FORGET Lance Franklin or Jarryd Roughead, AFL great Kevin Sheedy believes the Sydney Swans' fleet of smaller players will prove the difference in Saturday's Grand Final against Hawthorn.
Much of the attention in the build-up to the big game has centred around Franklin and Roughead, former teammates, great friends and the key goalkickers for their respective sides.
But Sheedy, who coached Essendon to four premierships in 27 years, believes the Swans may be able to run the Hawks off their feet.
"It's going to be a great game and I think the Sydney small players are pretty talented," Sheedy told AFL.com.au on Wednesday at a Grand Final luncheon hosted by Greater Western Sydney.
"When you see the speed they've got in there, they've actually changed their team around.
"Gary Rohan has come in and is getting more confident each week.
"Then you've got a kid who will be hungrier than a junkyard dog in Ben McGlynn.
"If he gets rolling, he'll show everyone he's good enough to play in a premiership.
"I think everyone has forgotten about Lewis Jetta too.
"Everyone talks about Buddy or (Sam) Reid or (Adam) Goodes or (Kurt) Tippett, but don't forget the Swans' small men are pretty good."
Sheedy, Stephen Silvagni, Barry Hall and Michael Voss all picked the Swans to win by a narrow margin during Wednesday's function, while GWS coach Leon Cameron was bullish about the Hawks' prospects.
Sheedy doesn't believe either side has particularly strong defensive players individually, although he feels they both defend well as units.
"I think both teams have weaknesses in their backline and it's up to their opponents to exploit that," he said.
"The midfield will definitely push back and help out - they're not the greatest defenders in the world individually.
"But collectively, the way they run their strategy and push and help each other, both are strong in that area."
While he feels the middle of the ground is where the game will be won and lost, Sheedy also has no doubt Franklin can make a major impact at the MCG.
Sheedy's Giants threw everything at trying to recruit the former Hawk before he decided to head across town to the Swans.
GWS finished with six wins in 2014, a major improvement on its one-win season last year, but Sheedy feels Franklin could have added mightily to the Giants' win total.
They lost to St Kilda, Hawthorn and Geelong by seven points, Collingwood by eight and the Bombers by 15 points over the course of the season.
"He's been fantastic for football up here and we tried to get him for that reason," Sheedy said of Franklin.
"He might've got us up to around 12 wins. We got beaten by Hawthorn and Geelong by a few points, two teams that ended up in the top four.
