1990 Premiership

[GameOver]

I'm missing footy that much, that when the mrs hit the sack early tonight, I chucked on the 1990 Grand Final.

I was unfortunate to miss the Grand Final due to the drawn final against West Coast (also the only Grand Final I didn't go to from 1981 - 1999).

Tony Shaw and Darren Millane were fantastic and rightfully got a lot of credit and attention from the win. I know I'll have a lot of people shoot me down, but I thought there were better players than both (not that I would take that credit away from them).

Scott Russell - When the game was there to be won, and everyone else was fumbling and scrapping the footy around, Scotty showed class and composure hitting targets.

Mick McGuane - Got out and ran hard all day and once again, a catalist in setting the game up in the first half.

Michael Christian - Was a pillar in defence and showed a lot of run from the backline. Somehow found plenty of space in front of him.

Shaw and Millane were extremely fumbly (Millane's broken thumb sure didn't help). They shone through in the second half though and helped dominate the midfield.

Plenty of others that were fantastic including Shane Kerrison (tried his guts out, not bad for a late inclusion), Tony Francis, Graeme Wright, Craig Kelly, Peter Daicos (not many touches, but magical), Damian Monkhorst.

Had to start a thread on this because to me it was a reminder of a release of so much built up pain. Sometimes we don't fully appreciate the lesser names like Kerrison.

For all the crap they copped from Terry Daniher (Anthony was Essendon's best player) and Darren Bewick amongst others, this was a gutsy win from a team most would agree was less talented than plenty of other grand final teams we'd put on the park.

Ah, reminiscing!!!

 

[jonbe54]

I couldn't get to the game either (did my ankle) so watched it on the teev.

Two things stood out early in the game for me.

The king hit on Browney at quarter time. Most don't remember that going into the game he was our most effective forward and I was worried of the scoring ability consequences with him off the ground. To the boys eternal credit they came out breathing fire and took the game away from the bombers - which brings up my second point.

Tony Francis chasing down Darren Bewick (spelling?) was definitely eye catching and team lifting - a catalyst from my point of view.

 

[Kirby]

Scotty Russell was phenominal in that game, especially in the 2nd quarter after the big fight. The Essendon players were angry and rattled but Scotty stayed calm and totally shredded them.

Good times!

 

[vjknight]

I couldn't get to the game either (did my ankle) so watched it on the teev.

you couldnt be there jonbe ??? - i feel for ya.

i was fortunate in some respects to have been raised in a totally bomber household, so i borrowed a season ticket and queued up. sat in the worst seat in the house but loved every minute of it. but cant remember a bloody thing. thankfully the VHS still survives and tells me what happened.

 

[jonbe54]

you couldnt be there jonbe ??? - i feel for ya.

i was fortunate in some respects to have been raised in a totally bomber household, so i borrowed a season ticket and queued up. sat in the worst seat in the house but loved every minute of it. but cant remember a bloody thing. thankfully the VHS still survives and tells me what happened.

LOL VJ I was lucky enough to offload my ticket but sadly missed out on the game after all those years of losing GF's - especially 1970 when my sister and I cried a river on the train back from the G, converted my VHS to DVD and duplicated so I'm covered

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

That side had more talent than people give it credit for.

Great game. Watched it again a few months back.

 

[mattys123]

Wow, over 20 years ago now, seems so long ago.

All I remember of the day was the Daicos goal in the first quarter as it came straight at us through the goals (sitting in the old Olympic Stand) and the Doug Barwick goal to seal the match late, where Pies fans around us actually started to cry once we knew we were home.

I remember more about the celebrations at night then the game itself, which I think is understandable given what went on that night.

As for the game itself, players like Crossisca, Starcevich (would have won the norm smith if that arseh*le Daniher didn't knock him out) and Shaw were on fire that day.

Ah, and now I've been to 2 Collingwood premierships, not too many alive could have said that a few months ago.

 

[sloth6]

Having watched the game 1000's of times, I still find it hard to find a standout player for the Pies.

We had a terrific contribution right across the board, much like last season's grand final win.

 

[jonbe54]

Having watched the game 1000's of times, I still find it hard to find a standout player for the Pies.

We had a terrific contribution right across the board, much like last season's grand final win.

Tony Francis had his best season and was white hot in that game but even so he wasn't a stand out big kudo's for Browney coming on and contributing after that low act by Daniher and Mokey's contribution is not always given the respect it was due but it's certainly true that the whole team gave their all. So pleased that Daics got his premiership medal, would have been a tragedy for him to play his career without one.

 

[Smoky]

Gavin Crosisca 2 goals in the 1990 Grand Final... I still find it hard to believe.

 

[GameOver]

There were a lot of individual moments that counted towards the win and in some ways we should thank Terry Daniher for those moments of madness at quarter time (not forgetting there were some Pies players that had similar moments, just hit from in front not behind).

Tony Francis' chase was fantastic. Daicos goal in the first quarter kicked started it. Graeme Wright had a couple of big chases where he didn't win the ball, but broke even against 2 or 3 Bombers. Gavin Brown coming back on the field gave that little extra kick and then ended up kicking a goal. The pressure overall was fantastic and reminded me a little of this year's GF. Essendon had a lot of scrappy kicks because they didn't have time to compose themselves.

 

[MarkT2]

Monhurst was important. Salmon and Madden were IMO the only players that really could have threatened destiny. Monhurst had Madden covered aiding the midfield which combined made it more difficult for Salmon. Eventually their only dangerous forward had to ruck and it was game over.

A bit simplistic I know but that was my observation at the time.

 

[Magnus the Magpie]

Defence won us this match. We had a superb defensive unit of course but I'm talking about the defensive effort all over the ground. A lot of younger people think that the forward defensive concept our guys were so good at this year is new, but it's not. I think it was during this GF that Don Scott said something like: "You just have to take your hat off to these Magpie forwards - they just won't let the ball come out".

Tony Shaw did what he always did during this match - won the hard ball and worked his butt off. Deserved the medal.

 

[Trojan82]

I was only 8 in 1990. I watched the game with my number 7 guernsey on. I loved Shane, mainly because he was the guy that always carried the footy onto the ground. (small things).

Every time he put his head over the ball I held my breath. I love this particular game. Because I hate Essendon so much.

 

[vjknight]

That side had more talent than people give it credit for.

Great game. Watched it again a few months back.

sure it was a talented squad - you have to be to win a GF.

but..........

when many people ask who was the weakest team to win a flag in that era, collingwoods 1990 squad is often chosen. why ?

simply look at the premier teams from say 84 thru to 96 - all great teams with champion lines. many multiple flag winners. collingwood were knocked out the finals early or didnt compete in every one of those years (im not mentioning the 84 PF for obvious reasons ) even the crows squad of 97 & 98 were seen as lacking quality, but they did win 2. and the 1990 hawks were missing dunstall & brereton for most of the year - with them 4 straight was a strong possibility. many understandably believe we won by default.

someone had to be the weakest - it just happens to be our squad.

 

[Rustin Cohle]

I'd rather be the weakest premier than the strongest non-premier.

 

[Greening Magic]

Was at the game and thought Scott Russell was BOG. It was a scrappy game due to the strong swirling wind but Scotty added some real class to a team with plenty of grunt.

(I confess that Scotty was a favourite of mine after he provided that magic moment in the Second-Semi where he made Simon Madden pay for trying to be skillful by hand with Derek Kickett - one of my favourite football memories).

 

[vjknight]

I'd rather be the weakest premier than the strongest non-premier.

ABSOLUTELY

(I confess that Scotty was a favourite of mine after he provided that magic moment in the Second-Semi where he made Simon Madden pay for trying to be skillful by hand with Derek Kickett - one of my favourite football memories).

yes - love to get the 2nd semi VHS out and yell 'madden kickett madden kickett RUSSELL GOAL'.

 

[Smoky]

[YOUTUBE]VxshnnKBDXg[/YOUTUBE]

Just Once... James Ingram... my all time favourite song, due to this footage. Still brings a tear to my eye.

 

[dansa]

The first Grand final I attended and was lucky enough to sit front row near the qtr time fight.

RE Kerrison: Yeah he played well and earned his spot in history but I always feel a little pain thinking how he took Ron Mc Keown's spot. Ronny had played all year, tried his guts out and was dropped when it counted. On top of that, I remember his young daughter died that season so I felt terribly sorry for him watching us finally win the flag from the depths of the players race.

Alan Richardson was also really unlucky not to have a Premiership medal. A very good player in 1990.

 

[Smoky]

The first Grand final I attended and was lucky enough to sit front row near the qtr time fight.

RE Kerrison: Yeah he played well and earned his spot in history but I always feel a little pain thinking how he took Ron Mc Keown's spot. Ronny had played all year, tried his guts out and was dropped when it counted. On top of that, I remember his young daughter died that season so I felt terribly sorry for him watching us finally win the flag from the depths of the players race.

Alan Richardson was also really unlucky not to have a Premiership medal. A very good player in 1990.

Kerro took Richardsons spot... due to his recovered shoulder that Leigh Matthews absolutely pole axed on the last training session to see if it would hold up in a Grand Final.

 

[soreplums]

They were a very even team. Not given the credit by outsiders that they deserve. Not sure why they say that they were the weakest team to win a GF. A lot of those players played in the u/19 flag a couple of seasons earlier and a lot played representative footy as well.

Saddest thing is that people outside of Collingwood will never know how good a player Darren Millane actually was. He could rip a game apart.

 

[Sloth]

Glad Daicos ended up with a Premiership medal, out of all the great players of that era he was the most phenomenal.

 

[jonbe54]

Glad Daicos ended up with a Premiership medal, out of all the great players of that era he was the most phenomenal.

Totally agree a lot of people didn't know he played a season or two with stress fractures in his feet.