Week one of the AFL finals can make or break a club’s finals campaign. It can set up teams for a premiership tilt or send them packing for the off season.
Playing finals football has a whole new intensity, as months of training and home-and-away games conclude, it’s comes time for players and clubs to step up a notch.
Teams will be looking for a match winner, a player that becomes the difference and produces the goods under pressure and in the heat of the finals electricity.
Below I breakdown the biggest ‘clutch moments’ from week one of the finals from over the past decade.
Captain Tex – 2015 Elimination Final
The Western Bulldogs were the surprise packet of the 2015 season. They finished sixth on the ladder and faced the Adelaide Crows in a do-or-die final at the MCG.
After the Crows had the advantage over the Bulldogs throughout the majority of the tight contest, the Bulldogs looked to be finishing off strong in the last term, taking the lead.
With just over two minutes remaining, the Crows had pinched back a narrow lead despite the game being well in the balance.
The Bulldogs press forward through the centre of the ground, but a shaky handball by Lachie Hunter forces a ball up inside 50 putting the Crows on the defence.
The Crows manage to find captain Tex Walker, their most important player, for the most important moment of the season.
Walker storms through the wing of the MCG with purpose, aware of the timelines of his attack.
After several bounces Walker looks up with impeccable vision to find Charlie Cameron inside 50, Cameron marks, goals and books the Crows into a semi-final.
An incredible display of leadership when the side needed it most.
Drew stays true – 2014 Elimination Final
Essendon faced North Melbourne in the 2014 Elimination Final at the MCG, both teams entering the game with a point to prove, neither side having a finals victory in years.
The Bombers began the game with all guns blazing, blowing the Kangaroos away in the first half with the lead reaching over 30 points in the second term.
In the second half North finally found their rhythm and realised the massive opportunity they were wasting by being dominated in the first half.
After an impressive third quarter comeback the game was hitting it’s climax as North trailed by 1 point with 4.50 on the clock in the fourth term.
North needed a leader to stand up, someone to produce a clutch moment and cap off an outstanding comeback with a memorable inspiring victory.
That man was club champion Drew Petrie who rose to the occasion and in under a minute of individual brilliance the roos were home.
Jack Ziebell bursts inside 50, Petrie gathers, swings onto his right to snap a goal and put his side in front.
Moments later a quick North Melbourne clearance inside 50 finds Daniel Wells, who seemed to pause time with his balance and composure. He handballed over the top to Petrie who snaps home another goal and send the bombers packing, marking the Kangaroos first finals win in seven years.
Juddy’s brilliance – 2013 Elimination Final
Carlton and Richmond battled it out in the 2013 Elimination Final, with the Tigers placed as heavy favourites after the Blues were awarded a finals birth despite finishing ninth.
The game saw Richmond lead at every change, including a peak margin of 32 points in the second quarter.
Former captain Chris Judd produced a second half of brilliance that stirred his side to a stunning comeback. Judd’s 11-possession third quarter landed the Blues with a winning position heading into the final term.
The Blues stormed home in the fourth with goals to Eddie Betts, Nick Duigan and Mitch Robinson.
However the biggest moment of the match came with ten minutes remaining in the final term, and involved who else, but Chris Judd.
The Blues lead by four points, as Jarrod Waite gathered under pressure 30 metres from goal.
Waite Handballs over to one of the game’s greats in Judd, who with pinpoint precision, steadied home the sealer to cap off a phenomenal performance and send the Blues to week two of the finals.
Rich and Bradshaw combine in a stellar comeback – 2009 Elimination Final
Back in 2009, the Brisbane Lions secured a home final at the Gabba against a young Carlton outfit. The Blues were an inexperienced finals side but made a statement in the third quarter breaking away from the Lions despite an even first half.
Carlton lead by a four-goal margin at three quarter time and looked as if a finals victory away from home was inevitable.
However, the Lions would not go away, cutting back the margin to 10 points as six minutes remained in the fourth term.
A boundary throw in occurs and a teenaged Daniel Rich breaks away with a surge of ferocity looking like a man in his prime, smashing home a goal from outside 50 to put the Lions within 4 points.
Moments later, rising to the occasion was Lions forward Daniel Bradshaw who marks and goals to clinch the lead for his side with five minutes remaining.
With the home crowd on their feet and the match reaching it’s pinnacle, Rich combines again to assist in a magical clutch goal by Bradshaw.
The ball kicked by Rich bounces into the Lions forward pocket, Bradshaw gathers, turns onto his right and snaps a miracle sealer from 30 metres out on the boundary line to force the Brisbane crowd into a frenzy and his team through to another semi-final.
The buddy show – 2007 Elimination Final
The 2007 Elimination Final between Hawthorn and Adelaide marked the arrival of prominence for one of the games greatest forwards.
Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin was just 20 years of age when he came of age with a career defining performance of individual brilliance, making his mark as a big time player for years to come.
The Adelaide Crows had dominated most of the afternoon at Etihad Stadium after a blistering start. The Hawks managed to snap away the margin and trailed by 16 points at the final break despite four goals already from Franklin.
Early in the fourth term the Hawks needed some magic. Franklin had the ball 60 metres from goal after an intelligent pass from Shane Crawford.
Franklin takes in the weight of his team’s season on his back, goes back onto his left and hammers home a huge goal from outside 50 putting the Hawks within two points.
However, the Crows had the immediate answer with a goal from Scott Welsh to stretch the margin back to eight points.
A reply by Hawthorn’s Clinton Young and sixth goal to Franklin put the Hawks in front for the first time of the game as ten minutes remained.
Adelaide still weren’t done as Jason Torney produces an impressive running goal to give Adelaide the lead yet again.
As seconds remained, the Hawks down by three points, a clutch player needed to shine through, on cue the man of the moment appeared to be the hero, Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin.
Rick Ladson hits Franklin on the lead who marks on his favoured left forward flank to line up for the biggest kick of his career.
The world on his shoulders, the exhilarating crowd watching on, Franklin goes in from 50 metres out and looked never in doubt. Franklin announces his arrival, belting through the winning goal with under ten seconds remaining.
Franklin’s three goal final term is the definition of clutch, a player taking the game in his own hands and delivering one of the most extraordinary individual performance in week one finals history.
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