Competition: Win a copy of "Grand Final Champions"

[Chief]

In Grand Final Champions, author Miles Wilks pays tribute to great Grand Final players.


Buy from Dymocks Online

Reviewed in MX:

"Jezza's mark, Gabbo and Manassa's runs and Ablett's nine have gone into the memory banks of footy fans. But Wilks has focused on the bit players. Before the 1970 extravaganza, John "Ragsy" Goold set up the first two goals of Carlton's famous comeback after half-time in 1989. Gary Ablett Snr won the Norm Smith Medal, but it was Darrin Pritchard who stepped up to continually pump the ball into the Hawthorn forward line."

The book includes letters to the players from fans, club presidents and coaches as well as all-new interviews with thirty players.

We've got 5 copies to give away. All you have to do is tell us about your favourite Grand Final players.

Not just the stars, but tell us about the hard workers who stepped out of the shadows when it counted. The ones you think were robbed of the glory they rightly deserved, or just overlooked in favour of better known veterans on the day. Describe the day and what the player did to deserve your nod as a Grand Final Champion.

Miles Wilks, the author of Grand Final Champions, will be judging this competition so post your entries in this thread. You have 14 days... the clock's ticking.


(Apologies to people who received two identical emails announcing this competition. My fault entirely.)

 

[Crows Feet]

Shane Ellen... virtually unheard of, definitely unheralded, couldn't have won without him.

 

[Dais]

James Hird, wasnt robbed of anything but sure as hell deserved to win the Norm Smith in 2000!

 

[Chief]

Can you share the full story? You've got a much better chance of winning if you do. Describe the day and what the player did to deserve your nod as a Grand Final Champion.

 

[Lensen]

Do we post in this thread or send an email somewhere?

 

[Chief]

In this thread. As per the OP:

Miles Wilks, the author of Grand Final Champions, will be judging this competition so post your entries in this thread. You have 14 days... the clock's ticking.

 

[Lensen]

In this thread. As per the OP:

I'm clearly very hungover.

Cheers.

 

[Giants FC]

The legend that is Billy Duckworth deserves a mention in this thread.
The year was 1984. In the previous year's grand final, Hawthorn pumped the Bombers by a then-record margin; and with 4 goals in the first 8 minutes the 1984 grand final looked to be going the same way.
But gradually the Bombers lifted, with Duckworth leading the way. Moving from the backline, he accumulated plenty of possessions; and shortly before half-time with the Bombers close to 6 goals down he found some space to get a goal to keep the margin managable.
Essendon were still 23 points down at the last change, but the last quarter was vintage stuff as, inspired by a running goal by Leon Baker (himself a grand final champion) within 10 seconds of the restart, the Bombers raced through 9 goals to 2 to take out a remarkable win - the first of 4 Essendon premierships in my lifetime. And Bustling Billy took out the Norm Smith Medal.

 

[loz_blues]

hey, well that sounds like a great prize,
my fav grand final players are;
wayne harmes, that punch to sheldon won that premiership, great stuff.
Jezza, need i say more, he was persistant and is one of the games best ever
bruce doull, he could take on 3 at a time and win if he wanted. he was focused and kept his head down (unless you touched that headband). he tried his hardest and it usually oaid off.
SOS, steven silvani, greatest backman ever. he would keep chasing a person until he won. he was persistant and did the best he could which is all you can ask.
Michael voss, he did great in the four grand finals, he was persistant and got away with the ball.
Anthony Koutafeidies. he could do anything and do it well. definately one of the best the game has ever seen. he was fair, calm and did what he had to for his team to get the win
BEN COUSINS: luv his game, hope he get bak and cant wait til then (hope he comes to blues), he was fast, skilled and did what he had to to get the premiership
and i cant for get the rest of the awsome fousome midfield, JUDDY, KERR and COX
cox did really well, he did majority of the ruck work whereas the opposition rucks did half each. he was also gd on ground
kerr, was persistant and assited juddy and bennie. he was a big influence in their games
and the premiership captain CHRIS JUDD. he was in career best form, he was great in both games and was rewarded with the norm smith.

these are some of the best to have played in grandfinals

 

[reg_lower91]

One of the best stories for a bloke who stood up when the chips were down in a grand final would have to be Teddy Hopkins. Ted was Carlton's 20th man and had already warmed the bench an astonishing 11 times that season. The little blonde rover was virtually unknown to the football world but was set to make his mark.

Carlton trailed to the pies by 44 points at half time during the 1970 grand final. Barassi instructed all his players to handball and play on at ALL costs before making a defiant substitution. Barassi dragged Bert Thornley, a high-profile rover from WA, and brought on Ted Hopkins in to the forward pocket.

A minute or so in to the third quarter a long kick to the Carlton goal square came off the pack and fell in to Ted's arms where he snapped on his right foot for a goal. It was only another minute later before Ted did the same again, this time with his left boot.

Teddy had lifted his side and gave his team a badly needed lift. At the 21 minute mark of the final quarter Syd Jackson smothered a ball from his opponent before giving a handpass to Hopkins who streamed in to the open goal to kick his fourth. The momentum had shifted and carlton looked sure to win the match, being only one point down.

Ted Hopkins finished with 4.1 for the game in front of a 121,696 strong crowd. He had solely lifted his side to a grand final victory, despite not even being included in the best, however the substitution has gone down as one of the best of all time.

A classic example of how the best rise to the top when they are needed to. On ya, Teddy!

 

[sportsdarts]

Well i had two moments , one was as a kid i remembered the Teddy Hopkins game clearly . But that has been done

So i guess it has to be the 89 grand final , i would say probably the greatest grand final ever , It had everything . and i know he not an un heralded footballer but what Dermot Brereton had to endure and what he did in that first quarter was and has to be one if not THE one inspirational piece of football that i have ever seen , even lookaing at it now and them , i shake my head in admiration , Yes there were other great feats of courage that day , and they are not forgotton .

But Dermot Brereton's play in the First quarter of the 1989 Grand Final to me is my greatest moment in a grand final .

Cheers
Dale Wilson

 

[harmesy 37]

They are pretty good memories - I also liked Harmes, Hopkins, Judd and Duckworth.

One of the most underated players for me was Shane Ellen in 1997. Where did that bloke come from?

Anyway, let me think about who my top 3 or 4 grand final players and I will get back to you.

Harmes would definitely be in there, but do you pick Jesaulenko or Johnston, Darren Jarman or Peter Matera?

So many choices.

 

[kreiny]

My favorite would be Gary "Conan" Ayres. He was after all the first player to win 2 Norm Smiths. As Alan Jeans once described him "A great driver in heavy traffic". Always played well in the big games and his 5 day and 5 night premierships are testimony to this.

 

[harmesy 37]

My top 3 grand final players (right now and subject to change ) are:-

1) Wayne Harmes- never seen anything like that famous tap in from the boundary line in any other match. He was a unique talent. Powerful, great mark, bulky yet also strong.


2) Darren Jarman - I went for a non-carlton one and chose Jarman from 1997-98. I liked the way he celebrated his goals, the angles, the fact he turned matches quickly. The 1997 grand final he just blitzed them in the last quarter.


3) for number 3 i could have chosen another Carlton player in Alex Jesaulenko - 1970 and 1972 - but decided against putting another Carlton player on the list.

I will have my number 3 grand final player as Bill Barrot. He played for Richmond in the 1967 and 1969 grand finals and had a big impact in both matches. His drop kicking was beyond comparison and he was a dynamo of energy.

 

[konstas_87]

Clark "Crackers" Keating -

Was the number one ruckmen in the most dominant team of the modern era. While his career was riddled with injury, he always managed to get himself right when the team needed him the most, September.

In 2002 we took Beau Mcdonald into the Grand Final under an injury cloud (ahead of Charman), which in hindsight was a horrendous decision because he did his shoulder in the opening quarter.

Keating was left to ruck the entire 02 grand final and IMO is one of the unluckiest players to not have won a Norm smith medal for his contributions in all 3 Grand Final victories.

 

[huggy_b]

Does it count if he should have played the game, but his moron coach Kevin Sheedy dumped him in favour of Dean Wallis?

Derek Kickett played every game of the season, was in good form and then minutes before the game told to pack his stuff up, you won't be playing. Kicked 30 or 40 goals for the year as a small forward, didn't do a lot wrong.

 

[Mr T]

Hey i might not have been around in 1980, but i have seen the video a thousand times and a player that would have to be a grand final hero in my mind is Kevin "Hungry" Bartlett when he kicked them seven goals to sink the pies in that one day in September.

 

[Dumbledore]

My favourite moment was Peter Matera in 1992 against Geelong. He just blitzed the ground to kick 5 goals from a wing, and two of his goals were unbelievable - on the run, bouncing off players and kicking from 50 metres to give the Eagles their first cup.

 

[Kaan]

Paul Barnard - Kicked 4 goals in the Grand Final in 2000 against Melbourne. Could have even won the Norm Smith.

 

[willy13]

John Ronaldson is my nomination as his magnificent long drop kick from in front of the MCG Members Stand went a long, long way to sufficiently lifting his mates to the 1967 premiership.
He only got in the team when our captain (Neville Crowe) was wrongly outed by the tribunal for striking Carltons John Nicholls!

I played in the losing Richmond Reserve Grade team that day and the lift that Ronnos goal gave all Richmond players and supporters alike was just incredible! I was fortunate to also be Ronnos best man at his wedding!

Willy13

 

[wce0632]

Steven Armstrong WCE 2006

Pretty amazing story to tell the grandkids. In 2002 he was injured in the Bali Bombings, made his way back only to be delisted by Melbourne. Became a Rookie Listed player at West Coast, was then elevated to the senior list. He earned his spot in the 2006 grand final team and contributed in the forward line, throughout the year however he was not a 'star' by any stretch of the word. West Coast were leading most of the day, and when the Swans fought back hard, west coast were feeling the heat and it was Army who could stand up and kick a great goal from a tight angle under pressure to keep us in there. That goal was exciting and lifted the team at such a critical time - without that goal, I'm not too sure I would have been walking into a blue and gold restaurant on Lygon Street chanting "eeeeeeeagles" with 100 other people on that last saturday of september, imo it was that damn important in the context of the game. Will never forget that goal and it's something that he'll always be remembered for in the eyes of eagles supporters. He was a star that day!

 

[Ron The Bear]

Though it was often said that he rarely/never played a bad game, Mervyn Keane played the majority of his career in relative anonymity. Reliable rather than spectacular, umpires seemed not to know he existed; Merv played in excess of 160 matches before receiving his first Brownlow votes - a VFL/AFL record. Despite being a permanent fixture in the Richmond eighteen from early 1973 until his retirement in 1984, Merv's visage rarely made it onto Scanlens footy cards alongside those of his more celebrated and eye-catching teammates. Commentators even seemed unsure of the pronunciation of his name, with the majority preferring 'kane' ahead of 'keen'.

Having forged a career as a tight-checking defender, Merv was somewhat oddly named at half forward for the 1980 GF, before eventually lining up in the centre square on Collingwood ruck-rover Russell Ohlsen. Throughout the first half, Keane was his usual efficient and unobtrusive self - a knock-on here, a saving mark in defence there; a tackle on ruckman Peter Moore which forced a turnover, and a narrow miss with a 60m bomb off one step. Taking the opportunity to play off his man with the Tigers on top, Merv also booted two important goals - one with a magnificent 55-metre kick on the run while the game was still in the balance, and another with a slightly scruffy helicopter punt from 40m which nevertheless got the job done; these were his only goals in fifteen finals appearances. Ohlsen's effectiveness was limited, having missed a couple of set shots from soft free kicks.

Keane roamed far and wide for possessions in the third quarter and, while opposed by a young Peter Daicos, drove Richmond forward several times early in the last. At one stage he performed kick-in duties before eventually finishing with the final kick of the match. As was customary, Merv's contribution was largely overlooked by the media in the wave of plaudits handed out to Richmond's plethora of stars (although he was named in a long list of best players by a couple of judges). Whilst scarcely the difference between winning and losing, Merv's sterling four-quarter performance in his third Grand Final win from as many starts earns him a mention in the pantheon of unsung premiership heroes.

Although he received few individual accolades during his career, Mervyn Keane's worth was recognised by Richmond with selection at half back in the club's Team of the Century.

 

[thomasleary]

Darren Millane broke his hand in round 21 1990, but continued to play through the remaining 5 games of the season in excrutiating pain.

Ron Reed, a highly respected sports writer in the Herald wrote after the Grand Final victory: Sitting across the table from Darren Millane at lunch last Friday it was impossible not to notice that he even had to hold the soup spoon gingerly between the third and fourth fingers of his heavily bandaged right hand. Could this man be seriously be attempting to play in a league football Premiership team?

Millane not only played, but gathered 24 kicks, 4 handballs and played an integral role in the side's victory. One of the lasting memory's of the 1990 Grand Final is Darren Millane throwing the ball in the air as the final siren sounded.

Just over a year later he died in a car accident. His number 42 was retired; it will never be worn by a Collingwood player ever again.

reference: "Pants", written by Eddie McGuire and Jim Mane. First Published 1994.

 

[sherrinorburley]

Phil "Snake" Baker with his 6 goals out of a total 9.22. helped draw the 1977 Grand Final against Collingwood. Arnold Briedis kicked 1.7. Baker's antic's against opposition fans were humorous and i liked his style of footy.

The Grand Final replay resulted in closer checking but Baker still managed 3 goals and contribute to North Melbournes second Premiership. Briedis was more accurate in the replay with 5 goals and see North win by 27 points.

 

[Eagle Ant]

PETER MATERA 1992 GF For 2 Reasons) It looked as if West Coast were going to lose a second Grandfinal in a row after being trounsed by Hawthorne the previous year Until Peter Matera stepped up and inspired the Eagles with his attack on the ball, his drive out of the midfield and of course those unforgetable goals. West coast went on to win the premiership breaking the hearts of the avid Geelong supporters as well as any other Victorian club supporter because for the FIRST time ever the premiership cup was leaving Victoria. With the Eagles Victory the game was changed forever by taking the dominance away from the might of the powerful victorian clubs and truley making it and AUSTRALIAN competion.
Since that day the cup has since been to Adelaide, Brisbane, Port Adelaide and Sydney.
This was also the moment that changed football commentators role in the game when the phrase " Matera from 50 kicks long and the Eagles Hit The Front" from Sandy Roberts as they now more then ever Responcible for adding flair to the calling of the game and this has paved the way for characters such as Rex Hunt with ROCCA BY BABY, Anthony Hudson with Leo Barry you Star and the 72year drought is over, Anthony Hudson with Thier it is who would have thought the sequal could be as good as the original, and of course Bruce Macivaney with King Carey isnt he Special.
All unforgetable sayings and all associated with big games or Great players and that is now part of AFL history.