Around the grounds - Weekly Wrapup

State of Origin (Vic vs. SA)

The game was billed as "The Last State of Origin Game Of The Century", but most suspect the last three words were superfluous. Western Australia and the poorly-conceived Allies have already been canned with no game scheduled for them this year and there's to be no SOO game at all next year due to the shortened season caused by the Olympics. Few think there'll be a resumption in 2001. The miserable Melbourne weather on Saturday contributed to a meagre crowd of 26,063 at the MCG, not helping the cause. The AFL are keen to promote those useless hybrid-rules Australia/Ireland games for the next two years. Yawn.

So let's reflect. The Age's Rohan Connolly selected these as the 5 best SOO games:

1. Subiaco, 1986. WA 21.11.137 d. Vic 20.14.134. Vics booted 8 goals in the final quarter to lead by 9 points late in the game, but a freak Buckenara snap put WA ahead. Wayne Blackwell's fantastic smother denied Brian Royal what could've been the winning goal for the Vics.
2. MCG, 1989. Vic 22.17.149 d. SA 9.9.63. After a series of Vic losses interstate, 91,960 packed the 'G to see a Victorian forward line featuring Lockett, Dunstall, Brereton and Lyon slaughter the hapless croweaters.
3. Subiaco, 1984. WA 21.16.142 d. Vic 21.12.138. Vics come back from 8 goals down to pinch the lead, but Robert Wiley bags three late goals to snatch it for the locals. A little-known bloke called Gary Ablett takes a series of huge grabs and boots 8 goals for the Vics.
4. MCG, 1995. Vic 18.12.120 d. SA 8.9.57. Ted Whitten, dying of cancer, does a pre-game lap of honour and addresses the Victorian players on an emotional day. Tony Lockett boots 7.
5. Football Park, 1984. Vic 16.12.108 d. SA 16.8.104. Young Glenelg big man Stephen Kernahan boots 10 goals from full forward but the Vics scrape in. If I recall correctly Carlton recruited Kernahan, Craig Bradley, Mark Naley and Peter Motley the following summer.

Some great football moments there and I've left a few out (Connolly had a top ten) including the very first SOO game in 1977 when Barry Cable led the sandgropers to victory at Subiaco, and the 1992 game when a star-studded SA side beat the Vics with Wayne Carey announcing himself. Wayne later became an Ally, somehow. The advent of the national competition was always going to weaken the concept, but the AFL have been lukewarm on the whole thing for a while. Hopefully it'll be back in a true form one day.

Amongst other football news the AFL is fast-tracking the second Sydney side to start up by 2001 at the latest, North Melbourne are under some pressure to be that side. I was wrong about the lack of a Malthouse quote last week, he apparently said "It's said that the meek shall inherit the earth, but they won't win a game of footy." To which a smart-arse journalist replied "Who said that Mick?" Acting Adelaide skipper Nigel Smart claimed he'd have been "as popular as Trevor Chappell" if he'd accepted the umpires' offer and abondoned the game against Richmond last Saturday night after some of the lights failed at 3/4 time. The Crows would've won in such a situation.

At the MCG:

Victoria          5.3   11.9   13.12   17.19.121 
South Australia   4.1    7.2   10.5     10.7.67

Not a classic, but there was plenty of skill on display considering the weather. Vics were in control after quarter time despite a fighting third term from the croweaters. The Big Vee's midfield got far more of the ball in the wet, cold stadium and the forwards fired once the unfortunate South Aussies lost defenders Wakelin and Smart. State of Origin "injuries" deprived the Vics of several regulars including Saints Robert Harvey and Stewie Loewe, Craig Lambert, Anthony Stevens and Wayne Schwass among others. It led to ten debutants for the Victorians: Hawks Trent Croad and Angelo Lekkas; Melbourne pair Andrew Leoncelli and David Schwarz; Carlton's Matthew Allan and Anthony Koutoufides; Kangaroo runner Brent Harvey; Eagle midfielder Chad Morrison; Lion Justin Leppitsch and Bulldog rover Scott West. They were skippered by Geelong's Gary Hocking. South Australia were without leaders Jarman and Wanganeen but had just three first-timers, Brisbane goalsneak Craig McRae, Crow Tyson Edwards and Port winger Peter Burgoyne. Blue Craig Bradley captained SA for a record 13th time.

It rained steadily all day and the mercury barely nudged above 12 degrees. Croweaters started well, kicking long and direct with a breeze. Francou snapped a good goal from a tight angle, shortly afterwards Holland tapped into McRae's path and he majored. Victoria got on the board when Nigel Lappin took a one-handed mark in the goalsquare from Riccardi's kick. Daffy soccered the ball to McRae and he soccered it through, exemplary wet-weather football which put SA 10 points up. Vic coach Robert Walls brought Brent Harvey on and he immediately roved a throw-in and grubbed a banana goal. The Bigvee attacked again and Riccardi was forearmed in the head by Mead as he punted forward, Mead was reported and Hocking converted the downfield free to put Victoria in front. Vic CHF Grant passed to Harvey and he extended the lead. [Kristian, I said he was good!] Francou got his second goal for SA roving to Tredrea, but good play from the busy David King saw Smith boot a long goal just before the first break. SA's Smart had been busy but was forced off with a twisted ankle. Full back Darryl Wakelin was off soon after with a knock on the knee.

Vics dominated the second quarter. Lloyd, held kickless by Wakelin in the the first quarter, goaled early from Lappin's pass. West won a free and passed to Bulldog teammate Johnson, he thumped a long sausage. Victoria by 21 points. Crow Brett James replied for SA courtesy a free and 50m penalty against Ratten. Pickett showed terrific courage in launching himself across the leading Lloyd to cut out a pass, but the Vics got the next two goals from Thompson and Lloyd to lead by 28 points. Croweater Burgoyne showed a rare piece of skill in the wet by passing to Holland and he majored, but two more Vic goals were forthcoming. First Harvey sprinted onto a loose ball in the centre, weaved away from a couple of tacklers and booted a terrific long goal. An SA kick-in sailed out on the full and Saint ruckman Everitt sent the free back between the big sticks, a great kick. Bradley got a good late goal for SA to keep them within 5 goals at the halfway point.

South Australia tighetened the game up in the third term, Ricciuto got a bit of it in the centre. After an early Vic goal James replied for SA and Ricciuto created a major for Holland, the foreigners were 26 points down. Harvey bobbed up again, doing very well to create a goal for Lloyd. Then Harvey's wobbly kick fortuitously found Riccardi, but he missed. Late in the quarter SA drew to 25 points behind, a great Ricciuto handpass found McRae, he punted to the goalsquare and Daffy soccered it through. But the Vics cantered to the line. Harvey opened the final quarter with a lovely snapped goal and then had another long shot which was touched through. Johnson hit the post. The Vics 32 points clear. Port forward Tredrea missed badly for the croweaters before Hocking majored from a free kick. Lloyd sprayed a kick but it flopped into the arms of Lappin for another Vic six-pointer, Johnson finished the game with a goal after marking a kick-in.

North's livewire forward Brent Harvey won the E.J. Whitten Medal for Victoria's best player, booting 5 goals from 15 kicks and giving a couple of goals away too, he was a perfect foil for full-forward Lloyd. Bulldog winger Brad Johnson was busy with 31 disposals and 2 goals. Half-back flankers David King (27 disposals, 12 in the first quarter) and Rohan Smith (19 touches, a goal) were effective. In the centre Hocking had 26 possessions and 2 goals, Scott West got the ball 28 times and Ratten had 22 touches. Tiger Wayne Campbell had 26 disposals while keeping Scott Camporeale quiet. Vics also had two winning key forwards in Chris Grant (16 touches, 5 marks) and Matthew Lloyd (13 kicks, 3 goals). Lappin also kicked 2 goals. South Australia's Fos Williams Medal went to Carlton's half-back flank Andrew McKay, a surprising selection to some. McKay gathered 16 disposals and 7 marks but was directly opposed to Harvey for much of the game. Fellow defender Byron Pickett (18 touches) battled hard and threw himself at the ball in typical fashion although he also had an ineffective spell on Harvey - even congratated his North teammate after a goal. Centremen Josh Francou and Mark Ricciuto had 22 disposals each, the only croweaters with more than 20 touches. Francou also kicked 2 goals. Veteran Bradley boxed on with 20 possessions and a goal. There were two goals each for McRae, James and Holland too. They also had the bulk of the injuries, in addition to Smart and Wakelin Brett James copped a broken nose and Tyson Edwards was concussed. SA coach Graeme Cornes had a swipe at the umpires before adding "Congratulations to Victoria. They handled the conditions well. They had a really good balance in their line-up; their midfield was tremendous and Brent Harvey did a job really well." Rob Walls said "Happy to win and happy it's over, but really proud. I thought our players were just terrific. I know it's a one-off, a state-of-origin game but I don't think you could question the effort and intensity in which our blokes played."

Curtain-raiser: SANFL 12.11.83 d. VFL 8.11.59