Former Blues star Brendan Fevola does not want to see a New Grand Final on New Year’s Eve

Brendan Fevola was just 18-years-old when he lit up the millenium match in 1999. He reveals his unprofessional preparation, and has his say on the potential of a NYE Grand Final in 2020.

Brendan Fevola does not want to see a NYE Grand Final.

Millenium game hero Brendan Fevola has urged the AFL to scrap New Years Eve as a possible Grand Final date despite his dozen goals against Collingwood.

Fevola was an 18-year-old with two senior games but no AFL goals to his name when he dominated Collingwood in Mick Malthouse’s first game in charge of the Pies.

The pre-season Ansett Cup game on December 31, 1999 saw the Blues hand Collingwood an 88-point hiding.

But as the league considers a season that could go deep into December, Fevola says a Grand Final is vastly different to a pre-season hit-and-giggle contest.

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Brendan Fevola as an 18-year-old in the millenium match.

“It’s the worst time ever to play a game of footy,” he told the Herald Sun.

“New Year’s Eve is no time for playing footy. It’s for froths and mates and family.

“There was hardly anyone there. We played the game at 6.30pm, got out at 10pm or 10.30pm. Imagine trying to get corporates to the game on New Year’s Eve. Have it a few days before that but not Boxing Day”

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While a crowd of just under 20,000 watched Fevola become a star before their eyes, he admits his pre-match routine was far from perfect.

“My mates had been eating pies and pasties for lunch and I said, I am not eating that crap but on the way in I got hungry and stopped off at South Melbourne McDonalds and had two McChickens.

“But it was just one of those days where everything came off. I was marking everything and didn’t know the significance of it because I was only 18.”

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Originally published as Former Blues star Brendan Fevola does not want to see a New Grand Final on New Year’s Eve