The following information is provided by Tim Murphy - [t.murphy@rmit.edu.au], distributed via news groups and email and is updated here Monday evenings after the weekends games. All credit for this information goes to Tim and is being used with permission.
Down to four as Geelong and West Coast go out and North are installed as flag favourites. In order to win the cup, the Roos will have to achieve something that's never been done...win four consecutive finals. Mind you they're getting a fair helping hand from the AFL's interpretation of Mr. McIntyre's final-8 system, with a string of home finals despite finishing seventh. It revolves around the status of the MCG as a "neutral" venue. I remember when Richmond and Melbourne were the only MCG co-tenants and both were deliberately kept away from the MCG until it was unavoidable (ie. Grand Final day). North played at the 'G 14 times this year yet the AFL has had no qualms about putting the Roos' finals there. Including next Friday night's preliminary. Ian Collins told surprised Saint supporters that their club had "requested" a Friday night final at headquarters, instead of a game at Waverley. Later in the week it emerged that Collo had been economical with the truth, again. St. Kilda had been TOLD by the AFL that their prelim would be at the MCG...the choice they had was between Friday night and Saturday.
Not everything is going North's way though. The tribunal suspended Glen Archer for the now-mandatory 2 matches for his deliberate trip on Hocking last Sunday night, but surprised in ending Wayne Schwass's year by suspending him a harsh 4 matches for an off-the-ball groin-stamp on Cat Carl Steinfort. North briefly considered legal action but decided against it. West Coast also lost players at the tribunal, McKenna 1 week for striking Adelaide's Bond and Gehrig 2 for a high tackle, both reasonable penalties. Swan Dunkley will miss the first 2 games next year for biffing Cook.
Neale Daniher is the new Melbourne coach, the former Essendon player, assistant coach at Fremantle and Allies coach in State-of-Origin welcomed the opportunity and said he faced a "challenge". Demon president Joe Gutnick said "He was the best candidate available and I have no doubt he'll be very successful...although come and speak to me again in two years, hahaha..." Greg Hutchison will stay on as Daniher's deputy. In other movements, the exodus from Essendon continued with assistant coach David Wheadon quitting to join Collingwood. Fremantle ruckman Jeff White officially announced he was returning to Melbourne (the city), citing homesickness as the reason and sparking a bidding war amongst Melbourne clubs, Melbourne (the football club) being the current favourites. Sydney midfielder Shannon Grant announced he was leaving the Swans and returning to Melbourne, supposedly Carlton.
The Norwich Rising Star Award for 1997 went to 20-year-old Port Adelaide ruck rover/half-forward Michael Wilson, a comfortable winner with 27 votes from equal second-placers Blake Caracella (Essendon) and Stefan Carey (Sydney). Wilson won a bucket of kicks in his club's first year and played every game, including State-of-Origin representation.
North Melbourne 2.2 5.4 10.6 15.8.98 West Coast 5.1 8.6 11.8 12.13.85
The Roos marched on in front of a slightly disappointing 55,000 on a warm, sunny Melbourne afternoon. The Eagles were beaten but not disgraced, injuries, inaccuracy in front of goal and lack of a decent marking forward costing them in the end. In selection North replaced their suspended pair with Brent Harvey and Stuart Anderson. West Coast made six changes from last week. In addition to McKenna and Gehrig, Heady was out with a knee strain and Sumich was dropped, Grgic (back) and Donnelly ('flu) were late withdrawals. Replacements were Ball, McIntosh, Gardiner, Wooden and the late ones Fewster and Lovell.
During the week several scribes had noted that Carey, North's hero last week, rarely went well against Jakovich and that's how it went. The Good Jakovich dominated early and Peter Matera drove his mob forward from half back, Gardiner did well in the ruck and Banfield won the ball in the centre. Some good work from McIntosh led to the opening goal for Kemp. North replied when McKernan thumped the ball 40m from a ruck contest and King passed to Bell. West Coast got the next 2 goals, coming from some excellent roving from Phil Matera and a strong mark by Fewster at full forward. The struggling Roos got another when Allison's miskick was marked by Crocker, but skilful kicks from Banfield and Chris Lewis gave the Eagles a decent lead at the first change. Carey's two contributions to the first quarter were to drop an uncontested mark and give away a free kick, after which he was dragged and had a word with his coach. Fewster goaled from Lewis's pass early in the second and the Weegles led by 24 points. North clawed back with 3 straight goals as Pike and Stevens won kicks. Gardiner shoved McKernan in the back and the Kanga goaled from 55m, some good play led to another Roo sausage for Sholl, Carey's first touch was a kick into space for McKernan to gather and kick truly. But two late running goals from Cousins and Phil Matera put the Eags back on top at the long break.
West Coast snapped two more quick goals at the beginning of the third term, again from Phil Matera and Cousins, and West Coast were in the driver's seat with a 32-point lead. North tagger Scott switched Materas (Peter to Phil). West Coast centreman Schofield went off after breaking his leg in a tackle, Lewis was off with a knee. Carey was shifted to CHB and North's previously impotent forward line started to work. Allison goaled. Eagle Lovell thought he'd soccered a goal from a tight angle but the goal ump decided it'd touched the post despite much protestation. McKernan snapped a great goal and Sholl took a good mark and kicked superbly for a major. Sholl missed after a dubious free but moments later marked again on the flank and passed to McKernan. He goaled and North trailed by 8. A superb handpass from Kemp set up a long answering goal from Banfield, but North closed again before the last change with a goal for Carey, back in attack.
Phil Matera missed two sitters early in the final quarter, a set shot from 30m and a snap from inside the goalsquare. Allison set up a North goal for Sholl and the margin was down to 4 pts. Peter Matera departed with a thigh strain and Lewis hobbled back on. Then a classic finals moment, North half-back Martin Pike accepted a handpass from Longmire and set off on a 5-bounce run around the Member's wing, baulked around Jakovich and kicked perfectly for Anderson to mark. He goaled and North led for the first time. The excellent Peter Bell created more goals for Allison and Freeborn and North were steaming home. West Coast blew chances to come back with bad misses from Gardiner and Cousins, but eventually Evans snapped accurately to cut the margin back to 6 points in North's favour. Gallingly for Eagles fans, Carey sealed the match. King's torpedo from the centre cleared the pack, Jakovich slipped as he turned to chase it and the Roo skipper waltzed into the open goal.
Rover Peter Bell had an excellent game for North, running hard all over the ground to win 29 touches, kick a goal and set up several others. Defensive flankers Pike (17 kicks) and King (18 kicks) were very good and Blakey was handy too. Pike's a smokey for the Brownlow, apparently. Craig Sholl fired North in the third quarter and kicked 3 goals, McKernan was also an important attacking influence with 14 kicks, 7 marks and 4 goals. Anthony Stevens played well. Carey and Allison kicked 2 goals each. Jakovich played marvellously for the Eagles, beating Carey and having 23 touches (7 marks) himself. Dean Kemp was superb in the middle, his skills unmatched in his 29 disposals. Banfield worked hard in the centre too and Gardiner rucked well although faded as the match progressed. Still, not bad for an 18-year-old. Peter Matera was his usual excellent self off half-back, forward pocket Phil Matera had 17 kicks and kicked 3 goals...and 5 points. Morrison also impressed. Malthouse pointed to injuries and lack of experience. "We ran out of players, simple," he said. "Schofield's probably broken his leg. Lewis has done his knee...how do you hold up? It was a terrific effort, I want to say, I praise my boys because they were sensational. We're disappointed but not humbled." And he left us with another historical quote. Asked what he thought of Jakovich's game, Mick said "He who doesn't fear the death by one thousand cuts dares to unhorse the emperor." Cheers Mick. Pagan said "It was a first-class effort. We were 32 points behind and hadn't played well, our better players were down but we really persisted and perservered...things started to go our way in the last quarter, more by brute force than anything else." No injury worries for North although Martyn appeared to have hurt his shoulder.
Adelaide 1.2 7.6 7.8 11.10.76 Geelong 4.4 6.5 8.10 9.14.68
And out go the Cats in straight sets. In the wake much was said about Geelong's two away finals despite their second-placing and the World's Worst Umpiring Decision (a new Channel Nine show?) at a crucial stage in the third quarter. But like last week they had enough of the ball to win it, lacking a decent forward target to convert. Nine goals 'aint gonna win many finals. But credit to the Crows, who recovered from a slow start to reach their second preliminary final. At the selection table the Camrys made just one alteration, dropping Edwards for Ormond-Allen, back from his broken jaw. Geelong lost Lynch (thigh) and Houlihan (shoulder), replacements were forwards Mensch and Hargreaves.
The Cats began well kicking towards the "scoring" end - there was little or no breeze that I could see. Pickering and Hocking distributed from the centre and Snell and Burns were busy across half-forward. Pickering roved a pack and kicked low for Geelong's first goal and Colbert lurked forward for one, Hocking and Snell added goals as the locals had nothing happening in attack. Corolla ruckman Pittman arrived late at a contest and thumped Riccardi in the head with his forearm, very similar to the incident which saw Tony Lockett get 2 weeks when the Swans played Melbourne a few weeks back. A test for the tribunal. Things turned about in the second stanza. Jarman put himself about to gather 10 kicks for the quarter and Rehn improved in the ruck, Robran started winning the ball at CHF. Geelong struggled in attack, midfielders Pickering and Colbert drifting down for some early goals while McLeod smothered Burns and ex-Camry McKinnon was moved away from full forward (although he usually is after a quarter). Robran got the locals going with a huge thump from 50m for a goal, he got another and Jarman goaled too. McLeod galloped through the centre and blasted a kick from 50m to level the scores, moments later a terrible handpass from Barnes went straight to Jarman, he passed to Troy Bond who was awarded a diving, fumbled chest mark. Bond's goal gave the Camrys a half-time lead.
Just like last week the Cats controlled the ball in the third term but couldn't make it tell on the board. Simpson quietened Jarman and McGrath improved to smother Robran and drive the Cats forward, fellow defenders Sholl and Graham were doing well. Hocking and Pickering controlled the middle and Sanderson was about. Pickering snapped a good goal early and he missed a shot moments later to level the scores. Sanderson kicked into space for Steinfort to run through and goal. But for all their possession the Cats couldn't take a mark in attack, at one stage Snell's long set kick went to the diminuitive Hocking and "a murder of Crows" (Landy). But when they finally did mark inside 50m, it was denied. Leigh Colbert took a great (and clear) chest mark running with the flight of the ball into a pack, 30m out directly in front. But umpire Grant Vernon, beloved of Docker fans, hadn't seen it and opted for a ball-up. End of his finals. Just to cap the quarter off for the Cats, Milburn missed from 10m. Early in the last Barnes dropped a perfectly weighted kick-in from Graham, the Cressidas recovered and Vardy trapped the ball and snapped truly, Geelong led by a point. Hocking had a set shot from 50m fisted away from the line by Smart, although some thought the ball had gone through - I doubt it. Cats Colbert and Kilpatrick collided heavily. Clay Sampson put Adelaide in front with a goal after a superb weaving run, Mensch missed a shot for Geelong. Ellen passed to the diving Bond, who goaled again for the Cows. A long, running shot from Brad Sholl was touched on the line, then Bond sealed it for the Crows with a strong mark in front of Mansfield and an excellent kick. Ronnie Burns, Geelong's leading goalkicker this season, kicked his first goal of the finals series late in the game...his 50th for the year.
Adelaide ruckman Shaun Rehn is back to his best, grabbing 7 marks, 25 hitouts and a goal to eclipse King and Barnes. McLeod did well to smother Burns and have 14 touches himself, Smart and Hart were again very good at the back. Robran made a spamodic but important contribution with 6 marks and 2 goals at CHF, the only effective key forward on the ground. Jarman was only spotted in the second and fourth quarters but was a key with 19 kicks, using them superbly as always. Bond kicked 3 goals, Robran 2. Liam Pickering was again the Cats' best with 23 disposals (19 kicks) and 3 goals, Graham kept Modra goalless and distributed the ball surely with his long kicks. McGrath was superb at CHB despite his second-quarter wobble, Sholl capped off a fine year. Kilpatrick (28 disposals) and Hocking (26) won plenty of the ball in midfield...Geelong had 2 more kicks and 39 more handpasses than Adelaide. Snell took 10 marks, unfortunately for Geelong he kept getting it 60m out from goal. Colbert kicked 2 goals. Ayres said "Our skill level deserted us tonight when it was needed...Mensch's miss, Snell's miss, even Hargreaves in the first quarter (didn't see it)...it's very disappointing. If you don't take your chances you don't advance to the next week. We worked and worked tonight but got nothing out of it...we did give it one hell of a crack but at the end of the day skill level was the biggest, costliest exercise we had. Also, tell me why Leigh Colbert wasn't paid a mark..." No I can't Gary. Makes you pine for the old "What's Your Decision?" on World of Sport. Blight said "Obviously we're very pleased to win. To win a tight final against a side that kept at it, it's a good feeling." Asked about the advantage of a home crowd of 46,000, Mal said "well that's the story today. Let's see next week." Indeed, although they did beat the Doggies away in round 6. Vardy (broken collarbone) will miss, as will Ricciuto, Pittman should front the tribunal if there's any consistency.
Day Date Home Away Ground Details: -------------------------------------------------------------------
Fri 19-Sept Wstn Bulldogs Adelaide MCG 7:30 EST
Sat 20-Sept St Kilda Nth Melbourne MCG 7:30 EST
Previous Weeks results and wrap-ups
This site is sponsored by 