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Collingwood took on St Kilda in the AFL grand final, with both sides looking to end a drought. The Magpies last tasted premiership glory in 1990, their only flag in the last 52 years. St Kilda’s only title was 44 years ago. One of those long runs would finally come to an end. Or so we thought.
It took just 23 seconds for the Magpies to draw first blood, Alan Didak setting up Darren Jolly. Although Stephen Milne replied for the Saints, the Magpies made the early front-running. Quick-fire goals to Jarryd Blair, Alan Didak and Dale Thomas sent the black and white army into a frenzy. The danger signs were there of a potential blowout.
In the dying minutes of the quarter the Saints, with goals to Riewoldt and Schneider, made a dent in the deficit. But it was to be a temporary reprieve as the Magpies again asserted their superiority in the second term. With a glut of possession, and a midfield in control, it was looking set for a Collingwood blowout.
The Saints would manage just one scoring shot for the second term, and by the long break the margin was 24 points. The ball had been camped on the Collingwood forward line for much of the quarter; it appeared to be only a matter of time before their dominance would be reflected on the scoreboard. Had it not been for let-off late in the quarter, with Cloke twice missing easy shots, the margin could have been considerably bigger than the four-goal margin.
Only three times had a team come back from four goals behind at half time to win a grand final. Carlton in 1970, Essendon in 1984 and Adelaide in 1998 were the only teams to have carried off that achievement; and there were few signs that the Saints could join such elite company. Instead, it was looking like the Saints were fighting a futile attempt, like King Canute in 1066, to hold back the tide.
But somehow the Saints hung in their magnificently in the third term; and the momentum swung St Kilda’s way. Far from the blowout that threatened at the long break, the Magpies were unable to score a goal in the third term. The Saints stepped up a gear, with the likes of Koschitzke and Goddard who thus far had been quiet began to exert a greater influence. Collingwood were their own worst enemy, missing five gettable shots at goal in the quarter. But confidence was growing in the St Kilda bunker, their three unanswered goals cutting the margin to just eight points.
The first few minutes saw St Kilda make the early attacking, then the ball swung Collingwood’s way. But the defences held firm, equal to the task facing them. For eight scoreless minutes the game remained poised as it was at the break. But Collingwood mentor Mick Malthouse’s gamble of playing Leon Davis looked set to pay off when the number one pounced on a loose ball and kicked truly. Eight minutes of play for just the one scoring shot; and still the Saints needed to conjure three goals from somewhere.
The Saints needed a goal, but young gun Robert Eddy hit the post. But on 13 minutes, Lenny Hayes converted a 50-metre set shot to cut the margin back to 7 points. From the centre break, Stephen Milne marked and goaled; and in the blink of an eye there was only a point in it.
The crowd of 100,016 were roaring themselves hoarse as the Saints travelled forward again. Nick Riewoldt went long to a vacant goal-square, but his opposite number, Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell with a desperate dive touched the ball and scores were level. A turnover from the kick-in, and the Saints bombed the ball into the square. Brendan Goddard flew high for the mark of the day, and when he kicked the goal, the Saints were in front for the first time.
A Collingwood point followed, then Brent Macaffer went long and Travis Cloke gathered the crumbs and dribbled the ball through to restore Collingwood’s lead. At the 31 minute mark, and the clock running down, Lenny Hayes went long. Stephen Milne was first in the race for the bouncing ball, but couldn’t control it and the ball spilled through for a point. Scores were level, not long to go.
Play was re-started, the ball deep in the Saints’ attacking zone. Would there be a Barry Breen, a hero who could stand up at the moment that mattered and give the Saints their second flag?
No, there was no last-moment hero. No moment of glory, no defining event. There were no rabbits to be pulled from the hat; and the knockout blow would not come. The siren sounded – a draw.
Normally after a grand final, we see agony and ecstasy. Joy for the winner, despair for the loser. But now there was despair for both sides – no joy, no celebrations. No historic ending of the premiership drought. No premiership medals, no cups. Nothing but the anti-climactic emotion that the season was unresolved.
Both sides left to rue the one that got away – the chances to be the immortal who delivered premiership glory to a long-suffering club that went begging.
We’ll be back next week to do it all again.
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