As he prepares to describe the action on Sunday’s Liberty A-League Grand Final on 10 Bold, Robbie Thomson reveals the data he relies on
This it. The pinnacle of the season, the culmination of the goals, tackles, saves and stories. It’s a huge moment in the life of a football club, for the coach, the players, the people behind the scenes and, of course, the supporters.
It’s a huge moment for a commentator too. More than any other game, you want to get this right.
I see my role as an interface between the match and the supporters watching on TV; hopefully, for the most part, going unnoticed. I don’t want to impose my views on the match. Ideally, I will help the viewer work it out for themselves.
The commentator is the “what and who”, and my co-commentators this Sunday, Amy Chapman, Chloé Logarzo and Andy Harper – as well as Georgia Yeoman-Dale and Grace Gill in the studio – are the “how and why”.
The commentator to be prepared for each possible scenario and have an appropriate precedent, fact or statistic to help the viewer understand the story, its significance. The more the viewer understands the story, the more it means to them and the more they will enjoy it.
Forewarned is forearmed, and this is just some of the preparation I’ve done for the Grand Final.
KEY PLAYERS
Mackenzie Hawkesby. When Sydney FC are at their rampant, free-scoring best, its more often than not Hawkesby pulling the strings in the middle of the park. A fierce competitor, she netted her first ALW hat-trick earlier this season versus Wellington Phoenix in her home town of Wollongong and when she’s not scoring, she’s creating. The 21-year-old has made more passes in the opposition half than any other player this season (495) created a league-high 45 scoring chances and delivered the most assists of anyone (10). But she is important at both ends of the pitch – no Sydney player has blocked more shots or attempted more tackles.
For Melbourne Victory, Alex Chidiac is having more and more influence on her team’s play with each outing. In the preliminary final she was everywhere, creating chances through the middle, making runs in behind, giving options to her defence. More than her post-match stats (team highs for shots on target, successful tackles and completed passes) it was the intensity that she brought to the contest – at one point she even got on the end of her own cross! Her work rate, and willingness to get on the ball sets the tone for her teammates.
GAME CHANGERS
At 24, Cortnee Vine has been a revelation this term for Sydney FC. Her marauding runs down the right-wing have seen her blow tight games wide open and receive a much-deserved call-up to the Matildas squad. She is the Sky Blues’ top scorer with eight this campaign and her influence was never more apparent than in their semi-final against Melbourne City. Her introduction off the bench with her side trailing 2-0 quite literally changed the game. She sparked the fightback with Sydney’s first and completed an historic comeback with the final goal.
Melina Ayres is a big game player. She proved it last season with a hat-trick in Victory’s semi-final win over Brisbane that catapulted her side into the grand-final. After missing the entire regular season with hamstring problems, she has returned with a bang. She made her first start against Adelaide in the semi-final, netting the winner, before backing up in the preliminary final with a gruelling 90 minutes against Melbourne City, slotting home the opening goal. Her constant haranguing of opposition defenders means she is a constant threat.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Sydney FC boast the best attack (40 goals scored) and the best defence (eight conceded). They have plenty of strengths, such as their power and pace down both flanks. In defence, captain Nat Tobin does a superb job of marshalling the defence behind an industrious and disciplined midfield whose number one job is to win the ball and transition quickly into attack.
Weaknesses are scarcer on the ground. And like many good sides, their weaknesses are often of their own making, such as not taking the chances from the plethora of occasions they create. They have taken more shots than any other side this season (225) but got less than half on target (49.8% – 6th in ALW) and created more big chances (48) but scored from just 52.1% – 5th in ALW.
Victory’s biggest strength is their collective. They understand how they have to play, and the efforts they have to make for it to work. Alex Chidiac may be the physical embodiment of their work ethic, but it is in evidence all over the park. In their frontline, Melina Ayres has brought all her bustling determination alongside Catherine Zimmerman and Lia Privitelli who, with six and five goals respectively, are two underrated performers in attack enjoying their most prolific top-flight campaigns – reward for tireless endeavour and tactical discipline.
Victory have, however, been conceding goals at 1.5 per game for the entire season. The loss of captain and central defender Kayla Morrison on the opening day of the season, left a hole that has been ably filled by her compatriot Brooke Hendrix, but goalkeeper Casey Dumont has still had to make more saves than any other keeper over the course of the season.
STATS ATTACK
It would be doing a disservice to Sydney FC to place all the credit for their superb defensive record in the gloves of Sky Blues ‘keeper Jada Whyman. But there is also no denying she has played a leading role in keeping 10 clean sheets – including eight in a row – and conceding just six goals in the regular season. She boasts the best save percentage in the division, with 46 stops at an incredible 85.2%.
Read: take a few deep breaths, it’s Grand Final week
Victory are a technical side. While both grand finalists enjoy holding the ball and play passing games, the defending champions have the best pass competition in the division (72.9%). They may cross less than Sydney, but they also boast the best cross completion (25.2%) in the competition which explains why they have also scored the most headers (seven)!
I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO…
A grand-final cranks the dial all the way to the top. Who is going to cope with that? That’s what is most exciting about commentating this type of match.
It all comes down to this. A win won’t necessarily reward the best, most-deserving side of the season – that went to Sydney who finished top of the league table after 14 rounds. Victory came home in fourth, with the fourth-best attack and the fourth-best defence.
But this one isn’t about consistency, squad depth, infrastructures or injury management. This one is all about form, mentality, showing up on the day, sticking to your plan, riding your luck and dealing with the occasion.
Wipe away what went before. Clean slate. For one team it will be pure elation, for the other, utter desolation. The commentator has to provide a voice for both.
Read: The official Grand Final preview
