AFL icon Lance 'Buddy' Franklin has made a bold call ahead of this weekend's blockbuster semi-finals, predicting both Adelaide and Brisbane to waste their top-four spot, and exit September in straight sets.
Franklin is putting faith in his former side Hawthorn to beat the Crows on Friday night, while also predicting the relatively inexperienced Gold Coast Suns will upset the defending premiers, the Brisbane Lions.
If Franklin is proven correct, it will be just the second time two teams have exited the finals in straight sets in the same year, since the current top-eight system was introduced back in 2000.
In 2023, both Melbourne and Port Adelaide were defeated in qualifying and semi-finals after earning the double chance during the home-and-away season.
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But Franklin believes we could be seeing a repeat of history for the second time in three seasons.
"It will be a real contested game this. I think it's gonna be an arm wrestle throughout. I'm gonna go with [the] Hawks," Franklin said in his preview of the Adelaide-Hawthorn clash on The Buddy & Shane Show.
"I think with what I saw on the weekend, against GWS, they didn't have it their way the whole game... they had the momentum, the team (GWS) came at them again, were all over them, and then they regrouped and they found a way. That for me shows maturity. And I think that's why I think they can go to Adelaide and win."
Meanwhile, Franklin is also backing the Suns in the first ever Q-Clash final.
"There's no pressure on Gold Coast on this. It's a free swing I think. I think they've got the players, they've got the confidence, they should be feeling really confident and ready to go," he said.
"Brisbane having all those outs, there's some key outs isn't there, let's be honest. They've got no key forwards. Their gun midfielder's out.
"This could be a big, big win. Imagine Gold Coast win this and go to a prelim... I think Gold Coast will win."
The Hawks head to Adelaide to take on the Crows on Friday night, where the winner will meet Geelong in a preliminary final.
On the other side of the bracket, the winner of the Suns and Lions will face Collingwood the following week.