Max Gawn a hero as AFL minor premiership race ends in thriller
Fittingly, the game that decided this season’s AFL minor premiers proved to be one of the year’s most heart-stopping matches.
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Melbourne had seemed destined to be minor premier for large parts of 2021, but not even Norm Smith would have scripted an eight-goal comeback to be capped my skipper Max Gawn after the siren.
For the first time in 56 years, the Demons took top honours after the home-and-away season with a comeback for the ages, running out four-point winners against Geelong on Saturday evening.
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Geelong had nine fingers on the minor premiership when Gary Rohan booted a seemingly soul-snapping end-to-end goal that put the Cats 44 points up almost 20 minutes into the third quarter.
And having earlier given up nine majors in a row, surely this Demon miracle would finally come unravelled.
But somebody forgot to tell Clayton Oliver, who inspired his team to one of the more remarkable red-and-blue swings since Smith’s powerhouse teams of the 1950s and early 60s.
That it came down to veteran skipper – and notorious set shot misser — Gawn after the siren just made it even sweeter for long-suffering Demon fans.
Melbourne will now face Brisbane, most likely in Adelaide, in the knowledge that after their previous nine minor premierships, they have converted eight into flags.
Geelong, which had led since early in the second term, conversely has the distinct disadvantage of being the only team to face a genuine home team in the first week of the finals, travelling to Adelaide to face the red-hot Power next week.
Everything had pointed to a thriller.
Pulsating finishes in meaningful games between the Dogs and Power, then the Lions and Eagles – plus the less consequential draw between the Tigers and Hawks – had set the scene perfectly for the minor premiership decider.
Those thoughts were reinforced when the two heavyweights slugged out a tense first quarter.
But when the Cats’ midfield went berserk for 15 minutes in the second term and there was a 45-minute drought between Melbourne goals, there was no sign of the drama or ebbs and flows that were to come.
But these Demons are made of stern stuff, particularly Oliver, and their own eight-goal run to end the game, including Gawn’s mark and goal from 20m out, sparked scenes of unbridled joy.
It will be hard to top the drama of the first couple of days of Round 23, but if that’s the sign of the final ahead, it should be an epic September.
Run-up resolved
We might finally have the reasoning behind the Michael Holding-length run-up that Ben Brown employs in set shots.
The former Roo took a mark in transition midway through the first term adjacent to the centre circle, jogged back to give himself a more routine 5-6m gap to the mark. Then, in his haste to keep the ball moving Melbourne’s way, he took just one step and proceeded to kick an inverted shank so bad that it went out of bounds at true centre wing.
Less than a minute later off his traditional 40m runway after a mark, the ball had barely left his boot when he celebrated the Dees’ second major.
A rucking mess
One of the “modern” rules that causes consternation among fans is teams having to nominate a ruckman at each stoppage and the almost inevitable delays the process causes. Throw in the ability that this delay gives teams to reset their backline, and you can see why it’s a hot topic.
The AFL will argue its reasons for having the rule, but there can NO EXCUSE at all for umpires delaying play further while a distant ruckman makes his way to the contest.
It happened in the second term after a ball-up was ordered 40m out from Melbourne’s goal and Tom McDonald immediately threw up his hand to compete. But big Cat Rhys Stanley was 40m further afield in the centre square, yet the umpire waited for his trundling arrival as the Cats reset.
Tom versus time
Geelong coach Chris Scott has been at pains to point out that his star backman Tom Stewart has not been officially ruled out for the season after Lisfranc surgery earlier this week.
And while some medicos have been eager to point out that it’s an extreme longshot that Stewart could make a miracle finals return, there was something to bring a smile to the eye of his legion of fans at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night.
Stewart, albeit on crutches, was sufficiently enthusiastic and capable enough to sit on the Cats’ bench and even hobble out to the line coaches’ addresses at the breaks with his left foot in a moon boot.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has vowed his team will quickly work through one of the club’s most memorable nights as it sets its sights on premiership glory.
The Demons booted the final eight goals of a shootout for the minor premiership against Geelong, roaring back from a 44-point deficit to snatch a four-point win for the ages after the siren at GMHBA Stadium in what Goodwin said was an “unbelievable effort”.
The truly remarkable victory, set up by Clayton Oliver’s best afield heroics and sealed by Max Gawn’s match-winning goal after the finals siren, gives Melbourne its first minor premiership in 57 years – and the confidence that no situation is too dire.
Gawn’s goal sparked remarkable scenes with all players and many staff huddling en masse in the forward pocket at the Cattery in celebrations rarely seen outside finals.
But Goodwin said the party would be short-lived.
“What you saw after the game was just genuine emotion from a playing group that worked incredibly hard to get back into a game,” he said.
“But we’ll reset ourselves, refocus ourselves. We know that’s one season down and a new season will begin next week.
“We’ll enjoy this moment for what it is. But come tomorrow, our players will be firmly focused on the task at hand.
“We’re only halfway through what we want to achieve.”
Goodwin had a broad smile when asked what the comeback, the victory and the minor flag would mean to long-suffering fans of the red and blue.
“It’s been a long time since they’ve seen their side compete and show character the way they showed tonight,” he beamed.
“I’m sure they sit at home incredibly proud of the boys’ performance, not only tonight but throughout the whole season so far.
“I think they sit there with hope that this team can continue their form and compete really strongly when the time comes and it really counts.
“I think they’ll be incredibly proud of their team and their club – it’s been a long time, they’ve been starved of success and they should enjoy this moment.”
Goodwin didn’t downplay the achievement, but understandably said the club would quickly sharpen its focus to Brisbane, most likely in Adelaide next week.
“Deep down it means a lot to our footy club, but it’s been a long time since we’ve been in this position.
“But this (home-and-away) season is done, we’re in the position we’re in and now it’s time to turn our attention to what really matters and we need to have one of the best months of footy we can to make sure our club can stay in the position we’re in.”
GEELONG
2.110.212.312.5 (77)
MELBOURNE
2.33.56.712.9 (81)
VOTES
3: Oliver (Mel)
2: Guthrie (Geel)
1: Gawn (Mel)
Goals:
Geelong: Hawkins (4), Cameron (2), Rohan (2), Dangerfield, Dahlhaus, Selwood, Close.
Melbourne: Pickett (3), Oliver (2), Brown (2), Spargo (2), Fritsch, Viney, Gawn.
BEST:
Geelong: C.Guthrie, Selwood, Henderson, Hawkins.
Melbourne: Oliver, Gawn, Salem, Harmes, Petracca.
INJURIES:
Nil
REPORTS:
Nil
CROWD: 0 at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong.
Originally published as Max Gawn a hero as AFL minor premiership race ends in thriller
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