MAKING a Grand Final takes plenty of planning, execution and a little luck.

But the list management teams of both clubs have been building towards this weekend for some time.

Recruiters work three or four years in advance, drafting players and targeting others to either reach the top of the ladder or stay there.

This week's Grand Finalists have made it in different ways. The Bulldogs are probably a little ahead of their own internal predictions and built on a youthful exuberance, whereas this will be the Swans' third Grand Final in the past five years.

Here AFL.com.au has taken a look at the clubs' 25-player squads (including their preliminary final line-ups and three other possible inclusions) to see how the Swans and Bulldogs have constructed their Grand Final teams.

There are large similarities between the list builds, with the Swans having six first-round picks and the Dogs having four.

The Swans have nine players in their squad of 25 who were drafted in the fourth round or later (including the rookie and pre-season drafts), while the Dogs have eight.

In a slight difference, the Swans have picked up six players from other clubs, including genuine high profile and high-priced recruits.

The Dogs have grabbed four (two at basement price), although it must be added that former Bomber Stewart Crameri would be in this side if not for his season-long WADA ban.

SYDNEY SWANS

(Including possible Grand Final inclusions Callum Mills, Jarrad McVeigh and Ted Richards)

First round picks

Callum Mills (No.3)

Jarrad McVeigh (No.5)

Gary Rohan (No.6)

Zak Jones (No.15)

Isaac Heeney (draft pick No.18)

Tom Mitchell (No.21)

The Swans' first-round picks are a mixed bag. Two (Mills and Heeney) were highly rated academy products who everyone knew would have an impact early in their careers. Mitchell was a father-son choice, but could be set to play his last game with the club as Hawthorn tries to entice the inside midfielder to Melbourne. Rohan's injury troubles have limited his career, while Jones is reaching the end of his third AFL season but looks a long-term half-back. Besides the Mills matched bid last year, McVeigh is the club's earliest draft choice since 1998 and has let nobody down in his excellent career. All are ticks.

Second round

Dan Hannebery (No.30)

George Hewett (No.32)

Luke Parker (No.40)



Most clubs should find good players with their first-round draft choices. The best clubs make successes of their second- and third-round picks, with the Swans a prime example of that. Two of their best players – Hannebery and Parker – have been second-round picks. Parker, who finished second in this week's Brownlow Medal count, got through to pick 40 as some clubs had a concern over his pace. But the hard-bodied midfielder has grown into one of the competition's stars alongside Hannebery, who was a key player in the club's 2012 triumph.

Third round

Aliir Aliir (No.44)



It was a surprise on draft night two years ago when the Swans grabbed Aliir with their third-round selection. Many clubs wouldn't have taken him at all, let alone put him on their senior list. But the Swans saw the defender's athleticism and size and believed they could work with him to become a solid player. He has been heavily educated in the art of defence and become a valuable player in the backline for the Swans.

Fourth round or later/Rookie Draft



Tom Papley (No.14, rookie draft)

Jake Lloyd (No.15, rookie draft)

Nick Smith (No.15, rookie draft)

Xavier Richards (No.29, rookie draft)

Harry Marsh (No.32, rookie draft)

Dane Rampe (No.37, rookie draft)

Heath Grundy (No.42, rookie draft)

Kieren Jack (No.58, rookie draft)

Sam Naismith (No.59, rookie draft)

The Swans had nine rookies play in last week's preliminary final win over Geelong, meaning nearly half the team had been overlooked at at least one national draft (and often more). Papley has been the latest success, graduating from the rookie list to kick 29 goals this year. The success of the Swans over a long period of time has allowed the club to give more time to some prospects to develop as rookies, with Richards' improvement and impact this season coming after several years at the club. Because of the high-quality top end of the Swans' list, they have been forced in some ways to use more and more of their later picks and rookies at senior level. But they have a number of successes in this batch.

Trade/Free agency

Ted Richards (traded from Essendon for draft picks 19 and 50)

Josh Kennedy (traded from Hawthorn, with Ben McGlynn, for draft picks 39, 46 and 70)

Lance Franklin (restricted free agent)

Ben McGlynn (traded from Hawthorn, with Josh Kennedy, for draft picks 39, 46 and 70)

Kurt Tippett (No.11, pre-season draft)

Jeremy Laidler (delisted free agent)

Franklin and Tippett are the big ones here. Neither was at the Swans when they last saluted for a flag in 2012, and they have been brought into the club for premierships. The Swans didn't give up anything for the expensive duo except salary cap cash (and the resultant trading ban that was enforced by the AFL) and a flag this weekend would justify their additions. Kennedy and McGlynn came at a basement price, while the Swans spotted something in Laidler that former Blues coach Mick Malthouse couldn't. He has been a low-cost option and a consistent performer.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

(Including possible Grand Final inclusions Matthew Suckling, Lukas Webb and Tom Campbell)

First round picks



Marcus Bontempelli (No.4)

Jake Stringer (No.5)

Jack Macrae (No.6)

Clay Smith (draft pick No.17)

The Bulldogs' recruiting team deserves huge credit for its brave top-10 selections in 2012-13 that have added real star factor to the list. Some clubs wouldn't have touched Stringer given his serious leg injury, but the Bulldogs had seen him up close and believed he would get back to his best. Macrae was a safer choice and has proved an exceptional selection. The boldest pick was Bontempelli at No.4 in 2013. Bontempelli is everything a club would want in a top-five pick – he's tough, courageous, skillful and lifts in the big moments – and has already become one of the competition's most influential players.

Second round



Josh Dunkley (No.25)

Toby McLean (No.26)

Lukas Webb (No.27)

Jordan Roughead (No.31)

Tom Liberatore (No.41)

Liberatore's status here is skewed by the fact he was taken under an older version of the father-son bidding system after Mitch Wallis was picked in the same year with the Dogs' first pick. Nevertheless, Liberatore sits in this category and his importance to the club's midfield cannot be overstated. McLean, Dunkley and Webb even being in this conversation highlights why the Bulldogs have been successful. The club, and coach Luke Beveridge, has instilled belief and confidence in the younger players. None are older than 20 but all have made an impact. McLean's rat cunning smarts in attack appealed to the Dogs' recruiters, while they saw more of Dunkley's strengths than his flaws when assessing where he sat in last year's pool.

Lachie Hunter got through to the third round, while Marcus Bontempelli was picked at No.4. Picture: AFL Photos





Third round

Easton Wood (No.43)

Caleb Daniel (No.46)

Lachie Hunter (No.49)

Tory Dickson (No.57)



The Bulldogs' first premiership captain since 1954 might come from the third round of the draft. Wood has elevated himself into the top echelon of defenders in the competition the past few years, and was an All Australian and best and fairest winner in 2015. The real gem in this crop of recruits is Daniel, whom many clubs overlooked and wouldn't have drafted in 2014 due to his height. The runner up in this year's NAB AFL Rising Star award has impressed with his skill level and tenacity despite his shorter stature. Dickson was a clever choice after making his name at VFL level for Essendon's reserves side, while Lachie Hunter was a father-son pick. Rival clubs, in hindsight, took far too long to place a bid on the busy midfielder.

Fourth round or later/Rookie Draft/Pre-season draft

Fletcher Roberts (No.11, pre-season draft)

Dale Morris (No.19, rookie draft)

Luke Dahlhaus (No.22, rookie draft)

Matthew Boyd (No.23, rookie draft)

Tom Campbell (No.27, rookie draft)

Liam Picken (No.30, rookie draft)

Jason Johannisen (No.39, rookie draft)

Zaine Cordy (No.64)

The Dogs' success with rookies Boyd, Picken and Morris has been well documented but all three have been crucial in the club's quick rebound in the past two years. In more recent times, Dahlhaus was plucked out of the Geelong Falcons system after catching the Dogs' eye. They took a punt on Johannisen because of a breakout trait – his extreme speed – while Campbell was another rookie selected to fill a need as a back-up ruckman. Cordy is another father-son pick for the Dogs where a rival bid has proven to be too late, with the Bulldogs able to secure him with a fourth-round choice.

Trade/Free agency

Shane Biggs (traded from the Sydney Swans, with pick 39, for pick 37)

Tom Boyd (traded from the Giants for Ryan Griffen and pick 6)

Joel Hamling (delisted free agent)

Matthew Suckling (unrestricted free agent)



This highlights how the Bulldogs have built through crafty drafting rather than targeting players through trades and free agency. Boyd was a coup, but it took a long-term multi-million-dollar deal and the exit of their captain (plus pick six) to make it happen. Suckling was a nice addition without giving up anything as an unrestricted free agent. Biggs and Hamling arrived at the Dogs with far less fanfare but have been solid pick-ups at a basement price: Biggs cost them two spots in the draft and Hamling nothing at all as a delisted free agent from Geelong.