As the 2010 AFL season winds down this weekend and attention turns to finals, it will finish with an intriguing Sunday twilight match between Melbourne and North Melbourne. Ninth plays tenth in a battle of two of the up and coming lists in the competition.
When the sides met earlier in the year Brad Scott made comments to the effect that while everyone was talking up Melbourne’s high draft pick young guns, he thought his batch of youngsters were just as good. Between then and now those feelings would only have intensified.
At the time I was struck by the similarity between this budding rivalry and one that developed in the lead up to a round 22 fixture in 2003. The game was Geelong Vs St Kilda at Skilled Stadium.
The young Saints, after three years at the bottom, had rebuilt on the back of some high draft picks. Riewoldt and co were starting to show their potential and the media was hyping them as the next big thing.
In the shadows, Mark Thompson and his staff had been putting together a crop of young players he believed was every bit as talented as St Kilda’s. After an improved end to the 2003 season, Bomber spoke up and made that very point publicly.
Geelong would go on to win the match, and a new rivalry was born. Six months later St Kilda would defeat the Cats in the 2004 pre-season decider, and then hand out a 10 goal flogging in round 1. Geelong would bounce back later in the year for an important win, and the sides would go on to finish third and fourth, both losing their Preliminary Finals by less than 10 points.
The 2005 season would see Geelong lose to Sydney by 2 points in week 2 of the finals, while the Saints would give up a three quarter time lead the following week to also go down to the eventual premier Swans.
2006 would be Geelong’s down year, where after a NAB Cup win, the wheels fell off in spectacular fashion and the Cats finished a miserable tenth with 10 and a half wins. The Saints would play finals, but under a wave of injuries were knocked out in the first week by Melbourne and along with them Grant Thomas’ reign as coach.
In 2007, it would be St Kilda’s turn to slide, with the team taking some time to gel to Ross Lyon’s game plan. An eventual ninth place finish contrasted by the all-conquering Cats who would win their first Premiership in 44 years by a record margin over Port Adelaide.
2008 started with a St Kilda win in the NAB Cup. The Cats would roll into 2008 and took all before them during the season, losing just once. The Saints were hot and cold, but eventually snuck into fourth spot in a dramatic finish to the year that saw the two sides meet in week 1 of the finals. Geelong would prove the better and moved to the Preliminary Final.
The Saints bounced back the next week before going down to Hawthorn in their Prelim. Of course the Cats would famously lose the un-losable Grand Final to Hawthorn in one of the great upsets.
Season 2009 saw the year start off with a Geelong NAB Cup win.
From there the two sides produced great football to set up an unprecedented round 14 blockbuster with both teams undefeated. After a fast start by the Saints, Geelong clawed its way back and scores were level with 1 minute to go. Michael Gardner’s mark and goal would go into folklore, and St Kilda got up by 6. The Saints would lose just 2 games late in the year to win the minor premiership, while Geelong struggled with injury and form, but still held onto second spot.
The finals campaign saw both sides account for Collingwood comfortably, and work hard to get past the Bulldogs. After 6 years the match up finally eventuated.
History will show it was worth the wait with arguably the greatest Grand Final of all time. Like Geelong the year before, St Kilda were unable to capitalise on their first half dominance, and it would be Geelong winning at the death thanks to a Scarlett toe poke, Chapman goal and Taylor mark.
2010 has seen the Saints overcome a half time deficit to keep Geelong goalless and record a win in a spiteful encounter that will be remembered more for Steve Baker’s 9 match suspension and Steve Johnson’s flying elbow.
The two sides will finish second and third and now meet in week 1 of finals. It promises to produce another entertaining chapter in the great modern rivalry.
Before we sit back and enjoy what the two established champs offer us up next week however, keep an eye on what happens at the MCG on Sunday; Melbourne with their high draft picks and obvious talent. North who have managed to produce an exciting young list without really bottoming out.
Two coaches that believe their sides have what it takes to be the next big thing.
The Demons are being touted by many as the next super power in the AFL, much like the 2003 Saints. But will they manage to turn that ability into a flag? So far the high draft picks afforded St Kilda have yet to yield a Premiership, so there are no guarantees.
North, unable to spend a prolonged period in the cellar due to the financial pressure on the club, have done it the hard way. Instead they have relied on some crafty selections based on an individual’s ability to fit into the culture and structure the club is trying to build.
Seems to have a similar feel to Geelong’s list building in the early part of the decade that focussed on kids from country areas that would settle well in Geelong.
Only time will tell if they will rise to the heights of Geelong and St Kilda, but if nothing else, let’s hope that Sunday sees the start of the next great rivalry.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Geelong will be without their two top forwards for their Darwin AFL match against Gold Coast after Jeremy Cameron was diagnosed with delayed concussion.…
Geelong coach Chris Scott spoke at length over confusion surrounding holding the ball and the advantage rule
Luke Hodge was adamant the right decision was made to call play back - but Cats fans disagreed!
Could this be MRO trouble for Tom Atkins?
Port Adelaide's first quarter on Friday night at GMHBA Stadium was the best any team has played in 2024 to date. The next three…
The star forward hit his head on the ground after a heavy fall, but was allowed to stay on the field.
