MEMORABLE FINALS BATTLES BETWEEN THE AFL FINALISTS
WEST COAST v ESSENDON
Overall: Played 54. West Coast 24 wins, Essendon 29 wins
Finals: Played 5. West Coast 0 wins, Essendon 5 wins
* 2002 elimination final: Essendon 17.9 (111) bt West Coast 11.12 (78) Docklands Stadium. Scores were level at half-time and the Eagles led early in the third term against the highly fancied Bombers, who had lost star forward Matthew Lloyd to concussion. But Essendon rallied, taking an 11-point buffer into three quarter-time before steaming to victory with six goals to two in a powerhouse last term. Bomber Scott Lucas starred with 29 disposals and three goals and teammate Joe Misiti had 34 disposals while Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr were the only Eagles with more than 20 touches.
* 1990 preliminary final: Essendon 18.13 (121) bt West Coast 8.10 (58), Waverley Park. Mick Malthouse’s first season as Eagles coach ended in disaster as the club came up short in the bid to reach a first grand final. The Eagles were smashed – they conceded seven second-term goals and were down and out at half-time when trailing by 36 points. Bomber champions Terry Daniher (25 disposals), Simon Madden (21 disposals, 12 marks, two goals) and Mark Thompson (25 disposals) were superb and Alan Ezard booted three goals in a game when Eagles forward Peter Sumich’s radar went awry – he kicked 2.5.
* 1995 qualifying final: Essendon 11.8 (74) bt West Coast 8.7 (55), Waverley Park. The closest result of the five finals between the clubs. The Eagles led by five points at half-time, 6.5 to 5.6, but managed just two more goals. West Coast were blown away in the third quarter when the Bombers booted six goals to one to seal the win – remarkably, Essendon didn’t score at all in the last term. Bomber Mark Mercuri was brilliant with four goals among 25 disposals and teammates Michael Long (27 disposals) and Gary O’Donnell (31 touches) were excellent, while Chris Mainwaring played a lone hand for West Coast with 31 disposals.
* GEELONG v COLLINGWOOD
Played: 233. Geelong 100 wins, Collingwood 132 wins, draws 1
Finals: Played 23. Geelong 12 wins, Collingwood 11 wins
2011 grand final: Geelong 18.11 (119) bt Collingwood 12.9 (81), MCG. The Magpies led by three points at half-time but found themselves seven points down at the last change. The Cats then powered to the premiership with a devastating last quarter, booting 5.4 to just three points. Jimmy Bartel was best-afield with 26 disposals and three goals, Steve Johnson slotted four goals and Joel Selwood was immense with 28 touches including eight clearances, while Magpie Scott Pendlebury was exceptional with a game-high 33 possessions and teammate Dale Thomas had 31 touches.
2007 preliminary final: Geelong 13.14 (92) bt Collingwood 13.9 (87), MCG. A gripping encounter which was neck-and-neck all game. Geelong held five-point leads at half-time, three quarter-time and at the final siren, largely thanks to Gary Ablett who recorded 31 disposals, eight inside 50s and laid seven tackles. Cats Steve Johnson and Mathew Stokes booted three goals each – scoring returns equalled by Collingwood’s Travis Cloke and Paul Medhurst – while Magpie star Dane Swan and Heath Shaw both collected 25 possessions.
1981 preliminary final: Collingwood 12.10 (82) bt Geelong 11.9 (75), Waverley Park. Geelong had pipped the Magpies by 14 points two weeks earlier in the qualifying final before they met in what proved to be an even tighter tussle in the prelim. The Cats led by four points at three quarter-time but the Pies kicked three goals to one in the last term to prevail. Geelong couldn’t contain mercurial Magpies Peter Daicos (four goals) and Rene Kink (three goals). Cat Peter Featherby was a standout with a game-high 30 possessions and a dozen marks – twice the number of any other player on the ground.
* GWS v WESTERN BULLDOGS
Played: 11. GWS 5 wins, Western Bulldogs 6 wins
Finals: Played: 1. Western Bulldogs 1 win
2016 preliminary final: Western Bulldogs 13.11 (89) bt GWS 12.11 (83), Giants Stadium. A modern-day, see-sawing classic. The Dogs trailed by one point at three quarter-time and slipped 14 points down early in the final stanza, but they rallied and scores were tied into the 28th minute. Bulldog Jack Macrae then converted a clutch set shot before Giant Devon Smith, a minute later, had a chance to square scores again but missed. Clay Smith scored four goals in the match of his life for the winners and teammate Luke Dahlhaus collected a game-high 32 disposals, while Giants Rory Lobb and Toby Greene both kicked three goals and Tom Scully (30 touches) and Josh Kelly (29 disposals) were influential.
* BRISBANE V RICHMOND
Played: 30. Brisbane 8 wins, Richmond 21 wins, draws 1
Finals: Played 1. Brisbane 1 win
2001 preliminary final: Brisbane 20.16 (136) bt Richmond 10.8 (68), the Gabba. The Tigers were two goals adrift at quarter-time and then it became a one-sided rout with the Lions kicking 14 goals to six in the last three terms. The Lions’ big guns all fired: Jonathan Brown kicked four goals while Nigel Lappin (29 disposals, three goals, 13 marks), Michael Voss (25 touches, three goals) and Simon Black (27 possessions) were dominant. Richmond’s Greg Tivendale scored three majors but the efforts of Leon Cameron (29 touches), Matthew Knights (28 disposals) and Joel Bowden (27 possessions) were unrewarded.
