The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

The ten best Round 3 games from the past ten years

The Dogs had a dream 2016. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Guru
7th April, 2017
1

Welcome to another edition of my weekly article where I take trip down memory lane and revisit some of the classic AFL matches that correspond with the upcoming round.

Let’s take a look at the ten best games from Round 3 in the past ten years.

10. Carlton 16.16.112 v Essendon 17.14.116 (2009)
The third week of the football season is when the AFL usually decides to pit some of the game’s biggest rivals against each other, and Essendon and Carlton have been pigeonholed during this round, playing six times in Round 3 over the past ten years, with the two sides set to battle again this Sunday afternoon.

Between 2007 and 2009, these two traditional rivals played some absolute classics, and the fact this game is number ten on the list speaks for the quality of the matches to follow. After a strong start, the Blues surrendered a 27 point lead in the second quarter to trail by two points at half time.

The game opened up substantially in the third term, with Essendon kicking seven goals to Carlton’s six, before managing to hold on by four points in front of over 70,000 fans.

9. North Melbourne 16.9.105 v Port Adelaide 17.11.113 (2015)
After both sides managed to make a preliminary final from the bottom half of the top eight the previous year, they were pitted against each other on a Saturday night under the roof at Etihad Stadium. Known for their free-flowing style of football, the first half was quite tame in comparison, with Port leading by 20 points at the main break.

The Roos awoke from their slumber in the third quarter, slotting six goals to Port Adelaide’s four, and managed to cut the deficit to just two points early in the last quarter. The Power kicked away again and a win looked likely for Ken Hinkley’s men. However, Lindsay Thomas sparked North into action, booting three goals to grab the lead.

In a tense final ten minutes, the Roos bravely tried to hang onto their advantage, but to no avail, with Aaron Young and Kane Mitchell guiding Port Adelaide home with the final goals of the game.

Advertisement

8. Western Bulldogs 15.10.100 v Richmond 15.8.98 (2014)
A heavy favourite heading into their Saturday afternoon game at Etihad Stadium, the Tigers were sluggish out of the gates against the Western Bulldogs. Playing under then-coach Brendan McCartney, the Dogs booted nine goals to three in the first half.

The Tigers roared back into the game in the second half, cutting away the 37-point deficit with six goals in both of the third and fourth quarters. With the Dogs valiantly trying to hold their lead, Jack Riewoldt’s fourth major late in the match saw Richmond hit the front for the first time since the opening five minutes.

Needing to take a risk, the Bulldogs went forward and received a free kick to veteran forward Daniel Giansiracusa, who calmly played on and snapped a goal. The Bulldogs held on in the final two minutes of the match to seal a thrilling win.

Richmond Tigers player Jack Riewoldt

7. West Coast 13.10.88 v Sydney 15.11.101 (2011)
Coming off a horror season in which they claimed the wooden spoon for finishing on the bottom of the ladder, the Eagles started the 2011 season well, winning the opening two games against North Melbourne and Port Adelaide away from home.

Back at Subiaco, West Coast clashed with an old foe in Sydney, who had also displayed good form despite playing in a draw in Round 1.

In front of a bumper crowd of 37,288 on a Saturday night, the Eagles and Swans could hardly be separated throughout the night, Sydney holding a lead of three points at half time before the Eagles got ahead by a goal at the final break.

Advertisement

With three of the first five goals of the final quarter, West Coast led by 12 points halfway through the last term. Sydney flicked the switch and booted the final four majors of the game to run out 13 point winners, with Andrejs Everitt kicking two in the last four minutes to claim an important victory for the visiting side.

6. Fremantle 18.17.125 v Geelong 17.16.118 (2010)
Having won just three games the previous year, the Dockers faced a tough a challenge coming up against the reigning premiers on their home deck. In a high-scoring encounter under a blazing Western Australian sun, Fremantle took a four point advantage to the rooms at the main break.

Sparked into action, the Cats booted 6.4 to 3.4 in the third quarter to lead by 14 heading into the final term. Needing a big last quarter effort, it was three unlikely heroes who stood tall in attack to get the Dockers over the line, with Adam McPhee, Roger Hayden and Paul Duffield all scoring goals to overcome the Cats by seven points. Then-captain Matthew Pavlich was superb with 26 disposals and 5.4.

5. Essendon 23.12.150 v Carlton 21.8.134 (2008)
In another one of their high-scoring Round 3 encounters, the 2008 incarnation of Essendon and Carlton saw both sides combine for 44 goals, just 61 points short of the highest ever aggregate score in a VFL/AFL match.

The Bombers raced out to a 16 point lead at half time, booting 11 goals to nine. In a free-flowing third quarter, the Blues slammed on 9.2, while the Dons still managed to put through 6.3.

The final quarter was tame in comparison, with Essendon running out winners by 16 points, with Matthew Lloyd and Mark McVeigh combining for eight goals. Up the other end, Brendan Fevola slotted eight majors on his own.

4. Western Bulldogs 13.12.90 v Hawthorn 14.9.93 (2016)
On the quest for their fourth consecutive flag, the Hawks came face to face with the Western Bulldogs, who had started the 2016 season incredibly well and were atop the AFL ladder with a massive percentage of 264.9.

Advertisement

In a match billed as the heavyweight up against the young up-and-comers, the Hawks led by a goal at the first break in a tense, low-scoring half.

Things opened up in the third quarter, with the Dogs racing out to a 19-point lead going into the last term. In a pulsating final quarter, Hawthorn slammed on six goals to the Bulldogs’ three, and after a Luke Dahlhaus behind, Luke Beveridge’s men held a three-point lead.

Then came perhaps one of the biggest moments of the 2016 season, when Bulldogs captain Robert Murphy tore his ACL going for a marking contest in the dying moments of the match, allowing James Sicily to take an uncontested grab. With the seconds ticking down, Sicily went back and nailed the goal, his third for the quarter, to gift the Hawks yet another close win.

Robert Murphy runs the ball

3. North Melbourne 21.10.136 v Melbourne 20.11.131 (2016)
Happening on the same day across the Bass Strait, North Melbourne battled the Demons at their Hobart fortress, otherwise known as Blundstone Arena. Having won 14 consecutive games against Melbourne, the Roos seemed likely to continue their unbeaten start to the 2016 season. After an eight goal to two first quarter, it seemed a fait accompli.

However, with the aid of a very strong breeze, Melbourne kicked into life in the second quarter, roaring back into the game with nine goals to take a stunning seven point lead at the main break. Back with the wind in the third, North took full advantage, slamming on 7.3 to 3.2 to lead by 18 points heading into the final quarter.

Kicking with the wind in the last, Melbourne were favoured to run out winners. Those odds shortened when they booted the first three majors of the fourth term, locking the scores up. However, the Roos responded with true grit, eking out four of the last seven goals of the contest to finish as the victor of one of the most bizarrely entertaining games of football ever seen.

Advertisement

In what was a game within a game, Todd Goldstein and Max Gawn went head to head, with the big Roo finishing with 19 disposals, 38 hitouts and five goals, while Gawn helped himself to 18 possessions, 63 hitouts and two majors.

2. Fremantle 9.14.68 v Essendon 10.12.72 (2013)
Still reeling from the supplements scandal that rocked the AFL and Essendon just months prior, the Bombers were taking their hot start to the 2013 season west to take on the also-unbeaten Fremantle Dockers on a Friday night.

The Bombers appeared hapless for most of the night, booting just one goal in the first half as Fremantle raced out to a six goal lead at half time. However, showing a steely resolve in front of an intimidating away crowd, Essendon turned the tide in the second half, kicking 5.5 to 0.2 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to just three points at the final break.

Two goals early in the last quarter had the Bombers in front by 10 points and they looked like running away with a memorable win. However, the Dockers fought back, kicking two consecutive goals to snatch back the lead.

In the final 15 minutes of the contest, Freo managed to score seven agonising behinds, while Essendon responded with goals to Michael Hurley and Paddy Ryder to seal a famous win for the red and black.

1. Carlton 18.17.125 v Essendon 17.20.122 (2007)
Coming in at the top spot in this list is, surprise surprise, another famous battle between Carlton and Essendon. The Bombers had all the running in the first half on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG, posting 16 scoring shots to three in the first quarter, eventually getting out to a 48 point lead at half time.

The Blues responded, slotting 10 of the next 11 goals to get back in front by seven points heading into the final quarter. With both sides trading goals in the final term, Carlton hero Brendan Fevola sealed the result with his eighth goal to hand the Blues a stunning three point victory, completing the club’s greatest ever comeback.

Advertisement

Be sure to check back for my Team of the Week at the end of the coming round, as well as my ten best Round 4 matches from the last ten years next week.

close