Fremantle senior coach Ross Lyon believes Saturday’s Toyota AFL Grand Final between Sydney and Hawthorn will be one of the great deciders.

The two sides finished first and second on the ladder this season and have been the most successful teams in the past two seasons.

Lyon told RSN Racing and Sport radio station it would be a very evenly matched contest.

“I think it’s going to be one of the great Grand Finals, they’re both really mentally tough and never give up,” he said.

“They play both sides of the ball really well.”

The Freo coach said a key factor in the game would be the spare men in each side’s defence.

“I think it’s going to come down to who can make the spare or the plus-one defend and force them into one-on-one contests,” Lyon said.

“Sydney, their spare does it really well. Hawthorn will try and negate that and (it will be) the same at the other end.”

But Lyon said the game would ultimately be won and lost in the midfield, where the Hawks’ immense attacking power will confront the Swans’ uncompromising on-ball division.

“I watched Hawthorn in round 17 (against Sydney), and their ability to win clearance ball, particularly centre square bounces, is really powerful the way they set up,” he said.

“It’s going to be about clearances and ground position.

“The Hawks like equal numbers, they’ll hold their wingers. They keep it really simple in there, which is probably the brilliance of it, they just get it going their way and there’s plenty of space for their mids to come out through the front.

“Sydney will try and close that up and just try any way to get it going their way, but their wingers will have to be disciplined because (Brad) Hill and (Isaac) Smith will sit out and give them space to come through and they’ll open the front of the line.

“So Sydney will try and close the line and try and get a little bit of congestion there and not allow the Hawks out.”

Lyon added he believed Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson would start the returning Cyril Rioili as the substitute.

Rioli has not played since round 15 because of a hamstring injury.

When Lyon was at St Kilda, he played Steven Baker first up in the 2010 Grand Final after 14 weeks on the sidelines.

“He played on (Alan) Didak and was exceptional,” Lyon said.

“Baker was a freak speed-endurance athlete, but with Cyril it’s more speed, so I think he would be sub.

“They’d be nervous if there was an injury early, but if Hawthorn can get him on with 40 minutes to go and the game is tight, he really could be the difference.”

As for his tip to win the big game on Saturday, Lyon likes the Hawks.