Eagles to face Swans for AFL Grand Final - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Eagles to face Swans for AFL Grand Final

By Roger Vaughan 17/09/2005 08:47:23 PM Comments (0)

West Coast's month-long strategy to sharpen up its players has the Perth powerhouse on the verge of a third AFL premiership.

The Eagles survived a last-quarter charge from Adelaide at Subiaco Oval to win their preliminary final by 16 points, 14.9 (93) to 11.11 (77).

Next Saturday's showdown with Sydney will be West Coast's first grand final since the 1994 premiership, with the Eagles also taking out the '92 flag.

The Eagles-Sydney match at the MCG will be the second straight grand final with no Victorian team and it also means the premiership cup goes outside Victoria for the fifth year in a row.

Hundreds of West Coast fans were queued outside Subiaco Oval for when grand final tickets go on sale Sunday.

Sydney qualified for its first grand final since 1996 with Friday night's 31-point win over St Kilda at the MCG.

The Swans have not won a premiership since 1933, meaning they would break an AFL-record premiership drought if they were victorious next Saturday.

It will be the first grand final between these teams and it will produce a first-time premiership coach.

Adelaide beat the Eagles in round 22 at Subiaco to take the minor premiership from West Coast.

But the Eagles were guaranteed of a home qualifying final by then and their focus had turned to giving injured players such as Michael Gardiner, Andrew Embley and Ashley Hansen invaluable match time.

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