In one of the all-time classic Grand Finals, Sydney overcame a 72-year premiership drought and a resurgent West Coast to bring the flag to the Harbour City for the first time. The Swans looked fairly comfortable at half-time after West Coast had suffered through a poor opening hour, with a dysfunctional forward line clearly missing 2005 mainstays Phil Matera (a late withdrawal with a groin injury) and Quinten Lynch (controversially overlooked) and an ankle injury that looked to have ended Daniel Kerr's day early. The Eagles found life in the third quarter, trimming the margin back to just two points at the final change. From there the finish was a frenetic arm-wrestle, with goals to Ben Cousins and Adam Hunter giving West Coast a 10-point lead that was slowly whittled back by Sydney until an Amon Buchanan goal gave the Swans back the lead. In the final moments Dean Cox took a mark and pumped the ball inside 50 metres, where Sydney's Leo Barry drifted across the front of the pack and took a clutch mark that was destined to be repeated countless times in highlights packages. The siren sounded as Barry slowly went back to take his kick, sending the Swans' players into raptures.
Summary[]
| 1/4 time | 1/2 time | 3/4 time | Final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 3.0.18 | 6.3.39 | 6.5.41 | 8.10.58 | ||||
| West Coast | 2.4.16 | 2.7.19 | 5.9.39 | 7.12.54 |
Goals: Hunter 2, Cousins, Cox, Embley, Hansen, Nicoski
Best: Judd, Wirrpanda, Cox, Cousins, Fletcher
Injuries: Kerr (ankle)
Milestones: Gaspar final appearance, Green final appearance
Named sides[]
| West Coast | Sydney | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B: | 39.Hunter | 23.Glass | 44.Wirrpanda | B: | 28.Crouch | 21.Barry | 30.Roberts-Thomson |
| HB: | 17.Chick | 11.Gaspar | 6.Banfield | HB: | 4.Mathews | 6.C.Bolton | 17.Kennelly |
| C: | 32.Embley | 9.Cousins | 5.Stenglein | C: | 32.Buchanan | 37.Goodes | 26.Dempster |
| HF: | 4.Kerr | 29.Hansen | 41.Staker | HF: | 5.O'Keefe | 1.Hall | 24.J.Bolton |
| F: | 33.Matera | 1.Gardiner | 28.Sampi | F: | 10.Williams | 19.O'Loughlin | 2.Davis |
| R: | 20.Cox | 3.Judd | 7.Fletcher | R: | 16.Jolly | 31.Kirk | 20.Ablett |
| I: | 37.Selwood | 26.Butler | 14.Seaby | I: | 27.Ball | 42.Bevan | 12.Fosdike |
| 31.Nicoski | 13.Schneider | ||||||
| E: | 21.Lynch | 35.Green | 16.Adkins | E: | 40.Malceski | 25.Schauble | 33.Moore |
In: Butler, Matera
Out: Braun (knee), R.Jones (knee)
Late change: Green for Matera (groin)
From the papers[]
The West Australian[]
"Much has been said about West Coast's forward zone, an area defended by Worsfold, but it was not for want of moves from the coaches box or effort by the players that stopped the Eagles winning.
In the second half, West Coast's six forwards operated within 30m of the goal square, waiting for the next engagement. The cluster move produced space across half-forward for the likes of Embley, Hansen and Hunter to move into.
All through the match, apart from a lapse in the second term when Sydney shot 20 points clear, West Coast's Rolls-Royce midfield provided 10 more entries into their 50m than Sydney.
The Eagles' post mortem will focus on their big men and especially the key position roles for players such as Quinten Lynch, Ashley Hansen, Travis Gaspar and Hunter."[1]
The Sunday Age[]
"Ablett would have been the most relieved man at the MCG at the final siren. Minutes into the final term with the Swans' legs starting to show signs of their month-long finals campaign he took a superb defensive mark in the Eagles' forward pocket, only to kick across goal aiming for Leo Barry but hit Ben Cousins in the chest instead.
Cousins goaled to put West Coast in front for the first time since the first quarter and when Adam Hunter goal again two minutes later Ablett's mistake looked to have provided the "the moment". Ablett said later he thought he had lost Sydney the premiership.
But Sydney would not die. Barry Hall, who showed no signs of a tribunal hangover, willed himself to switch the momentum when he leapt like a raging bull to grab the ball nine minutes into the final term when the dream seemed lost. Hall's thumping long goal turned the tide for Sydney, and had O'Loughlin goaled from a Hall pass minutes later, Sydney would have taken the lead.
That honor fell to Amon Buchanan at the 19-minute mark, and Sydney went into time-on with a one-point lead."[2]
References[]
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2005/161820050924.html
- ↑ Ray Wilson, The West Australian (26 September 2005, p.GAM6), "Swan song leaves Eagles hurting"
- ↑ Caroline Wilson, The Sunday Age (25 September 2005), "A mark and a kiss to build a dream on": http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=age&kw=nicoski+and+buchanan+and+schneider&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=SAG0509251G67V6DK27S
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