The AFLW finals have arrived: why your team could win and how they'll do it

After the longest home and away season yet, the 2022 AFLW finals series is upon us.

Six teams have qualified, each with a distinct style of game that's served them well throughout the year so far. 

This is how those styles were represented on the stats sheet as the finalists worked their way to the post-season.

Adelaide has finished top of the ladder for the third time in six seasons but this year, their focus has been very different to that of the dominant 2019 team that went on to win the premiership.

This year, Adelaide shifted its focus away from centre clearances and stoppages more generally, relying less on winning the ball at the source and confident they can win it back once it's cleared to the outside.

They are averaging the fewest centre clearances of any side with just 3.9 per game — averaging progressively fewer centre clearances over the past four years.

Instead, Adelaide is averaging the most intercepts in the league with 61.7 each game. In doing so, they are conceding the fewest inside 50s (21.9), shots on goal (7.5) and points (18.7).

Not only are the Crows conceding the fewest inside 50s, but once their opposition does get the ball into attack, they make life exceptionally hard for forwards. Adelaide's opponents are generating a shot on goal from just 34.3 per cent of inside 50s, and a goal just 11.4 per cent of the time.

They are happy to allow an opposition team to clear the ball, force the turnover and then, with their very disciplined defensive group, condense the ground into their own forward half through a neat kick and mark game. This has led to the most marks inside 50, with an average of 9.5.

Despite controlling the ball in their forward half and 16.9 shots on goal per game, the Crows haven't been able