Exactly 12 months apart, North Melbourne will face Sydney in successive sudden-death finals encounters.
When the sides run out onto ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, both will be sporting significant changes to the groups that ran out back in 2014’s preliminary final.
Some omissions have been due to injury while other players have forced their way up from underneath to become members of the best 22.
For the Kangaroos, there have been seven changes – almost a third of the team. Free agent acquisitions Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins have come into the side and been two of North’s best this season. Meanwhile, Taylor Garner and Robbie Tarrant have overcome their respective injury issues to cement their spots at either end of the field.
Lachlan Hansen and Jamie Macmillan were suffering from hip and hamstring issues respectively when last year’s preliminary final rolled around, while Robbie Nahas wasn’t selected after minimal match practice due to recovery from a shoulder injury.
The seven were all influential in last week’s elimination final victory against Richmond; from Garner’s second quarter to Waite’s four goals and everything in between.
Meanwhile Sydney will be missing some serious star power in its six changes. Through the midfield there will be no Luke Parker or Kieren Jack due to injuries, while Nick Malceski left the Swans at the end of 2014 to head further north to Gold Coast.
Lance Franklin (mental health) and Sam Reid’s (hamstring) unavailability robs Sydney of key position players and also flexibility, considering the latter's ability to play either forward or back.
For the Swans, their ins are largely youth-based. Isaac Heeney has looked like a player far beyond his tender age of 19, while 21 year-old's Brandon Jack and Zak Jones have both worked towards cementing their spots in the side.
Jack and Jones have each played 10 games this season, individual highs.
NMFC
In: Taylor Garner, Lachlan Hansen, Jamie Macmillan, Robbie Nahas, Robbie Tarrant, Jarrad Waite, Shaun Higgins
Out: Ryan Bastinac, Aaron Black, Levi Greenwood, Nathan Grima, Luke McDonald, Kayne Turner, Daniel Wells
Sydney
In: Isaac Heeney, Brandon Jack, Zak Jones, Jeremy Laidler, Tom Mitchell, Dean Towers
Out: Craig Bird, Lance Franklin, Kieren Jack, Nick Malceski, Luke Parker, Sam Reid
