Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury believes Sydney and Geelong hold a slight advantage heading into the blockbuster preliminary finals.
The Swans and Cats are both well rested after having last week off, while their opponents Port Adelaide and Brisbane emerged victorious after thrilling semi-final wins.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Scott Pendlebury gives his verdict on the prelim finals.
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There is one school of thought that suggests it’s better to play every week to keep momentum going, which goes against the Swans and Cats, who will both have only played one match in the space of 28 days due to the pre-finals bye.
But Pendlebury, who has played 31 finals and experienced both sides of the argument, said the emotion of trying to get up each week will play a part.
“It’s a tricky one … I’ve experienced both types in the last two years,” he told 7NEWS.
“I think emotionally it’s hard (playing) finals every week to get up.
“If I had my choice, you’d obviously rather win and go straight through to a prelim.
“Every final you know what you’re playing for and it’s worth so much. You obviously think you can get up, but every week you’ve got to do it again.
“As big as the games were last weekend, they’re bigger again this weekend.”
Pendlebury highlighted pressure as the key ingredient to success this week.
“I think what Port did to Hawthorn (last week is what you have to do for finals football), you need to make sure your pressure game is A-1,” he said.
“If it’s not there in a prelim it will go out pretty quickly. They are the best games all year, the pressure is immense and you need to make sure, especially in the midfield, that you bring that pressure.”
Of the four remaining teams left, Pendlebury played in two victories over Brisbane this year and one over Port Adelaide.
He lost to Geelong once and Sydney twice so it was no surprise he nominated the Swans as the team to beat.
“They just get their game going for one quarter and how quickly they shifted momentum against us and how their midfield guys got running and we just couldn’t get the ball back at all and they really halted our momentum and just put their foot straight down.”
