AFL Grand Final

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Part of the pre-match entertainment at the 2006 AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Giant banners were unfurled featuring the colours and emblems of all 16 AFL clubs.

The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions.

The game has become culturally significant to Australia, spawning a number of traditions and surrounding activities which have grown in popularity since the VFL/AFL went national in the 1980s. In 2006, the Sweeney Sports Report concluded that the AFL Grand Final became Australia's most important sporting event,^[1] with the largest attendance, television audience and overall interest of any annual Australian sporting event.

With an official attendance of 97,302 at the 2007 AFL Grand Final,^[2] it is currently the best attended domestic club championship event in the world.

[edit] Audience

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The event has been sold out every year for decades, and once drew a crowd of 121,696 spectators at Collingwood vs Carlton in 1970, primarily due to the presence of standing room (areas of the stadium without seats). However attendances have wavered due to re-development and reduced capacity of the main venue, the Melbourne Cricket Ground; being favoured by increased seating of approximately 100,000.^[3] AFL members and nominated members of the participating clubs are given first rights to tickets, as are Melbourne Cricket Club members.

The 2005 AFL Grand Final was watched by a television audience of more than 3.3 million people across five of Australia's most highly populated cities, including 1.2 million in Melbourne and 991,000 in Sydney.^[4] The worldwide audience has grown substantially to a potential 170 million viewers from 72 countries.^[5], although the actual audience is likely to be around 30 million.

The AFL Grand Final has been in the top 5 TV programmes across the five Australian mainland state capitals in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and was the top-rating sports programme in both 2004 and 2005 and in 2005, AFL Grand Final related shows (Final, wrap up and pre-match) were the top 3 rating television programmes for the year. As of October the program is second in the 2006 ratings after the coverage of the 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.

[edit] Qualification and Prize

The two Grand Finalists qualify via finals series play-offs at the end of the season. In the current system, the eight teams finishing highest on the ladder after all the home and away rounds qualify for the four-week long finals series culminating in the Grand Final. The team that finishes the regular season at the top of the ladder is said to have won the minor premiership and is awarded the McClelland Trophy. The winner is presented with the AFL premiership cup and each victorious player is presented with a premiership medallion. The premiers are also awarded the premiership flag, a large pennant which is unfurled at the premiers' first home game of the following season. Although the cup features much more prominently in celebrations immediately following the Grand Final, the flag has far greater symbolic significance. This is particularly reflected in football parlance, in which one always speaks of a team winning the flag, rather than the cup. This is possibly the result of history. The presentation of the flag first occurred in 1895, when the old VFA recognised Fitzroy's first premiership win. The cup was not instituted until 1959.

Rather than cash, the main incentive for winning the Grand Final is what is referred to rather vaguely in sporting terms as glory. As a result, the cash prize is probably not reflective of the magnitude of participating in the event. The current cash prize for the winning club is AUD$1 million. Before 2006, a cash prize to the winning club of AUD$250,000 was awarded (In contrast, the winner of the NAB Cup, the far less important pre-season competition, is currently awarded a similar amount, AUD$220,000). Following the Sydney Swans premiership in 2005, many clubs publicly questioned the prize money [1], which has not increased for many years and barely covers the cost of participation in the finals series.

The winner of the premiership typically experiences an increase in membership and sale of merchandise.

The player judged by a panel of experts to be the best afield during the Grand Final is awarded the Norm Smith Medal, named after the great Melbourne Demons coach of the 50's and 60's and player of the 40's Norm Smith. The winning coach receives the Jock McHale Medal, named after the coach of Collingwood Magpies from 1912-1949.

[edit] History

[edit] Early Experimentation

The concept of a "grand" final gradually evolved from experimentation by the Victorian Football League (VFL) in the initial years of competition following its inception in 1897. During the nineteenth century, Australian football competition adopted the approach used by the Football Association in England - that is, the team on top of the table (or "ladder" in the Australian vernacular) was declared the premiers. However, the fledgling VFL decided that a finals 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 and the team that won the most matches was declared the winner.

However, this method had flaws, so the VFL continued to experiment, playing "section" matches after the regular season and then a finals series where first on the ladder played the third team and second met fourth. The winners of these "semi" finals then met in a final to decide the premiership. This system caused problems in 1901 when Geelong finished on top of the ladder but was immediately eliminated when defeated in the semi final. A "right of challenge" was introduced, giving the team that finished on top at the end of the regular season (the minor premier) the right to challenge if they lost the semi final or the final. This challenge match came to be called the "grand final". The early finals were scattered around various Melbourne venues: Albert Park, St Kilda's Junction Oval and the now defunct East Melbourne Cricket Ground. The selection of the venue could depend on the portion of the gate demanded by the ground's landlords.

[edit] The Move To the MCG

The public remained ambivalent to the concept of finals football until the VFL pulled off a coup in 1902. Previously, the MCG was unavailable to football in the early spring months as it was being prepared for the coming cricket season. The VFL convinced the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) to rent the ground for the finals series and the first grand final at what is today considered the home of the game attracted more than 35,000 people to watch Collingwood down Essendon. The success of the finals at the MCG was proven with big attendances every year, and soon all the major competitions around Australia were employing what was known as the "amended Argus system" of finals. The "original Argus system" had been instituted by the VFL in 1901, the amended system was instituted by the VFL in 1902. The 1907 Grand Final attracted an Australian record sporting attendance of 45,477.

By 1908, a new record attendance of 50,261 was set, on a day when the crowd was so huge that they broke through the fence and filed onto the ground, sitting around the boundary line to watch the action. This figure was beaten in 1912 when 54,463 saw Essendon defeat South Melbourne. The big finals crowds (and increasing cricket attendances) prompted the MCC to cut down the eleven fifty-year old elm trees inside the ground and turn the stadium into a concrete bowl, complete with extra stands and standing room. The record fell again in the last grand final before World War I, when the excitement of St Kilda's first premiership attempt drew 59,479 spectators.

[edit] Problems With the System

Obviously, the war had a big 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. But many diggers supported the continuance of the game, and both the 1918 and 1919 Grand Finals were notable for the large number of Australian servicemen in attendance, many of whom wore uniform. During the 1920s, the VFL grappled with the problems associated with the "amended Argus system", specifically that a true "grand" final was not played if the minor premier won both the semi final and the final. Although new attendance records were set in 1920 and 1922, these were for the semi finals, which often drew bigger crowds than the Grand Final. The VFL reverted to the round robin system in 1924, which was a disaster, then went back to the "amended Argus system" for 1925, when the Grand Final attracted a new record crowd of 64,288. This bumper attendance was the result of Geelong's first VFL premiership win, when a huge contingent from Victoria's second city descended on the MCG to watch their team make history.

Collingwood's famous four premierships in a row between 1927 and 1930 became the catalyst for change to the system. The other clubs felt that the Magpies had an unfair advantage from finishing all four seasons on top of the ladder when the right of challenge saved them on a number of occasions. In 1927, 1928 and 1930, the biggest crowd of the year was drawn to the semi final and not the Grand Final. The Page-McIntyre system (or 'final four") was introduced for 1931, whereby the semi finals (1 v 2 and 3 v 4) were followed by the preliminary final and then the grand final, with the right of challenge abolished. This proved satisfactory to all, and the new system ushered in a golden age for the Grand Final.

[edit] The Golden Age: the 1930s

New records were constantly set and when 75,754 attended the 1933 grand final between South Melbourne and Richmond, it started the MCC thinking of expansion again. Just months earlier, cricket attendance records were shattered during the "bodyline" series between Australia and England. The MCC decided to build the southern stand, which enclosed almost half the ground and was completed in 1937. That year, the Geelong-Collingwood grand final attracted 88,540 and the spectators were sitting five deep along the boundary line. Somehow, the following year, 96,834 people turned up and squashed in to watch the Magpies take on Carlton. At the time, Melbourne's population was about one million, which meant that on Grand Final day, almost one-tenth of the city were at the game.

[edit] The War and After

Football served as a distraction for people on the homefront during the war, particularly during the darkest days between 1941 and 1943. The Australian government requisitioned a number of VFL grounds, including the MCG. Therefore, the Grand Final was staged at Princes Park (Carlton) in 1942, 1943 and 1945, and at St Kilda's Junction Oval in 1944 when Fitzroy won its last premiership on the hottest Grand Final day on record. The 1943 clash was a thrilling contest, Richmond defeating Essendon by five points. The 1942 and 1945 matches were marred by violence, and the latter game has gone down in history as the "Bloodbath". An amazing crowd of 62,986 crammed into the Carlton ground for this game, which was played just weeks after the armistice with Japan was declared. Clearly, the people of Melbourne were keen to normalise their lives again and football was central to this desire.

So when the MCG was finally relinquished by the government in August 1946, there was great expectation in the build up to the Grand Final, where Essendon booted a record score to defeat Melbourne. Attendances were back to 1930s levels by 1947 and 85,815 turned up to see Carlton beat Essendon by a solitary point; a similar crowd a year later watched the Bombers play the first draw in Grand Final history. However, they lost a replay with Melbourne the following week. The sight of thousands sitting between the fence and the boundary line, first seen in the late 1930s, was now usual at the Grand Final. Spectators were admitted on a first-come basis, and thousands took to lining up outside the stadium in the days before the match to gain the best vantage point when the gates opened on the morning of the match. Some reservations were raised about spectator safety as the MCG was clearly being filled above its capacity.

[edit] The Olympic Year and Ticketing

As the MCG would be used as the main stadium for the 1956 Olympic Games, the ground was upgraded again with a new stand and extra capacity. Construction work restricted the crowd at the 1954 Grand Final when 80,897 people saw Footscray win their historic first (and only) flag. Eight thousand more witnessed the Grand Final the following year, before the stand was fully completed. The 1956 Grand Final was seen as a dry run for the opening ceremony of the games two months later, but no one was prepared for the outcome. Officially, 115,802 fans turned out to see Melbourne take on Collingwood for the second year in a row, but contemporary reports state that anywhere between twenty and thirty thousand people were turned away. Some gained admittance by storming the gates, while others perched precariously on the roof of the southern stand. The old record had been shattered by almost 19,000 but the chaos outside the ground prompted the VFL to introduce a ticketing system for the first time.

Attendances now hovered around the 100,000 mark during the coming years. Melbourne dominated the era with seven straight Grand Final appearances (for five flags), playing Collingwood three times and Essendon twice. The 1958 Grand Final, when Collingwood upset a Melbourne team attempting to equal the Magpies' proud record of four consecutive premierships, was arguably the greatest upset recorded in the biggest game of all. The Demons made amends by winning the next year, when the premiership cup was presented for the first time. Previously, the crowd descended on the arena at the end of the game, and the players were variously chaired off the ground or walked to the dressing room. The presentation of the cup gave the after-match a ceremonial focus and allowed the attention to settle on the premier team.

Following the 1956 introduction of television to Australia, there were repeated calls for the Grand Final to be telecast live, but the VFL refused on the basis that the crowd numbers might be affected. A delayed telecast was allowed for 1961, when Hawthorn won for the first time, but thereafter only a videotaped replay was shown.

[edit] Second Golden Era: the 1960s and 1970s

In contrast to the 1950s when a few teams were monopolising Grand Final places, the 1960s were a decade of variety. Between 1961 and 1968, seven teams won the flag and a number of classic encounters were played. In 1964, a thrilling finish enabled Melbourne to win their last premiership by four points. Two years later, in arguably the most famous Grand Final of them all, St Kilda won their only premiership by one point, and their players went for an impromptu lap of honour with the cup, a tradition that endures. In 1967, Geelong and Richmond played a match of the highest standard, with the Tigers winning in the last minutes to end a long premiership drought. The next season, Carlton also ended a long run without success and set a record as the only winning team to score less goals than the opposition as they defeated Essendon by three points.

By now, the MCG had been expanded again so that record crowds were set in 1968, 1969 and 1970. The epic Grand Final of 1970, when Carlton came back from a 44-point half time deficit to beat Collingwood, was watched by an all-time record crowd of 121,696 people. Most of the matches during this period had something to remember: Hawthorn's comeback to win in 1971, Carlton's record score in the highest scoring game ever played in 1972, Richmond's two wins over Carlton in 1969 and 1973 in very physical encounters, and North Melbourne's first Grand Final victory in 1975.

[edit] The Modern Era: 1990-2007

Since Collingwood's drought breaking 41-point triumph over Essendon in the 1990 Grand Final, interstate clubs have won the ultimate prize on 10 occasions, with Fremantle the only club not to achieve this feat. West Coast and North Melbourne vied for the unofficial title of Team of the Decade, winning two flags apiece, as well as stumbling at the final hurdle, in 1991 and 1998 respectively.

Throughout the 90s, the standards of the Grand Finals never reached sensational heights, or concluded with nailbiting finishes. Collingwood walked over the Bombers in the '90 decider (which was played in October, due to the Magpies draw with the Eagles in the Qualifying Final, extending the finals series by a week), an aging Hawthorn unit was too classy for the Eagles, who got their revenge the following season with a come-from-behind victory over Geelong, before going on to record their second flag under coach Mick Malthouse and captain John Worsfold two years later over the same opponent. Wedged in between was Essendon's 'Baby Bombers', Kevin Sheedy molding a group of talented youngsters, including James Hird, Dustin Fletcher, Mark Mercuri, Joe Misiti, Ricky Olarenshaw, David Calthorpe and Paul Hills into a premiership winning combination, overrunning their older Carlton counterparts. The Blues, though, were not yet a spent forced, trouncing the hapless Cats by 61-points in 1995. Greg Williams starred, winning the Norm Smith Medal with his 32-disposals and five goals.

1996 saw North Melbourne make up for their many years of near misses, downing Sydney with ease, to take home the only golden premiership cup yet to be used. Adelaide, under new coach Malcolm Blight, stunned the football world with two premierships in succession, defeating St Kilda in 1997, and the Kangaroos in 1998. On both occasions, Andrew McLeod did as he pleased at halfback to take home the Norm Smith Medal, whilst forward pocket Darren Jarman was a match winner in attack. The Kangaroos should arguably have been more than four goals ahead at the halftime break, an inaccurate 8.22 puncturing any hopes of a second flag in three years.

It was achieved, however, a year later, when Wayne Carey's Kangaroos were premiers for the fourth time in the final year of the century. The Roos were fortunate to meet Carlton on the day, for the Blues, whilst honest and disciplined, were never going to be any match for the silk of the Kangaroos. Carlton only reached the Grand Final on the back of one of the biggest upsets in league history, toppling flag favourites Essendon by a point in the Preliminary Final.

The new millennium was ushered in under a reign of Essendon domination, the Bombers winning all bar one of their home and away matches, before pummelling the Kangaroos by a record 125-points in the Qualifying Final, demoralising Carlton, their enemy of the previous season, by 45-points, before wiping a valiant Melbourne off the park to the tune of 10 goals. There has been no other season like Essendon's in 2000, the club, led brilliantly by Norm Smith Medal winning skipper James Hird and master coach Kevin Sheedy, reaching heights never before, nor since scaled.

The following season, 2001, saw the Brisbane Lions win the first of their three premierships in succession. The Lions overran a tiring Bomber outfit in the second half of the 2001 decider, underrated rover Shaun Hart a surprise yet deserving recipient of the Norm Smith Medal. The following season saw Collingwood, vast underdogs, push the Lions to the limit in the 2002 decider, the Lions pipping the Magpies at the post by a mere nine points. Collingwood skipper Nathan Buckley was exceptional in winning the Norm Smith Medal, while his Lion counterpart Michael Voss was all but his equal.

Brisbane's third and final premiership in their historic run of success came in 2003, again accounting for Collingwood, though on this occasion by a whopping 50-points, crushing the spirit of the Magpies, who had been favourites going into the match. Simon Black led the romp with a Grand Final record 39-possessions, while Jason Akermanis booted five majors.

The Lions' castle finally came tumbling down in 2004, when Port Adelaide rolled them in the second half, running out 40-point victors. Byron Pickett, a premiership winning defender with the Kangaroos in 1999, turned into a match winning onballer for the Power, and capped his day with the Norm Smith Medal. The fairytale of the afternoon was the story behind Josh Mahoney, the until then little-known Port forward pocket had been cast aside by Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs in the seven years prior, trying his luck with Essendon's VFL squad in 2001 before switching to Williamstown. He belatedly received a third chance at the highest level, and made every post a winner, instrumental in the Power's third quarter charge.

Seasons 2005 and 2006 are best remembered for the classic rivalry forged between Sydney and the West Coast Eagles. The Swans clung on grimly to win the 2005 decider by four points, Leo Barry's epic mark in the dying seconds an image to resound throughout the ages. The following year, the same two clubs were at it again, only this time the tables were turned, but only just - the Eagles only one point ahead of the Swans when the final siren blew, the first time only a point had separated two clubs in a Grand Final since St Kilda's nailbiting victory over Collingwood in 1966.

2007 belonged to Geelong, who, after 44 years of torment and close finishes, stamped their authority on the competition, losing only one match after round five, and trouncing Port Adelaide in the decider by a record 119-points. Mercurial forward Steve Johnson took home the Norm Smith Medal, completing one of the most dominant seasons by one club on record.

[edit] Famous Incidents

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• 1897 - The VFL's first season did not include a Grand Final. Instead, a round robin series was played, with Essendon becoming the first VFL premiers and Geelong the runner-up.
• 1903 - Late in the last quarter, Fitzroy skipper Gerald Brosnan marked a pass from teammate Percy Trotter about thirty metres from goal with his team three points behind Collingwood. As he went back to line up his kick, the final bell rang. Brosnan's shot missed, but was so close that a Collingwood defender later claimed that he could hear the ball's lace brush the goal post.
• 1910 - A massive brawl broke out between Collingwood and Carlton players during the last quarter. A number of players were felled and four players were reported (the first in Grand Final history), yet the fight kept going. Umpire Jack Elder settled matters by blowing his whistle and bouncing the ball. Most of the combatants looked on, stunned, as the game recommenced without them, so they had no option but to forget about the fight.
• 1913 - Playing in their first Grand Final, St Kilda struggled to boot just one goal in the first three quarters against Fitzroy. But they came charging home in the last by closing a 25-point gap to one point with a few minutes remaining. A St Kilda player marked very close to goal on an angle and made a bad mistake by following a pre-game tactic of handballing. His intended target was covered, the Saints lost the ball and Fitzroy booted two goals to seal the match.
• 1914 - With South Melbourne making a late charge at Carlton, the Blues led by six points when a long kick into South's goal square was contested by a pack of players. Just metres from the goal mouth, Ern Jamieson, Carlton's full back leaped straight into Tom Bollard's back, but Umpire Harry Rawle called play on and the ball was cleared. Moments later, the final bell rang. Had Bollard received a free and kicked it from point-blank range, the game would have ended in the first finals' tie.
• 1918 - Collingwood had hit the front by a single point. In the final minute of play, South Melbourne went forward and a long kick into the teeth of goal by Gerald Ryan of South spilled from a pack of players. South Melbourne rover Chris Laird came rushing through and rather than attempt to pick the ball up, soccered it off the ground for a goal that won the game.
• 1921 - Richmond led Carlton by four points in a low scoring game played on a very wet day. Both teams were covered in mud as Carlton mounted a series of attacks in an attempt to get a winning goal. In the dying minute, a Carlton player passed toward teammate Alec Duncan, who was close to goal. Somehow, Richmond's Max Hislop hurtled across to Duncan and punched the ball from his grasp to save the premiership for the Tigers.
• 1924 - Like in 1897, there was a round robin series played instead of a Grand Final. Once again, Essendon became the premiership team for this season with Richmond this time being the runner-up.
• 1930 - Collingwood won it's record fourth consecutive VFL Grand Final in succession, the 'Machine Team', under the tutelage of the legendary Jock McHale, creating a record which has not been matched in ensuing seasons.
• 1935 - Star full forward Bob Pratt was forced to withdraw from the Grand Final after he was hit by a truck in trying to cross the road the day before the game. Pratt had booted 362 in three seasons. Without him the Swans lost to Collingwood by 20 points, despite having as many scoring shots as the Magpies.
• 1948 - In the first drawn grand final, Essendon's inaccurate kicking led them to draw 7.27.69 to Melbourne's 10.9.69. Melbourne easily won the replay 13.11.89 to Essendon's 7.8.50.
• 1958 - A Collingwood outfit hold sway in an 18-point victory over Melbourne, denying the Demons a fourth consecutive victory, successfully defending their club's record.
• 1964 - Collingwood looked set for a victory last in the last quarter after Ray Gabelich's goal put them up by two points. Back pocket Neil Crompton kicked his first goal in 5 years to steal the match by 4 points, just moments from the final siren.
• 1966 - 'Underperformers,' St Kilda won their first premiership in 69 years of competition, defeating Collingwood in a one point encounter.
• 1970 - Carlton make history in coming from 44-points down at halftime to defeat Collingwood and Alex Jesalenko takes the Mark of the Century late in the second quarter.
• 1977 - The Grand final resulted in a tie between North Melbourne and Collingwood. In a Grand Final replay the following week, North Melbourne were victorious.
• 1979 - Wayne Harmes (Carlton) is awarded the inaugural Norm Smith Medal as best afield.
• 1982 - Maurice Rioli (Richmond) becomes the first player to win the Norm Smith Medal despite being on the losing team.
• 1987 - Carlton reversed the previous year's result in overcoming Hawthorn on the hottest Grand Final day (31 degrees) in the game's history, prompting Hawk veteran Michael Tuck, renowned for his penchant for long sleeves, to revert to a short sleeve jumper.
• 1988 - Champion Hawthorn defender Gary Ayres becomes the first footballer to win duel Norm Smith Medals in Hawthorn's 96-point demolition of Melbourne.
• 1989 - The Grand final was one of the closest and hardest fought in years, and nicknamed the "Battle of '89". The game was notable as one of the toughest in the history of the game, with injuries and incidents involving Dermott Brereton (famously knocked out by a solid Mark Yeates shirtfront but courageously returned to play) and Robert Dipierdemenico (played three quarters with a punctured lung) many players were hospitalised after the game. Gary Ablett was Norm Smith Medallist in a losing side.
• 1990 - Collingwood broke a 32 year drought and ended the famous "Colliwobbles".
• 1991 - Due to the major construction of the Southern Stand at the MCG, the Grand Final was played at Waverley Park between Hawthorn and the West Coast Eagles. Hawthorn defeated West Coast by 53 points.
• 1992 - West Coast becomes the first non-Victorian team to win a premiership, downing Geelong.
• 1996 - North Melbourne defeated Sydney in the Grand Final of the Centenary season.
• 1998 - In defeating North Melbourne, Adelaide win back-to-back premierships in their second year under Malcolm Blight, in doing so becoming the first team in the game's history to win a Grand Final from outside the top four (fifth), notwithstanding the fact that the Crows lost to Melbourne in the first week of September, and spent their final five matches (including their round 22 encounter with West Coast) on the road.
• 2000 - Essendon defeat Melbourne by 60 points to win the Premiership, only losing one match in the entire AFL Season.
• 2001 - The Brisbane Lions become the first team to win a premiership north of the Murray River, defeating reining premiers Essendon.
• 2002 - Brisbane win their second premiership in succession, despite a brave effort from rank underdogs, Collingwood, winning in wet conditions by a mere nine points, the smallest margin since 1989. Nathan Buckley became only the third player to win the Norm Smith Medal despite being on the losing team.
• 2003 - Brisbane complete their hattrick of premierships, again accounting for Collingwood, though on this occasion by a thumping 50 points. Lion Simon Black collected a Norm Smith Medal after gathering a record 39-possessions.
• 2004 - In the first all non-Victorian Grand Final, Port Adelaide won it's first premiership, ending Brisbane's attempt at equalling Collingwood's record of four premierships in succession (1927-1930).
• 2005 - Sydney (formerly South Melbourne) ended the longest premiership drought in AFL history (72 years), by defeating the West Coast Eagles by four points. Swans defender Leo Barry took a spectacular mark in the last seconds, one that will be remembered for years to come. West Coast's Chris Judd becomes the fourth player to win the Norm Smith Medal despite being on the losing team.
• 2006 - West Coast defeated Sydney by 1 point in a re-match, the smallest margin in 40 years. It was the first Grand Final to be played in front of a complete MCG since 2002, for in the years between redevelopment dedicated to the 2006 Commonwealth Games had reduced capacity.
• 2007 - Geelong end a 44 year premiership drought, winning the match by the greatest ever Grand Final margin; 119 points, against Port Adelaide Power.

[edit] Traditions

Many events happen during the week of the Grand Final.

[edit] Brownlow Medal

Main article: Brownlow Medal

The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal, is the medal awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season (ie not including finals matches) as decided upon by umpires. It was named after a Geelong player and long-serving administrator who was the main advocate in establishing the Victorian Football League, Charles Brownlow. It is awarded on the Monday night before the Grand Final, recently at the Crown Casino in Melbourne.

[edit] Grand Final Parade

A traditional parade is held in Melbourne city, usually along one of the main thoroughfares such as Collins Street, Swanston Street or Bourke Street ending at the steps outside the Victorian Parliament. The parade, held on the Friday before the Grand Final, features the players from the competing sides and regularly attracts crowds estimated to be over 300,000 people.

Some of the estimated fifty thousand people who lined the streets of Melbourne for the 2006 AFL Grand Final parade

[edit] Grand Final Parties

Grand Final parties are held in Australia and even in remote cities around the world. They typically involve watching the game on television in a group, a barbecue, and a game of kick-to-kick at half-time.

[edit] Venues

The Grand Final is traditionally played in Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It has been played elsewhere only on a few occasions, being held at Lake Oval and the Junction Oval early in the league's history and Princes Park (Optus Oval) during World War II when the MCG was being used as barracks to house US Troops. When the MCG was being redeveloped in 1991, the Grand Final was contested at the AFL-owned Waverley Park.

The Grand Final has traditionally been played on the final Saturday in September each year and is referred to in popular Australian culture as the One day in September. The only notable exception was during 2000, when the Sydney Olympics forced the season to be played early; in this season, the One day in September was the first Saturday, instead of the last.

Of the current clubs, only Fremantle has never (as of the 2007 finals) made a Grand Final appearance. Defunct clubs which never made it include University and the Brisbane Bears (although their successor, the Brisbane Lions have won three Grand Finals and lost a fourth.)

The first interstate (non-Victorian) team to play in the Grand Final was the West Coast Eagles, who lost in 1991 but came back to win their first Premiership in 1992. (The Swans had been in several Grand Finals before their move to Sydney in 1982, but always as South Melbourne: their first Grand Final appearance after their move to Sydney didn't come until 1996.) The first Grand Final matching two interstate teams was the 2004 contest where the Port Adelaide Power beat the Brisbane Lions 113-73.

Since the expansion of the league, the AFL Grand Final has become a truly national event. For six years in a row (2001-2006) the premiership had been won by teams outside of Victoria (where the AFL's precursor competition, the Victorian Football League (VFL) had originated). An original VFL side, Geelong Football Club won the 2007 grand final by 119 points. As a result there have been calls for hosting Grand Finals on a national stage, similar to the Super Bowl in the USA. Since the construction of Stadium Australia, Sydney has expressed interest in hosting the final on several occasions. So far, the AFL has resisted the temptation of doing so. Another challenge to tradition has been the proposal of a night grand final with anticipated increased television audience.

The 2006 Grand Final was officially regarded as the 110th Grand Final. Throughout history, Grand Finals were not staged in either of 1897 or 1924, with the premiership instead being awarded after a round robin amongst the top four teams; this accounts for 107 Grand Finals. An additional Grand Final was played in 1948 and 1977, each of which was necessitated by a tied Grand Final. These are generally referred to as Grand Final Replays or "Extra Finals", but count in the official tally of Grand Finals. Furthermore, under the "amended Argus finals system" which operated from 1902 until 1930, a "Grand Final" match depended upon the minor premiers having not won the previous week's game, known as the Final:^[6] each final which decided the premiership had hence been reclassified a Grand Final retrospectively.

[edit] Recent History of the AFL Grand Final

(* Capacity of ground reduced due to redevelopment for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games)
For all Grand Final winners in the VFL/AFL, see List of Australian Football League premiers.

[edit] Grand Final Records

• Two grand finals have been drawn: Essendon v Melbourne in 1948 and Collingwood v North Melbourne in 1977. Both times, the match went to a replay the following week, where the victors were Melbourne and North Melbourne, respectively.
• Four grand finals have been decided by a single point: Fitzroy v Essendon in 1898, Carlton v Essendon in 1947, St.Kilda v Collingwood in 1966 (St.Kilda's only premiership) and West Coast v Sydney in 2006.
• The highest attendance was 121,696 in the 1970 grand final between traditional rivals Carlton and Collingwood. Due to changes to the stadium, such as the removal of standing areas, this record remains unbeaten and is likely to hold for a very long time (See also Melbourne Cricket Ground).
• The 1972 grand final between Carlton and Richmond was a record high-scoring affair, 28.9.177-22.18.150. This represents the highest score in a grand final, the highest losing score, and the highest aggregate score (327). At the time, it had the highest aggregate score of any game, grand final or otherwise, and still ranks #8 on that list.
• The 1927 grand final Collingwood and Richmond was a record low-scoring affair, 2.13 (25) - 1.7 (13). In similar vein to the previous point, this represents the lowest score in a grand final, the lowest winning score, and the lowest aggregate score.
• Gordon Coventry (Collingwood) in 1928 and Gary Ablett (Geelong) in 1989 jointly hold the record for the most goals (9) in a grand final.
• The largest winning margin to date was set in 2007 when Geelong beat Port Adelaide by 119 points, smashing the previous record of 96 points.

This section refers to individual grand finals. For VFL/AFL premiership trivia, see AFL Premiers - Trivia.

[edit] AFL Grand Final Sprint

A running race takes place on the day of the Grand Final, between players that are not taking part in the Grand Final. It is conducted over several heats run before the game and a final run at half time. In recent years, a handicapping system has been introduced. The traditional sprint was revived in 2002 (along with a short-lived goal kicking competition) after years in the wilderness.

[edit] Norm Smith Medallist

The medal, given to the player judged as best on the ground during the match, was named after famed Melbourne premiership player and coach Norman Smith, who died in 1973. It was first awarded in 1979 when the winner was Wayne Harmes, a great nephew of Smith. In time the award has come to be seen as second only to the Brownlow medal as an individual prize and carries great prestige. There has been some minor criticism that the judging panel (appointed by the AFL and comprising ex-players and media people) must make its decision during the last quarter, before the game has ended, to fit into the post-game ceremonies. Therefore, the last minutes of the game are not taken into consideration when voting takes place.

[edit] VFL/AFL Grand Final Records

[edit] Entertainment

Over the years many big Australian and international stars have performed or appeared at the Grand Final, although it has been consistently criticized for poor pre-game entertainment.^[7][8] Notable entertainment includes:

[edit] Traditional songs

Tradition dictates that at every, or almost every, Grand Final, most of the following songs are performed, either by celebrity singers or choirs:

• Waltzing Matilda
• One or more of the following football songs, often in a medley:
  • Up There Cazaly
  • One Day in September
  • That's The Thing About Football
  • Holy Grail
• Each team's club song (which is performed live, with the recorded version then played as the team enters the field, in the traditional fashion)
• Advance Australia Fair is sung once the two teams and the umpires are on the field, and lined up on the wing.

[edit] International telecasts

The AFL Grand Final is televised into many countries and grand final parties are held around the world. The following are television details for the 2006 AFL Grand Final.

• Papua New Guinea - EM TV, Australia Network (live)
• New Zealand - SKY Sport 1 (NZ) (live)
• South East Asia - Australia Network (live)
• Middle East - Australia Network. Israel - Fox Sports Israel
• Indian subcontinent - Australia Network
• North America - United States - Setanta Sports North America (live), MHz Worldview (delayed). Canada - Fox Sports World Canada (live). See also AFANA.
• United Kingdom - British Sky Broadcasting (live)
• Ireland - Setanta Sports (delayed)
• Spain - Canal+ Spain

[edit] See also

• Grand Final
• Australian Football League
• Early VFL Final systems
• McIntyre System
• AFL finals system
• List of Australian Football League premiers
• One Day in September (song)

[edit] References