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 6 in the past ten years.
10. Adelaide 10.14.74 v Port Adelaide 14.13.97 (2010)
With the Crows without a win after five rounds of the 2010 season, the pressure was mounting on Neil Craig heading into the Showdown against Port Adelaide, who were on the edge of the top eight.
Adelaide started well, holding a lead at every break of play. With a seven point advantage going into the last quarter, the Power turned on the afterburners, slamming on five quick goals unanswered to break the game open. Robbie Gray starred for Port Adelaide, amassing 20 disposals and kicking 5.4 in his side’s 23-point win.
9. Richmond 9.11.65 v Geelong 35.12.222 (2007)
Not a memorable game for the closeness of the contest, but for the impact it had on the Geelong Football Club. Widely regarded as the start of the dynasty that saw the Cats win three premierships in five seasons, Geelong were under immense pressure heading into this Sunday twilight contest against the winless Tigers.
With 20 goals in the first half, commentators were reaching for the record books. The league record for the highest ever score in a VFL/AFL match, also held by Geelong, was under serious threat, but a fairly tame final quarter saw Geelong finish on a total of 35 goals, the most ever kicked at Etihad Stadium, and equalling Richmond’s biggest loss and biggest score conceded.
Geelong would go on to a 15 game winning streak before claiming their first flag in 44 years by defeating Port Adelaide to the tune of 119 points, a grand final record.
8. Western Bulldogs 13.9.87 v St Kilda 14.10.94 (2015)
A game clear in third position on the ladder, the Bulldogs were flying heading into a Saturday afternoon meeting with St Kilda under the dome at Etihad Stadium. The previous year’s wooden-spooners had been competitive up to this point but had only one win to show for their efforts, and as a result sat in 16th position.
The game appeared to be going to script in the first half, with the Dogs jumping out to a 55 point lead early in the third quarter. However, the Saints rallied, slamming on seven consecutive goals to go into the final break just 18 points in arrears.
With the first two majors in the final quarter to the Bulldogs, it appeared they were going to steer the ship back in the right direction. With a 24 point deficit staring at them, St Kilda once again got back on the horse, kicking the last five goals of the match, three of them to young prodigy Jack Billings, to claim an incredible win.
The comeback win ranked as the fifth biggest in VFL/AFL history, while it equalled the club record set by the Saints back in 1937.
7. Greater Western Sydney 16.12.108 v Hawthorn 14.14.98 (2015)
Happening on the same day north of Victoria, the up-and-coming Giants hosted the champions in Hawthorn at Spotless Stadium’s first match of the season following the completion of the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. 13,556 packed into the stadium, setting a then-record for crowd attendance for a game that wasn’t a Sydney derby.
With both sides locked on three wins each, Hawthorn were widely tipped to show the new kids on the block a lesson or two. With a 27-point lead early in the second quarter, it appeared to be going that way for the Hawks, however the Giants hit back with five goals in a row to hit the lead going into half time. Hawthorn responded, grabbing back the lead and getting it out to 16 points in the final quarter.
However, the strength and talent of the Giants could not be denied, as they slammed on another five goals in succession to open up a match-winning lead. Star forward Jeremy Cameron was the focal point, slotting seven goals in his club’s landmark victory.
6. Carlton 14.8.92 v West Coast 12.17.89 (2014)
Going into the game with a 1-4 record, the Blues were under immense pressure as they hosted the West Coast Eagles, who sat in seventh position on the ladder with three wins. In a topsy turvy first quarter, Carlton slammed on the opening four goals of the contest, before the Eagles replied with four of their own to go into quarter time with a one point advantage.
The Blues managed to lead at half time, but West Coast broke the game open slightly in the third term, going into the last quarter 14 points ahead. With 1.4 to open the final term, West Coast’s lead had ballooned out to four goals, and the Blues looked finished. However, the navy blues started to win more possession and, with the aid of a vocal home crowd, kicked the final five goals of the contest to claim a memorable three point win.
The Eagles were bitterly disappointed, having blown a golden opportunity win away from home. Adam Simpson’s men booted a wasteful 1.8 in the final term.
5. Adelaide 11.12.78 v Hawthorn 13.11.89 (2013)
With four wins from their opening five games, Hawthorn took their winning form to the city of churches to take on the Adelaide Crows at AAMI Stadium. Just one win outside of the top eight, the Crows were desperate to keep in touch with the finals race. With a five goal to one opening quarter, Hawthorn appeared the better side on the field, but Adelaide hit back to tie the scores late in the second quarter.
With the final two goals of the third quarter, the Crows had the crowd of over 37,000 on their feet with the result still well up in the air. With a goal to midfielder Scott Thompson early in the last term, Adelaide hit the front for the first time since early in the first quarter. The Hawks responded against the loud home crowd, booting four goals in a row, eventually claiming a tough 11-point victory.
4. Sydney 10.11.71 v Carlton 12.15.87 (2011)
With just one win separating these sides on the ladder, the Friday night clash between the Swans and Blues at the SCG was a tough one to tip. With five goals in the opening term, Sydney started the match in better form, however amazingly both sides would fail to add to their goal tally in the second quarter, with Sydney booting 0.6 to Carlton’s 0.5.
The match opened up considerably in the second half, with Carlton springing into action. Aided by small forwards Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett, the Blues slammed on 9.9 to Sydney’s 5.3 in the second half to claim a 16 point win away from home. Betts and Garlett combined for six goals, while Chris Judd was heroic with 33 possessions and 15 clearances.
3. Sydney 14.10.94 v Adelaide 15.9.99 (2012)
Heading into Round 6, the Swans were one of two undefeated sides left in the league, while Adelaide were hot on their heels with four wins from five attempts. In their Saturday night clash at the SCG, the red and white faithful were shocked when the Crows slammed on five opening quarter goals to Sydney’s one.
Leading by 28 points approaching time-on of the second quarter, the Crows allowed the Swans to get back into the match thanks to four consecutive goals.
Sydney would hit the front early in the third quarter, with both sides going goal for goal in a ripping contest. With a seven point deficit all of a sudden, Adelaide flicked the switch in the final quarter, piling on four quick goals to lead by 18 points. The Swans got it back to one straight kick, with Luke Parker and Lewis Jetta missing chances to be the hero for their club. The win sealed Adelaide’s credentials as a bonafide top four club, and would come incredibly close to facing off again against the Swans in the grand final.
2. Fremantle 13.10.88 v Geelong 13.11.89 (2008)
Sitting unbeaten on top of the ladder following their record-breaking premiership win the year before, the Cats looked set to vanquish every team on their way to back-to-back flags. They were expected to make short work of the struggling Fremantle Dockers, who sat in 14th position with just one win from five games.
However, onlookers were shocked when Freo slammed on seven of the first eight goals of the match, leading by 39 points halfway through the second quarter. Geelong responded like all good teams do, kicking six quick goals in succession to cut the deficit to just two points at half time. But they would fail to kick a goal in the third quarter. putting through just three behinds as Fremantle regained their handy buffer, this time to the tune of 25 points.
In a frenetic final quarter, Geelong kicked five unanswered goals against a vocal home crowd to hit the lead, but inspirational captain Matthew Pavlich stood up for the Dockers, kicking a goal to cut the margin to two points. In the dying moments of the match, Pavlich had another scoring opportunity, taking a mark on the forward flank. Aiming for his sixth goal, he took the kick just inside 50, with his shot looking set to sail through for all money.
However, a late swing saw it collide with the goal post, allowing Geelong to hold on for a memorable one-point victory.
1. Hawthorn 16.10.106 v Carlton 15.12.102 (2009)
Having endured a shaky start to their premiership defence, the Hawks came up against Carlton on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the MCG. The Blues, having won three of their opening five matches, sat third on the ladder. In one of the greatest shootouts seen between two opposing key forwards in the modern era, the Hawks and Blues could hardly be separated on the scoreboard in the first half.
Hawthorn got out to a 19 point advantage in the third quarter, but it was quickly reigned in, with Carlton facing a one point deficit heading into the last break. With five of the first six goals in the final quarter, the Hawks jumped out to a 25 point advantage and they looked set to get their season back on track.
However, the Blues responded in a big way, kicking four majors in a row. A couple of behinds saw them get the margin under a goal, before Brendan Fevola took a one-on-one contested mark just 30 metres from goal on a slight angle.
With the navy blue faithful in absolute delirium, Fevola took aim for his ninth goal and to win the game for Carlton with just seconds left on the clock. His shot at goal, like Pavlich’s against Geelong a year earlier, appeared to be heading through the big sticks, but a late fade saw it hit the post, much to the amazement of the crowd of just under 70,000. The Hawks managed to retain possession and hang on for an amazing win. Fevola finished with eight goals, a match for Hawthorn star Jarryd Roughead up the other end.
That’s all for another week. Enjoy the weekend of footy and make sure to tune in on Monday for Round 6’s Team of the Week!
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