1.
AFL Grand Final
–
The winning club of the grand final receives the AFLs premiership cup and the premiership flag. All players in the team receive a gold premiership medallion. Adelaide is the club to have never lost a grand final which it has contested. The concept of a grand final gradually evolved from experimentation by the Victorian Football League in the years of competition following its inception in 1897. During the 19th century, Australian football competition adopted the approach that the team on top of the ladder was declared the premiers. However, the fledgling VFL decided that a series played between the top four teams at the end of the season would generate more interest and gate money. For 1897, the VFL scheduled a round robin tournament whereby the top four played each other once, the winners of these semi finals then met in a final to decide the premiership. The first such final was contested in 1898 between the Essendon Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club at the St Kilda Cricket Ground, which Fitzroy won scoring 5.8 to Essendons 3.5. The new finals system caused problems in 1901 when Geelong finished on top of the ladder but was eliminated when defeated in the semi final. A right of challenge was introduced, giving the team finished on top at the end of the regular season the right to challenge if they lost the semi final or the final. This challenge match came to be called the grand final, the first four grand finals were scattered around various Melbourne venues, one at Albert Park, two at St Kildas Junction Oval and one at the East Melbourne Cricket Ground. The selection of the venue could depend on the portion of the demanded by the grounds landlords. The public remained ambivalent to the concept of football until the VFL pulled off a coup in 1902. Previously, the MCG was unavailable to football in the spring months as it was being prepared for the coming cricket season. The original Argus system had been instituted by the VFL in 1901 and this figure was beaten in the 1912 Grand Final when 54,463 saw Essendon defeat South Melbourne. The big finals crowds prompted the MCC to cut down the eleven fifty-year-old elm trees inside the ground and turn the stadium into a bowl, complete with extra stands. The record fell again in the last grand final before World War I, the war had a considerable effect on the impact of the grand final and attendances plummeted. One critic called for the Carlton team to receive the Iron Cross after they defeated Collingwood in the thrilling 1915 Grand Final, ironically dubbed a glorious contest by famous coach Jack Worrall
2.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
–
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, also known simply as The G, is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria. The MCG is within walking distance of the city centre and is served by the Richmond railway station, Richmond, and it is part of the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct. Since it was built in 1853, the MCG has been in a state of almost constant renewal and it served as the centrepiece stadium of the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and two Cricket World Cups,1992 and 2015. The annual Boxing Day Test is one of the MCGs most popular events, the stadium fills to capacity for the AFL Grand Final. Concerts and other events are also held at the venue. The MCG is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and was included on the Australian National Heritage List in 2005, journalist Greg Baum called it a shrine, a citadel, a landmark, a totem that symbolises Melbourne to the world. Founded in November 1838 the Melbourne Cricket Club selected the current MCG site in 1853 after previously playing at several grounds around Melbourne, the club’s first game was against a military team at the Old Mint site, at the corner of William and Latrobe Streets. The area was subject to flooding, forcing the club to move again and it was not long before the club was forced out again, this time because of the expansion of the railway. The South Melbourne ground was in the path of Victoria’s first steam railway line from Melbourne to Sandridge and this last option, which is now Yarra Park, had been used by Aborigines until 1835. Between 1835 and 1853 it was an agistment area for colonial troopers’ horses, in 1850 it was part of a 200-acre stretch set aside for public recreation extending from Governor La Trobe’s Jolimont Estate to the Yarra River. By 1853 it had become a busy promenade for Melbourne residents, an MCC sub-committee chose the Richmond Park option because it was level enough for cricket but sloped enough to prevent inundation. That ground was located where the Richmond, or outer, end of the current MCG is now, at the same time the Richmond Cricket Club was given occupancy rights to six acres for another cricket ground on the eastern side of the Government Paddock. At the time of the grant the Government stipulated that the ground was to be used for cricket and cricket only. This condition remained until 1933 when the State Government allowed the MCG’s uses to be broadened to other purposes when not being used for cricket. In 1863 a corridor of land running diagonally across Yarra Park was granted to the Hobson’s Bay Railway, the area closest to the river was also developed for sporting purposes in later years including Olympic venues in 1956. The first grandstand at the MCG was the original wooden stand built in 1854. It was during this tour that the MCG hosted the worlds first Test match, in 1881 the original members stand was sold to the Richmond Cricket Club for £55. A new brick stand, considered at the time to be the world’s finest cricket facility, was built in its place, the foundation stone was laid by Prince George of Wales and Prince Albert Victor on 4 July and the stand opened in December that year
3.
Australia
–
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It is the worlds sixth-largest country by total area, the neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor to the north, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east, and New Zealand to the south-east. Australias capital is Canberra, and its largest urban area is Sydney, for about 50,000 years before the first British settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who spoke languages classifiable into roughly 250 groups. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades, and by the 1850s most of the continent had been explored, on 1 January 1901, the six colonies federated, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. Australia has since maintained a liberal democratic political system that functions as a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy comprising six states. The population of 24 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard, Australia has the worlds 13th-largest economy and ninth-highest per capita income. With the second-highest human development index globally, the country highly in quality of life, health, education, economic freedom. The name Australia is derived from the Latin Terra Australis a name used for putative lands in the southern hemisphere since ancient times, the Dutch adjectival form Australische was used in a Dutch book in Batavia in 1638, to refer to the newly discovered lands to the south. On 12 December 1817, Macquarie recommended to the Colonial Office that it be formally adopted, in 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially as Australia. The first official published use of the term Australia came with the 1830 publication of The Australia Directory and these first inhabitants may have been ancestors of modern Indigenous Australians. The Torres Strait Islanders, ethnically Melanesian, were originally horticulturists, the northern coasts and waters of Australia were visited sporadically by fishermen from Maritime Southeast Asia. The first recorded European sighting of the Australian mainland, and the first recorded European landfall on the Australian continent, are attributed to the Dutch. The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutch navigator, Willem Janszoon. He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent New Holland during the 17th century, but made no attempt at settlement. William Dampier, an English explorer and privateer, landed on the north-west coast of New Holland in 1688, in 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. The first settlement led to the foundation of Sydney, and the exploration, a British settlement was established in Van Diemens Land, now known as Tasmania, in 1803, and it became a separate colony in 1825. The United Kingdom formally claimed the part of Western Australia in 1828. Separate colonies were carved from parts of New South Wales, South Australia in 1836, Victoria in 1851, the Northern Territory was founded in 1911 when it was excised from South Australia
4.
Australian Football League
–
The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the governing body. The league was founded as the Victorian Football League as a breakaway from the previous Victorian Football Association, the league currently consists of 18 teams spread over five of Australias six states. Matches have been played in all states and territories of Australia. The AFL season currently consists of a competition, followed by a 23-round regular season. The top eight teams play off in a four-round finals series, culminating in the AFL Grand Final. The winning team in the Grand Final is termed the premiers, the current premiers are the Western Bulldogs. The six clubs invited two more VFA clubs – Carlton and St Kilda – to join the league for its season in 1897. In 1908, the league expanded to ten teams, with Richmond crossing from the VFA, Port Adelaide was the most successful club of the competition winning three titles during the period along with an earlier victory. In 1925, the VFL expanded from nine teams to twelve, with Footscray, Hawthorn, North Melbourne and Hawthorn remained very weak in the VFL for a very long period. Between the years of 1927 and 1930, Collingwood became the first, in 1952, the VFL hosted National Day, when all six matches were played outside of Melbourne. Matches were played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Brisbane Exhibition Ground, North Hobart Oval, Albury Sports Ground and Victorian country towns Yallourn, Footscray became the first of the 1925 expansion teams to win the premiership in 1954. Melbourne became a powerhouse during the 1950s and early 1960s under coach Norm Smith, the club contested seven consecutive grand finals from 1954 to 1960, winning five premierships, including three in a row from 1955 to 1957. Television coverage began in 1957, with telecasts of the final quarter permitted. At first, several channels competed through broadcasting different games, however, when the VFL found that television was reducing crowds, it decided that no coverage was to be allowed for 1960. In 1961, replays were introduced although direct telecasts were rarely permitted in Melbourne, in 1959, the VFL planned the first purpose built mega-stadium, VFL Park, to give it some independence from the Melbourne Cricket Club, which managed the Melbourne Cricket Ground. VFL Park was planned to hold 155,000 spectators, which would have made it one of the largest stadiums in the world – although it would ultimately be built with a capacity of 78,000. Land for the stadium was purchased at Mulgrave, then farmland, the VFL Premiership Trophy was first awarded in addition to a pennant flag in 1959, essentially the same trophy design has been in use since
5.
Andrew McLeod
–
Andrew Luke McLeod is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League. He is the record holder for Adelaide, having played 340 games. Mcleod won two premierships for the Adelaide Football Club in 1997 and 1998 and he was also awarded the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in the 1997 and 1998 AFL Grand Finals. McLeod was born in Darwin, Northern Territory and his mother is Indigenous while his father Jock McLeod is of Scottish descent. He moved to Kathrine when he was little just before Cyclone Tracy hit but then moved back. Andrew McLeod played both league and Australian football as a junior. He played senior football with the Darwin Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League a club where his father has played over 200 games. Moving from Darwin to Adelaide in South Australia McLeod played with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the SANFL in 1994 where he became known as a young forward with electrifying pace. McLeod capped off a debut year for Port Adelaide with a Premiership medallion. In his first year with the Adelaide Crows, McLeod began his AFL career quietly, appearing tentative, however, in a round 9 match against Hawthorn at Football Park, a confident McLeod began to emerge. In the dying seconds of the game with Adelaide trailing by four points, the Crows were able to avenge their worst ever home loss in history the year before. McLeod would later be named as an AFL rising star nominee late in the 1995 season after a string of consistent performances in a struggling Adelaide side which only managed a 9-13 record and he was also awarded Adelaides Emerging Talent Award. In his second season with the Adelaide Crows, McLeod played in 19 matches, after two tumultuous years under Robert Shaw, legendary footballer Malcolm Blight took over as coach of Adelaide. McLeod lost 10 kg in preparation for a big season, the Crows would begin the season slowly as they adjusted to Blights long-kicking and direct style of football before claiming a finals berth for the first time since 1993. McLeod started the first two games of the year at half forward but played the rest of the year as a small and he increased his average disposals from 10 to 16 and increased his average marks from 1 a game to 3. In the Grand Final against St Kilda, McLeod would take his first significant step in his journey towards joining the games elite. Accumulating 31 disposals and 11 marks, he was judged best on ground against the Saints and this was followed shortly thereafter with a gold jacket when he was named as the Crows best and fairest for the 1997 season. He would also get 10 Brownlow Medal votes in 1998 after only 1 vote in 1997, in the following game, against Grand Final favourites, the Kangaroos, the Crows would win by 35 points with McLeod emulating his feats a year earlier. Gathering 30 disposals and winning back-to-back Norm Smith Medals, McLeod became the first player to win two Norm Smith Medals since Gary Ayres in 1986 and 1988
6.
Luke Hodge
–
Luke Hodge is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. From 2011 to 2016, Hodge was the captain of the club, Hodge started his career playing on the half-back flank but as his career progressed he has been known to push up into the midfield. He is a premiership player, three-time premiership captain and a two-time Norm Smith Medallist. Hodge was born in the Victorian town of Colac, Hodge plays half-back flanker and midfield. Recruited from the Geelong Falcons Under 18 team, Hodge made his debut in 2002, Hodge was recruited from the Geelong Falcons Under-18 Football Club, and in 2001 nominated for the 2001 AFL Draft. He was the draft choice of Hawthorn Football Club. In the early years of his career he was compared with Chris Judd who was chosen with the selection in the same draft. He was named in the 2005 All-Australian team and in International Rules team for Australia, Hodge was named sole vice-captain of the Hawthorn Football Club in October 2007. He was named in the 2008 All-Australian team and in International Rules team for Australia, Hodge won the Norm Smith Medal for being the best player on the ground during the 2008 AFL Grand Final. He is also the last No.1 draft pick to win a premiership, Hodge became the current captain of the club after Sam Mitchell handed over the captaincy prior to the 2010 Peter Crimmins Medal count. Hodge played only eight home and away games in 2012 due to an Posterior cruciate ligament injury, returning after a brief illness that kept him out of the preliminary final, he led his side in the 2012 AFL Grand Final but didnt have a major influence on the result. More post-season surgery followed and he missed the first game of the 2013 season, Hodge played in the 2013 AFL Grand Final against Fremantle Dockers and was listed as one of his teams best players on the day. Hawthorns victory allowed him to claim his second Premiership and his first Premiership as a captain, Hodge had another consistent year in 2014. He played his 250th career game in the Grand Final, with the Hawks defeating the Sydney Swans to win their 12th premiership. In the game, Hodge became only the player to win two Norm Smith Medals, and captained the side to his third premiership, his second as captain. Hodge was suspended for two weeks in round 21,2015 by the Match Review Panel for an incident in which contact with Chad Wingard in close proximity to the behind post. The spinal injury to Wingards head made contact with the post resulted in severe parlysis, caught drink-driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.068 on 3 September 2015, Hodge stated that he had made a stupid error. Luke Hodge appears regularly on a Melbourne radio station segment during the football season, in 2011, Hodge competed in the third season of the Channel Seven television series Australias Greatest Athlete
7.
Australian rules football
–
The main way to score points is by kicking the oval-shaped ball between the two tall goal posts. The team with the score by the end of the match wins unless a draw is declared. During general play, players may position themselves anywhere on the field, the primary methods are kicking, handballing and running with the ball. There are rules on how the ball can be handled, for example, throwing the ball is not allowed and players must not get caught holding the ball. A distinctive feature of the game is the mark, where players anywhere on the field who catch a ball from a kick are awarded possession, possession of the ball is in dispute at all times except when a free kick or mark is paid. Players can tackle using their hands or use their body to obstruct opponents. The game features frequent physical contests, spectacular marking, fast movement of players and the ball and high scoring. The sports origins can be traced to matches played in Melbourne, Victoria in 1858. Its annual Grand Final is the highest attended club championship event in the world, the sport is also played at amateur level in many countries and in several variations. The games rules are governed by the AFL Commission with the advice of the AFLs Laws of the Game Committee, there is evidence of football being played sporadically in the Australian colonies in the first half of the 19th century. The earliest such match, held in St Kilda on 15 June, was between Melbourne Grammar and St Kilda Grammar. Born in Australia, Wills played a nascent form of rugby football whilst a pupil at Rugby School in England and his letter is regarded by many historians as giving impetus for the development of a new code of football today known as Australian football. Two weeks later, Wills friend, cricketer Jerry Bryant, posted an advertisement for a match at the Richmond Paddock adjoining the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This was the first of several kickabouts held that year involving members of the Melbourne Cricket Club, including Wills, Bryant, W. J. Hammersley, trees were used as goalposts and play typically lasted an entire afternoon. Without an agreed code of laws, some players were guided by rules they had learned in the British Isles. Another significant milestone in 1858 was a match played under experimental rules between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College, held at the Richmond Paddock. This 40-a-side contest, umpired by Wills and Scotch College teacher John Macadam, began on 7 August and it is commemorated with a statue outside the MCG, and the two schools have competed annually ever since in the Cordner-Eggleston Cup, the worlds oldest continuous football competition. Since the early 20th century, it has suggested that Australian football was derived from the Irish sport of Gaelic football
8.
Carlton Football Club
–
The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1864 in Carlton, an suburb of Melbourne, the club competes in the Australian Football League. Its nickname comes from the blue colour of its playing uniform. The club has fielded a team in the AFL Womens league since its establishment in 2017. Carlton has had a long and successful history, together with fierce rivals Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon, Carlton was considered historically to be one of the leagues Big Four clubs, and enjoys a healthy rivalry with all three others. The Carlton Football Club was formed in July 1864, in the early days, Carlton became particularly strong and having grown a large supporter base. It became a rival to the Melbourne Football Club in early competition, including the South Yarra Challenge Cup. Carlton won four premierships during the era in the 1870s. In 1877, Carlton became one of the clubs of the Victorian Football Association. He died of tuberculosis in 1883, aged 27, in spite of this, the club was invited to join the breakaway Victorian Football League competition in 1897. The club continued to struggle in early seasons of the new competition, Carltons fortunes improved significantly in 1902. The Board elected the highly respected former Fitzroy footballer and Australian test cricketer Jack Worrall, then the secretary of the Carlton Cricket Club, to the same position at the football club. As secretary, Worrall slowly took over the managing of the players, under Worralls guidance in the latter part of the 1902 season, Carltons on-field performances improved, and in 1903 he led Carlton to the finals for the first time. Carlton built a reputation and financial position, and was able to convince many great players to shift to the club from other clubs. Worrall led the club to its first three VFL premierships, won consecutively, in 1906,1907 and 1908, some players had become frustrated by low payments and hard training standards, and responded by refusing to train or even play matches. The club removed Worrall from the role, and after significant changes at board level after the 1909 season. Many players who had supported Worrall left the club at the end of the season, then, in 1910, several players were suspected of having taken bribes to fix matches, with two players both found guilty and suspended for 99 matches. Despite this backdrop, Carlton continued its strong form, reaching the 1909 and 1910 Grand Finals
9.
Collingwood Football Club
–
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or less formally the Pies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. This spike in membership registration can mainly be attributed to the winning of the 2010 AFL Premiership and this record was again broken in 2013, with club reaching a new high of 80,000 members. Collingwood is regarded as one of Australias most popular clubs, being the highest attended, Collingwoods home guernsey consists of black and white stripes, matching the colours of an Australian magpie. Throughout its history, the club has developed rivalries with cross-town Melbourne based clubs Carlton, Richmond, Essendon, historically one of the most successful clubs in the league, Collingwood has won 15 VFL/AFL premierships, the third-most of any team. Collingwood has played in a record 43 grand finals, winning 15, the club fields a seconds team in the Victorian Football League and a womens team in the AFL Womens competition. It also owns and operates a team in the National Netball League. The Collingwood Football Club was established on 12 February 1892, Collingwood played its first game in the Victorian Football Association against Carlton on 7 May 1892. The club won the VFA Premiership in 1896, in 1897, Collingwood, along with fellow VFA clubs Fitzroy, Melbourne, St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, South Melbourne and Geelong split from the VFA and formed the Victorian Football League. Collingwood won its first premiership in 1902, defeating Essendon by 33 points, Collingwood was the most successful club of the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in 13 out of a possible 20 Grand Finals during the period. Collingwood were premiers six times during this time, including four consecutive premierships between 1927 and 1930, a VFL/AFL record, and two premierships in 1935 and 1936. The clubs coach during this period was Jock McHale, who served as coach from 1912 to 1949, Collingwood lost two Grand Finals to Melbourne in this decade, but bounced back to win premierships in 1953 and 1958. Collingwoods 1958 premiership is much cherished by the club as it prevented Melbourne from equalling Collingwoods record four premierships in a row, the 1958 premiership was however to be Collingwoods last for 32 years, as the club was to suffer a string of Grand Final defeats in coming decades. A string of eight Grand Final losses, often by narrow margins, between 1960 and 1981 gave rise to a perception that the club was prone to choking, a phenomenon wittily dubbed Colliwobbles. Whether this perception is accurate remains a subject of debate, however, Lou Richards ceremoniously buried the Colliwobbles at Victoria Park after the clubs 1990 premiership. Collingwood made a return to the finals in 2006, but were defeated by the Western Bulldogs by 41 points, having earned a preliminary final against Geelong, the Pies challenged the eventual premiers, only to fall short by five points. Nathan Buckley would announce his retirement at seasons end after playing just five games in 2007 due to injury, Collingwood finished eighth in 2008 and were assigned an away final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. After at one point trailing in the match, the Pies went on to end Adelaides season, having defeated the Saints in both their regular season meetings, the Pies lost convincingly, ending their 2008 season. The 2009 season saw Collingwood finish inside the top-four for the first time since 2003, but the season ended abruptly for the Magpies, with an 73-point loss to the Cats
10.
Norm Smith
–
Norman Walter Norm Smith was an Australian rules football player and coach in the Victorian Football League. After 200 games as a player with Melbourne and Fitzroy, Smith began a coaching career. Recognised as the father of modern Australian football coaching, Smith coached Melbourne to six premierships, Smith and elder brother Len were the sons of ironworker Victor Smith and Ethel May. After attending Westgarth Central School, Smith completed an engineering apprenticeship, in 1943, he took over his fathers engineering business in Northcote, later relocating it to North Coburg in 1954. On 19 October 1940, he married Marjorie Victoria Ellis, at the Wesley Church in Melbourne and their only child, Peter, was born in 1947. A brilliant all-round sportsman in his youth, Smith played first-grade district cricket and his first club football was for Dennis, which played in the sub-district competition, where his brother Len had started his career. When scouts for VFL club Melbourne arrived at the Smith household to sign Len, Melbourne were ambitiously rebuilding their side and Smith made his debut under legendary coach Frank Checker Hughes in 1935. Ironically, while Norms career blossomed at Melbourne, brother Len failed to nail down a place and he moved to the VFA. Smith became a regular in the first team in 1937, usually playing as full-forward, Smith quickly developed an understanding with teammate Ron Baggott and earned a reputation as a cool-headed, thinking player. He favoured the pass to a man in a position, the quick handball, the tap on. One scribe commented that he could make a line work around him. The Melbourne team was rising fast, they played finals in 1936 and 1937, the team took a step back in 1938, finishing fifth, but looked the team most likely throughout 1939. Under Hughes, a successful former Richmond player and coach, Melbourne had remade themselves into a professional outfit. Smith was one of many talented players who adhered to Hughes doctrine, now renamed the Red Demons, Melbourne went into the 1939 finals with a team based on all-out attack, with Smith the linchpin. In the Grand Final against Collingwood, Melbourne booted a record Grand Final score and set a new record winning margin, another flag was won in 1940 when Smith was the star, scoring seven goals in the Grand Final. The following year, the team marked themselves as a combination by completing the hattrick, despite missing players due to war service. Smith enjoyed his most productive season and finished the year as the VFLs leading goalkicker and he continued playing during the war years in a decimated Melbourne team. In 1944 Smith won The Herald newspapers best player award, Smith was appointed captain of the club in 1945, leading the Demons to their first Grand Final defeat in 1946
11.
Melbourne Football Club
–
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Demons, is an Australian rules football club, playing in the Australian Football League. It is named after and based in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Melbourne is the worlds oldest professional club of any football code. The clubs origins can be traced to an 1858 letter in which Tom Wills, captain of the Victoria cricket team, Melbourne has won 12 VFL/AFL premierships, the latest in 1964. The club celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008 by naming 150 Heroes as well as creating a logo which appeared on its official guernsey. The football club has been a section of the Melbourne Cricket Club since 2009. In the winter and spring of 1858, an organised football team known as Melbourne played in a series of scratch matches in the parklands outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Other figures associated with this embryonic Melbourne side include cricketers Jerry Bryant, William Hammersley, Thompson, and teacher Thomas H. Smith. During meetings held on 17 and 21 May 1859, Wills, Hammersley, Thompson and Smith met near the MCG at the Parade Hotel, owned by Bryant, the resulting ten codified rules are the laws from which Australian rules football evolved. The first mention of a match played under the new code was between Melbourne and South Yarra in July 1859, with Hammersley as Melbournes inaugural captain. In 1861, Melbourne participated in the Caledonian Societys Challenge Cup, the club pushed for its rules to be the accepted rules, however many of the early suburban matches were played under compromised rules decided between the captains of the competing clubs. By 1866 several other clubs had adopted an updated version of Melbournes rules, drafted at a meeting chaired by Wills cousin. Harrison was a key figure in the years of the club, he often served as captain and, in later years. Due to his reputation and administrative efforts, he was officially named Father of Australian Football in 1908. During the 1870s, Melbourne fielded teams in the Seven Twenties, after a visit to England by one of the clubs officials, the colours of red and green were officially adopted by the club. Shortly following, the club wearing a predominately red strip. The name Redlegs was coined after a Melbourne official returned from a trip to England with one set of red, Melbourne wore the red set while the blue set were, allegedly, given to the Carlton Football Club. This may be the source of Carltons nickname, The Blueboys, in 1877, the club became a foundation member of the Victorian Football Association. During the same year the took part in the first interstate football match involving a South Australian side, Victorian
12.
Gary Ablett Sr.
–
Gary Robert Ablett is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Hawthorn and Geelong in the Australian Football League. Nicknamed God, Ablett is widely regarded as one of Australian footballs greatest players, after making several country league representative teams, Ablett was recruited by Hawthorn from Drouin and made his professional senior debut in the 1982 season. However, he failed to settle down in the city and retreated to Myrtleford the following year, Ablett helped Geelong to a Grand Final appearance in 1989, where he kicked a Grand Final-record nine goals in a losing team. Ablett shocked everyone by announcing his retirement from football at the beginning of the 1991 season. Ablett made three more Grand Final appearances in the 1992,1994, and 1995 seasons before retiring for good after the 1996 season. Ablett is Geelongs all-time leading goalkicker with 1021 goals and in 2006, was voted by past, born in Drouin to Alfred and Colleen Ablett, Gary Ablett grew up in the Latrobe Valley in Victorias Gippsland region alongside his four elder brothers and three sisters. Ablett displayed a love for sport at an age, winning the state school high jump at 10 years of age. He was also awarded both club and competition best and fairest awards for Drouin at the under-11s, under-12s and under-14s levels, after citing waning interest in school, Ablett dropped out of high school at the age of 15 years to become a bricklayers labourer. Outside of work, Gary Ablett began to concentrate on his football, after signing a reserves contract and featuring in six reserves games for Hawthorn, Ablett retreated back to his home in Drouin. He returned to Hawthorn in 1982 and made his senior VFL debut versus Geelong in Round 2, kicking 1 goal and he played a further five games for Hawthorn that year for a total of six games and nine goals. In 1983, he moved to the town of Myrtleford under the tutelage of his cousin Len Ablett. Abletts footballing ability soon came on again, this time to the Geelong Football Club. McMaster convinced Ablett to give the game another shot, this time in the confines of the city of Geelong. After protracted negotiations with Hawthorn, Geelong finally paid a $60,000 transfer for Ablett in 1984, Ablett signed a one-year contract for the 1984 season with Geelong, and he began his first season under the guidance of Tom Hafey. He debuted for the Cats in Round 7 and after just nine games on the wing, Ablett earned best-on-ground honours after kicking 8 goals from the half-forward flank. He played 15 games and kicked 33 goals in the 1984 season, following his first season with Geelong, Ablett signed a new three-year contract with the club. Playing mostly on the forward flank, Ablett won the clubs goalkicking award for the following two seasons with 82 and 65 goals respectively. With his contract expiring at the conclusion of the 1987 season, Ablett shocked the VFL by signing a new contract with his former club
13.
Nathan Buckley
–
He is currently the senior coach of the Collingwood Football Club. He is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as one of the top 50 players of all time, Buckley was selected in the All-Australian Team seven times and captained the Australian international rules football team against Ireland. In 2004 Buckley became an inductee into the Collingwood Hall of Fame. He retired at the conclusion of the 2007 AFL season and became a commentator for the Seven Network, Nathan Buckley was born in suburban Adelaide, South Australia on 26 July 1972. His family travelled around Australia quite frequently, and by the age of 12 and he grew up supporting Melbourne Football Club. However, Buckley spent the majority of his developing years in the Northern Territory. Buckleys footballing talents were noticed from an early age, in the 1991 AFL Draft struggling Australian Football League club Brisbane Bears drafted him through its Northern Territory state zone. Buckley challenged the AFL draft system and sparked controversy by initially resisting a move to Brisbane and his dreams were to play in Melbourne due to its culture in the sport, therefore felt the Bears were an undesirable career option. However AFL draft rules prevented him playing with another AFL club. Buckley signed with the Bears for the 1993 AFL season as part of a deal between Buckley and the Bears that allowed him to go to the club of his choice the following season, Brisbane hoped his time in Queensland would be long enough to change his mind. Buckley immediately demonstrated his potential, playing 20 games, kicking 21 goals and he was the inaugural winner of the Norwich Rising Star Award and finished a close second in the Bears best-and-fairest award. During his first season Buckleys arrangement with the Bears became common knowledge, at the end of the contract he attracted strong interest from all Melbourne-based clubs, chiefly Collingwood, Geelong and North Melbourne. However, it was Collingwood that successfully arranged a deal acceptable to all parties. Unbeknown to other AFL clubs and to the AFL itself, Collingwood, the move saw Buckley move to Collingwood in exchange for Craig Starcevich, Troy Lehmann and the Magpies first-round draft pick. Buckley was adamant that the move was the right career direction, ironically, Brisbane would beat Collingwood in two consecutive AFL Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003. In his first season with Collingwood, the Magpies were eliminated by the West Coast Eagles by two points in Perth, from here, Buckley would be a consistent performer for Collingwood. As well as winning a Brownlow Medal in 2003, he finished in the top three twice before the turn of the century. He was also named Collingwoods Best and Fairest six times in 10 years, in 1999, Buckley suffered a broken jaw playing against Carlton in Round 2
14.
Chris Judd
–
Christopher Dylan Chris Judd is a former professional Australian rules footballer and captain of both the West Coast Eagles and Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League. He was also a captain, having captained the West Coast Eagles to the 2006 AFL Premiership. Consistently recognised as one of the games premier midfielders, Judd was selected in the All-Australian team six times, at a representative level, he played for Australia in the 2002 International Rules Series and for Victoria in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match in 2008. Judd is recognised as a great at two clubs, West Coast and Carlton, during his 134 games with West Coast he captained the club for two seasons and won two Club Champion Awards. Judd was born in Melbourne to Andrew Judd and Lisa Engel and he was raised in Melbournes south-eastern suburbs, where he played for the East Sandringham Junior Football Club before he attended Caulfield Grammar School. Judd was an all round sportsman and junior track and field star, at Caulfield Grammar, he began to focus on Australian rules football and later captained the schools First team. Judd attained an ENTER score of 96.20 on his Victorian Certificate of Education. Judd was a graduate of the 2000 AIS/AFL Academy and participated in the 2000 AFL Under 18 Championships, although due to his age at 17. He played TAC Cup football with the Sandringham Dragons through to 2001, at the 2001 AFL Under 18 Championships, Judd was named captain of the Vic Metro team, despite chronic shoulder problems. Although he missed the 2001 AFL Draft Camp, his performances at the state made him an obvious standout to recruiters. Judd was taken by West Coast with its priority draft pick in what was later to be called the draft due to the standout quality of the players to have developed from that draft year. Judd played only one WAFL match before making his debut for West Coast in Round 2,2002 and he had an impressive debut season, winning the AFLPA Best First Year Player Award. In his second season, he alternated between the midfield and forward line and with several dominant performances he finished runner up in the clubs best and fairest and he was appointed as one of the Eagles four vice-captains prior to the commencement of the 2004 season. 2004 was Judds breakthrough season in which he combined with captain Ben Cousins, midfielder Daniel Kerr, Judd averaged 22 disposals and kicked 24 goals for the season and became West Coasts first Brownlow medallist, polling 30 votes to finish seven ahead of runner-up Mark Ricciuto. Additionally, he was named to his first All-Australian team as a wingman, on 1 March 2006, Judd was named captain of the club, succeeding Ben Cousins who stepped down from the role for disciplinary reasons. He led the Eagles to a one-point victory against Sydney in the 2006 AFL Grand Final, additionally, he won his second club best and fairest award, his second All-Australian selection and the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players Associations Most Valuable Player. Judds strong form continued into 2007 and he polled Brownlow votes in each of his first eight games for the season. However, as the year progressed, he was hampered by a groin injury which sidelined him for several weeks
15.
Jason Gram
–
Jason Gram is a former professional Australian rules footballer who previously played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League. As a junior with Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup, Gram quit football for basketball with a view to making the level in that sport. It took one phone call from the Power coach of the day, dual Essendon premiership player Darren Bewick, Gram was drafted by the Brisbane Lions as the 19th pick in the 2001 AFL Draft. But in two years, both of which culminated in Lions premierships, Gram was chosen for two games, amounting to 20 minutes of total playing time. His last minutes as a Brisbane player would prove unforgettable for all the wrong reasons and his attempted clearance was smothered and led to a goal that lost the Lions the lead against Fremantle late in a game. Gram cherished his moments of senior footy at Brisbane but was ready to go home. Gram was recruited by St Kilda in 2003 from Brisbane for draft pick 23 and he made his debut wearing No.15 guernsey for St Kilda in Round 15 of the 2004 AFL Premiership Season against Melbourne, playing two games for the 2004 season. After playing five games in 2005, Gram played in all of St Kildas 23 matches in the 2006 season. He accepted the Number 1 guernsey from the retiring Justin Peckett, grams 2008 started well when he was awarded the Michael Tuck Medal for his best on ground performance during St Kildas 2008 NAB Cup win. He played in all of St Kilda Football Clubs matches in the 2008 season – averaging 20.5 possessions per game in 25 matches including three finals matches. Gram played in 21 of 22 matches in the 2009 season home and away rounds in which St Kilda qualified in first position for the 2009 finals and he averaged 23.9 possessions per game in the 2009 season. St Kilda qualified for the 2009 AFL Grand Final after qualifying and preliminary finals wins over Collingwood, St Kilda were defeated in the 2009 AFL Grand Final by 12 points. He was among the best players on the ground in the grand final and he finished equal on votes in the Norm Smith Medal vote with Paul Chapman of Geelong, with Chapman receiving the medal on a countback. Chapman was awarded the medal on the basis of a number of 3 votes. However Gram was the player to have received votes from all five judges. At the end of the 2009 season, Gram had played in seven matches including one grand final. Gram played a total of 20 games in the 2011 season, Gram had a season-high, thirty-three disposal game against the Bombers in Round 3, which earned him a Brownlow vote. Gram gathered twenty or more disposals on fourteen occasions in season 2011 and he kicked five goals for the season
16.
2002 AFL Grand Final
–
It was the 106th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 2002 AFL season. The match, attended by 91,817 spectators, was won by Brisbane by a margin of 9 points, marking that clubs second premiership victory and second premiership overall. Collingwood had reached the finals for the first time since 1994 and they finished fourth on the ladder, and not much was expected of them in the final month of the year. Jason Cloke from Collingwood was suspended during the week after being charged for striking Tyson Edwards in the nose during their Preliminary final victory against Adelaide and this controversy dominated headlines during the week in the buildup to the Grand Final. Also in the leading up to the Grand Final, Brisbanes Simon Black was awarded the Brownlow Medal. It was the first grand final to be decided by less than four goals since 1989, the first goal of the match wasnt scored until very late in the first quarter - in fact it was the only one scored, by Collingwoods Anthony Rocca. This snapped Brisbanes VFL/AFL record streak of 253 consecutive quarters in which it scored at least one goal and it was the lowest-scoring quarter in a Grand Final since 1960. In the second quarter, Brisbane looked like pulling away at half time with a run of second quarter goals before Collingwood surged back in the third quarter. In the end it was enough for the Lions to hold on for back-to-back premierships, an enduring image of the game is of emotionally exhausted Collingwood players including Paul Licuria, Nathan Buckley and coach Mick Malthouse breaking down in tears after the full-time siren. Nathan Buckley of the Magpies was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for being judged the best player afield and this is only one of four instances of a Grand Final player having won a Norm Smith Medal without being on the winning premiership team. Out of respect for his teammates, Buckley took the medal off as he returned from the dais,2002 AFL season 2002 Grand Final Match Report - Brisbane Lions Football Club website 2002 AFL Grand Final Scores - Nicks Collingwood page
17.
Michael Voss
–
Michael Voss is a Brisbane Lions triple premiership captain, brownlow medalist and the former senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League. He is currently serving as the coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club. He captained the Brisbane Lions in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals with three straight premierships, additionally, he represented Australia in the 2006 International Rules Series and the state of Queensland in State of Origin. As a player he was noted for his fearless play, inspirational leadership, Voss has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Voss was born in Traralgon, Victoria and lived as a child in Orbost until the age of 11, Voss attended Trinity College during his high school years in Queensland. His younger brother Brett also played for the Brisbane Lions before transferring to St Kilda Football Club to enhance his opportunities to play senior football, Voss football skills were excellent from an early age. He made his debut for Morningside in the QAFL at the age of 15 years. A year later he kicked 14 goals for Queensland in a representative match. The following week, at 17 years and 11 days of age, he debuted for the Brisbane Bears against Fitzroy at Princes Park in Melbourne, although highly skilled, he was also slight, but worked as hard as any veteran in getting the most out of his body. By 1996 he was one of the most accomplished players in the competition, and at the end of the season he shared the Brownlow Medal, the games highest individual honour, with James Hird. His early form was patchy as he grew into the role, in 1998 Voss suffered his first major career setback. Contesting a mark at Subiaco Oval in Perth in a match against Fremantle, he collided with Shane Parker, the subsequent operation was at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and it was a year before he was fit and in training to play again. Brisbane finished 16th and with a spoon that year with a 5-1-16 record. Voss captained the Brisbane Lions in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals, in early 2004, Voss kicked a career best seven goals against a struggling Adelaide at AAMI Stadium as coach Leigh Matthews looked to play him in the forward line during the latter part of his career. However, a heavy injury toll to the Lions meant that Voss continued his career in the midfield, in 2005, Voss suffered a badly cut calf before Round 2 whilst renovating his home. He recovered to play his 250th game the week. Prior to this, Voss had suffered from tendinitis of the knee but had been able to curtail the problem, the calf injury affected his performances, with the four games after the injury yielding a high possession count of only 16. Voss later improved and in Round 21 picked up 35 possessions against Port Adelaide, despite losing badly, the Lions received a long standing ovation from a sold out home crowd after the game for their premiership efforts and farewell to several other players
18.
Lenny Hayes
–
Lenny Hayes is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League. Hayes is a captain of St Kilda and was an onfield leader in the Saints midfield. Hayes grew up in suburban Sydney and began playing football with Pennant Hills in the Sydney AFL. In 1998, Hayes was a player for NSW/ACT in the representative TAC Cup. Hayes debuted the year in the AFL. Although he started well, he improved throughout the year, earning an AFL Rising Star nomination in the round of the season. Hayes was captain for the 2004 season as part of St Kildas then policy of rotating the captaincy to a different player each season, Hayes was captain in St Kilda’s 2004 Wizard Home Loans Cup winning side, the clubs second pre-season cup win. In just his fifth game back in the 2007 season he suffered a broken collarbone, Hayes was a co-captain and part of the Saints 2007 leadership group – dubbed the Young Saints, which also included Justin Koschitzke, Luke Ball and Nick Riewoldt. Also included in the group were Aaron Hamill, Fraser Gehrig, Nick Dal Santo. Hayes played in St Kilda’s 2008 NAB Cup winning side, the club’s third pre-season cup win, in 2009, Hayes played his 200th AFL game in Round 9 against the Brisbane Lions at Docklands Stadium. During the match he gained 31 possessions in the Saints 16-point victory and he finished third in the 2009 Brownlow Medal. Hayes played in 19 of the 22 matches in the 2009 home and away rounds in which St Kilda qualified in first position for the finals series, winning the club’s third minor premiership. Hayes was recognised for his excellent season with selection in the 2009 All-Australian Team as a midfield player, St Kilda qualified for the 2009 AFL Grand Final after qualifying and preliminary final wins. Hayes played in the final in which St Kilda were defeated by 12 points. Hayes played 25 games in 2010, including four finals, and received a number of accolades for his performances during the season, St Kildas player of the finals series. Hayes injured his left ACL early in the 2011 season and did not play the rest of the year, Hayes played all games in 2012 and won his third Trevor Barker Medal as St Kildas best & fairest player for the season. He had a season and made a brilliant recovery from the ACL injury from 2011. He played his 250th game in Round 9 against eventual premiers Sydney, on 15 July 2014, Hayes announced his retirement in front of all his teammates and family
19.
1979 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 83rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1979 VFL season. The match, attended by 113,545 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 5 points and this was the first Grand Final appearance by Carlton in six years since losing the 1973 VFL Grand Final. The last time the Blues had been premiers was when they won the 1972 VFL Grand Final against Richmond, Collingwood had last appeared in a Grand Final two years previously, when it was defeated by North Melbourne in the 1977 VFL Grand Final. The Magpies had last won a flag in 1958, at the conclusion of the home and away season, Carlton had finished first on the VFL ladder with 19 wins and 3 losses. Collingwood had finished third with 15 wins and 7 losses, there they faced North Melbourne again, this time winning by 27 points to advance to the Grand Final. Carlton had an easier finals run, defeating North Melbourne by 38 points in the Second Semi-Final to advance straight through to the Grand Final. In the week leading up to the Grand Final, Collingwood ruckman Peter Moore was awarded the Brownlow Medal, the game was played in rainy and muddy conditions. Collingwood planned to grind Carlton into the mud, and managed to take a 10-point lead into quarter time, twenty minutes into the second quarter, Collingwood had stretched their lead to 28 points. Carlton still hadnt scored a goal, and with the conditions only getting heavier, seemingly in desperation, Alex Jesaulenko moved himself out of the centre and brought in young pocket battleship Wayne Harmes. Suddenly, Carlton sparked into life, as goals to Harmes, Maclure, Johnston, Carlton capitalized on their momentum, scoring five goals to two and taking a 21-point lead at three quarter time. However,18 minutes into the quarter, the Blues lead had been slashed to four points. Then occurred one of the most memorable moments in VFL/AFL history, with Carlton kicking to the City End, Harmes gathered the ball on the half-forward flank and hurried a kick forward. The kick floated into the forward pocket, with no player from either team in the vicinity. Harmes chased his own kick as the ball bounced towards the boundary line, and dived to punch the ball back into play before the ball went over the line. Harmes punch directed the ball into the square, where Ken Sheldon. Many Collingwood fans maintain to this day that the ball was out of bounds before Harmes punched it back in, the incident was one of the first two recreated for the Toyota Memorable Moments series of advertisements. However, it was Harmes who helped spark the comeback when all seemed lost for Carlton. Carltons Alex Jesaulenko became the last ever player to captain-coach a team to victory in a Grand Final, during the final quarter he injured his ankle and had to leave the field on a stretcher
20.
1980 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 84th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1980 VFL season. The match, attended by 113,461 spectators, was won by Richmond by a margin of 81 points, marking that clubs 10th premiership victory. It was Richmonds first appearance in a premiership decider since winning the 1974 VFL Grand Final, while Collingwood had competed in, the Magpies had not won a flag since the 1958 VFL Grand Final. Richmond, under coach Tony Jewell, made the decision in the 1980 home and away season to move rover Kevin Bartlett to the half-forward flank, at the conclusion of the season, Richmond had finished third on the VFL ladder with 16 wins,5 losses and a draw. Collingwood had finished fifth with 14 wins,7 losses and a draw, Collingwood was coached by Tom Hafey who at one time had coached Jewell at Richmond. There they defeated Geelong by just 4 points to advance to the Grand Final, the Magpies became the first team to reach the Grand Final via the Elimination Final. Meanwhile, Richmond defeated Carlton by 42 points in the Qualifying Final, Richmond completely outplayed the Magpies in the Grand Final, with the game being effectively over at half time when the Tigers led by 43 points. Their midfield of Geoff Raines, Bryan Wood, Robert Wiley, Mervyn Keane and Dale Weightman dominated the clearances, feeding forwards Kevin Bartlett, Michael Roach and David Cloke. Bartlett was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for being judged the best player afield, kicking seven goals and his goal tally for the 1980 VFL finals was 21 which saw him become just the fourth player in history to kick 20 or more goals in a finals series. Cloke contributed 6 goals and Wiley 3 to the winning score. The 81 point winning margin broke the record for the greatest margin in Grand Final history, Richmond have not won a premiership since, with their only subsequent Grand Final appearance being in the 1982 VFL Grand Final, which it lost to Carlton. This was Collingwoods seventh Grand Final loss since 1958, in the era dubbed the Colliwobbles,1980 VFL season The Official statistical history of the AFL2004
21.
Richmond Football Club
–
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed the Tigers, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. The club has won ten premierships since joining the competition in 1908, the club is currently ranked sixth in the competition for premierships won. Prior to 1965 the club played games at Punt Road Oval. Based in a traditionally working-class area, Richmond has long-standing rivalries with cross-town Melbourne-based clubs, Collingwood, the club has been home to four AFL Hall of Fame Legends, Ian Stewart, Kevin Bartlett, Royce Hart and Jack Dyer. A team of playing as Richmond is mentioned by the newspapers in the first years of Australian football. Tom Wills, one of the founders, was the clubs inaugural secretary and captain. This loosely organised group has no continuity to the present club, a number of teams formed in the Richmond area during the games rapid expansion of the 1870s and early 1880s. However, all played at a level and it was considered an anomaly that Richmond, one of Melbournes biggest locales. The wait ended when the Richmond Football Club was officially formed at the Royal Hotel in Richmond on 20 February 1885, a successful application for immediate admission to the Victorian Football Association followed. The club shared the Punt Road Oval with the Richmond Cricket Club, at first the team wore a blue uniform. One of the most important features of a nineteenth-century footballers uniform was his headgear, and Richmond opted for yellow and black striped caps, after a couple of years, yellow and black stripes replaced blue as the colours of the teams guernseys. The team was called the Richmondites, the Wasps or, most commonly. During the late 1880s, the VFA expanded rapidly, a booming economy and large numbers of immigrants made Melbourne the largest city in the Australian colonies. The city was mad with football and many tried to get admission to the VFA. Richmond struggled to make an impression and after a promising season in 1888. As the local economy slipped into depression in the early 1890s and the crowds began to dwindle. Richmond were not considered part of elite group, who usually voted together as a block at VFA meetings. A lack of commitment and focused effort was holding the Tigers back, in 1896, Richmond walked off the field in a match with South Melbourne at half time when they were a long way behind on a very wet day to protest the umpiring. Later in the season, the Tigers had their score annulled against Essendon when it was discovered that they had too many men on the ground, in the closing three weeks of the season, Richmonds gate takings amounted to just five pounds
22.
1981 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 85th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1981 VFL season. The match, attended by 112,964 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 20 points and it was a rematch of the two teams that competed in the 1979 Grand Final, which Carlton had won by just five points. Collingwood was searching for its first flag since winning the 1958 VFL Grand Final and they had appeared in three of the last four Grand Finals, losing them all. At the conclusion of the home and away season, Carlton had finished first on the VFL ladder with 17 wins and 5 losses, Collingwood had finished second, also with 17 wins, but with an inferior percentage. In the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, Collingwood was defeated by Geelong by 14 points in the Qualifying Final before defeating Fitzroy by 1 point in the First Semi-Final and they advanced to the Grand Final after beating Geelong by 7 points in the Preliminary Final. Carlton had an easier finals run, defeating Geelong in the Second Semi-Final by 40 points to progress straight through to the Grand Final. Captained by Mike Fitzpatrick, Carlton scored the last six goals of the game to emerge victorious. At one stage late in the third quarter Collingwood led by 21 points after a burst of five unanswered goals, some infighting in the Collingwood huddle resulted in Carlton taking all the momentum into the last quarter. Ken Sheldon kicked the goal of the final quarter to get Carlton within four points. Collingwood laid down, scoring just two points in the quarter and goals from Mark Maclure and David McKay sealed the win for Carlton, the Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Carltons Bruce Doull for being judged the best player afield. Collingwood captain Peter Moore famously threw away his medal after this game in a show of disgust. This was his appearance in a Grand Final, all without success. This defeat gave Collingwood their third successive Grand Final loss and their fourth in five years and it was the final grand final loss of the infamous Colliwobbles. They next appeared in a Grand Final nine years later, winning the 1990 AFL Grand Final, the win was Carltons 13th premiership, drawing them level with Collingwood for the most premierships in VFL history - a record that Collingwood had held outright since 1929. The grand final was the one played with the old MCG scoreboard. It was given to Manuka Oval in 1982 after the MCG installed a new video scoreboard. The old scoreboard still resides at Manuka Oval today and it was one of the last time the players swapped guernseys after the grand final 1981 VFL season The Official statistical history of the AFL2004 Blueseum page on the Grand Final
23.
1982 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 86th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1982 VFL season. The match, attended by 107,536 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 18 points, the previous three premierships had been won by either team, Richmond in 1980 and Carlton in 1979 and 1981, all against Collingwood. The Tigers won eleven successive matches early in the 1982 VFL season and, after a slump as injuries took toll late on the home-and-away rounds, at the conclusion of the home and away season, Richmond had finished first on the VFL ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses. Carlton had finished third, with 16 wins 5 losses and a draw, in the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, Carlton defeated Hawthorn by 58 points in the Qualifying Final before losing to Richmond by 40 points in the Second Semi-Final. They advanced to the Grand Final after beating Hawthorn, this time by 31 points in the Preliminary Final, Richmond advanced straight to the Grand Final on the back of their Second Semi-Final victory. It was a game throughout. Carlton started strongly, leading by 18 points just five minutes into the game, before Richmond hit back, a five-goal second quarter by the Tigers saw them go into the half time break with an 11-point lead. However, after half time Carlton began to break away, kicking five goals in the third quarter whilst keeping the Tigers goalless to be 17 points up at three-quarter time. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Richmonds Maurice Rioli for being judged the best player afield and it was the first time that a player from the losing side had won the medal. Wayne Johnston and captain Mike Fitzpatrick were the best for Carlton and this Grand Final is also remembered for the naked female streaker, Helen DAmico, who ran onto the field in the third quarter. DAmico, a 17-year-old stripper from Adelaide, ran onto the field with a Blues scarf and she is the first streaker to disrupt a VFL/AFL Grand Final. Carlton has held the record, either outright or jointly with Essendon ever since, Carltons next premiership success came five years later, when it won the 1987 VFL Grand Final against Hawthorn. Richmond is yet to appear in another Grand Final,1982 VFL season The Official statistical history of the AFL2004 Blueseum page on the 1982 Grand Final 2008 article on Helen DAmico
24.
1983 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 87th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1983 VFL season. The match, attended by 110,332 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 83 points and it was Essendons first Grand Final appearance since losing the 1968 VFL Grand Final, while it was Hawthorns first appearance since winning the 1978 VFL Grand Final. The Bombers had not won a flag since winning the 1965 VFL Grand Final, at the conclusion of the home and away season, Hawthorn had finished second on the VFL ladder with 15 wins and 7 losses. Essendon had finished fourth, also with 15 wins and 7 losses, in the finals series leading up to the Grand Final, the Bombers defeated Carlton by 33 points in the Elimination Final before defeating Fitzroy in the First Semi-Final by 23 points. They advanced to the Grand Final after comfortably beating North Melbourne by 86 points in the Preliminary Final, the Hawks defeated Fitzroy in the Qualifying Final by just 4 points and then defeated North Melbourne by 40 points to progress to the Grand Final. The Hawks asserted their strength early, leading by 2, captain Leigh Matthews kicked six goals and the Hawks had nine other goal kickers. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Hawthorns Colin Robertson for being judged the best player afield and this match was the first in what was to be an all-time record run of seven consecutive Grand Final appearances by the Hawks. It was also the first of three consecutive Grand Finals to be contested between teams, with the Bombers winning the 1984 VFL Grand Final and 1985 VFL Grand Final
25.
Hawthorn Football Club
–
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League. The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL and has won thirteen VFL/AFL premierships and it is renowned as the only club having won premierships in each decade of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. The team play in brown and gold vertically striped guernseys, the clubs Latin motto is spectemur agendo, the English translation being By our deeds let us be known. The Hawks origins are in the inner-eastern Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn and also at Glenferrie Oval, matches, however, have not been played there since 1973. In 2006, Hawthorns training and administration facilities were relocated to Waverley Park in the middle of the major supporter base in Melbournes outer-eastern region. Hawthorns current Victorian Football League affiliate team is the Box Hill Hawks Football Club, the official club history books and many supporters strongly believe that the clubs origins date back to its founding in 1873 at a meeting at the Hawthorne Hotel. Although a Hawthorn Football Club did indeed form at this time – and it is likely that today’s club is actually the third club to carry the name ‘Hawthorn Football Club’. In The Daily Telegraph of 12 May 1883 it is stated that “The Hawthorn Club having disbanded and this club also ceased in 1890. No Hawthorn club existed from 1890 to 1892, a new representative club, called the ‘Hawthorn Football Club’, was formed in 1893. It competed in the Victorian Junior Football Association until 1898, without a ground to play on, however, the club was disbanded in 1899. In March 1902, Alf Kosky formed a club from the various clubs under the banner of Hawthorn Football Club to compete in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association. The club merged with Boroondara in 1905 and adopted Boroondaras colours of a black guernsey with red sash, in 1906 Hawthorn merged with successful junior club the Hawthorn Rovers to form the Hawthorn City Football Club as a result of Glenferrie Oval opening. The club was reformed in 1912, changing to a gold guernsey with a blue V, the council then applied to the Victorian Football Association for inclusion which was granted in 1914 when Hawthorn replaced the disbanded Melbourne City club. The first task for the club was to decide on club colours, their jumper of blue, at a Special General Meeting held on 17 February 1914, a Mr J. Brain proposed brown and gold as the new colours and the motion was carried. The Mayblooms won three games and a draw in their first season in the VFA, the effect of World War I with players enlisting caused the club to finish last in 1915. The VFA then went into recess in 1916 and 1917, upon Hawthorn’s resumption in 1919 it was more competitive winning eight games and finishing sixth out of ten teams. Hawthorn dropped to eighth in 1920 but in 1921 they won seven games, bill Walton was appointed captain-coach of Hawthorn in 1922. He was however refused a clearance by Port Melbourne and as a result spent the season playing for them, twice that season, he had the unusual situation of playing a VFA game against the club that he coached
26.
1984 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 88th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1984 VFL season. The match, attended by 92,685 spectators, was won by Essendon by a margin of 24 points and it was a Grand Final rematch of the previous seasons Grand Final in which Hawthorn defeated Essendon by a then record 83 points. Essendon topped the home and away season ladder a game clear of their Grand Final opponents, however, despite having won 12 premierships, Essendon came into the match without a premiership since their 1965 victory over St Kilda, who were coached by current Hawthorn coach Allan Jeans. In the finals series, the Hawks defeated Carlton by 30 points in the Qualifying Final, Essendon faced Collingwood in the Preliminary Final, demolishing the Magpies by 133 points on the back of a 28-goal performance to advance to the Grand Final. Captain Leigh Matthews had the first goal on the scoreboard within thirty seconds of the opening bounce, and Colin Robertson, utilising his pace, added two more. Essendon had hoped to throw Hawthorn off balance early by playing Roger Merrett in the ruck and shifting Simon Madden, by now one of the finest ruckmen in the VFL, Hawthorn countered his by putting Ian Paton in the ruck and moving Michael Byrne to full forward. Madden consequently languished in Essendons forward line doing nothing while the ball was spending time at the other end of the ground. Sheedy soon moved Madden back to the ruck, but at quarter time Hawthorn led by 21, goals to Ken Judge and Matthews saw Hawthorn increase their lead to 32 points. The third quarter was a low scoring affair, more notable for the changes to field positions that Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy applied in an attempt to stem the flow of Hawthorn goals. While common today, at the time it was unusual for a coach to make such radical changes as shifting backline players to the forward line. Paul Weston was shifted from defence to centre forward, captain Terry Daniher was moved to defence. With these positional changes, Essendon managed to get three goals of the lead, but Dermott Brereton kicked a late goal for Hawthorn to give them a 23-point lead going into the final term. Essendon got off to the start in the final quarter. Madden, who had been ordinary for much of the game, the ball fell to Williams, who kicked the ball forward, where Baker was in the perfect position to run onto the spilled ball from a marking contest and kick his third goal of the match. Minutes later, Bradbury kicked a goal from the back of a pack, Essendons charge continued when the ball made its way to Duckworth at half forward who passed it to an unmanned Mark Thompson who put it through from 40 metres out directly in front. The Bombers hit the front in spectacular fashion when, from the resultant centre bounce, the ball bounced favourably for Baker, who evaded Hawks defender David OHalloran with a brilliant blind turn and booted his fourth goal, to the delight of Essendon fans. Hawthorn was back in front when Peter Curran goaled from a 15-metre penalty, Weston extended Essendons lead to 11 points minutes later and then Tim Watson goaled twice to seal the comeback win for Essendon. The Bombers kicked 9.6 in the term to break free from the Hawks
27.
Essendon Football Club
–
The Essendon Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League, the sports premier competition. Formed in 1871 as a club and playing as a senior club since 1878. It is historically associated with Essendon, a suburb in the north-west of Melbourne, dyson Heppell is the current team captain. A founding member club of both the Victorian Football Association, in 1877, and the Victorian Football League, in 1896, the club claims to have over at least one million supporters Australia wide. Essendon has won 16 VFL/AFL premierships which, along with Carlton, is the most of any club in the competition, the club was founded by members of the Royal Agricultural Society, the Melbourne Hunt Club and the Victorian Woolbrokers. The Essendon Football Club is thought to have formed in 1872 at a meeting it the home of a well-known brewery family, the McCrackens, whose Ascot Vale property hosted a team of local junior players. Robert McCracken, the owner of several city hotels, was the founder and first president of the Essendon club and his son, Alex, Alex would later become president of the newly formed VFL. Alexs cousin, Collier, who had played with Melbourne, was the teams first captain. The club played its first recorded match against the Carlton second twenty on 7 June 1873, Essendon played 13 matches in its first season, winning seven, with four draws and losing two. The club was one of the junior members of the Victorian Football Association in 1877. During its early years in the Association, Essendon played its matches at Flemington Hill. In 1878, Essendon played in the first match on what would be considered by modern standards to be a field at Flemington Hill. In 1879 Essendon played Melbourne in one of the earliest night matches recorded when the ball was painted white, in 1883 the team played four matches in Adelaide. In 1891 Essendon won their first VFA premiership, which they repeated in 1892,1893 and 1894, one of the clubs greatest players, Albert Thurgood played for the club during this period. Essendon was undefeated in the 1893 season, at the end of the 1896 season Essendon along with seven other clubs formed the Victorian Football League. Essendons first VFL game was in 1897 was against Geelong at Corio Oval in Geelong, Essendon won its first VFL premiership by winning the 1897 VFL finals series. Essendon again won the premiership in 1901, defeating Collingwood in the Grand Final, the club won successive premierships in 1911 and 1912 over Collingwood and South Melbourne respectively. The nickname first appeared in print in the local North Melbourne Advertiser in 1889 and it was known firstly as Essendon Town and, after 1905, as Essendon
28.
1985 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 89th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1985 VFL season. The match, attended by 100,042 spectators, was won by Essendon by a margin of 78 points, Hawthorn had finished third with 15 wins,6 losses and a draw. In the finals series in the lead-up to the game, Hawthorn defeated Footscray in the Qualifying Final before meeting the Bombers in the Second Semi-Final, the Hawks then met Footscray again in the Preliminary final, which they won by 10 points to advance to the Grand Final. The Bombers advanced straight to the Grand Final on the back of their Second Semi-Final win, the Grand Final is often remembered for a bench-clearing brawl which broke out on the wing soon after the opening bounce. Essendon edged ahead early and increased its margin slightly at each of the changes, the Bombers then scored a record 11.3 in the final quarter to completely blow the game open. Paul Salmon kicked six goals for Essendon and Roger Merrett five, forward Dermott Brereton starred for the Hawks with eight goals, the most ever in a losing Grand Final side. Brereton was also reported three times in the game, he received a four match suspension for conduct and two counts of striking arising from the brawl. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Essendons Simon Madden for being judged the best player afield, at the conclusion of the game, the 332nd and final game of Hawks great Leigh Matthews 16-year career, Matthews was chaired off the ground by his teammates. Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said after the game to his players It took you five years to four quarters of football. It was an effort of football, the way football should be played
29.
1986 VFL Grand Final
–
The 1986 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and the Carlton Football Club. The game was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1986 and it was the 90th annual grand final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1986 VFL season. The match, attended by 101,861 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 42 points, marking that clubs sixth premiership victory. Hawthorn were playing their fourth grand final and had lost the last two, while Carlton were appearing in their first premiership decider since winning the 1982 VFL Grand Final. At the conclusion of the home and away season, Hawthorn had finished first on the VFL ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses, Carlton had finished third with 15 wins and 7 losses. Hawthorn, after loss, convincingly defeated Fitzroy by 56 points in the preliminary final to advance to the grand final. Carlton entered the game as favourites after their defeat of the Hawks in the second semi-final. Hawks player Robert DiPierdomenico won the Brownlow Medal in the leading up to the game. Meanwhile, the Blues were looking to give Bruce Doull, who was retiring after the game, the Hawks jumped out of the blocks early and by early in the second quarter led by 37 points. A seven-goal burst by the Hawks in the third quarter sealed their win, in the final quarter Hawthorn kicked only one goal but by then the contest was effectively over. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Hawthorn defender Gary Ayres for being judged the best player afield, Ayres was playing on Carlton wingman David Rhys-Jones, who had been a match-winner against Hawthorn in the second semi-final. Ayres, playing on the wing for the first time in five years, nullified Rhys-Jones, after consecutive grand final defeats in the previous two seasons, Hawthorn proved to the football world that they were anything but a spent force. They would go on to participate in four of the five grand finals. For Carlton, the comprehensive defeat served as a reality check. It was also a sad end to the career of club legend Bruce Doull. Atonement would come soon enough for the Blues when they met Hawthorn again in the 1987 decider, this time running out winners by 33 points
30.
1987 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 91st annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1987 VFL season. The match, attended by 92,754 spectators, was won by Carlton by a margin of 33 points, at the conclusion of the home and away season, Carlton had finished first on the VFL ladder with 18 wins and 4 losses. Those four losses was by a total of just 56 points. Hawthorn finished second, with 17 wins and 5 losses, Carlton had only beaten Hawthorn in two of the last twelve games in which the two teams had met, although they had defeated them most recently in the Second-Semi Final leading up to the Grand Final. The Blues had an easier run, earning a weeks rest before the Second Semi Final. It was Hawthorns fifth successive Grand Final appearance and it had beaten Carlton in the previous seasons Grand Final by 42 points, Carlton had not won a flag since winning the 1982 VFL Grand Final. In the week leading up to the Grand Final, Hawthorns John Platten was awarded the Brownlow Medal. The game was played on a hot day, with temperatures reaching 30.7 degrees Celsius. It was the time in 426 games Michael Tuck wore a sleeveless jumper. The heat was thought to favour Carlton after Hawthorn had finished a very tough finals campaign. Hawthorn were also without Jason Dunstall who had kicked 94 goals for the year and 6 against the Blues in the previous years Grand Final but was out of the game with an ankle injury, instead the Hawks played Paul Dear at full-forward. The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Carlton defender David Rhys-Jones for being judged the best player afield, Rhys-Jones kept dangerous Hawthorn forward Dermott Brereton goalless for the game. Stephen Kernahan and Craig Bradley each kicked three goals for the Blues, Hawthorn would bounce back from this defeat to win three of the next four Grand Finals. After not being picked for the Grand Final, club stalwart Rodney Eade left the club and went to Brisbane. For Carlton, the victory was atonement for last years defeat, and served as a tribute to the fighting spirit shown by Des English and Peter Motley, however, Johnston and Madden had both been reported for striking. They would both miss the first two matches of the 1988 season, after losing to Melbourne in the 1988 Preliminary Final, the Blues would not play in a Grand Final again until 1993. Blueseum page on the Grand Final 1987 VFL season
31.
1988 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 92nd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1988 VFL season. The match, attended by 93,754 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 96 points and it was Hawthorns sixth successive Grand Final appearance, while Melbourne were competing in its first since winning the 1964 VFL Grand Final. At the conclusion of the home and away season, Hawthorn had finished first on the VFL ladder with 19 wins and 3 losses, Melbourne had finished fifth with 13 wins and 9 losses. In the two meetings between the teams in the season, Melbourne defeated Hawthorn by 21 points in round 7. Hawthorn completely dominated the game, setting a VFL record for the greatest winning margin in a Grand Final and this margin remained a record until Geelongs 119 point defeat of Port Adelaide in the 2007 AFL Grand Final. Jason Dunstall kicked 7 goals, Paul Abbott kicked 6 goals, the Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Hawthorn defender Gary Ayres for being judged the best player afield, with 22 disposals despite sustaining a fractured cheek bone in the first quarter. Ayres nullified dangerous Melbourne player Greg Healy, and set up many of the Hawks attacks from the defensive line, jim Stynes was voted best on ground for the Demons. Hawks coach Alan Joyce, who replaced an ill Allan Jeans for the 1988 season, said I have never seen a more awesome, I saw about a dozen Hawthorn players in a wave going down the field. It was a chain, crashing through a desperate opposition. In a lesser known streaker incident a woman ran naked across the ground during the last quarter and was promptly arrested, match details at AFL Tables 1988 VFL season
32.
1989 VFL Grand Final
–
It was the 93rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1989 VFL season. The match, attended by 94,796 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 6 points and it is regarded as one of the greatest Grand Finals of all time. At the conclusion of the regular season, Hawthorn had finished on top of the ladder with 19 wins and 3 losses. Geelong had finished third with 16 wins and 6 losses, Hawthorn had a much easier run, defeating Essendon in the Second Semi-Final to advance straight to the Grand Final. In the week leading up to the Grand Final, Geelongs Paul Couch was awarded the Brownlow Medal, the Grand Final was played in near perfect conditions. Geelong made their intentions clear right from the start when Mark Yeates ran through Hawthorns champion centre half-forward, Yeates was chosen to carry out the deed, partly as payback for when Brereton had flattened him in the classic Round 6 clash earlier in the season. Amidst the chaos in the middle of the ground, the Cats rushed the ball forward to Gary Ablett, Yeates hit left Brereton with broken ribs and a bruised kidney, which caused him internal bleeding. Hawthorn physiotherapist Barry Gavin recalled the years later, The thing that really struck me was how bad he was when I got there. Hed lost all the colour in his face and was vomiting, hed dragged himself back on his feet by this stage. But he was doubled over, dry-retching and his colour was grey, there was no way he could stay out there. I remember looking up at in the box and starting to try to get him off, just get me down to the pocket. He was more worried than me and he recognised the gravity of it. Despite the insistence of the doctors and trainers, Brereton refused to leave the field. Moments later, the ball came into Hawthorns attacking zone, Brereton, only moments ago on the ground and seemingly out of the game, took a strong mark, steadied, and kicked truly to open Hawthorns account. Breretons inspirational act lifted the Hawks, and they slammed on a seven goals to take a commanding 40-point lead at quarter time. However, Geelongs physical approach was starting to take its toll, geelong captain and ruckman Damian Bourke was replaced by Darren Flanigan in the second quarter, and began to have an immediate impact in the ruck contests. Scott Maginness, Abletts opponent up to point, was moved onto Billy Brownless while Chris Langford was assigned to mind Ablett for the rest of the game. Jason Dunstall, Dean Anderson and Gary Buckenara each kicked four goals for the Hawks, Abletts nine goals equaled the record for most goals kicked tying Gordon Coventrys overall record of goals in a Grand Final set in the 1928 VFL Grand Final
33.
Geelong Football Club
–
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed the Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club based in the city of Geelong, Australia and playing in the Australian Football League. The Cats have been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with three in the AFL era and they have also won nine McClelland Trophies, a record shared with Essendon. The club was formed in 1859, making it the second oldest club in the AFL after Melbourne and one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Geelong participated in the first football competition in Australia and was a club of both the Victorian Football Association in 1877 and the Victorian Football League in 1897. The club first established itself in the VFA by winning seven premierships, the club won a further six premierships by 1963, before enduring a 44-year waiting period until it won its next premiership—an AFL-record 119-point victory in the 2007 AFL Grand Final. Geelong have since won a further two premierships in 2009 and 2011, the clubs home ground is Kardinia Park, currently also known by its sponsorship name Simonds Stadium. However, the club also hosts matches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Geelongs traditional guernsey colours are blue and white hoops. The clubs nickname, The Cats, was first used in 1923 after a run of losses prompted a local cartoonist to suggest that the club needed a black cat to bring it good luck, the clubs official team song and anthem is We Are Geelong. Geelong Football Club was formally established at a meeting held in the Victoria Hotel on 18 July 1859, the club contested its first match of Australian rules football against Melbourne at Argyle Square in 1860, which finished as a scoreless draw. In 1863, Geelong travelled to Melbourne to contest the Caledonian Challenge Cup, although the competition was played under compromised rules, Geelong reached the final and defeated Melbourne to become the second winners of the cup. The club continued to contest the cup in the following years, during this time, Tom Wills—one of the founders of Australian football—played exclusively for the club from 1865 until his retirement from football in 1874. Following the formation of the Victorian Football Association in 1877, Geelong joined the association as one of its foundation clubs. The club relocated to Corio Oval as its home ground in time for the 1878 season. In 1924, following the death of VFL and Geelong administrator Charles Brownlow, the first player to win the award was Geelongs Edward Greeves. Having been one of the dominant clubs in the old VFA and it wasnt until 1925 that the club won its first VFL premiership. Geelong followed up with further wins in 1931 and 1937. In 1941, the club was forced to relocate from its Corio Oval base due to the oval being required for training during World War 2
34.
1990 AFL Grand Final
–
It was the 94th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 1990 AFL season. The match, attended by 98,944 spectators, was won by Collingwood by a margin of 48 points, Collingwood had made nine unsuccessful Grand Final attempts, in the previous 32 years, not having won a premiership since the 1958 VFL Grand Final. Essendon had last played a Grand Final in 1985, which it had won against Hawthorn, at the conclusion of the home and away season, Essendon had finished first on the AFL ladder with 17 wins and 5 losses. Collingwood had finished second with 16 wins and 6 losses, the top five qualified for the finals, which were played under the McIntyre Final Five system. Collingwood and West Coast played a draw in the Qualifying Final at Waverley Park in the first week of the finals, the match was replayed the following week, with Collingwood winning convincingly by 59 points to advance to the Second Semi-Final against Essendon. In the Second-Semi Final, Collingwood scored ten goals to two after half time to win by 63 points and advance to the Grand Final, Essendon faced West Coast in the Preliminary Final, winning by 63 points, to earn its place in the Grand Final. Collingwoods drawn game with West Coast caused the Grand Final and all other finals to be delayed by a week from the scheduled dates. For the 1991 and successive AFL seasons, the rules were changed to allow time to be played in finals, excluding the Grand Final. The first final to require extra time was four years later in the 1994 Qualifying Final between North Melbourne and Hawthorn, the match began with Essendon starting strongly, as the Bombers beanpole full-forward Paul Salmon kicked two early goals from strong marks. At the sounding of the quarter time siren, a brawl erupted in the Essendon forward pocket drawing all players on the ground. During the brawl, Gavin Brown was flattened by Terry Daniher in retaliation for Brown felling Kieran Sporn, the umpires, police, stadium security and Channel Seven boundary rider Bernie Quinlan were needed to restore order. In the aftermath ten players and officials were reported, following the brawl, the umpires took a hard line on any indiscretions. Collingwood, playing in front at the contests, benefitted from this, Essendon never really recovered from this purple patch, and after finishing with six goals to one in the second quarter, Collingwood led by 34 points at half time. Craig Starcevich was knocked out by Terry Daniher after taking a mark, with Mick McGuane taking his kick, Peter Daicos scored a spectacular goal from near the behind post to extend Collingwoods margin to 46 points. Essendon scored the two goals midway through the third quarter with two quick goals, before Gavin Brown goaled late to give Collingwood a 40-point lead at three-quarter time. Essendon attacked and dominated the early in the last quarter but could only manage behinds. After absorbing the Essendon pressure for twenty minutes, Collingwoods Doug Barwick scored the first goal of the quarter, the siren sounded soon after Damian Monkhorst goalled to make the margin 48 points. Essendon was held goalless in the final quarter, the Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Collingwoods Tony Shaw for being judged the best player afield, with 32 possessions in an inspirational display
35.
1991 AFL Grand Final
–
The 1991 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and West Coast Eagles, held at Waverley Park in Melbourne on 28 September 1991. It was the 95th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League, the match, attended by a smaller-than-usual crowd of 75,230 spectators, was won by Hawthorn by a margin of 53 points, marking that clubs ninth premiership victory. The match was also the first Grand Final to feature a team based outside the state of Victoria, Hawthorn had finished second with a record of 16 wins and 6 losses. Though starting the season slowly, losing five of their first 11 games, they lost just one game for the rest of the home. The Eagles defeated the Hawks in both their home-and-away encounters during the season, by 82 points at Princes Park in round 7 and 24 points at Subiaco Oval in round 22. In the lead-up to the Grand Final, Hawthorn defeated West Coast by 23 points at Subiaco the Qualifying Final. The Eagles subsequently defeated Melbourne by 38 points in the First Semi-Final, the Eagles defeated Geelong by 15 points in the Preliminary Final to take their place in the premiership decider. The game was played with what appeared as a four-goal breeze towards the main scoreboard end, West Coast captain John Worsfold won the toss and kicked with the wind, his team beginning the game strongly before fading later in the final quarter. The ball moved up and down the field before the first of two 50 metre penalties by Chris Langford against Peter Sumich allowing Sumich to kick the first goal ten minutes. A second penalty by Langford after a Sumich mark gave Sumich his second goal, a snap from Peter Wilson in the pocket followed by a relay free kick to Brett Heady stretched the margin out to four goals. A minute later Paul Dear ran into a goal to give the Hawks their first. After the Hawks scored four behinds Sumich marked and kicked his third goal from outside 60 metres, jason Dunstall scored a goal from a Ben Allan centreline clearance, then again Dunstall scored his second for the term from a free kick on the siren. The Eagles lead was nine points at the first change, with Hawthorn now kicking with the breeze, Dear marked consecutive kick ins and started dominating at Centre Half Forward. Goals to Dear and Darrin Pritchard saw the Hawks take the lead, after a couple more behinds from the Hawks, Tony Hall snapped a goal and the Hawthorn lead was fourteen points. Paul Hudson added the Hawks sixth unanswered goal before the Eagles, through Sumich and Chris Lewis, both teams went goal for goal in this term, and the margin at three-quarter time was still ten points in Hawthorns favour. Hawthorn had Stephen Lawrence winning the hit outs, and a dominating midfield negated any wind assistance the Eagles may have had, Heady kicked three goals for the quarter and Hawthorns Dermott Brereton two. The Hawks blew the game open in the term, kicking eight goals to one. Brereton took two marks in the square in the first three minutes to put the Hawks 23 points ahead
