I've always enjoyed the prelims more than the actual big dance itself. Sometimes the granny can be an anti climax or with so much at stake be quite an ugly affair or one sided barring some better ones in recent times. at least in terms of closeness with the epic swans-eagles duels, pies-lions of 2002 and the great game between hawks and swans of 2 years ago. Loved the 2008 grand final too btw one of favourite ever games.
Anyway, point I was raising here is here have been some absolute belter of a contests in the prelims over the years as well as some unlucky losers. Throw port into that mix on the weekend now too. Here are some classics over the last two and a bit decades that I've had the pleasure of witnessing.
1991 - west coast defeat Geelong by 15 points in the wet at WAverly where spearhead Peter Sumich snagged 6 of the 11 west coast majors.
1993 - bombers erase a 7 goals ht deficit where they trailed the crows 12.12 to 6.6. Literally doubled their score and shots on goal. Berwick and salmon snag 6 each if memory serves correct.
1994 - cats beat kangas by a goal with g Ablett kicking it after the siren
1996 - swans beat the dons by a point where plugger kicks a behind after the siren
1997 - western bulldogs. Ahhhh the western bulldogs. So close yet so far yet again. Chris grant smothered shot right at the end. Crows come from behind to erase the 1993 demons and pip the doggies. Trailed by about the same margin they led by in that prelim 4 years earlier. Won the game by 2 points, may have been 3. Darren JArman was the saviour.
1999 - the great upset. Kouta, brown, blues, 1 point, Essendon tears. 6th place Carlton shock the football world and beat the no 1 bombers. One of the great upsets in football history.
2001 - dons eclipse hawks by 9 or 10 points. Great contest. Hawks so close. Trent Croat hit the post which would have put them in front where once again a team chased or almost chased down a prelim deficit.
More to follow. Battery is about to go dead
2002 pies vs crows was great for the sheer support of the frenetic collingwood faithful. Beat the crows by 4 goals.
2004 lions beat the Carter's by 10 points on a Saturday night at the mcg.
port beat the sainters by a goal on a Friday night at aaimi. Fraser Gehrig notched up a century of goals during the game
2005 - not a classic but not bad nonetheless. Eagles beat the crows by 15 points at subi. The night before the swans and Barry hall run over the saints in the final term at the g and win by 33 points.
2006 - west coast beat the crows at aaimi coming from behind at half time. Judd and cousins master class. Won by about 10 points. That margin or there abouts sure has been around the mark a lot in prelims.
2007 - cats beat the pies by 5 Friday night at the g
2009 - saints beat the doggies Friday night at the g. Poor dogs, another close lose. I think they lost by 4 but could have been 10 with a late Riewoldt goal?
2011 - pies beat the hawks by 3 points enter luke ball
2012 hawks beat the crows by 5 points
2013 - hawks beat the cats by 5 points
2014 hawks beat the power by 3 points.
Gee that 5 point and 10 point margin or so has come up a lot. Anyway some rip roaring contests there and with their football livelihood on the line they've played out some epic encounters.
Anyway, point I was raising here is here have been some absolute belter of a contests in the prelims over the years as well as some unlucky losers. Throw port into that mix on the weekend now too. Here are some classics over the last two and a bit decades that I've had the pleasure of witnessing.
1991 - west coast defeat Geelong by 15 points in the wet at WAverly where spearhead Peter Sumich snagged 6 of the 11 west coast majors.
1993 - bombers erase a 7 goals ht deficit where they trailed the crows 12.12 to 6.6. Literally doubled their score and shots on goal. Berwick and salmon snag 6 each if memory serves correct.
1994 - cats beat kangas by a goal with g Ablett kicking it after the siren
1996 - swans beat the dons by a point where plugger kicks a behind after the siren
1997 - western bulldogs. Ahhhh the western bulldogs. So close yet so far yet again. Chris grant smothered shot right at the end. Crows come from behind to erase the 1993 demons and pip the doggies. Trailed by about the same margin they led by in that prelim 4 years earlier. Won the game by 2 points, may have been 3. Darren JArman was the saviour.
1999 - the great upset. Kouta, brown, blues, 1 point, Essendon tears. 6th place Carlton shock the football world and beat the no 1 bombers. One of the great upsets in football history.
2001 - dons eclipse hawks by 9 or 10 points. Great contest. Hawks so close. Trent Croat hit the post which would have put them in front where once again a team chased or almost chased down a prelim deficit.
More to follow. Battery is about to go dead
2002 pies vs crows was great for the sheer support of the frenetic collingwood faithful. Beat the crows by 4 goals.
2004 lions beat the Carter's by 10 points on a Saturday night at the mcg.
port beat the sainters by a goal on a Friday night at aaimi. Fraser Gehrig notched up a century of goals during the game
2005 - not a classic but not bad nonetheless. Eagles beat the crows by 15 points at subi. The night before the swans and Barry hall run over the saints in the final term at the g and win by 33 points.
2006 - west coast beat the crows at aaimi coming from behind at half time. Judd and cousins master class. Won by about 10 points. That margin or there abouts sure has been around the mark a lot in prelims.
2007 - cats beat the pies by 5 Friday night at the g
2009 - saints beat the doggies Friday night at the g. Poor dogs, another close lose. I think they lost by 4 but could have been 10 with a late Riewoldt goal?
2011 - pies beat the hawks by 3 points enter luke ball
2012 hawks beat the crows by 5 points
2013 - hawks beat the cats by 5 points
2014 hawks beat the power by 3 points.
Gee that 5 point and 10 point margin or so has come up a lot. Anyway some rip roaring contests there and with their football livelihood on the line they've played out some epic encounters.
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