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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 7 in the past ten years.
10. North Melbourne 20.5.125 v Port Adelaide 18.12.120 (2009)
On a chilly Saturday night in Melbourne, North Melbourne clashed with Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium in front of just 14,342 spectators, which remains the lowest crowd the Roos have played in front at their home ground, and the sixth lowest ever for any game at Etihad Stadium.
Those who ventured out were treated to a terrific contest, with the Power two wins clear of the struggling Roos on the ladder. It didn’t stop the home side from kicking 12 goals to six in the first half, and it looked like Dean Laidley’s men would run away with a comfortable victory when they led by 30 points in the closing stages of the match.
However, the Power made a remarkable late surge, kicking four goals in five minutes to get the margin back to one straight kick. Former Roo Daniel Motlop had a chance to level the scores but his shot was off the mark, and the Kangaroos held on for a five point win.
9. West Coast 10.14.74 v Carlton 17.9.111 (2008)
After Chris Judd’s much-publicised move from West Coast back to Victoria to play for the Blues in the off-season of 2007, many had the Eagles and Carlton’s first clash of 2008 circled in the calendar.
As the AFL do, they decided to maximise the ‘blockbuster’ factor of the match by scheduling it on a Friday night, with Judd’s Blues travelling west to take on the Eagles at Subiaco Oval. After a tight first quarter, Carlton exploded out of the blocks in the second, booting 8.3 to 0.6 to pretty much make the result beyond doubt at the main break.
To West Coast’s credit, they fought back in the third term, managing to cut the deficit back to seven points by the final quarter. But the Blues rallied, kicking the final five goals of the contest to win by 37 points. Judd played well without starring, having 24 disposals and winning five clearances to have the last laugh.
8. Western Bulldogs 16.16.112 v Melbourne 16.10.106 (2007)
Without a win from their opening six games, Melbourne were desperate to taste victory when they came up against the Western Bulldogs on a Sunday afternoon at Etihad Stadium.
With a six-goal opening quarter, the signs were promising for the red and blue faithful, however the Dogs took the ascendancy in the second quarter, helping them take a 15 point lead into the final break.
With one final effort, the Demons kicked six final term goals, managing to grab the lead late in the game. However, Brad Johnson would be the hero for the Bulldogs, slotting the match-winner to consign Melbourne to a 0-7 start to the season.
7. Melbourne 9.12.66 v Western Bulldogs 10.10.70 (2010)
Fast forward a few years, and these two clubs met in another memorable clash, this time a few kilometres away at the MCG on a Friday night. Celebrating breast cancer awareness, the Demons swapped the red on their guernsey for pink, with the AFL also deciding, in all their wisdom, to dress the umpires in pink shirts as well. Remember that, it comes in handy later on.
Both teams held a 3-3 record heading into the clash, proving it to be a genuine ‘eight point game’. The Demons didn’t kick their first goal until the second quarter, with cold and wet conditions not conducive to clean and entertaining football. Instead, it was a tough and enthralling slog.
The Bulldogs surrendered their slender lead in the early stages of the final quarter, with Melbourne getting out by nine points with under four minutes of time left on the clock. The Dogs mustered one final effort, with defender Brian Lake snapping a great goal. The Demons tried hard to win the ball forward from the resulting centre bounce, but a hurried handball from Clint Bartram went in the direction of an umpire in metres of space, having mistaken him for a teammate due to the pink shirt similar to the club’s attire on the night.
This allowed the Dogs to pounce on the ball, sending it forward where Ryan Griffen was able to snap a terrific goal from the forward pocket to gift his team the lead and, ultimately, the win. The AFL were criticised in the aftermath of the match for allowing the umpires and Melbourne to wear such similar uniforms.
6. Western Bulldogs 18.15.123 v Adelaide 17.6.108 (2016)
In the highly-anticipated rematch of the elimination final between the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide that many viewed as one of the games of the 2015 season, the two sides clashed under the roof at Etihad Stadium on a Saturday night with a 4-2 record each.
The Dogs had all of the play for most of the first half, leading by as much as 36 points early in the second quarter. With 10 of the next 12 goals, the Crows rallied to get back within a couple of points in the third term. However, the Bulldogs would manage to keep Adelaide at bay for the remainder of the game, even in the final minutes when the margin was reduced to as little as three points. Two late goals helped them claim a 15-point win, with Crows forward Josh Jenkins starring with eight goals.
5. Essendon 16.10.106 v Port Adelaide 17.7.109 (2010)
With a two-game winning streak heading into this contest, Port Adelaide flew east to take on Essendon at Etihad Stadium full of confidence. A free-flowing, high-scoring game would ensue between the two clubs, with both using the perfect conditions to their advantage.
The Bombers looked the better side early in the second half, leading by 21 points thanks to the Indigenous brilliance of Paddy Ryder, Alwyn Davey and Nathan Lovett-Murray. Port Adelaide responded with four consecutive goals to grab the lead, before Essendon managed to take a two goal advantage into the final break.
In a tight and tense last term, the Power proved the better side, kicking 4.5 to 2.2 to win by three points after a frenetic final few minutes.
4. Richmond 16.9.105 v Collingwood 15.10.100 (2015)
Holding a 4-2 record going into Round 7, the Magpie army headed out in full force in their clash with the struggling Tigers at the MCG. Taking a 20-point lead into quarter time, everything appeared to be going to plan for Nathan Buckley’s troops.
That was until Richmond awoke, arguably getting their season going with a remarkable second quarter in which they kicked 8.3 to Collingwood’s 3.1, allowing the Tigers to take a 12 point lead into half time. The Magpies responded in the third term, booting five goals to three to regain the lead by the final change.
Two consecutive goals to Brett Deledio had the Tigers with a handy buffer, but the Pies responded to get their nose in front. In a thrilling finish, Richmond kicked two of the final three goals to claim a memorable five point win.
3. St Kilda 12.9.81 v Carlton 11.18.84 (2011)
Played on a Monday night when the AFL decided to experiment with these two teams in the unusual fixture, the Saints and Blues delivered a thrilling contest at Etihad Stadium during their 2011 clash. With Carlton just a win and a half from the top of the ladder, they were expected to easily account for the struggling Saints, who were coming off their second consecutive grand final defeat.
With a 28 point lead early in the third quarter, it appeared to be going smoothly for the Blues, before St Kilda stormed back, kicking five consecutive goals to get the margin back to a point. Carlton tried to repel the Saints’ charge, but goals to Arryn Siposs (remember him?) and Jason Gram saw Ross Lyon’s men in front.
With one final attack, Andrew Walker marked in the forward pocket and managed to drill the winning goal for the Blues, handing them a dramatic three point win.
2. Melbourne 17.17.119 v Fremantle 15.23.113 (2008)
This game definitely wasn’t billed as a must-watch contest, given the Demons and Dockers occupied two of the bottom three positions on the ladder with just one win between them heading into the game, but it turned out to be a highly entertaining clash.
Winless to this point in 2008, Melbourne’s woes looked set to continue when they conceded 11 goals to just three in the first half, staring at a 50 point deficit when they started the third quarter.
In an amazing swing of momentum, the Demons managed to slot five goals in a row, cutting that margin to just 19 points, before Fremantle responded, with the gap between the two sides over five goals at the final change.
In an exhilirating fourth quarter, Melbourne slammed on 9.2 to 2.6 to claim an incredible six point win, setting a record for the club’s greatest comeback victory ever. Small forwards Russell Robertson and Austin Wonaeamirri were the heroes up forward, slotting four goals each, with both players kicking three goals in the final term onslaught.
1. Richmond 16.11.107 v St Kilda 17.8.110 (2008)
With both sides occupying the two spots just outside of the top eight, this game was absolutely crucial for a potential spot in the finals come September. On a Saturday night at Etihad Stadium in front of over 40,000 fans, the Saints and Tigers played out an entertaining and close clash.
Having faced an 11-point deficit at half time, St Kilda charged out to an 18 point lead midway through the third term, but the Tigers reigned their opponents in to lead by the smallest of margins at the final break. Stephen Milne would be the hero for St Kilda up forward, kicking three fourth quarter goals, the last of them to put his side in front.
Richmond had their chances in the dying minutes, with Nathan Brown and Kelvin Moore both hitting the post with their shots on goal. Eventually, Jack Riewoldt found the ball in his hands roughly 65m from goal when the siren sounded. In just his 12th game, a young Riewoldt gave it everything he had but the ball fell short, signalling an important win for St Kilda.
That’s it for another round, tune in next week when I go over the best Round 8 matches from the past ten years.
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