By Rohan Connolly
First published in The Age on September 27, 2009
Stab of brilliance decides thriller
THERE was always a chance this grand final was going to come down to one moment, one act that would finally separate two magnificent teams. And so it ended up being the case in Geelong‘s gripping, dramatic premiership win.
Geelong team photo after the 12-point win.Credit: Vince Caligiuri
Barry Breen had won St Kilda its first premiership 43 years ago with a wobbly punt kick. Matthew Scarlett might have won Geelong its eighth yesterday with a toe-poke. A split-second of invention on a day when no kick, mark or handball was easy, let alone, as the Saints will painfully testify, shooting at goal.
It happened with the scores level, just one goal having been scored in the final quarter, less than five minutes left on the clock, and only the third grand final tie in history a distinct possibility.
Gary Ablett had momentarily broken free in the middle of the ground. But St Kilda defender Zac Dawson made a desperate lunge, which for a split-second, seemed to have stemmed the danger. Until Scarlett deftly flicked the ball back to Ablett. That led to the match-winning play — Ablett to the goal square, a contest, a Travis Varcoe handball to Paul Chapman, snap: Cats ahead by six points.
Geelong fans celebrate the win.Credit: Paul Rovere
In the context of this gruelling struggle, that was the body blow. Max Rooke’s soccer off the ground for another point, leaving the Saints having to score twice to win in the final three minutes, was the final nail in the coffin.
St Kilda will long rue its wastefulness in front of the sticks, 9.14 the ever-lasting reminder. The Saints had three more scores, 16 more inside 50s, more clearances, more tackles. But this wasn’t simply a case of one team blowing it. Geelong 12 months ago had suffered a similar fate.
Ultimately, it was the grit of the likes of Chapman, Ablett, Joel Corey (beaten badly by Lenny Hayes early but bouncing back with a big last quarter), and the smarts of men like Rooke and Darren Milburn — notwithstanding the latter’s brain-fade right on half-time, gifting St Kilda a critical goal — that saw Geelong home. But the Cats had to swim firmly against the tide. One which, at stages, was pretty fierce.
St Kilda players are dejected after the loss.Credit: Joe Armao
The Saints had overcome their early nervousness to completely dominate the early going in terms of general play, if not the scoreboard, led, yet again, by Hayes, his 11 disposals and five clearances in the first quarter proof of his importance. Jason Gram played a corker for the Saints, finding it and using it efficiently where others couldn’t. Similarly, Brendon Goddard.
At one stage in the first term, St Kilda had 14 inside 50s to the Cats’ two. By half-time, that stat was 37-15, the sort of advantage that normally dictates a thrashing. But the Saints simply couldn’t nail their chances, right from Adam Schneider’s sprayed left-foot snap from 12 metres out in the first term.
He’d end up the Saints’ only multiple goalkicker, but that miss, another in the second quarter, and one, clear and on the run 10 minutes into the last, were critical, and so costly. As was one by Andrew McQualter. And a couple from Stephen Milne. The Saints kicked three goals in the space of a couple of minutes on half-time, yet thanks to their earlier inaccuracy, and the Cats’ 7.1, scores were level.
Cat Paul Chapman is hunted down and tackled.Credit: Vince Caligiuri
Geelong‘s resolve hardened. Jimmy Bartel took on Hayes and reduced an early Norm Smith Medal favourite to merely very good.
Scarlett was magnificent on Justin Koschitzke and Harry Taylor more than matched it with Nick Riewoldt, who at least, in enormously difficult conditions, never stopped throwing his body on the line.
The rain continued, as did the collisions, the non-stop pressure, tackling, chasing, harassing, spoiling, knocking-on and every other conceivable physical action that, on a day like yesterday, had some sort of impact and importance every single time.
Cameron Mooney put the Cats in front seven minutes into the third quarter, then Riewoldt answered. Chapman goaled, Leigh Montagna, another trooper for the Saints all afternoon, hit back. By three-quarter-time, the Saints ahead by just seven points, we knew the sort of epic struggle the last quarter of the season was going to serve up. And we weren’t disappointed.
Tom Hawkins steeled himself after marking another inside 50 from Chapman, and jagged the goal that ensured we’d be hanging on the edge of our seats for the next 30-odd minutes. Twenty-five of those remained goalless, but seldom has so little scoreboard action been so engrossing.
Saint Clinton Jones battles with Cat David Wojcinski.Credit: Sebastian Costanzo
The Saints snuck ahead by three points. With just under six minutes left, Rooke’s snap looked to be going through until little Steven Baker, a superb stopper on an unusually subdued Steve Johnson, launched himself to rush it through. Joel Selwood, another great player in a match littered with them, levelled the scores.
Until, with Mike Williamson’s immortal commentary line: “We could be back here next week” reverberating around 100,000-odd minds, one little deft touch by Scarlett set up a match-winning thrust that will be replayed over and over.
Grand finals have been won with huge marks and long goals before. This one might well have been won with a three-metre stab in the middle of the ground.
FAST FOOTY
GEELONG
3.0 7.1 9.4 12.8 (80)
ST KILDA
3.2 7.7 9.11 9.14 (68)
GOALS
Geelong: Chapman 3, Mooney 2, Rooke 2, Hawkins 2, Ablett, Selwood, Byrnes.
St Kilda: Schneider 2, Goddard, Jones, Koschitzke, Hayes, Montagna, Riewoldt, Dempster.
BEST
Geelong: Chapman, Milburn, Ablett, Selwood, Bartel, Taylor, Corey.
St Kilda: Gram, Hayes, Goddard, Baker, Montagna, Ball.
INJURIES
Geelong: Chapman (hamstring), Harley (soreness).
St Kilda: Goddard (broken nose, shoulder).
REPORTS
Nil.
UMPIRES
Shaun Ryan, Stephen McBurney, Brett Rosebury.
CROWD
99,251 at the MCG.
ROHAN CONNOLLY’S BEST
Paul Chapman: Tough, cool, smart, and given the low scoring and with three goals including the matchwinner, decisive. Always made the right decisions. A deserving Norm Smith medallist.
Jason Gram: The St Kilda wingman really dug his heels in yesterday with not only 30 touches, more than anyone else on the ground, but some gutsy running and a huge 11-possession third quarter.
Darren Milburn: The Geelong veteran defender is playing on and so he should after a crucial role in this win, running hard and creating plenty off half-back.
Gary Ablett: Has had plenty more dominant performances than this one in 2009, but his steady output, clean hands and 25 touches were crucial to the Cats, particularly early when the Saints were more dominant.
Lenny Hayes: Had his output quelled by a fine defensive effort from Jimmy Bartel, but the Saints’ hard-working midfield star was handy for four quarters, and superb early, getting his side going when nerves were present.