quentinReview of Week 1 & 2 of the Finals in the AFL
September 14th 2010 07:51
So due to birthday and whatnot, I have some catching up to do and today I'm going to bring you summaries from the first 2 weeks of the finals.
Qualifying Final: Geelong vs St Kilda
"You've just cost us the game." This outburst by Geelong player Cameron Mooney is what this game will be remembered for as the reaction to "that" free-kick with a minute to go, which brought Geelong's fightback to a crashing halt.
The pity it that this game deserves to be remembered for something more than a free-kick and subsequent outburst. It was one of the games of the season and St Kilda dominated the first half. Geelong's stars were all down as St Kilda's constant pressure forced them into error after error. St Kilda actually worked their way to a 33 point lead which against most teams would be enough but against Geelong, no chance in hell. From that point, Geelong came back hard. Jimmy Bartel was the hero as he singlehandedly led them back into the game until that moment with a minute left
"St Kilda's James Gwitl had the ball and was already falling forward with Cameron Mooney riding him into the ground and the ball was knocked out to Cameron Ling who bounced a shot from 45m through the goal. Geelong players were unaware that a free kick had been paid and this won St Kilda the game"
In the days that followed, everyone lined up to criticise the umpire for making a correct decision but to blame the umpire for a defeat, that was a normal but unnecessary reaction. Geelong only had themselves to blame being so slack in the first half and then kicking 1.7 in the last quarter.
At the end of the day, St Kilda throughly deserved it
Geelong 11.13.79 lost to St Kilda 12.11.83
Elimination Final: Fremantle vs Hawthorn
After the fiasco of Launceston 2 weeks prior, everyone lined up to say that the Hawks would end Freo's year and that it could potentially get ugly. Well, it was certainly an ugly game but unfortunately it was the Hawks that were to blame
Unfortnately though, this game will be remembered for some crucial injuries which affected both teams.
Late in the first quarter, Freo ruckman Aaron Sandilands banged knees with the Hawthorn ruckman and came off second best with a potential PCL injury.
The second quarter saw the Hawks affected by some real horrors. Cyril Rioli did a hamstring and Xavier Ellis rolled his foot.
Injuries had an impact but really, the only team that performed was Fremantle. They played some spellbinding football and took full advantage of Hawthorn's diabolical inaccuracy. The Hawks kicked 1.11 to half-time and if the game wasn't over then, it certainly was over after Freo kicked 6 goals to 3 in the third quarter.
At the end of the day, Hawthorn never really got going and Fremantle now have to play Geelong at the MCG
Fremantle 14.10.94 defeated Hawthorn 8.16.64
Qualifying Final: Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs
This game was pretty one-sided and when you look at the final score, 64 points seems to be a bit underwhelming. This feeling is due to the fact that Collingwood again decided to put on another act of inaccuracy. Some would point to the weather but it wasn't raining during the game. If anything, their persistence in playing via the boundary line is the cause of such inaccuracy but on Saturday night, it didn't matter.
Collingwood were all over the Bulldogs from the word go and really, the only Bulldog that could hold his head high would be Ryan Griffen.
The flashpoint of the game occured in the second quarter following Harry O'Brien's shepherd on Barry Hall. O'Brien had a go at Hall who got up and responded by wrestling and then striking O'Brien in the chest. Hall was subsequently reported for abusive language to an umpire
Really though, this game wasn't a contest and the only positive for the Bulldogs is that there weren't any fresh injures
Collingwood 17.22.124 defeated Western Bulldogs 8.14.62
Elimination Final: Sydney vs Carlton
The last match of the weekend was an absolute cracker. One of the best matches of the opening week of the finals.
It didn't look that way for a fair part of the game though as Sydney kicked away to a 4 goal lead at half-time. They were moving the ball and were very impressive but suddenly the game changed.
Chris Judd singlehandedly took up the challenge and dragged Carlton back into the game. His third quarter was one of the best quarters you will be likely to see and Sydney's 4 goal lead turned into a 7 point Carlton lead by the last change.
As with finals though, momentum shifts are crucial and playing for coach Paul Roos and captain Brett Kirk, Sydney rode that wave of emotion to claim a famous 5 point win.
At the end of the day, Carlton will rue their inaccurate kicking in the last quarter but will be ruing a missed opportunity too
Sydney 14.15.99 defeated Carlton 13.16.94
Semi-Final: Geelong vs Fremantle
What do you get when you have the following?
- An angry reigning premier
- A team who's superstar ruckman is playing on one leg
- A team who's only just playing on the MCG for the first time this year
- A couple of clowns umpiring
Well, if you answered a really disappointing and ordinary game, you'd be absolutely spot on.
Being a Fremantle supporter, Sport Talk was at the game and in the thick of spectator sledging and it was a miserable night for me.
Once Freo buggered up the opening couple of inside 50s, that was a sure fire sign that they weren't going to win and sadly the game was all over at quarter-time with Geelong leading 8 goals to 1.
From there it really was a case of the 2 teams playing out time and despite the best efforts of Fremantle, Geelong crusied away to a 69 point win.
Geelong 20.15.135 defeated Fremantle 10.6.66
Semi-Final: Western Bulldogs vs Sydney
This game was the cracker of week 2 but I'm still trying to figure out how that is possible.
All the indicators from people suggested that the Bulldogs were gone and that injuries would be their downfall and add to that the emotion Sydney have with both Roos and Kirk departing at the end of the season, it was looking like a Sydney win.
For a large part of the first half, that proved to be the case. At one stage, Sydney opened up a 30 point lead however things slowly changed as the Bulldogs were able to put the clamps on Sydney and start generating their own run. They closed the margin to 16 points at half-time and were able to get the scores level after Sydney found the going tough in front of goal in the third quarter kicking just 5 behinds.
It was for all money looking like extra time was a real possibility but the Bulldogs were able to do enough to claim the win and a match against St Kilda.
It was a sad end to the reign of coach Paul Roos and captain Brett Kirk though however both will depart with the respect of the entire football world.
Western Bulldogs 11.11.77 defeated Sydney 10.12.72
So ends the review of the first 2 weeks of the finals and while the review of each game was brief, at least we all know what happened.
Qualifying Final: Geelong vs St Kilda
"You've just cost us the game." This outburst by Geelong player Cameron Mooney is what this game will be remembered for as the reaction to "that" free-kick with a minute to go, which brought Geelong's fightback to a crashing halt.
The pity it that this game deserves to be remembered for something more than a free-kick and subsequent outburst. It was one of the games of the season and St Kilda dominated the first half. Geelong's stars were all down as St Kilda's constant pressure forced them into error after error. St Kilda actually worked their way to a 33 point lead which against most teams would be enough but against Geelong, no chance in hell. From that point, Geelong came back hard. Jimmy Bartel was the hero as he singlehandedly led them back into the game until that moment with a minute left
"St Kilda's James Gwitl had the ball and was already falling forward with Cameron Mooney riding him into the ground and the ball was knocked out to Cameron Ling who bounced a shot from 45m through the goal. Geelong players were unaware that a free kick had been paid and this won St Kilda the game"
In the days that followed, everyone lined up to criticise the umpire for making a correct decision but to blame the umpire for a defeat, that was a normal but unnecessary reaction. Geelong only had themselves to blame being so slack in the first half and then kicking 1.7 in the last quarter.
At the end of the day, St Kilda throughly deserved it
Geelong 11.13.79 lost to St Kilda 12.11.83
Elimination Final: Fremantle vs Hawthorn
Unfortnately though, this game will be remembered for some crucial injuries which affected both teams.
Late in the first quarter, Freo ruckman Aaron Sandilands banged knees with the Hawthorn ruckman and came off second best with a potential PCL injury.
The second quarter saw the Hawks affected by some real horrors. Cyril Rioli did a hamstring and Xavier Ellis rolled his foot.
Injuries had an impact but really, the only team that performed was Fremantle. They played some spellbinding football and took full advantage of Hawthorn's diabolical inaccuracy. The Hawks kicked 1.11 to half-time and if the game wasn't over then, it certainly was over after Freo kicked 6 goals to 3 in the third quarter.
At the end of the day, Hawthorn never really got going and Fremantle now have to play Geelong at the MCG
Fremantle 14.10.94 defeated Hawthorn 8.16.64
Qualifying Final: Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs
This game was pretty one-sided and when you look at the final score, 64 points seems to be a bit underwhelming. This feeling is due to the fact that Collingwood again decided to put on another act of inaccuracy. Some would point to the weather but it wasn't raining during the game. If anything, their persistence in playing via the boundary line is the cause of such inaccuracy but on Saturday night, it didn't matter.
Collingwood were all over the Bulldogs from the word go and really, the only Bulldog that could hold his head high would be Ryan Griffen.
The flashpoint of the game occured in the second quarter following Harry O'Brien's shepherd on Barry Hall. O'Brien had a go at Hall who got up and responded by wrestling and then striking O'Brien in the chest. Hall was subsequently reported for abusive language to an umpire
Really though, this game wasn't a contest and the only positive for the Bulldogs is that there weren't any fresh injures
Collingwood 17.22.124 defeated Western Bulldogs 8.14.62
Elimination Final: Sydney vs Carlton
The last match of the weekend was an absolute cracker. One of the best matches of the opening week of the finals.
It didn't look that way for a fair part of the game though as Sydney kicked away to a 4 goal lead at half-time. They were moving the ball and were very impressive but suddenly the game changed.
Chris Judd singlehandedly took up the challenge and dragged Carlton back into the game. His third quarter was one of the best quarters you will be likely to see and Sydney's 4 goal lead turned into a 7 point Carlton lead by the last change.
As with finals though, momentum shifts are crucial and playing for coach Paul Roos and captain Brett Kirk, Sydney rode that wave of emotion to claim a famous 5 point win.
At the end of the day, Carlton will rue their inaccurate kicking in the last quarter but will be ruing a missed opportunity too
Sydney 14.15.99 defeated Carlton 13.16.94
Semi-Final: Geelong vs Fremantle
What do you get when you have the following?
- An angry reigning premier
- A team who's superstar ruckman is playing on one leg
- A team who's only just playing on the MCG for the first time this year
- A couple of clowns umpiring
Well, if you answered a really disappointing and ordinary game, you'd be absolutely spot on.
Being a Fremantle supporter, Sport Talk was at the game and in the thick of spectator sledging and it was a miserable night for me.
Once Freo buggered up the opening couple of inside 50s, that was a sure fire sign that they weren't going to win and sadly the game was all over at quarter-time with Geelong leading 8 goals to 1.
From there it really was a case of the 2 teams playing out time and despite the best efforts of Fremantle, Geelong crusied away to a 69 point win.
Geelong 20.15.135 defeated Fremantle 10.6.66
Semi-Final: Western Bulldogs vs Sydney
This game was the cracker of week 2 but I'm still trying to figure out how that is possible.
All the indicators from people suggested that the Bulldogs were gone and that injuries would be their downfall and add to that the emotion Sydney have with both Roos and Kirk departing at the end of the season, it was looking like a Sydney win.
For a large part of the first half, that proved to be the case. At one stage, Sydney opened up a 30 point lead however things slowly changed as the Bulldogs were able to put the clamps on Sydney and start generating their own run. They closed the margin to 16 points at half-time and were able to get the scores level after Sydney found the going tough in front of goal in the third quarter kicking just 5 behinds.
It was for all money looking like extra time was a real possibility but the Bulldogs were able to do enough to claim the win and a match against St Kilda.
It was a sad end to the reign of coach Paul Roos and captain Brett Kirk though however both will depart with the respect of the entire football world.
Western Bulldogs 11.11.77 defeated Sydney 10.12.72
So ends the review of the first 2 weeks of the finals and while the review of each game was brief, at least we all know what happened.
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