How much of a loss are Kurt Tippett and Callum Mills?

Plenty – but not necessarily enough to step them from winning. This is the classic match-up – the Swans with the league's stingiest defence, conceding 68 points per game, against the No.1 scoring side, with the Crows averaging 114 points. The Crows are also No.1 for scores per inside 50 and second in marks inside the attacking arc. A deeper analysis shows the Crows particularly capitalise on turnovers, something the Swans are among the best at guarding against. Tippett will be missed in the ruck and up forward, while the absence of Mills – the Rising Star winner – will hurt. He could return should the Swans make the preliminary final. Jeremy Laidler, who has not played since round 15, will be in line to replace Mills, while Toby Nankervis, left out of the NEAFL grand final, is set to replace Tippett and work in conjunction with youngster Sam Naismith.

Where has the pressure gone?

Good question. The Swans had been the best pressure and tackling side,but the Giants out-tackled their opponents by 32 in a stunning win at ANZ Stadium. Small forwards Tom Papley, Ben McGlynn and George Hewitt had six tackles compared with their counterparts Devon Smith, Toby Greene and Steve Johnson, who laid 17. The Crows were allowed to roam too easily against the Kangaroos, and the latter paid a major price. Swans captain Jarrad McVeigh has made it clear what he wants his team to deliver. "We have to come with a mindset to really attack and hunt the opposition and take it off them. Come with a ruthless attitude every single contest and it will turn your way." McVeigh also noted the Giants cleared the ball too easily from stoppages – an area of the game on which the Swans have built their "Bloods Code". It has been noted the Swans ended the season with six straight wins by an average of 59 points. Only the Kangaroos, though, were among the finalists of that group.

Will the real Buddy Franklin stand up?

The "Chardonnay set" will hope so, for a second straight goalless performance would almost certainly mean the Swans' season is done. The superstar forward finished without a major for the first time in a final against the Giants, having initially pushed far up the ground then struggled to have an impact closer to goal when the contest was in the balance. Now his challenge will be dealing with All-Australian Daniel Talia, although Franklin has booted 10 goals in their past three clashes. "It's going to be a team role but, obviously, I'll spend the majority of time on him. I'll just compete and hope the ball is coming in high and long and I can go to work," Talia said. "If he was playing higher up the ground, that was that game – they might try and do something different this week. We'll play just play a team defence."

How will they handle Eddie Betts?

This shapes as a pivotal call, and Nick Smith appears almost certain to be given the task of attempting to stop one of the league's premier small forwards. Smith has a good record on Betts, having held him to one goal in 2014 and goalless last year, but the former Blue did get off the chain this year, booting four goals in the Crows' round-four win. The Crows will hope Betts has figuratively carried his favourite forward pocket across the border.

What happens if there is a straight-sets exit?

There will be much introspection should the Swans fall. They would have lost their past four finals, having been bundled out in straight sets last year when Franklin and Luke Parker were absent. The Swans have rebuilt superbly on the fly through the years, but this incarnation is built to win now, so falling short of at least a preliminary final would ensure the season is deemed a failure. The poaching of Franklin won't be considered a success unless a premiership is delivered. They haven't publicly complained about not hosting last week's final at the SCG because of contractual obligations between ANZ Stadium and the AFL, but it's an advantage they should have enjoyed.

Tip: Swans by one point.