Following on from yesterday’s part one, here are some more of my best moments from 2014 on the AFL field.
Geelong: After the siren win against Fremantle
At the time it felt like a meaningful moment in the season as Geelong were able to hold off a fast Fremantle finish when David Mundy’s after the siren shot went wide.
Steve Johnson and Joel Selwood were at their best that Saturday night and there was real belief that this could be a Grand final preview. The irony of this match was that these two teams, so tied to one another in recent years, suffered the same straight sets exits come finals time.
It did not look like it would be that way on August 9 though.
Gold Coast: Beating Collingwood
Again it can only be ironic that Gold Coast’s most iconic win would be the start of the demise of their most promising season. Down to a dead bench and with their best player, captain and spiritual leader sidelined, Gold Coast’s young guns – in particular David Swallow and Jaeger O’Meara – spearheaded a memorable win over Collingwood at Metricon Stadium.
It was one of the best games of the season. Unfortunately though in the aftermath to this match Gary Ablett was revealed to need season ending shoulder surgery and indeed Gold Coast’s season ended on that shoulder.
GWS Giants: Last gasp win
While only the footy purists would have been watching by this point, the final game of the home and away season was played out to the final minute as GWS through Devon Smith were able to kick a last gasp goal and record a memorable win to culminate a season of growth.
While GWS have been able to add a series of key names for their ongoing improvement, it is players like Smith and fellow draftees that have the greatest impact to give, in the final moments of 2014, perhaps the start of 2015 was really playing out.
Hawthorn: Bookend domination
First pre-season match of the year, Hawthorn beat Brisbane by 131 points. Grand final, Hawthorn beat Sydney by 63 points. No two results highlight the domination of Hawthorn in 2014 then these bookend wins.
Hawthorn was as dominant a defending champion that there has been in the AFL era and were duly rewarded with back to back flags. The irony of this one was that as it was being played out live, it did not seem that this Hawthorn team was as dominant. In the big moments, at the key times, they showed just how dominant they were in 2014.
Melbourne: Christian Salem and the boyhood dream
In a roller coaster season for Melbourne, it was young draftee Salem that had the memorable moment as his final minute mark and goal gave the Demons another narrow win over Essendon.
Seemingly with the match lost, Melbourne started an improbable game winning drive that was punctuated by its youth daring to run and take the game on. That Salem stepped up and kicked the goal was a fitting end to a telling piece of play in Melbourne’s season.
North Melbourne: Ben Brown’s attack on the ball
North Melbourne have had their share of cult heroes recently, but Ben Brown perhaps signals the one with the most upside.
Breaking into the team mid-season, the standout of Brown (besides the hair) was his attack on the ball. It was never more on display then the elimination final against Essendon when a 10-minute burst by Brown changed the finals complexion.
Seemingly on the canvas trailing by five goals, Brown kicked three goals and had a hand in another as North Melbourne stormed back into the match. What was an improbable finals run, started with Brown and his determination for the contest.
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Death, taxes, and Jack Ginnivan getting ignored!
Round 5 of the AFL provided plenty of action, from big scorelines to upset wins and pressure starting to build on some clubs and coaches already.
Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy has been forced into a premature and immediate AFL retirement through concussion to prioritise a "full and healthy life"…
Geelong has been crafty and creative in its list management and has quietly assembled a very exciting young group of midfielders and half-forwards.
Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale will be looking to lead his team to a victory against Melbourne in what will be his 250th AFL game.
It’s high stakes with five teams having lost their first three games of season 2024, and in desperate need of a win.
