The busiest sporting month in Australia begins this weekend as the sub-continent's two biggest sporting entities-Australian Football League and National Rugby League will have their finals series.
In the AFL, Hawthorn made a last month surge to the top to gather the number 1 seed. In the qualifying final, the Hawks will have a Collingwood side, in which both had injuries, including that of the Hawks' Buddy Franklin, who was out for at least a month. This match also marks Nathan Buckley's first finals appearance in his first year as the Magpies' head coach taking over for Mick Malthouse after the 2011 season. Malthouse is currently in talks to return to AFL head coaching with Carlton, taking over the position that Brett Ratten left behind.
The other qualifying final will boast an interstate matchup as the resurgent Crows will take on the Swans.
West Coast and North will be in one elimination final. Earlier this year, the Eagles held on to win by two, and was in the top spot for the first half of the year until injuries took their toll. The other WA club-Fremantle-will take on the reigning premiers Geelong in the second elimination final. Ross Lyon's first finals as Freo coach (he's been to the finals before with St. Kilda).
Meanwhile, the NRL finals will take charge as well, with top seeded Canterbury and Manly in one qualifying final, while Melbourne and South Sydney is in the other. North Queensland and Brisbane will play in one elimination final, while Cronulla and Canberra will play in the other. St. George-Illawara, last year's premiers, failed to make the top 8 this season.
Both AFL and NRL finals series matches are on Fox Soccer Plus in the United States, or follow along here and here.
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