Jake Kolodjashnij’s best year at the top level is over a week earlier than he hoped, but the Geelong defender has plenty to be proud of from his 2016.
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The 21-year-old from Launceston established himself as a permanent fixture in the Cats’ back-half, playing 20 games to give him a career total of 29.
His final outing of the season was a tough one, part of a Geelong defence that was under siege by Sydney in Friday’s preliminary final.
Kolodjashnij played mainly on Gary Rohan, as well as spending some time on Xavier Richards and being the extra man up in the marking contests.
The Tasmanian had 10 possessions (six of them contested), laid four tackles, took just one mark and struggled to provide any run from defence.
He went at 60 per cent disposal efficiency rate, had six intercept possessions and took one intercept mark.
Kolodjashnij also applied 15 pressure acts and had one score involvement.
Rohan, though, was one of the most influential players in the red and white, kicking two important goals and collecting 18 touches.
Kolodjashnij averaged 11.6 touches, 3.8 marks and 2.4 tackles a game, and collected a career-best 21 possessions in the round 17 win over Fremantle.
Unless there is a last minute injury to either Swans ruckmen (Sam Naismith or Kurt Tippett), this season be the first since 2011 that will see no Tasmanian representation on grand final day.
The MCG for the ‘’big dance” had been Grant Birchall territory in recent years.
The Devonport dasher part of the previous four season deciders, winning three of them.
Sydney’s Toby Nankervis, originally from George Town, will likely be an emergency for the second final in a row after Tippett replaced him for the preliminary final.
Nankervis has played seven games this year (for a career total of 12) and had a career-best disposal night against Adelaide in the Swans’ semi-final win, proving that he is comfortable on the finals stage.
The Bulldogs’ defeat of GWS on Saturday night ended any hope of a fairy tale grand final appearance for Launceston’s Tim Mohr.