“One day in September, we want to remember”. The traditional footy song is sure to get plenty of airplay in grand final week; even though it’s an October GF this year. And there’s been plenty of memorable Grand Finals over the years.
Here’s my top 10:
1. 1984 – Essendon 14.21 (105) def. Hawthorn 12.9 (81).
Winning the ultimate prize for the first time will always be memorable. As a 13-year-old, I was glued to the telly as my (then) beloved Bombers took out footy’s glory for the first time in my lifetime.
It wasn’t easy, as the Bombers were jumped at the start and were four goals down at quarter time. They lifted after that, but poor finishing let them down and they were unable to make any impact on the deficit, and still trailed by 23 points at the last change.
But the last quarter was inspirational. Leon Baker goaled in the first few seconds, and the Bombers snatched the momentum; and when big Roger Merrett marked in the square mid-way through the quarter, the Bombers were in front. Nine goals to two for the quarter saw the deficit turn into a four-goal win. Bustling Billy Duckworth took out the Norm Smith Medal; captain Terry Daniher and super-coach Kevin Sheedy lifted up the premiership cup.
2. 2000 – Essendon 19.21 (135) def Melbourne 11.9 (75).
This was the first grand final I got to attend live, perched high up in the old Ponsford Stand behind the goals. The buzz of being there was amazing; an intense atmosphere with a full house. As always there was spectacular pre-match entertainment – and the roar of the crowd after the national anthem is always a big moment.
It had been the most dominant season ever for the Bombers, only dropping one game all season and the Bombers were close to unbackable favourites. The Bombers wasted no time in getting on top around the ground, but some inaccurate kicking kept Melbourne in the hunt.
The result of the game was never in doubt. Paul Barnard finished with four goals, while Matty Lloyd threw enough grass around to also finish with four. But there was no doubt that James Hird, the Bombers’ favourite genius, was best on ground.
3. 2005 – Sydney 8.10 (58) def. West Coast 7.12 (54).
I was at this grand final, sitting with Swans’ fanatics on the day their long premiership drought came to an end. This was a low-scoring grand final, an absolute thriller that would go down to the final second.
The Swans got on top in the second quarter and led by 20 points at half time, but the Eagles rallied in the third term to cut the margin to two points at the last change. And disaster struck for the Swans when Luke Ablett chipped across goal only for the kick to be intercepted by Ben Cousins and the Eagles took the lead.
Michael O’Loughlin couldn’t buy a goal, but eventually Barry Hall managed to get one and the Swans were back in front. But the Eagles kept surging forward as the clock ticked down. Sitting in a new section of the Olympic Stand which had just been opened, the action took place to my right, and the show of red and white every time the Swans stopped an Eagle raid was memorable.
At 33 minutes it was surely the Eagles’ last roll of the dice as Dean Cox went forward, but Leo Barry went up for the most important mark of his career. The siren sounded, and 72 years of Swans’ heartache was over; and there were plenty of tears of joy from the Swans’ faithful that day.
4. 1989 – Hawthorn 21.18 (144) def. Geelong 21.12 (138).
The last grand final to be played under the VFL banner, this was one of the most amazing games ever, and one that will long live in footy memory. The game started controversially, with Mark Yeates flattening Dermott Brereton in the opening minute; but the Hawk forward recovered to mark and goal. The Hawks raced away to a big lead, and looked set to easily take out the premiership with a 40-point advantage at quarter time.
It was a shootout, with Geelong continually throwing down the challenge but the Hawks coming up with the answers and still held a 36-point advantage at the last change. But the Hawks had injury problems, had no bench and were forced to throw injured players back on to make up the numbers. And the Cats surged forward in the last term.
Eight goals to three during an epic final term saw the margin come back to within a kick, but the Hawks hung on for dear life. Despite Hawthorn being the winners, it was a player from the losing side who was undisputed as best on ground, with Gary Ablett contributing nine goals and keeping the Cats in the contest.
5. 1993 – Essendon 20.13 (133) def. Carlton 13.11 (89).
I had moved up to Sydney by this grand final, and there was a buzz around my adopted city, which had been awarded the 2000 Olympics the day before. But there was plenty to celebrate with this grand final.
The Baby Bombers put on a display to remember. Michael Long’s ran through the centre, with several bounces before shooting truly and just beating Stephen Silvagni’s desperate attempt to touch, was an act of brilliance that would set the Bomber machine in motion.
Seven of the Bombers were under 21, and half of the team had played less than 50 games. But they didn’t let the occasion get to them, taking a commanding lead early and maintaining it for the rest of the day.
Despite a surge by Carlton late in the third term that cut the margin back to 30 points, the result was never in doubt. It had been a great year for Essendon’s Aboriginal footballers, with Gavin Wanganeen taking out the Brownlow and Michael Long the Norm Smith Medal.
6. 2010 – Collingwood 10.8 (68) drew with St Kilda 9.14 (68).
Memorable for its amazing finish, with scores tied up as the final siren sounded for the first time since 1977. Collingwood were in control early, leading by 24 points at half time and should have led by more. But the Saints rallied in the second half, taking the lead in the last quarter before the Magpies steadied to tie the scores. The Saints surged forward in the final moments, but a long bomb by Lenny Hayes, hoping to replicate the immortal moment by Barry Breen in 1966, bounced the wrong way.
No extra time in v, they would have to come back the following week – which Collingwood won easily.
7. 1996 – North Melbourne 19.17 (131) def. Sydney 13.10 (88).
The AFL’s centenary season had been one that saw Fitzroy lose their brave fight for survival, merged into Brisbane; while Hawthorn and Melbourne were close to also merging. But the big story of the season was the rise of Sydney. The Swans had been wooden spooners just two years earlier, but managed to scrape past Hawthorn and Essendon during the finals to qualify for football’s big day.
Early in the second quarter, the Swans were three goals ahead. But there would be no fairytale, as the well-drilled Kangaroos side stepped up the pressure, taking the lead moments before half time and going on with the job in the second half.
8. 2006 – West Coast 12.13 (85) def. Sydney 12.12 (84).
I was fortunate enough to land a ticket for this one, and what a classic it would be. The star-studded Eagles got the jump early, with Chris Judd and Ben Cousins dominant in the early exchanges. By half time the Eagles were 25 points ahead, but the Swans weren’t finished yet.
Barry Hall had the yips in front of goal, but the Swans got the margin back to 11 points at the last change, and a barnstorming effort from Adam Goodes in the opening seconds of the final term got the margin back to within a kick. But the Swans were never able to take the lead and were an agonising one point in arrears when the final siren rang. Sydney and West Coast had been so evenly matched that it seemed fair that Sydney got one grand final, while the Eagles got the other.
The qualifying final between the two teams had also gone off by a point, and that would also be the margin when the Swans and Eagles would meet in the opening round of 2007.
9. 2001 – Brisbane 15.18 (108) def. Essendon 12.10 (82).
Not the result I wanted from this grand final, but you couldn’t begrudge the Lions their success. Fitzroy hadn’t won anything since 1944, while this was the first premiership to go to any incarnation of a Brisbane club.
Essendon led by 14 points at half time, but the Lions took control in the third term; and despite a five-goal haul from Matty Lloyd, the Bombers fell 26 points short. The Lions were an imposing team, with Brownlow Medallist Jason Akermanis doing his trademark handstand after the game.
From Shaun Hart’s Norm Smith Medal to the sight of old Fitzroy fans who had seen the remnants of their team shipped off to Brisbane five years earlier, this was a moment to remember. And it would be the start of an imposing dynasty for Brisbane, the first of three in a row.
10. 2004 – Port Adelaide 17.13 (113) def. Brisbane 10.13 (73).
Brisbane’s quest for four straight premierships fell at the last hurdle, when they went down to Port Adelaide in 2004. The Power had been minor premiers in the last two seasons but failed to qualify for the grand final; but got through in 2004.
For three quarters the game was an arm-wrestle, with changes in the momentum of the game. Scores were level 25 minutes into the third term, but three goals to the Power in the final minutes of the third term changed the complexion of the contest and the Power raced away in the last quarter.
But most memorable was the reaction of coach Mark Williams and his proving the doubters wrong, with his choking gesture on the boundary line as the siren sounded and his famous “Allan Scott, you were wrong” comment during the presentation.
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