The players who will decide the AFL grand final – in pictures

Matthew Pavlich The Freo skipper’s first grand final in 291 games couldn’t have come at a better time. Pavlich is fresh after missing most of the season thanks to suspension and injury and seems to be in the form of his life. His sticky hands and accuracy stood out last week, but his physicality might be just as important with rain forecast for Saturday. And at 31, the big man will give it his all, knowing this might be his only chance to play on the game’s biggest stage. Photograph: Theron Kirkman/AAP Image

Brian Lake Hawthorn’s veteran fullback will be a huge asset once the team is dealing with Fremantle’s vaunted pressure. Panic kicking is death against the Dockers, but Lake’s permanently hungover look belies a calm head that should help steer the Hawks defence and get the ball out of the purple haze. His size and ability under the high ball should see him compete on better than even terms with Fremantle’s forward line (he’s likely to match up with Pavlich). The same skills also give him the ability to push up and kick the odd goal Photograph: Joe Castro/AAP Image

Aaron Sandilands The one area Fremantle are certain to dominate is the ruck. Sandilands, the tallest guy in a sport full of tall guys, gives the Dockers a huge advantage at the stoppages. And like Pavlich, he’s fresh after coming back from injury and in great touch at just the right time. When not rucking, he marked the ball all over against Sydney, and if he can do that again he’ll pose a problem for the Hawthorn backs. Too bad he’s not wearing his villainous headgear anymore Photograph: Theron Kirkman/AAP Image

Max Bailey Having played only 42 games in eight years at the Hawks due three knee reconstructions, it would be an absolute fairy tale if Bailey could stand tall (literally) and have a blinder on Saturday. The 206cm ruckman has a better chance than most to compete with Sandilands, and will be doing his best to stopping him tapping to advantage. Merely keeping the ruck contests even would be considered a huge win for Hawthorn Photograph: Ben MacMahon/AAP Image

Ryan Crowley He of the sweatbands and the special handshake will play a huge role for the Dockers, shutting down one of Hawthorn’s midfield guns. Sam Mitchell, who averages 19 uncontested possessions a game, is the obvious target. Uncontested possessions do not exist around Crowley. And if Mitchell gets shifted back into defence, then Crowley is versatile enough to go with him and become another attacking threat for Fremantle Photograph: Theron Kirkman/AAP Image

Sam Mitchell Fremantle’s likely ruck dominance means that Mitchell and the rest of the Hawks midfield are going to have to work hard to pinch taps from Sandilands and Zac Clarke. The 38 disposals the 30-year-old notched against Geelong got the headlines, but repeating his 11 clearances would be a huge win for the Hawks. Mitchell was infamously tagged out of the 2008 grand final by Cameron Ling, so he’ll need support if he ends up with Crowley hanging off him all day Photograph: Joe Castro/AAP Image

Chris Mayne No player embodies the high pressure ethos of Fremantle under Ross Lyon better than Chris Mayne. Manic, fanatical, frenzied – a thesaurus full of pressure adjectives has been applied to the mop-topped forward. Hawthorn backs Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson and Lake won’t be easily flustered, but if anyone can do it, it’s Mayne. And though the cliché claims that he would rather tackles than goals, Mayne can probably have a few of both Photograph: Theron Kirkman/AAP Image

It’s looking increasingly likely that the grand final will be Franklin’s last game for Hawthorn, and he’ll be aiming to leave with fond memories. Even when Buddy is subdued, as he was against Sydney and Geelong, he’s an awesomely effective player. But when he’s on, he’s really on, and there’s little that can be done to stop him. If Franklin comes out fired up and kicks a bag of goals, Fremantle are going to have a very hard time winning the flag Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Luke McPharlin Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin has the unenviable task of trying to disrupt the best forward line in the sport. He’s coming off a calf injury that saw him hobble through last week’s game against the Swans and miss training on Tuesday, but the Dockers’ chances may hinge on how he fares against either Buddy or Coleman medal winner Jarryd Roughead. If he can hamper either of those men and stay composed under Hawthorn’s pressure (Freo don’t have a monopoly on that) it will go a long way Photograph: AAP Image

David Hale There’s a possibility of hail in Melbourne on Saturday and there’s a great joke in there about Hawthorn’s ruck-forward but I can’t quite find it. The Hawks will need the big Q-tip to excel in both his roles, especially if Bailey gets subbed off. Count on him to create headaches for the Dockers defence who don’t really have a match-up for him and to bag at least a goal or two in the early going Photograph: Joe Castro/AAP Image