Top 10 Docklands moments revealed as Jason McCartney relives retirement game
The top 10 biggest footy moments at Docklands’ Marvel Stadium have been revealed — and Jason McCartney sits top of the pile. See the list and hear from the Kangaroos hero here.
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It was the most inspirational moment in 25 years of sport and entertainment at Docklands’ Marvel Stadium, but for Jason McCartney – the man who made it happen – it was more about personal achievement, gratitude and even a sense of closure.
McCartney’s extraordinary comeback to AFL football in June 2003 came only 237 days after he suffered burns to more than 50 per cent of his body when he was caught up in the raging inferno of Paddy’s Bar in the Bali bombings from the previous October.
He faced significant health challenges, but through it all, the dream of returning to the game he loved so dearly was something that fuelled his recovery.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE TOP 10 DOCKLANDS MOMENTS
“I do feel very fortunate,” McCartney recalled this week as the AFL and Marvel Stadium prepared to celebrate the moments that have marked the stadium’s first 25 years since its 2000 opening.
“I was able to make it through and having footy just helped fast-tracked my whole recovery.”
McCartney’s spine-tingling last quarter goal, his impact on another crucial contest that led to North Melbourne’s victory over Richmond and his retirement live on television and throughout the stadium after the game still resonates 22 years on.
The drive to play again pushed McCartney through the dark moments of his early recovery, and steeled him for the physical and emotional hurdles that followed.
“I was probably more hopeful than anything else, but there was a goal to work to,” he said.
“It was quicker than what people imagined, but that was the time frame I had set.”
The support of his wife, Nerissa, and his family, and his North Melbourne teammates convinced him to push on.
It ended up being “a light-bulb moment”.
“Every time I played (in the VFL), I would rip open the grafted skin. In the week I had off, I felt invigorated and fresh. I just came to a realisation that I couldn’t keep going on.”
When then Kangaroos coach Dani Laidley told him the Monday after playing a VFL game at Frankston that he was going to be selected to take on the Tigers in round 11, 2003, McCartney knew it would be his 182nd – and last – game.’
Only a handful of people knew what was coming next as the hero of the night – who had selflessly helped others in Bali before getting his own assistance – provided the venue with a mic drop moment like no other.
He was being interviewed post-game by Tony Jones on Channel 9, with the audio going live on television and among the 43,200 fans at the ground.
“When Tony was interviewing me, I was trying to find the right moment to announce my retirement,” he said.
THE 10 BIGGEST FOOTY MOMENTS AT MARVEL
1. McCARTNEY’S MIRACLE RETURN, 2003
If it was a miracle that Jason McCartney survived the Bali bombings in 2002, how could you possibly describe his emotional AFL comeback the following year? He suffered burns to 50 per cent of his body, and spent five days in a coma. Told he would never play football again, he vowed to prove them wrong. Against overwhelming odds, he returned for the round 11, 2003 game against Richmond — 237 days after the bombings — to set up one of the match-defining goals before announcing his retirement on the ground after the game.
2. BUDDY’S TON, 2008
Two players have never reached a century of goals in the same match. But it almost came to fruition on a memorable night at Docklands in 2008’s final round. Buddy Franklin needed two; Brendan Fevola needed eight. Franklin got there early as a flood of the 49,000-plus fans ran onto the ground to celebrate the three-figure feat. Fevola ended up just one goal short, the only player in the competition’s history to finish on 99 goals, after Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson sent an extra player to lock down on him.
3. CAREY V THE ROOS, 2003
It was one of footy’s most awkward on-field moments when Wayne Carey squared off against his old side North Melbourne, and more personally, against former teammates Anthony Stevens and Glenn Archer in 2003. A year earlier Carey had quit North Melbourne after his affair with Stevens’ wife Kelli, became public. Tempers frayed at stages of the game as Stevens and Archer tangled with Carey on occasions.
4. HIRDY’S HUG, 2004
James Hird was in the AFL’s sights after his scathing criticism of umpire Scott McLaren on the Wednesday night before Easter in 2004. The following night he was in the spotlight again as he and the Bombers took on West Coast at Docklands. In the dying moments, the scores were tied. With the ball deep in Essendon’s attack, Hird snapped the match-winning goal 31 minutes into the last quarter. He raised his arms and raced towards the boundary where he reached over the fence to hug Essendon fan Drew Wilson.
5. MOORCROFT’S MARK, 2001
It was one of the greatest marks in the history of Australian football as Essendon’s Gary Moorcroft launched himself into the Docklands stratosphere. He launched himself on the back of Bulldog Brad Johnson and seemed to hang in the air, seemingly at full scratch. This wasn’t just a mark of the year; it became part of footy folklore.
6. GARDY SEALS THE GREATEST GAME, 2009
St Kilda and Geelong fought out arguably the greatest game to be played at the venue when the two unbeaten sides met in round 14, 2009. And this titanic struggle between the eventual grand finalists came down to the last minute, with Saints big man Michael Gardiner – on his 30th birthday – dragged down a strong pack mark to kick the match-winning goal.
7. SHEEDS AND THE SEAGULLS, 2000
Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy stormed onto the ground and aimed a “throat-slitting” gesture at Eagle Mitchell White as the two sides were heading in for their halftime break. White had had a run-in with Bomber Mark Johnson shortly before the halftime siren sounded. Sheedy would later sarcastically say that a “seagull” may have flown into Johnson’s eye. He would be fined $7500 by the AFL.
8. THE FLOOD GATES, 2000
Essendon appeared to be sailing towards an unblemished record in 2000 before the perfect storm – or the perfect flood – hit them. The Bombers had won 20 straight games before taking on the Western Bulldogs in the penultimate round. Some canny planning from Dogs coach Terry Wallace, and a clutch goal from the boundary line late in the game from Chris Grant, produced a massive upset win. Essendon would not lose another game for the season.
9. BUDDY COMES OF AGE, 2007
Buddy Franklin’s seven goals in the 2007 elimination final against Adelaide – including his match-winning major – stamped him as a star. From the 50m line, the 20-year-old calmly walked in and slotted the ball through the middle of the goals to win the game. With the seconds ticking down, Channel 10’s Malcolm Blight said: “No matter what happens, we all knew that this lad had arrived … well, he hasn’t just arrived, he has knocked the door down.”
10. FRENCH CONNECTION, 2010
West Coast’s Mark LeCras had a night to remember in 2010 when he booted a record 12 goals at the venue. His 12.2 from 22 disposals against Essendon remains the best individual haul at the ground.
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