PREVIEW-Australian Rules-Hawks face ghosts of 2012 in AFL decider

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The Australian Football League (AFL) will look to put another year marred by doping scandal aside when the Hawthorn Hawks bid to defend their title against the Sydney Swans in the season-ending Grand Final in Melbourne on Saturday. The league's hopes of drawing a line before the playoffs under a 19-month probe into the use of banned supplements were dashed by legal action and the fate of dozens of players charged by the national doping authority remains in limbo. The Melbourne-based Essendon Bombers, one of the league's oldest and most powerful clubs, were booted out of the playoffs last year, slapped with a record fine and their head coach suspended for 12 months. But their shadowy supplements programme administered to players in 2012 continues to overshadow Australia's richest and most well-attended competition long after it first came to light in Feb. 2013. Essendon have fought hard to have the probe deemed illegal and charges against 34 of its former and current players dropped, but their court action against the AFL and doping authorities was dismissed last week, paving the way for sanctions. The saga is set to dog the AFL well into the off-season, and could have chaotic ramifications for Essendon and next year's competition if the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority issues a rash of suspensions. The controversy will nonetheless be put aside on Saturday when an expected 100,000 people pack out the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch the best two teams of the season stage a keenly anticipated re-match of their 2012 Grand Final. In that year, Hawthorn were raging favourites to win their 11th premiership title but succumbed in a tight 10-point loss, with poor kicking for goal costing them dearly. The heartbreak spurred on the brown-and-gold team to win last year's title, downing Grand Final debutants Fremantle by 15 points. In contrast to the two previous deciders, Hawthorn are the underdogs this year against a classy Sydney side that finished top of the table at the end of the regular season. Where the Alastair Clarkson-coached Hawks staggered into the final on the back of a three-point win over fast-finishing Port Adelaide, the red-and-white Swans enjoyed a virtual training run in their 71-point semi-final win over North Melbourne. Both the finalists are tough, fast and boast talent across the park, but Sydney may have the edge if their mammoth forward line clicks. All eyes will be on the brilliant Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, an Aboriginal power forward who played nine highlight-laden seasons for Hawthorn before crossing to Sydney this year for a record A$10 million ($8.90 million) contract. Freakishly skilled and unstoppable on his day, the 1.96 metre (6ft-5in) Franklin's only Achilles heel is his occasionally wayward kicking for goal. His return of three goals from eight scoring shots during the 2012 final proved costly for Hawthorn. Further misery for his former club can be expected if his radar works on Saturday. Franklin remains close to the club that nurtured him, and particularly to former team mate Jarryd Roughead, with whom he shared an attacking partnership rated one of most devastating in the league in recent decades. But he was jeered by Hawthorn fans on his return to Melbourne during the regular season. "It's going to be a hostile environment, something that a lot of these (Sydney) boys have experienced already in 2012," the 27-year-old told reporters at training this week. "There's a lot of experience in the change rooms that has been done there and done it, so we've got full confidence in ourselves that we can get the job done." Roughead, second only to Franklin in goals kicked this season and a worthy rival in size and strength, said there would be little love for his 'Buddy' on Saturday. "We're still going to be mates, but I suppose for two or three hours next week we probably won't be mates," he said. (1 US dollar = 1.1220 Australian dollar) (Editing by Patrick Johnston)