p>You can’t possibly start anywhere but this man. The prince of the West.</p> <p>There’s not much more that can be said about him.</p> <p>He’s the best player in the competition and has produced some performances this year that have required you to pick your jaw up from the floor.</p> <p>And that’s before he even got to the finals… So, who knows what he has in store for the finals?</p> <p>The bigger the spotlight, the bigger the performance is from the Bont usually. You just know he’ll be front and centre to anything the Dogs do.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Liam Jones</h3> <p>He has Michael Christian and the MRO to thank for the inconsistencies that he’ll even be out there, but Friday will be a special night for the Dogs key defender.</p> <p>His 200th AFL game will be his first final.</p> <p>It’s a big night for him already, but he could be the reason the Dogs win the game if he brings his top form. The Hawks have a smaller forward line surrounding keys Mabior Chol and Jack Gunston.</p> <p>Whether he plays directly on one of those guys, or Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell take the big one on one jobs and allow Jones to be at his intercept marking best and being on the last line.</p> <p>He’ll have a crucial role to play.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Jai Newcombe</h3> <p>There are plenty of players around the league that fall into the category of “gee I’d love to see them play in finals footy.”</p> <p>It’s been a quick rise to superstardom for the boy from Poowong, who will get his first taste of the finals stage on Friday night.</p> <p>The leader of the Hawks on-ball brigade, Newcombe has had a big year. Coming off season-high disposals in the last two games of the season, he’s building into some beautiful strong form.</p> <p>It’s always exciting to see new players excel on the biggest stage. He’ll have a key role to play against the dynamic Dogs midfield in asserting his dominance at clearance.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>AFL Finals Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn - Who Will Win?&nbsp;</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This will only be the Dogs’ third game at the MCG this year and sixth game at the ground in the past two years.</p> <p>It should be a moot point in a final between two Victorian teams, but the Hawks are an MCG tenant and boast an average winning margin of 55.6 points across their past five games at the G.’</p> <p>All eyes will be drawn to the centre square, and who Hawthorn uses in the middle to cover the loss of superstar Will Day.</p> <p>If Libba, the Bont, and Adam Treloar can get the ball into their tall timber in the forward line often enough – keeping in mind that James Sicily has been managing a shoulder issue for much of the second half of the year and Sam Frost – while he’s had a magnificent season, is the only other legitimate key defender there. This will be an area the likes of Aaron Naughton, Sam Darcy, and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will need to capitalize on with their kicking boots.</p> <p>That should be enough to trouble the Hawks. But you’d be hard-pressed to bet against Sam Mitchell’s boys in this one. They’ve proved time and time again that they are built for big occasions like this one and will bring their flair, brashness, and no-fear style of play to the finals stage.</p> <p>You just hope that the silly pre-finals bye hasn’t halted their momentum.</p> <p>As we said earlier, it’s a real shame for the rest of the final series that one of these sides will be going home after this. Whoever wins this one, can make the Grand Final.</p> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Western Bulldogs by 16 points.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Dylan Moore first goal.</p>