After 14 rounds and 56 matches, only two teams are left to battle it out for the 2016 W-League champions.

However  it ends, Melbourne City or Sydney FC will be making a piece of competition history with City aiming to be the third team to win the title and Sydney the first team to grab a third title.

Goalkeepers

Both goalkeepers, Brianna Davey and Michelle Betos, have overcome injury to become the No. 1 for their teams.  Within their teams their roles differ with Betos the busier of the two making 25 saves of a possible 45. Through the combination of Davey and Trudy Burke, Melbourne City led the W-League in clean sheets while Betos has had a much tougher time but still comes out with 4 out of 12 clean sheets.  Both are excellent shot stoppers, while Betos is marginally the better sweeper for her side.

ADVANTAGE: Michelle Betos 

Photo: Adam Butler Photo: Adam Butler

Defenders

Defensively City were the best in the competition, averaging just 0.33 goals per game.  It's not surprising with the national team experience on offer across the line.  Any combination of Laura Alleway, Jennifer Beattie, Stephanie Catley, Rebekah Stott and Amy Jackson can be fielded with the ability to hold their shape and deny space in front or behind an opposition attack.  Montemurro has kept the defence relatively stable with the only changes coming with a change in formation from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3.

Meanwhile for Sydney FC, the defence had a rude awaking against their grand final opponents. However the last couple of weeks has seen stability in personnel with Teigen Allen, Liz Ralston, Alanna Kennedy and Natalie Tobin melding into a strong defensive unit. Pace and solid ball playing is the hall mark of this defence with Kennedy the stand out.  Her lock down performance in the semi final against the dangerous Michelle Heyman went a long way to Sydney's success.

ADVANTAGE: Melbourne City. 

KEY PLAYER: Alanna Kennedy

Photo: Ann Odong Photo: Ann Odong

[More: Full Grand Final Coverage]

Midfielders

City's engine room is formidable. From Aivi Luik anchoring, screening, breaking up play and linking in the no 8 position, to Kim Little as a playmaker, to Jess Fishlock as the driver, the workhorse, the space creator, it is a unit that controls the game for Joe Montemurro. Fishlock in particular is vital with her holding role giving Little the freedom to create. When on song, they leave a team chasing for 90 minutes and provide plenty of ball for Melbourne's strikers. As well as good distribution, this midfield has plenty of goals in it contributing 31% of their total goals for the season.

Sydney FC captain Teresa Polias sits at the heart of the Sky Blues defence; literally and figuratively. Her work rate and game reading has provided the defence which greater protection in recent weeks but also released and given freedom to Nicola Bolger and Leena Khamis. Bolger, when on song, has the vision and execution to find her forwards with defence splitting passes while the more attacking Khamis drives at the heart of opposition defences.  Khamis also has the added benefit of being able to convert good play into goals.

ADVANTAGE: Melbourne City

KEY PLAYER: Jessica Fishlock

Photo: Ann Odong Photo: Ann Odong

[More: Captain's Blog | Teresa Polias | Lisa De Vanna]

Forwards

Pace and skill are at the heart of the attacks for both Melbourne City and Sydney FC.  Larissa Crummer is the headline for City with 11 goals to take out the Golden Boot but there is an able supporting cast. Wingers Lisa De Vanna, Marianna Tabain and Beattie Goad have ensured City have played with plenty of width, disconcerted fullback and also found the back of the net themselves.

Meanwhile Sydney FC's attack, much like the full squad, has come into its own the couple of weeks.  Kyah Simon has moved further up the pitch and more centrally, reminiscent of her Matildas role with the pacy Jasmyne Spencer and Princess Ibini on the flanks.  Simon's move centrally has been beneficial to Spencer who had been more isolated earlier in the season. The reward has been 12 of their 15 goals coming in the back half of the season, including a Round 14 goal which broke 630 minute clean sheet record.

ADVANTAGE: Melbourne City

KEY PLAYER: Lisa De Vanna

Photo: Emily Mogic Photography Photo: Emily Mogic Photography

While Melbourne City appears to have the edge in all areas, if the last couple of weeks are any indication, this is set to be far from a one sided final.

As the old saying goes; football isn't played on paper.

Talking Tactics

Shell Barratt

Melbourne City's game is well defined and Sydney will have to be on their game tactically to win a third championship. The Sky Blues a few possible tactics up their sleeve: Sydney could press the crap out of the City midfield and hope to get an early goal or sit defensively and try to frustrate City into a careless error.

In their final round meeting Sydney FC may have lost 2-1 but they were a nagging mosquito ruffling City's feathers and shocking onlookers.

The truth is City's early big 4-0 wins started to dwindle into 1-0 wins as the league adjusted to their energy and intelligence.

Brisbane Roar showed the league it was possible to hold City to 0-0 after 90 minutes. And after such a dominant regular season it came down to the width of a crossbar to decide if Melbourne City were going to the big dance, scraping beyond Roar on a 5-4 penalties win.

The Big Dance

The Sydney FC core group have played countless big games together and the Grand Final ground holds fond memories. A notable 10 players from the current Sydney squad snatched a Championship from favourites Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park in 2012/13.

Despite being a new club, Melbourne City too have plenty of grand final experience within their ranks. Several players have been there on the final day with clubs like Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC and Perth Glory.

A Numbers Game

18 - Kyah Simon leads the way for Sydney with 3 grand finals appearance. All up, the Sky Blues have 18 championship games of experience.

17 - City players have 17 games of Grand Final experience between them. Aivi Luik is the most experienced with 3 grand final appearances with Brisbane Roar from 2010 - 12.

6 - Lana Harch (Brisbane Roar 2009) got Brisbane Roar off to the perfect start in the first ever Grand Final. In a player of the match performance, the attacking midfielder netted in the 6th minute to assist Brisbane to a 2-0 win over Canberra. It is still the fastest Grand Final goal

5 -  With 5 grand final appearances, Brisbane Roar's Tameka Butt is the most decorated player in the W-League. Butt didn't just appear in those finals, she excelled. The attacking midfielder also holds the record for most Grand Final goals (4) and has twice been named the Player of the Match.

15y 247d - Grace Maher (Canberra United 2015) is the youngest player to play and win a championship. Maher was a surprise starter Canberra when they claimed their second championship in Season 7.

34y 277d - Playing alongside Maher on that day was US veteran Lori Lindsey. In her last professional game, the midfielder was instrumental for Canberra as they upset premiers Perth Glory and in doing so Lindsey became the oldest championship winner.

Game Day Note

The Fishlock question casts a shadow over City's preparations.  Such is the co-captain's influence on the premiers that when she went down in the 30th minute with a hamstring strain in the semi final, the odds shifted for Brisbane. Coach Joe Montemurro is giving mixed messages with the midweek message that the sub was "precautionary" but at yesterday's press conference intimating that a final decision would not be made until after the warm up (20 mins before kick off).

Final word

"The main thing for us is just to play our style of football and keep the ball. Not to get overexcited about the situation and just play the way we know we can play and create plenty of chances. Unlike we did in the semi final [we want to] be clinical if we do make chances in the first 15 minutes, to finish them." - Steph Catley on opening minutes

"I'd certainly say we are the underdogs. We will take that. I think more of the pressure is on them having gone through the season undefeated. Anything can happen tomorrow so we will go in with full confidence. We will have to play the best game of our season to win." - Teresa Polias on Sydney's chances.

Match Details

Melbourne City v Sydney FC

Sunday 31 January 2016

AAMI Park, Melbourne

Local kick-off: 2pm (Gates Open 1pm)

Tickets from Ticketek

Referee: Kate Jacewicz

* Watch all the action Live from 2.00pm nationally on Fox Sports (Channel 505), or ABC TV. Or catch-up on ABC iView.

** Listen LIVE on TuneIn - http://tunein.com/radio/Melbourne-City-W-League-Live-s256286/

Join the conversation on Twitter using match hashtag #WLeagueGF

Melbourne City squad: 1. Brianna Davey (gk), 3. Alex Chidiac, 4. Jennifer Beattie, 5. Laura Alleway, 6. Aivi Luik, 7. Stephanie Catley, 8. Kim Little, 9. Larissa Crummer, 10. Jessica Fishlock, 11. Lisa De Vanna, 13, Rebekah Stott, 14. Melina Ayres, 15. Amy Jackson, 16. Beattie Goad, 17. Marianna Tabain, 18. Anisa Guajardo, 20. Trudy Burke (gk)

Ins: Rebekah Stott (returns from New Zealand international duty)

Outs: none

Unavailable: Monique Iannella (knee – indefinite)

Sydney FC squad: 1. Michelle Betos (gk), 2. Elizabeth Ralston, 3. Ellyse Perry, 4. Sunny Franco, 5. Jasmyne Spencer, 6. Teresa Polias (c), 7. Nicola Bolger, 9. Princess Ibini, 10. Renee Rollason, 11. Natalie Tobin, 12. Olivia Price, 14. Alanna Kennedy, 15. Teigen Allen, 16. Hannah Bacon, 17. Kyah Simon, 18. Sham Khamis (gk), 19. Leena Khamis

Ins: Hannah Bacon (promoted)

Outs: none

Unavailable: Amy Harrison (knee - indefinite)