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The Crowd Says (22) | Page 1 of Comments

• July 17th 2008 @ 8:27am
  sheek said | July 17th 2008 @ 8:27am | Report comment

  Yeah……….Madang AF grand final – Paramedics versus Police, Bates Oval, 1966 or 1967.

  I was 10 or 11, depending on the year. There were only 4-5 teams in town, & Police were usually the perennial champions…..& the bad guys!

  Para got up in a close game. It was the first final I ever saw in anything, & I loved it. The atmosphere from the crowd (5,000 plus?) was electric. Plenty of sing-sing from the natives.

  Dad, as acting District Commissioner, gave out the winning medals. Obviously, he would have been going for Police, as they were his boys.

  Sorry, you were talking about the AFL, not PNG!!!

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 10:37am
  Kazama said | July 17th 2008 @ 10:37am | Report comment

  I’ve had the honour of attending a total of 7 AFL Grand Finals. The one that sticks in my mind the most is probably the 1998 Grand Final, though this may be because a) it was my first one and b) I am a Crows fan. Maybe this one should be on the list instead of 1997, because as hard as it is to win a flag, it’s even tougher to win two in a row. And to come back from being well-beaten at half time like we were and win in a canter, against a better team IMO, I think that made it even more magical.

  All 7 matches have made me feel like I got my money’s worth, but I have a hunch the one I’ll be saying to people that ‘I was there to see’ would probably be the 2006 GF. Not the greatest game ever played as some make it out to be, but it was a tense match, even for a ‘neutral’ supporter. Too bad Sydney weren’t able to scrape a point in there somewhere – I had some cash on the draw. Actually, it probably only would have paid for the trip back to Melbourne to watch the rematch the following week, but anyway…

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 11:23am
  Redb said | July 17th 2008 @ 11:23am | Report comment

  The 1970 Grand Final between Carlton and Collingwood is largely credited as the being the greatest GF of all time. 121,000 spectators, Jezza’s speccie and the best part – Collingwood lost. I was a bit young to appreciate that game, it gets mentioned along with the Geelong V Hawthorn 1989 GF in revered tones.

  For me the 1984 GF Essendon v Hawthorn where the Bombers came back from 4 goals down at 3Qtr time to win by 22 points is the best.

  The 2005 Swans win was a beauty as was 2006 with West Coast, any GF decided by one point is a great Grand Final.

  For sheer brutal ‘extinction of a species’ type of a game, Geelong’s thumping win over Port Adelaide in 2007 was also memorable. Geelong played the perfect game of Australian football, attacking, confident, great marks, fast and free flowing football. Geelong fans still bathe in the glory of 07 after a long 44 years between drinks.

  Redb

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 1:35pm
  Michael C said | July 17th 2008 @ 1:35pm | Report comment

  I loved ’79, I think with the coming of Mike Brady and “Up there Cazaly”, in that little era coming out of World Series Cricket as well – - there seemed a whole new atmosphere around sports. The full game day coverage was getting bedded down too, and of course kicking off witht the North Melb GF breakfast – - – although, wasn’t ’79 the year that North Melb played Collingwood in a night reserves grand final???

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 1:50pm
  Lazza said | July 17th 2008 @ 1:50pm | Report comment

  Interesting! So all the great Grand Finals are the few that finished in close, tight contests? Very ‘tense’, keenly contested affairs? Which other sport have I heard described this way?

  So the majority of AFL Grand Finals and regular season games that normally end up something like 150-70 are boring, one sided non-contests?

  Glad you guys finally agree? How about tweaking the rules a bit to ensure we get an interesting contest more often?

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 2:03pm
  Redb said | July 17th 2008 @ 2:03pm | Report comment

  Lazza,

  I listed last years GF as a beauty due to the relentless force of Geelong playing perfect football!. err… they won by 144 points.

  So tell us your pick?

  Redb

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 2:16pm
  Lazza said | July 17th 2008 @ 2:16pm | Report comment

  Redb,

  Sorry, missed that you enjoyed last years GF. I missed it because I can’t believe anyone would describe a 144 point rout as a good game. Neither would the vast majority of sports fans around the World. I turned off at half-time and watched the Shopping Channel. Much more interesting.

  It’s just that AFL fans would never admit that their game has a few flaws, much easier to give advice to other much more successful sports.

  Bet you can’t wait till Zimbabwe are allowed to come out here for the Cricket. A great 700 run slaughter eh? A wonderful display of ‘perfect’ Cricket.

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 2:51pm
  Redb said | July 17th 2008 @ 2:51pm | Report comment

  Lazza,

  just one question, is the title of this thread: What are the flaws of AFL? No. You seem to have a burr up your clacker about AFL.

  As you can see from my comments, there are differing elements that make a great Grand Final. I have family members who barrack for Geelong and have never seen them so happy. Port Adelaide’s coach came out before the game bagging Geelong accusing them of being chokers,etc It was great to see him shut up in such a way. It’s called rivalry and in injects passion into sport. Geelong played the perfect attacking game so yes for the sheer thrill of the kill I loved it up until about 3 qtr time, after that the result was beyond doubt. Along the way it was great football.

  Every football code has its strengths and weaknesses lets not bore us all with another my code is better than yours fest.

  Redb

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 3:10pm
  Michael C said | July 17th 2008 @ 3:10pm | Report comment

  Hmmm, Lazza -

  a little cynical I’d have thought.

  However, uncertainty over result for neutrals watching is often a key factor.

  For me, I loved by ’96 and ’99 North wins, both by 5-7 goals in the end, others may lament – but, as a North supporter, both games had more than one turning point – - had key players with fitness clouds etc. I’ll never forget Capuano going down in the ’99 GF, he’d just started asserting himself with 3 marks in quick succession across half back, thwarting Carlton. Suddenly, undersized ruckman John Longmire, in his 200th and last match – - goes up against All Australian Matthew Allan. Why? So we can keep the super menacing Corey McKernan up forward (he only kicked 3 goals, but, his presence was so much more important). The game, at that point, was on a knifes edge – could Carlton force an advantage, regain the initiative.

  As it turned out, Longmire held his own, McKernan was able to stay forward, Carey had a short run ‘on the ball’, and smalls like Bell and Grant kicked the majority of goals from the opportunities afforded by the need for Carlton to double team McKernan in the air.

  Great game – - but, most neutrals recall the Carl def of Ess in the Prelim one week earlier, by a point, due to Fraser Browns tackle.

  Likewise, ’96, in that 2nd qtr, there was a delivery from Kelly to Lockett that dropped short on the lead, North rebounded, Freeborn booted 3 and by half time we’d come from a near critical deficit to be right back in the game. We went on to win by 7 goals, with Ian ‘Floss’ Fairley kicking the last goal, with his last kick in footy before he retired. A fairy tale end.

  But – most neutrals recall the Syd def of Ess in the Prelim final one week earlier, by Locketts point after the siren.

  - – - -must be a perspective thing!!!!

  btw – Redb, just had to rub it in, Sheeds still bemoans those losses as lost premierships……funny, I always thought the only way to lose a premiership was by losing a GRAND final, NOT a Prelim.

  Reply

• July 17th 2008 @ 3:23pm
  Lazza said | July 17th 2008 @ 3:23pm | Report comment

  Redb,

  I just like good contests, that’s what sport should be all about. AFL tragics keep telling me that 150-70 games are fine yet just about all the ‘great’ games mentioned here are the few that finished as close, tense contests. I agree, they were great games but why doesn’t it happen more often?

  It’s not about which code or sport is better, one-sided non contests are boring in any sport. AFL just seems to have too many of them.

  Didn’t you just post that the HAL should be renamed the ‘has been’ league? Got nothing better to do than bash the HAL?
  When did attracting former Socceroos to come back and play in our league become a negative?

  Reply