To be a master coach, you’ve got to keep things simple.

That’s what Fremantle’s Ross Lyon and Newcastle’s Wayne Bennett are doing as they attempt to lift their respective sides to premiership glory.

Lyon’s Dockers will start as underdogs in Saturday’s AFL grand final against Hawthorn.

Fremantle have never played off in a premiership decider, and it would be a Cinderella story if they are able to win the flag after 19 barren years.

Bennett’s Knights have bucked the odds to reach this year’s NRL preliminary final, where they will take on the in-form Sydney Roosters on Saturday.

The Knights were written off by most experts at the start of the finals, but shocked the Melbourne Storm last week to set up a dream date with the Roosters.

Bennett is a legend in NRL ranks, having won seven premierships as a coach.

Lyon is yet to win a flag, but came close on two occasions with St Kilda.

He said both the Dockers and Knights shared some similarities during this year’s finals series.

“We’re in uncharted territory and I heard Wayne Bennett talk about the Newcastle Knights and their uncharted territory,” Lyon said on Monday.

“He said they’ve been doing the basics really well and if they get away from those it will blow up.

“So the same thing applies to us.

“We’ve won a lot of games, I think it’s about 17 out of the last 20.

“We’ve been smacked a couple times by Geelong and Hawthorn but we know we stand up and we do the basics really well over and over again.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine.”