AFL grand final 2016: Six talking points to make headlines this week ahead of Swans v Bulldogs

Swans backline springboard Aliir Aliir went down with an early knee injury in the preliminary final win against Geelong on Friday night, and was quickly put on ice and removed from the game. Scans have revealed he sustained a minor medial ligament strain. Coach John Longmire will give Aliir every chance to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's grand final, but should the 22-year-old fail to get up it'll open the door for an unlikely Ted Richards fairytale. Richards hasn't played a game of AFL football since announcing his retirement on August 5, but could yet have the chance to play for a premiership in one final game.

Bulldogs fans miss out

The AFL will allocate just 15,000 grand final tickets each to the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans for Saturday's blockbuster, nowhere near enough to service both clubs' membership bases. This is the first time in 55 years since the Bulldogs have played in a grand final, and they're aiming to end the longest current premiership drought in the AFL. There will be waves of disgruntled Bulldogs fans this week who simply won't be able to secure a grand final ticket. There will also be plenty of pocket-lined corporates supporting neither the Bulldogs or the Swans who will be at the ground, albeit at quite considerable expense. It's sure to leave a sour taste in the mouths of the Bulldogs faithful, most of who are preparing for the biggest week of their barracking lives.

Is he Buddy worth it?

Lance Franklin's first season at the Swans on his $10m, nine-year deal ended in heartache, a grand final drubbing administered by his old team Hawthorn in 2014. Last year Franklin missed the finals entirely after stepping away from the game to deal with mental-health issues. This season he has been absolutely superb, spear-heading the Swans' forward line and kicking 80 goals along the way. Buddy is on the verge of winning the first premiership at his new club with six subsequent seasons still to run on his contract. Expect the superstar to be afforded plenty of attention this week.

Wave of history facing Dogs

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said after Saturday's preliminary final win over GWS that his side tried not to bring the club's history to the surface while preparing for the game. Avoiding that history will be impossible this week as the club chases just the second AFL grand final win its history to go alongside the faded premiership cup of 1954. The Bulldogs' premiership drought is now the longest in the league at 62 years, and they're up against the side who held the previous record - Sydney's win in 2005 ended a 72-year wait. It's been 55 years since Footscray last contested an AFL grand final, and the majority of its supporter base either wasn't born or was too younger to remember that day. Can they handle the pressure of history?

Mills and McVeigh

Both missed Friday night's win over Geelong, and both have been absolutely crucial for the Swans all year. Jarrad McVeigh failed to overcome a calf complaint in time for the preliminary final but should be back in time for the decider. Callum Mills meanwhile is still nursing the small hamstring tear he sustained two weeks ago in the loss to GWS, and is no guarantee to prove his fitness in time for the decider. No doubt the Rising Star will be given every chance, but his super maiden season in the league might yet be cruelled by a missed grand final.

Are we on the verge of a Sydney AFL dynasty?

If the Swans win Saturday's AFL grand final as expected, don't expect the premiership cup to be leaving the harbour city any time soon. This Sydney side is very much still on an upward curve, and across town there's a team of GWS Giants who have already started planning towards avenging Saturday's heartbreaking preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs. The Giants are poised for even more improvement next year and look to be settling in for a long stint as one of the AFL's strongest clubs. Sydney meanwhile finished this year as minor premiers, and with Franklin only three years into a nine-year deal, the Swans' premiership window doesn't look to be slamming shut any time soon. The AFL managed to avoid an all-Sydney grand final this year, but that might not be the case in 2017.