The dust has settled, the hangover has eased and the Demons are premiers, putting the Dogs to the sword in the last quarter to run out 74-point winners.
To the victors go the spoils and after such a long time between drinks for Demons fans, the spoils will be enjoyed for a very long time to come.
And for the vanquished? It’s been an incredible year for the Western Bulldogs and despite the poor finish, it’s hard not to feel a lot of pride for the red, white and blue.
Despite the loss I was able to host a sort of grand final party for some of my neighbours when normally I would just stream it on my computer alone, so it was still one of my better grand finals in recent memory.
Here are some final thoughts on a game I’d like to forget but will probably remember for a long time.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
The first half
The first two and a half quarters were everything we wanted from a grand final. It was tough, hard, quick football. The Demons were unrelenting but the talent of the Bulldogs kept them going.
Those second-quarter goals from Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar were brilliant. Josh Schache was playing out of his skin. The pace of the game was incredible as was the physicality.
The Dogs got 19 points up and I really thought we were half a chance but we all know what happened next.
The three and half minutes from hell
The Dogs started the third quarter so well. Twelve minutes in and they were 19 points ahead while dominating the third quarter, then Melbourne took the game by the scruff of the neck and the Dogs didn’t even give a yelp.
When Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca started clearing it with such ease the Dogs didn’t try and defend in the centre, instead believing that they could pull it back in their favour. When they were six points down, I thought they could respond if they just held up until three-quarter time, but the goals kept coming.
When the siren sounded with the Dogs 24 points down, we knew it was over and so did the Dogs’ players. The margin doesn’t do the game justice as it was close for the majority, but that three and a half minutes will give the players nightmares for a long, long time.
Bailey Fritsch
I didn’t go into this game thinking Fritsch would have the sort of influence he had. Such are grand finals, they can show us the best of players.
His two goals in the third dragged the Demons back into it and off they went. In any other premiership team in recent history, he would be a deserved Norm Smith medallist, but so good was Petracca you couldn’t go past him.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
I saw a video of Fritsch on Instagram yesterday and he didn’t seem to care.
The longest quarter of my footballing life
I knew before the bounce of the ball to start the last quarter that it was over but being with friends, I stuck fat and watched the entire thing. Melbourne did largely as they pleased and every goal kicked would have been pure bliss for Melbourne fans.
What was disappointing was how poor the leaders were. It looked like Bontempelli had gone home, so little was his influence. The kids in the squad needed someone to get them through that last quarter.
Jack Macrae was in the thick of it but he played a lone hand. Hopefully there is no long-term scarring for the youth like Cody Weightman, Aaron Naughton, and Bailey Smith, but we won’t find out until next year.
The presentation
I have to give credit to Western Australia. It was a brilliant grand final. It was really well done. The only blip on the whole thing was Basil Zempilas not letting Andrew Embley announce the winner of the Norm Smith or the coach say a few words.
That may be small but it really isn’t. Coach speeches in a grand final are a part of history. Zempilas has been involved in football long enough to know that. Do not let him go near a grand final again.
That’s all I’ve got about the 25th of September. Congratulations Melbourne, you’re deserved premiers, and the Western Bulldogs have done us supporters proud.
They’ve still got one of the best lists in the competition so I fully expect them to be around the mark again. However they do have holes that need to be filled, which I will get into at a later date.
Bring on the trade period and draft.
berrlins
Roar Pro
he was second in contested marks and top 5 for scoring, I think they need to keep him as a forward and get another ruck or put some time into Jordan Sweet and see what he can do, Ladhams will be on their radar although I hear he's in talks with the Saints or Bombers.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Late second rounder I’d say or early third
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I was surprisingly not that disappointed when we lost. Maybe it's the low expectations of a Bulldogs supporter but it was great just getting to watch our team in the grand final, plus I didn't think anything could compare to 2016. It also helps that I don't hate the team that beat them and knowing that team was just too good. It felt like our team fulfilled their potential this year.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I think someone else would take him. I also think he's worth putting at least another year into. Another preseason in the gym, Steven King is gone so maybe a new ruck coach to get more out of him. He's not a lost cause by any stretch.
berrlins
Roar Pro
yeah like I wrote, those last couple of minutes when the Demons were on top they just had to slow it down, momentum is a funny thing I think they thought they were still playing better and would work themselves back into it but just like that Melbourne kicked away. It would have been upto Dunkley, and Libba as well to make their opponents accountable so they'll look at that in the off season and hopefully adjust. what I don't want to happen is an overreaction because of the margin, the dogs are there or there abouts they just need some minor tinkering and they'll be at the pointy end again.
berrlins
Roar Pro
English is an interesting situation, played a pretty poor grand final but what do they do with him, he's a half decent forward who can ruck around the ground a little but has no mongrel and gets belted to often. there are trade conversations with him but what is he worth?
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Totally agree Berlins. I'm proud of our club ... I wasn't even too disappointed when they essentially stopped trying in the last quarter, because they were beaten. We could pick apart our mistakes but ultimately the Demons were just awesome. And not only were they awesome against us, but also against Brisbane and Geelong in the other finals and in fact all year. Good luck and full credit to them for playing so brilliantly. And to our boys ... thank you.
nics
Roar Rookie
It was disgraceful. I note the AFL set the timing to maximise East Coast eyeballs...
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Yeah English is the big worry, and Bevo knows it; he's said as much in a few press conferences. He seems to time his jump poorly in centre bounces (which could be a self-protection thing) and lacks the aggression needed around the ground. I'm not sure letting him go is the answer though; he's clearly skillful enough, he just needs to man up.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Sports Lover, have another look at those centre bounce clearances. The only body on body was Treloar and he is light framed and was shoved out of the way. The Dogs centre set up fell over in those crucial minutes. Forget the final score. This GF was lost in those few centre bounces after the Fritsch first goal.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
It was incredible to see Petracca especially unguarded. After a couple of quick goals you would think there was some plan in place to go man on man in the middle, set up defensive or other ways to take that heat out of the Demons momentum. Even Bont seemed to panic. As for a ruck, can you imagine Grundy in that Dogs side? I’m sorry but English should be let go. He is not at the level.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Basil Fawlty disgraced his state.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
If our young players have any back bone the young players you suggested should use the pain to get bigger & stronger in the pre season & come out in season 22’ & play better footy for the lessons learnt. It’s a tough caper Berrlins but have great confidence we can improve, Go Dogs!
Chanon
Roar Rookie
That was bloody disgraceful, not allowing the coach to have his say was embarrassing for the AFL. Thank goodness next year it will be played at the MCG
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Spot on Peter. And it's been our glaring problem all year. Bevo has tinkered and tried to fix it but we can be beaten too easily in there. Yeah it's harder when the opposition ruckman dominates but they need to find a way to square those contests. 6-6-6 has given a huge advantage to teams that win the centre bounces; make no mistake about it, Gawn was the difference here. The Dogs needed to be more defensive, especially after the first two goals of that run-on, and needed to put players on the defensive side of the ruck contest to stop the burst, or at least slow it down. People keep banging on about key defenders - the ruck is their big issue, not key defenders.
The Sports Lover
Roar Rookie
I too would be proud of the Dogs of I was a supporter. Their flogging of the Power show they are a dangerous opponent who will threaten again in 2022. The Demons were irrepressible last Saturday (just as the Dogs were against Port) and I doubt any team in the competition could have slowed that burst dam wall of points. I think any Dogs supporter can rest easy and they’ll enjoy barracking for a very strong team next season.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
With their talented young players the Bulldogs will surely bounce back & be up there next year.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
It was a great season for the Dogs but at some stage they need to look at those centre bounce set ups in those few minutes that ultimately decided the GF. If you slow down the footage at each stoppage there’s some glaring mistakes that were made, reset next bounce and made again. Treloar was bodied out of the way by the Demons and then Petracca and Oliver were simply let free to do what they wanted. I love Treloar and he stood tall in the game but this is why Bev doesn’t play him in the middle all the time. Watch those clearances in those few minutes and that’s where this GF was won or lost. The Dogs backed English but it also cost them. They need a hard tough ruck.
berrlins
Roar Pro
After posting this article I found out that due to a timing issue they pushed through without allowing Goodwin to speak, I'm going to double down and say even if it wasn't Basils fault it's still poor form and shouldn't have happened.