Which grand final do you rate as the best of this millennium so far?

Which grand final was the best?


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Oh please it was a regulation set shot at goal, only Tom Hawkins or Travis Cloke would have had the skill set to miss from that angle!
With a minute and a half remaining in an actual contest. I can’t think of a moment that matches such a huge occasion. Maybe Leo Barry’s mark.

But speaking of choking on regulation shots...

 
With a minute and a half remaining in an actual contest. I can’t think of a moment that matches such a huge occasion. Maybe Leo Barry’s mark.

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Thankfully I get an error message, I've seen enough of Cameron Mooney's missed shot at goal in the 2008 grand final to last a life time :D
 

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2010 just too unsatisfying of an ending so I'm split between 2002 and 2009, which have a lot of similarities with each other. '09 was the most fun I've had watching a grand final, but ultimately picked '02 because it feels more fitting to have the biggest names deliver the showstopping numbers.

Certainly loved '18 at the time, I'll see it again before being deciding how it holds up to the others. But, gasp, one thing I am shocked about: a game that went 20+ minutes without a goal, how could it be so popular!?!?
 
I feel like 2012 gets under-rated a bit. There was some epic ebb and flow.

IIRC, Sydney were on the ropes and saved by the bell at the end of the first quarter. Somehow managed to find themselves 29 points up before Hawthorn surged and looked like they had the cup in their keeping halfway through the last. Then Sydney came again to take the lead before Hawthorn peppered away late but couldn't find the big sticks. Then Malceski's sealer with 30 seconds left.

EDIT: and don't forget the 'real Grand Final sprint' between Jetta and Rioli down the wing in the 1st (?) quarter!

What a game!

I still voted for 2018 though :D

It was an absolutely tremendous game jam-packed with emotion and fantastic memories, It was absolutely shattering to lose and I'll never forget the feeling.

Think the Drawn 2010 GF was the best... just an unreal game.
2008 was great but I am also bias.
2018 was pretty great as well (had shades of 2012 in it, with Collingwood replacing Hawthorn)
 
Apr 30, 2015
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2010 just too unsatisfying of an ending

Certainly loved '18 at the time, ... But, gasp, one thing I am shocked about: a game that went 20+ minutes without a goal, how could it be so popular!?!?
Can you imagine if we had extra-time? It would've been all time!

No goals for 20 minutes but still great footy?? Crazy!!
 
Oct 13, 2017
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2015 NRL Grand Final - Broncos v Cowboys

Never seen a game like it!... every second of the game was thrilling and edge of the seat tense!.. and im a broncos supporter too.. JT was just unbeleivable though.

Sorry, had to put it out there!....

what can i say, i love both codes (AFL slightly more) and there has been some great grandfinals in both in the last decade or so... but that 2015 NRL grand final had everything.


Oh... for the AFL the 2005 grand final, with the Leo Barry mark!, was pretty bloody awesome.. and last years pies/wc was a great game too..
 
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Geelong vs St Kilda, 2009. It felt like the ultimate battle of the titans, two unstoppable forces. I must have watched the last quarter of that game 50+ times.
 

halalsnackpack

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Apr 11, 2018
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2002
2009
2010 draw
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(No particular order) Are my top 5. 2011 would've been the best of the lot if Collingwood didn't run out of steam in the last quarter.

We have definitely been spoilt recently. Especially since there was only one game decided by a goal or less between the 1979 GF and 2005. Someone correct me if im wrong.
 

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Feb 21, 2006
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The 2011 GF was some of the best, tightest, skilled footy played till one team was able to get ahead in the final quarter.

2009 even better and neither team was really able to break away. One was just lucky enough to be ahead at the end. It was tough and fierce footy from the first bounce
 

dannyo91

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Apr 5, 2015
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2016.
The game the week before between the dogs and giants was an absolute ripper. Winner was always going to win the flag
 
Mar 21, 2008
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Best - 2009. Many of the others match it for quality of opponents, closeness, drama, memorable moments and sustained excellent footy by at least one team, but this one had all of that from both sides...runner up 2012...

Favourite - 2008 was the year both my girlfriend and dad died before September. I told my Hawk fan nephew I didn't want us to win that year, because it would be a pretty volatile memory in years to come - best to just hate that year in full! That got sorted once we had the game by the neck...runner up 2014...

Best story - 2014. You could make a movie of the Hawks' 2014 season, complete with huge injury toll, sidelined coach, Brendan Bolton, underdog status against a supposed Goliath and subsequent belting of said giant, and if people didn't know it was true they would accuse it of Hollywood formulation...runner up 2016...

Worst match - 2005. Seven would have taken the tape of the first half of this match, doused it in petrol, set it on fire, pissed on it and then taken turns with a sledgehammer and a monster truck smashing it into oblivion, just to erase this abortion of all that is good in footy from the consciousness of the human race. Knowing me though, if I did chance upon a replay of this never viewed again monstrosity, I'd probably like it because it was close...fickle bastard...runner up 2007...

Most overrated - 2018. Sorry. The footy is in a lull period, and nothing about this match inspired me with awe...runner up 2005...

Most underrated - 2004. Port's achievement in knocking off that team was truly mighty, and we don't really talk about it much. Maybe that's because Port don't resonate with a lot of Australian footy fans outside SA, or maybe it was the previous choking leading us to automatically dismiss them, but this really was a battle between the two best sides of the early 2000's, who had only a neck between them in head to head meetings, and stars coming out of their arses...runner up...can't think of one...someone always beats their chest loud enough to prevent that...

Great games not winning a positive gong - 2001, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2016 & 2018...
 
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Feb 4, 2001
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Worst match - 2005. Seven would have taken the tape of the first half of this match, doused it in petrol, set it on fire, pissed on it and then taken turns with a sledgehammer and a monster truck smashing it into oblivion, just to erase this abortion of all that is good in footy from the consciousness of the human race. ..
Absolutely. Spot. On.
 
An overlooked point so far - The OP deserves credit for not including 2000 as part of the third millennium. Solid mathematics :thumbsu:

Was there a year 0

If not, then 2000 is part of the second not third
 
Forget Lynch's Haymakers. Brown got 5 weeks and Black got 3 for striking. Josh Carr's and Hardwick's niggle was instrumental in causing it.

I loved the 12 point play from Akers set shot, to a port free post niggle and goal

I think that was Hardwick from memory
 
Year zero is the last year of the first century BC.

Hirdy was not the Norm Smith medalist for the team of the century.

It was Hodgey :fire:

Dustin Fletcher was excellent, in his first year on the veterans list
 
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