Best semi-finals of all time

[nat013]

2004 - Geelong vs Essendon - the beginning of the finals drought

2014 north vs geelong is a forgotten good one, should add Hawthorn over Port in 2001 as well given how big of an upset it was at the time

 

[kickazz]

2004 - Geelong vs Essendon - the beginning of the finals drought

2014 north vs geelong is a forgotten good one, should add Hawthorn over Port in 2001 as well given how big of an upset it was at the time

Johnny Barker had a great last quarter from memory

 

[Liam Boy]

A lot of people saying 2014 North v Geelong and I want to lend my voice to that one. Incredible 2 weeks for me as an 18 year old North supporter, watching Drew Petrie

Drew Petrie

Age

41

Ht

197cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.7

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

5.2

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

1.2

2star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.0

1star

break Essendon's hearts, backed up by holding off the team of the late 2000s and early 2010s to knock them out in straight sets, which hadn't happened for a decade or more. Todd Goldstein

17

Todd Goldstein

Age

35

Ht

201cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

5.7

2star

HB

7.5

5star

CL

3.1

5star

HO

32.5

5star

D

16.7

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

7.4

4star

CL

7.0

5star

HO

32.9

5star

D

5.2

2star

K

2.6

1star

HB

2.6

3star

HO

10.0

5star

's game saving intercept mark will always stand out in my memory.

 

[Orange crush]

I hear Wayne Carey has an exquisite semi

 

[Clark G]

Was that our home game at the g?

Yes.

 

[Roobs321]

2009-10 both had similar shaky #4 comebacks in tight finishes against form #5s, sort of your ideal SF template that. Dangerous looking Crows & Swans both kicking themselves, Pies & Dogs restoring some confidence. In 2010 you also had the sentiment of Kirk/Roos last game for the club (or Brad Johnson

Brad Johnson

Age

47

Ht

182cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

14.1

5star

HB

5.6

4star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

12.8

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

2.6

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.6

3star

if they’d won).

 

[kranky al]

Yes.

That game can ligma

 

[Rabish Binney]

2007 SF draw between WCE and Coll. Pies then won in extra time

2009 SF between Coll and Adel is still my favourite with the Jack Anthony goal in the last play of the game and then the tears from the Crows supporters

Not good.....

Whatever happened to Anthony? Faded away pretty quickly?

 

[Igloo]

Lions seem to have a reputation as finals chokers and going out in straight sets, however we lost our semi in 2019 against eventual grand finalists in GWS in dubious circumstances (Mumford throw to Daniels winning goal) and again in 2021 to eventually grand finalist in the Bulldogs with an equally dubious centre bound ruck free kick which then saw the dogs kick the winning point.

Absolutely shafted and we competed admirably in both games as a fairly inexperienced team.

Nothing dubious about it. McInerney goes past the middle of the circle while looking at English and the ball drops behind him. That's a block every day of the week. A free at a pivotal time is still a free. Awful work by McInerney.

Ripping game though.

 

[Back One Out]

Hawks vs dogs in 2016 was pretty exciting. Big comeback by the dogs!

Not really... People were excited to see the Hat-trick Hawks get their arses handed to them, maybe

The match itself was old-fashioned flogging..

Hawks kicked 3 quick goals early in the 2nd term to get out to a 23 point lead
But the Dogs replied with 3 quick goals of their own to go in at half time trailing by just 1 point.

The 3rd quarter was all Bulldogs. They kicked Hawthorn off the park with 6 goals to 1. It was emphatic.
Then they booted the first 3 goals in the last quarter...

Score: Bulldogs 15.11.101, Hawthorn 8.10.58

The Hawks added some "respectability" to the scoreboard with 4 goals in junk time and lost by 23 points.

Not exactly the most exciting semi final ever played. Everyone was sick of Hawthorn by that stage... and most footy fans were fully on the Bulldogs bandwagon, so the match was very well received.

 

[Truckosaurus]

I find this to be the least interesting of the four finals weeks. That might just be because my team has a bad history of losing in week 2.

It's because there's usually a gulf between the top 4 and the rest of the 8. This is the week for beltings by QF losers looking to get momentum/not fail to make a preliminary after making the top 4.

 

[BigVic]

West Coast vs Collingwood 2007. We beat the Eagles and silenced a state in an extra time thriller. Swan and a 3rd year Pendles put the icing on the cake for us.

 

[tigerland_1720]

Richmond vs Essendon 1995, and our second-half comeback from being 5 goals down at halftime. This game was a highlight for a generation of Tigers fans among many lean years.

 

[ibd77]

I am surprised people would remember or care about the first 2 weeks of finals.

PF's and GF's is what usually matters most and most memorable.

However I do remember 2014 SF against Freo in Perth and that comeback in the second half.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Swans v Cats 05 is the best SF I've seen. I think it was Huddo, or maybe one of the other commentators that night, that said it's the loudest crowd they've ever heard. It was absolutely bonkers.

 

[katana]

I am surprised people would remember or care about the first 2 weeks of finals.

yeah weird footy fans remember or care about games of footy. round one should just be prelims, infact, make the whole season prelims. that'd be sick.

 

[Roobs321]

Swans v Cats 05 is the best SF I've seen. I think it was Huddo, or maybe one of the other commentators that night, that said it's the loudest crowd they've ever heard. It was absolutely bonkers.

It had a very memorable finish but for the most part the game was really crap and lower quality than expected. Swans were so far from their best and whilst the Cats did turn up they weren’t really that much chop either. I remember watching it and thinking ‘...really...’

Whilst it was a fun finals series (particularly the Swans) I don’t think any of the 9 games were really that high quality as a contest.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

1989 Cats v Demons
Ablett 22 kicks, 2 handballs, 14 marks, 4 tackles, 7 goals 7 behinds playing on a wing/flank.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Johnny Barker had a great last quarter from memory

He had a migraine at half time and went had a sleep during the break. Came back out and kicked two goals - one from the impossible pocket at Football Park and the second the winner.

My first trip interstate to watch the Hawks and one of the best weekends of my life

 

[Lingsface]

When did oloughlin kick the game winner and yell in John Candys face?

 

[Blackhawk42]

Not really... People were excited to see the Hat-trick Hawks get their arses handed to them, maybe

The match itself was old-fashioned flogging..

Hawks kicked 3 quick goals early in the 2nd term to get out to a 23 point lead
But the Dogs replied with 3 quick goals of their own to go in at half time trailing by just 1 point.

The 3rd quarter was all Bulldogs. They kicked Hawthorn off the park with 6 goals to 1. It was emphatic.
Then they booted the first 3 goals in the last quarter...

Score: Bulldogs 15.11.101, Hawthorn 8.10.58

The Hawks added some "respectability" to the scoreboard with 4 goals in junk time and lost by 23 points.

Not exactly the most exciting semi final ever played. Everyone was sick of Hawthorn by that stage... and most footy fans were fully on the Bulldogs bandwagon, so the match was very well received.

I still remember the moment of realisation.

Bruce, after another Dogs last quarter goal, said 'what this means, is that one of GWS or the Western Bulldogs will be in this year's Grand Final'.

It felt like such a big deal. And I was content with what we'd achieved. It helped that my Dad is a long suffering Dogs supporter, so wouldn't have wanted any other side to end our dynasty.

 

[Jeremias]

When did oloughlin kick the game winner and yell in John Candys face?

2006 Qualifying Final, I believe

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

I find this to be the least interesting of the four finals weeks. That might just be because my team has a bad history of losing in week 2.

It's because the reward for wining is less than a prelim or a qualifier.

The hosts are just desperate to avoid going out in straight sets.

Teams 5-8 ranked teams almost never win the flag, and while they hope for a miracle, they just don't expect to go that far. Everything after the elimination final is just treated as finals experience.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

1989 Cats v Demons
Ablett 22 kicks, 2 handballs, 14 marks, 4 tackles, 7 goals 7 behinds playing on a wing/flank.

Recall all the talk that week was who would tag Couch and Bairstow, so old mate Blight started them both on the bench for 20 minutes!!

1978 1st semi was peak Collingwood v Carlton, an absolute car park brawl lol, would be called off after ten minutes these days

 

[azyboy]

1994 I think Geelong played Carlton at VFL Park. On the morning of the game we lost Hocking, Couch and Bairstow - thought we were no chance. Aaron Lord in his second game and Liam Pickering played blinders for the cats to win comfortably in an upset. (Was the old system where cats finished 4th, won in week 1, then played the second placed Carlton who lost in the first week)

Maybe not so great for neutrals but memorable for what it was.

No Mansfield as well that day. He was AA that year.