Adelaide v Sydney Swans

How the game was won

Playing at AAMI Stadium is always a daunting task - not because the ground is bigger or that the goal posts are taller, but because sitting on the other side of the fence are 50,000 passionate Adelaide supporters creating a hostile and intimidating environment.

The nucleus of the Swans' team loves this kind of situation. Ryan O'Keeffe, Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton, Jarrad McVeigh, Shane Mumford and Ted Richards showed fantastic leadership from the first bounce.

The Crows' game plan relies heavily on its midfielders - Rory Sloane, Matthew Wright, Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield, Nathan van Berlo, Bernie Vince and Richard Douglas - and their elite running ability.

However, the Sydney Swans have similar capabilities in this area through O'Keefe, McVeigh, Goodes, Bolton, Kieren Jack, Craig Bird and Dan Hannebery, and they were able to directly match them.

The Crows like to play a fast style, opening up the stop plays to gain a fast exit out of the structured plays. They like to come out the front of the stoppages, because this is the quickest avenue to give key forwards Kurt Tippett and Taylor Walker one-on-one chances.

To open up the stoppages, Adelaide keeps five forwards in front of the ball, which creates fewer numbers around the stop plays. Crows defenders like to play with a "caravan mentality", locking on tight for the whole day, and follow their direct opponents high into their own forward line.

The Swans slowed the Crows' fast exits from stoppages by sending in dangerous forwards Goodes and Lewis Jetta, knowing the Adelaide defenders would follow.

This was exactly what the Swans wanted, as this created density around the stoppage, making it hard to get the ball out cleanly.

As a result there were many secondary stoppages in a row, slowing the speed of the game right down. The Swans thrive in this situation, as their bigger bodies dominate when the game is like a rugby maul.

They work in numbers, swarming around the ball in the congestion until they flick the ball through hands into open space.

It then becomes a running race back towards the goals. Guys likes Goodes and Jetta are their team's most dangerous weapons when in space, as they kick goals on the run.

What had worked so well for Adelaide throughout the home and away season broke down against the tactics employed by the Swans.

The Crows' fast ball movement comes from playing straighter, using the corridor with half switches inside whenever possible.

This gives Tippett and Walker a fast play opportunity, while the straight ball movement doesn't allow the opposition to get back and crowd the leading space area.

For this style to be most effective, you want the opposition to also try and move the ball quickly. It becomes a free flowing style of game, with uncontested possessions rising as players find it more difficult to be accountable for their direct opponents.

The ball is in motion for long periods and players find themselves a long distance from their individual opponents, particularly in the midfield.

The Swans dismantled the Crows' fast style by keeping possession of the football with short kicks or, when no free target was available, kicking it long down the line where it would go out of bounds.

They also switched numerous times to other side of the ground where their numbers were positioned.

This tactic starved Adelaide's speedsters of their opportunities. The Swans controlled the ball, and when dispossessed they always had enough numbers around the ball to pressure their opponents.

This discouraged the Crows from looking inside for the half switch kick because the pressure was too great.

Through tackling pressure, smothers and closing the space quickly on the target player in possession of the football, the Swans created referred pressure on all the Crows players.

This referred pressure unsettled the Crows when they were in possession of the football and too often they were forced to blaze away inside their own forward 50.

This allowed the Swans defenders to read the cues early, drop off their direct opponents when they knew they were leading into the traffic, and either outnumber them where the ball went or intercept and mark. This is the Swans' best weapon.

The Swans are a very good side and have the game plan for September. They place their opponents under extreme pressure when in possession of the football forcing them to rush with their decision-making.

They love the contested style of finals football, hunting in swarms supporting each other, and more importantly have the capacity to run long and fast when the ball is out in open space.