World Footy News

This coming Sunday, the Tokyo Goannas will contest the 2010 Japan AFL Grand Final against the newest club in Japanese football, the Nagoya Redbacks. It is the Redbacks' first Grand Final appearance in just their second JAFL season.

Read on for a match preview, courtesy of Nagoya's Ashley James.

The Goannas are looking to continue their dominance of Japanese AFL, on the back of team stacked with stars. They were easily the best team of 2010, though they got scare in round three in Nagoya, and were pipped by three points by a Hawks outfit in the final round, with their spot in the big one already assured before the game. Despite that, they’ll not be caught unawares in a Grand Final.

The Redbacks are relishing their upstart status, having reversed the result of last year’s Semi Final loss to the Hawks in a narrow round one upset, and exerted similar revenge on the Magpies away from home in a round five upset win on the way to securing a Grand Final berth that could have been anyone’s at the outset of the season.

This Grand Final matchup is rich with intrigue across the park. The Goannas take a clear height advantage into the match, but on a short and narrower field with skillful players in each side, that is an advantage than can be negated at the stoppages. The two sides boast the top two goal kickers of the season, the opposing full forwards and coaches on the big day; the Redbacks' Jenkins on 20, who can bring up his 100 goal milestone with a bag on the biggest day, and the Runner Up, Goannas' coach Sullivan on 19. Arguably the best defender in the league, the Redbacks' Full Back Pete Osboldstone has the hardest task in Japanese football tagging Sullivan, while the possible Ruck matchup between last year’s top league Best and Fairest and Redbacks' Captain Dean Dowey, and Goannas' 2010 star recruit Steve Rode promises to be something special.

The Goannas go into the game overwhelming favorites, but if past matchups between these two sides are anything to go by, there’ll be twists and turns, and the boys from the west will throw everything they have at the Tokyo Goannas juggernaut once again, and on Grand Final Day, anything can happen.