Well done Geelong
September 27, 2009
By
Steve Healy
2009 grand final St Kilda vs Geelong...
IT'S the night before the grand final. I need to get to sleep, but I’m still tossing and turning on my bed. I’ve set my alarm for 8am, but since my alarm clock has been knocked many times with the batteries flying everywhere, I could wake up at half time tomorrow.
I wake up to a soundless environment and some drizzling rain, and the time is 10:15. I run out of bed, sit on the couch, turn the TV on and have breakfast almost in one motion. The panel are discussing how different teams have gone this year.
The odds are strangely in Geelong’s favour, very similar to the odds in the round 14 clash. I love the grand final, and all the hype and the lead up. But I’ve learned to make the most of it, since every year it goes so quickly and footy’s gone and all you have to hang on to is watching replays, the draft and trade week, the best and fairest awards, the fixture and some quality games of cricket in the back yard with your brother.
My mum puts some pies in the oven for lunch; I eat a couple and check the final teams on the computer. There are no changes, and after a dodgy pre match entertainment the two teams run out in front of a full house. But it’s not that I could concentrate much, my sister had just walked into the lounge room and announced she bought a car, which started a conversation that only people who didn’t love footy would join. And this was five minutes prior to the bounce. I put the headphones on as the Cats win the toss to kick to the city end, which I have noticed they have done for the third consecutive grand final.
I put the headphones on and the game begins. It is clear that it will be a tight and hard game right from the beginning, but the Cats draw first blood with a long goal from Rooke from 55. After a follow-up goal from Mooney I’m wondering if it could be a Geelong thrashing. Schneider misses a goal reminiscent of one of Geelong’s in last year’s grand final, but Goddard doesn’t make the same mistake after a strong mark with the Brownlow Medalist hot on his heels. The slippery conditions affect the players, but Selwood shows class by bending one through from 30 on the run. The rain starts to come down heavily, and St Kilda reacts to the head start by Geelong with goals from Hayes and Schneider. The quarter time siren sounds and the Saints lead, 3.2 (20) to 3.0 (18). Hayes has dominated so far with 11 possessions while Bartel has nine for the Cats. The Saints have dominated the inside 50s with 19 to Geelong’s seven.
The second quarter begins and Dempster is taken high, resulting in a goal to put the Saint’s nine points clear and showing his purpose in the team. An ugly display of errors from the flag-avoiders follows, a hopeless attempt from Milne which would have been unacceptable at Auskick, and a couple of misses from Milne again and McQualter. The Cats charge forward and Brynes gets on the end of an easy goal. Ablett is held and kicks one through, and all of a sudden it’s looking good for the blue and white. A piece of play afterwards is horrendous for St Kilda, Dawson kicks it from the goal square into Hawkins, who picks it up and kicks a goal. I couldn’t tell initially, but the ball clearly hit the post which could be telling if the result turns out to be under a kick. From the clearance Chapman kicks a goal and the Cats are out to a 12-point lead. It stays like that with less than a minute left on the clock, but misfortune for Geelong sees them one goal behind at the major break. Jones soccers one through, Koschitzke follows up immediately after and Milburn abuses the goal umpire, which gifts Schneider his second goal. The siren sounds and its 7.7 (49) to 7.1 (43). It fell apart so quickly for Geelong, but they weren’t out of it by any stretch of the imagination. Goddard, Gram and Montagna all have 14 possessions each for St Kilda and Corey has 15 and Ablett 14 for Geelong.
The all-important third quarter begins and the Cats are the ones making blemishes, before Mooney kicks a steadier and one to put them in front. A well-held Riewoldt finally marks one and puts the Saints back in front. Taylor levels with him afterwards when he smothers Riewoldt’s kick at goal. The Saints miss another few in unattractive fashion, before Chapman snaps his second to reel the margin back to a solitary point. Goddard comes off injured which is a worry for the Saints, as the scores level. Montagna breaks the deadlock with a good goal from the boundary, while my legs are burning from the heater. The Saints see out a tough quarter with a seven point lead, 9.11 (65) to 9.4 (58). You can sense the Moorabbinians are confident. Gram leads with 25 touches for St Kilda while Ablett, Selwood and Milburn all have 20. If St Kilda wins from here, I won’t believe it, because they just doesn’t win premierships.
The last quarter begins and that buzz fills the MCG, and all the houses, streets, shops, pubs and even libraries throughout (most of) Australia. Chapman hits Hawkins on the lead and he swings one through for a goal. Even though the Demons aren’t playing, in every close game I get that nervous feeling. I frantically flick my black and blue pens around. The Saints and the Cats play out an arm wrestle which eventually sees the scores tied at 67 to 67 with around five minutes left. I was licking my lips at the chance of a draw. At this stage, it also could be 74 to 73 in favour of St Kilda, the same score line in the 1966 premiership. Ablett finds the ball in the middle but is tackled by two Saints, but Scarlett toe pokes it to Ablett who sets up a goal from Chapman. The Cats by a goal. Rooke kicks a point. Scarlett rushes a point and its back to a goal. Milburn kicks it in.
Draw?
No.
The Cats clear and Rooke marks on the siren. Bomber Thompson stands on the desk in the commentary box, while Max Rooke kicks one with no man on the mark. The Cats celebrate like never before, well for two years at least. The final score is 9.14 (68) to 12.8 (80). Hang on, I tipped Geelong by 12! Gram finishes with 30 possessions for St Kilda while Corey finishes with 29 and Paul Chapman with 26 and two medals opposed to other 21 Geelong players' one. The Saints do the usual lying-on-the-ground while wondering what might have been. The Geelong players run around the ground and hug their loyal supporters.
Well done Geelong.
St Kilda 3.2 7.7 9.11 9.14 (68)
Geelong 3.0 7.1 9.4 12.8 (80)
GOALS St Kilda: Schneider 2, Goddard, Hayes, Dempster, Jones, Koschitzke, Riewoldt, Montagna. Geelong: Chapman 3, Hawkins 2, Rooke 2, Mooney 2, Ablett, Brynes, Selwood.
BEST St Kilda: Gram, Hayes, Godddard, Ball, Jones, Montagna. Geelong: Chapman, Corey, Ablett, Bartel, Rooke, Ling, Mackie, Kelly, Scarlett, Selwood.
My votes: 3. Paul Chapman (GEEL), 2. Joel Corey (GEEL), 1. Jason Gram (ST.K)
Umpires: McBurney, Rosebury, S Ryan.
Crowd: 99,251 at the MCG.
• Norm Smith Medal winner Paul Chapman celebrates a goal at the MCG. Photo by David Callow. The Slattery Media Group
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