What a moment for @BobMurphy02. #AFLGF https://t.co/xSMujdXJF4
— AFL (@AFL) October 1, 2016
That’s about it for me
But what a privilege it was to describe such an earth-shifting moment in the annals of AFL football. No longer are the Dogs stranded on that one flag from 1954. They’re deserved premiers for 2016 and this party might never stop. Need something from a Doggies supporter? Maybe wait a week or two.
Thank you for your company throughout the day and stay tuned for JP Howcroft’s match report, which might make sense of what we’ve just seen in far more concise and measured style than what I’ve managed here. If this result hasn’t moved you, you don’t have a pulse.
The players are ecstatic. “Dad’s probably passed out somewhere,” says Tom Liberatore. Matthew Richardson asks him we’re he’s off to for the after-party. “Just back to my joint,” he jokes. “Come around.”
But let’s leave the final word to Bob Murphy, the man who deserved to be out there today to see his beloved club home. “We must be dreaming,” he says. “We didn’t even allow ourselves day dreams about this. Sons and daughters of the Scray, we’re bring it home!”
Soak it in, Doggies supporters
What a day this has been. I haven’t even had time to run though the numbers out of the final quarter but you know what? Bugger ‘em. They mean nothing next to the human triumph of this group of players achieving what they did today. There’s no numerical column that explains the look of pure joy on Tony Liberatore’s face as he leapt up and down in jubiliation when the siren sounded today.
And what about Rohan Smith, standing on the sidelines with the other assistants as the club he played 300 games for finally broke through and achieved the only thing that alluded him in his 15-year career? This is just magnificent for so many people who toiled for so long hoping this club could buck the odds and do something special. Finally they’ve pulled it off.
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Dogs veteran Matthew Boyd stops by for a chat now
“I’m so proud of this footy club,” he says. “Just absolutely the toughest group I’ve ever played with. If someone had told me two years ago I was going to be standing here with a premiership medal I would have laughed at them.
And on Bob Murphy: “What can you say about Murph? He’s the heartbeat of our footy club. We’ll just have to do it again next year for him I reckon.”
The tears keep coming as Dennis Cometti’s calling career ends
Now Dennis Cometti’s career comes to an end. “For more than 30 years you’ve enriched the lives of Australians,” his colleague and friend Bruce McAvaney says, but it’s Cometti’s reply that really has your correspondent choked up: “Well Bruce, the gift I’ve got is your friendship.” What a day this has turned out to be and how fitting that the team Cometti holds so dear has triumphed in his final game. The last time they won a flag Cometti was five years old. Now? This day has the making of a 30 for 30 documentary. Incredible.
The Dogs lift the cup!
Again Luke Beverdige pushes himself to the back of the frame, allowing Easton Wood and Bob Murphy to lift the cup, after which they’re swarmed by team-mates. This is just incredible stuff. How can you not get caught up in it? Forget coach of the year, Luke Beveridge would have to be preferred Prime Minister if you ran a snap poll in the next half hour.
Luke Beveridge takes the Jock McHale medal
...and gets the biggest cheer of all. Leigh Matthews looks thrilled for him as he presents it. “Commiserations to the Swans,” he starts. “This group of players are just incredible. Their hearts are so big. We really thought at half time it was going to take something extra special...Absolutely special.”
“You deserve this as much as anyone,” he says of Dogs president Peter Gordon. ANd for the supporters: “We all kinda felt like the Beatles. You’ve boosted our spirits.”
But what follows is truly special. Beveridge calls Bob Murphy up on stage and presents him with the Jock McHale medal. Oh man, what a moment. If you’re not on the verge of tears you’re not human.
The heart-warming stories are everywhere
Tom Liberatore picks up the only medal his Dad Tony didn’t get a chance to win and he’s followed up on stage by Tory Dickson, the sharp-shooting forward who nobody wanted, so he toiled away at the Frankston Dolphins until the Doggies paid attention to him. Best of all: Liam Picken, the heart and soul of this side in the absence of Bob Murphy, and stand-in skipper Easton Wood, who might literally have grown a few inches in that game.
The Dogs players are now receiving their premiership medals
What a moment for Clay Smith, who endured all those knee reconstructions to get here and timed his run perfectly, vaulting his side into this grand final with his game-winning display last week. And Tom Boyd, who was a laughing stock at the start of the year and turned into Wayne Carey MKII today.
Jason Johannisen wins the Norm Smith medal!
Oh boy! What story. The boy from Johannesburg has come from a long way back to make it to this moment. He was a star to today with his rebound from defence. What a fitting reward for his daring play, which symbolises everything good about this football side.
“To our club, it’s been an amazing ride, I’ve just loved being part of it....We did it!”
Kieren Jack steps up now with a few words from the Swans
“Huge congratulations to the Bulldogs...you guys play footy the right way,” he says. “We couldn’t get the job done but we’re coming back,” he adds.
After 62 years, the Doggies finally end all the heartache
This club was down and out in 1989 – almost dead. But they rattled tins, kept the players they could, asked their loyal supporters to dig deep and eventually lived to fight another day. There’s been so much heartbreak since, from the preliminary final losses of 1997, 2009 and 2010, to the loss of their skipper Bob Murphy to a season-ending knee injury this year.
Somehow, putting aside all the baggage of the past and forging something new, they’ve shown that a community-based club with strong values and clear-eyed leaders can taste the ultimate success, and that being fashionable is overrated. What a moment for Luke Beveridge, the coach who arrived in the wake of a 2014 season in which the club shed both its captain and coach and looked lost. Earlier in the week he was named coach of the year by his peers and in ten minutes’ time he’ll walk up on stage and lift a premiership cup. Superb.
What scenes of joy among the Bulldogs players at the moment
There’s tears for Lin Jong, who couldn’t force his way back into the team today. Matthew Richardson speaks to Luke Beveridge. “It all comes down to the players,” he says. “It’s just an amazing performance from our guys.”
Tom Boyd was “enormous”, the Dogs coach says, and then he gets drenched by a bucket of icy water. “He probably left his best until last.”
“The whole backline was just tremendous...they held up really well. Some of those efforts in the last quarter were just sensational.”
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The Western Bulldogs are premiers!
Western Bulldogs 13.11 (89) defeat Sydney 10.7 (67)
They’ve done it! The Dogs are AFL premiers! Sydney’s battle-scarred players slump to the turf but it’s sheer joy for the Doggies, whose players cry tears of joy instead. What a win! They’ve done what many thought undoable here, hauling themselves from seventh on the ladder to the top of the premiership dais! Unbelievable stuff. Twenty-two men just became lifelong heroes
“I’m absolutely speechless,” says veteran Dale Morris. “It’s incredible. You’ve gotta let me get back to the boys. This is unbelievable.”
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Bulldogs goal! 4th quarter (1:08 remaining) Sydney 10.7 (67) vs Western Bulldogs 13.10 (88)
I’m sure it hasn’t sunk in for the Dogs players but coach Luke Beveridge now heads to the edge of the boundary with a huge grin on his face and well he might. There’s tears from Bob Murphy too. All of them know what a remarkable feat this has been to finish seventh on the ladder and claim a premiership. What a collection of players and what talent, poise and spirit they’ve shown. They’re a minute from immortality in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Bulldogs goal! 4th quarter (2:14 remaining) Sydney 10.7 (67) vs Western Bulldogs 13.10 (88)
It’s do or die time for Sydney. Caution to the wind. But it’s all over when Liam Picken outguns his man in the goal square from Stringer’s centering ball and hammers through another major! What a hero! What a star! The Dogs are all but home at the MCG! Incredible scenes in Melbourne.
4th quarter (3:10 remaining) Sydney 10.7 (67) vs Western Bulldogs 12.10 (82)
It’s just not happening for Sydney. Ben McGlynn gets a chance when Franklin hits him on the chest 35 metres from goal but he hooks a very gettable chance right for a behind. There’s 99,981 in the house according to the official crowd figure, and they’d want to bottle this moment if they’re Doggies fans because they’re minutes from the ultimate triumph as Boyd goes within a post-width of kicking his fourth goal.
Bulldogs goal! 4th quarter (5:01 remaining) Sydney 10.6 (66) vs Western Bulldogs 12.9 (81)
Tom Boyd is becoming a superstar in front of our eyes here, and gives the Bulldogs more breathing space by bouncing through his third goal thanks to the hard work of Dale Morris. It’s going to take a miracle for Sydney to win it from here.
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4th quarter (5:42 remaining) Sydney 10.6 (66) vs Western Bulldogs 11.8 (75)
Now Jason Johannisen gets one for the Dogs! It’s a huge bomb from outside 50 and almost looked like it was touched on the line but the umpires give it the all clear! Oh man, this is just unbelievable stuff. A grand final classic. If you’re not near a TV right now, I couldn’t recommend it more highly. Oh but wait....SCORE REVIEW! And it’s touched! Oh dear. Is this a bad omen for the Dogs? Their long-suffering fans will fear so but they’ve really got the momentum now ands surely have to win it. Right? Right?
Bulldogs goal! 4th quarter (6:46 remaining) Sydney 10.6 (66) vs Western Bulldogs 11.7 (73)
LIAM PICCCCCCKKKKKKKEENNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!! The Dogs veteran does it again, bursting through in typically ungainly style, whacking the ball down onto his boot and kicking a running goal! What scenes! Picken looks like a match-winner! His dad tasted grand final heartbreak four times but maybe, just maybe, the Picken name will be etched onto a premiership medallion after all!
4th quarter (7:43 remaining) Sydney 10.6 (66) vs Western Bulldogs 10.7 (67)
Whether brave or stupid, and I lean towards the former, the decision appears to have been taken out of Hannebery’s hands and he shuffles back to the bench now. Surely that’s his day done. The Dogs re-charge and then just charge, heading forward a number of times in search of a hammer blow. Cordy has half a chance, Stringer has one-eighth of a sniff and McLean almost wriggles free for a shot too. The agony ends when Isaac Heeney bravely flies back with the flight of the ball to win a free kick. Again: I can’t breathe.
Swans goal! 4th quarter (10:21 remaining) Sydney 10.6 (66) vs Western Bulldogs 10.7 (67)
Speaking of unlikely heroes...George Hewett has a chance to kick a goal now for the Swans and his set shot from 35 metres sneaks through for a major! Cop that, Doggies! You would barely have known he was out there until then. Sydney are just so brave. This is incredible football.
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Bulldogs goal! 4th quarter (11:34 remaining) Sydney 9.6 (60) vs Western Bulldogs 10.7 (67)
Jeepers, if Sydney win this it’ll be an extraordinary effort. They’re so flat, so sore and so lacking in fluency but they’re toughing it out in the spirit of Dan Hannebery, whose first kick after that jolt to his knees seems to prove that he’s in all sorts of touble and only out there out of an overriding sense of duty to his club and this moment.
Tell you who else is lifting his side: Liam Picken. He takes a huge mark leaping over Jeremy Laidler just outside 50. He came down with snow on him! Moments later Jake Stringer finally enters the fray, booting a hugely significant goal in the context of his game. He’s been missing in action today but appears just when he needs to in snapping truly with his right boot! Wow!
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Swans goal! 4th quarter (13:24 remaining) Sydney 9.6 (60) vs Western Bulldogs 9.7 (61)
Sydney desperately need not just one hero but half a dozen of them and for now it doesn’t look like being Tom Papley, who has had a dog of a day so far and misses a snap when he probably should have centred it to a team-mate. Wayne Carey is calling it: Tom Boyd has had his ‘Tom Hawkins day’, which is to say broken through on the big stage, a point at which very good players never turn back. It’s hard to disagree. He’s been superb today.
Dan Hannebery looked gone for all money for the Swans but now he’s pacing around at the boundary’s edge. It could be bravado, but maybe it also lifts his side because Franklin marks, walks back and nails a huge goal from 45 metres out. Here come the Swans!
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4th quarter (16:01 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.7 (61)
Cometh the hour, cometh Liam Picken! The scrappy Dog comes from nowhere to close down Dane Rampe with a big tackle, which wins him a shot on goal from 30 metres out on an angle. He goes back on the mark, leans back in the kick, but doesn’t make the distance as it fades across the face of goal. Sydney clear but through Franklin. Where are the targets? I hate to say it, but this is the Bulldogs’ game to lose.
4th quarter (18:01 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.7 (61)
And we’re off in what will prove the premiership quarter. Liam Picken curls the Dogs inside 50 but Sydney hold firm then and in a follow-up forward entry. But there’s a disaster for Sydney here: key midfielder Dan Hannebery is being carted off with what looks an agonising lower leg injury. That looks terrible for him.
For better or for worse this will end in a river of tears. Keep pushing Dogs.......
— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) October 1, 2016
One famous Swans supporter is fearing the worst
But here’s another possibility: what about the draw? It’s firmly in play at present.
I think we're screwed #AFLGF
— Luke Ablett (@luke_ablett) October 1, 2016
Three-quarter time: Bulldogs lead by eight points
Three-quarter time: Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.7 (61)
And that is that for the third term. The Dogs now lead by eight points and you suspect they’ll finish with plenty of speed, which is precisely what Sydney lack right now. The only trouble in that third quarter for the Doggies was that they didn’t finish off their good work? Will it cost them and have Sydney got one last effort in them, or will Luke Beveridge’s side run away with it? We’re all set for a classic final term.
3rd quarter (0:50 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.7 (61)
Tom Boyd you star! He looked like a liability heading into this game but the young star bobs up again with a big mark and sends his 50-metre set shot marginally right. Unawed by the big occasion today he’s put in a career-best performance as far as contested marks go and that was another.
3rd quarter (1:05 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.6 (60)
Bang! Buddy’s been hobbled today but he gets one back on Dale Morris here, hammering him with bump as the Dogs veteran relieves from defence, which sends the ball out on the full. But Morris recovers soon after to send the Dogs into attack and Caleb Daniel marginally hooks his snap to miss a golden chance, as does Stringer with a running shot from the edge of the 50. The trouble for Sydney: they look to be running out of legs and that might only get worse.
3rd quarter (4:01 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.4 (58)
There’s been a bit of a mood swing here. The Dogs got the rub of the green to take the lead and might they ride the momentum a little as a result? Dale Morris is doing a power of work in defence, I know that for sure, and The Bont is really working his way back into the contest. Worse for Sydney: Josh Kennedy is a little dazed from an accidental head clash.
Bulldogs goal! 3rd quarter (6:19 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 9.3 (57)
It’s a war of attrition in the middle of the ground at this re-start, which results in three bounces in the process of the Dogs gaining 10 metres of ground. The umpires have put their whistles away otherwise, and it’s desperate, gripping footy as a result. Dane Rampe is pinged for holding the ball on the member’s wing, which was not in keeping with the umpiring that had proceeded it and then they pluck another out of nowhere to hand Clay Smith a shot on goal.
Replays have the Swans fans howling in displeasure, and even more when Smith accepts his fortune and slots the set shot from 35 metes out. That was a real head-scratcher, but already we’ve had five lead changes and now the Dogs have their snouts in front again.
Swans goal! 3rd quarter (8:49 remaining) Sydney 8.5 (53) vs Western Bulldogs 8.3 (51)
Oof, there’s a bad moment for Isaac Heeney as he seems to role his ankle thanks to the stray boot of Shane Biggs but he stays out there, so it mustn’t be too bad. Sydney continue to work it inside 50 and Josh Kennedy gets on the end of Franklin’s pass. What would have been a 45 metre shot on goal turns into a certainty when McLean wipes him out in the aftermath of the grab and the umpire takes him to the goal square. Kennedy gets his third! Is this where they start to flex their muscles?
3rd quarter (9:59 remaining) Sydney 7.5 (47) vs Western Bulldogs 8.3 (51)
It’s hard work for the Swannies but they’re working the ball around in increments that just avoid the grasping tackles of keen Dogs players. Kennedy tries to snap another goal but Dale Morris smothers not only the ball but half of Kennedy’s body. Superb, desperate defence, in other words. There’s some carnage in the middle and the Dogs struggle to clear and there’s a chance for Franklin, but his dribbled snap runs wide.
3rd quarter (12:40 remaining) Sydney 7.4 (46) vs Western Bulldogs 8.3 (51)
Stringer’s getting involved in a handball chain here but otherwise, in the words of Bruce McAvaney, “he looks a little bit overwhelmed today.” What he really needs is a goal, but for now he’s not in contention for one, so Lachie Hunter shoots away with a raking left-footer to miss.
Sydney build something, and Franklin marks on the member’s wing before spearing a pass onto the chest of Xavier Richards inside 50. What a pass! A bullet! Richards doesn’t do quite as well, neither on-target nor making the distance from 45 metres out.
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3rd quarter (15:12 remaining) Sydney 7.4 (46) vs Western Bulldogs 8.2 (50)
Oh dear. Jeremy Laidler cannons into Jack Macrae after the Dogs midfielder marks at half-forward, so late that it’s an immediate, no-questions-asked 50-metre penalty, which puts Macrae 15 metres out on a slight angle. Even bigger oh dear: his stabbed left-footer misses from near point blank range!
Bulldogs goal! 3rd quarter (16:42 remaining) Sydney 7.4 (46) vs Western Bulldogs 8.1 (49)
Another big mark to Tom Boyd on the Member’s wing further emphasises his strong, mature showing today. The Dogs attack again and there’s a mad scramble in the goal square, the net result of which is Tory Dickson unleashing a high, swirling but accurate snap to get the first goal of the half. The Dogs have the lead and continue to take their chances.
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3rd quarter (18:02 remaining) Sydney 7.4 (46) vs Western Bulldogs 7.1 (43)
We’re under way in the third term and Dale Morris takes a solid mark in defence to repel a Sydney attack early in the piece. In a surprisingly bruise-free re-start they take it coast-to-coast around the boundary without much trouble and Kurt Tippett takes a big pack mark on the edge of the 50 to set up a chance, but it fades to the right.
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Not all Doggies fans are having a blast today
How? Why? Just...yeah.
OMG there are Doggies fans at this wedding and they're here.
— Rob Harris (@rharris334) October 1, 2016
It’s time for the grand final sprint!
It’s sponsored by a cab company, who have sent one of their drivers along to take part. Could there be a rogue Uber entry? It appears not. Majak Daw misses the start but streaks to the lead, but then...some random bloke names James Shirley from Murrumbeena football club wins it. Eh? I have no idea how and why this has happened but the winner walks away with a giant novelty cheque for $5000. They must have added the provision for an amateur entrant, in the Olympic spirit. Hmm, almost as underwhelming as the pre-game entertainment but good on him I suppose.
Don't call me Surely. #AFLGF
— Tony Tea (@AfterGrogBlog) October 1, 2016
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Understatement of the day
This man is the number one ranked player on the ground at the moment.
— Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) October 1, 2016
He's been MASSIVE #ProudlySydney #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/LslxQdJ8xF
Further evidence that this game has disappeared well off the charts
14 Q2 disposals for Tom Mitchell, 13 for Kennedy and 13 for Hannebery and the Dogs still managed five goals. Reasonable. #AFLGF
— Ethan (@ethan_meldrum) October 1, 2016
1st half analysis: Josh Kennedy mancrush, intensifying.
— Scott (@RestingPlayers) October 1, 2016
The first-half numbers
Josh Kennedy. Okay, that’s a name, not numbers. But he’s been incredible – 22 possessions (nine of them contested), five inside-50s, two clearances and two goals. You could almost hand him the Norm Smith medal now. Tom Mitchell also has two goals in addition to 16 disposals, two inside-50s and five tackles. Hannebery and Jack, with 17 touches apiece, have also been superb.
The Dogs’ best have been Jason Johannisen with 18 possessions, five rebounds and three inside-50s, Matthew Boyd with 15, Tom Boyd with two goals and plenty of handy ruck work, plus Tory Dickson with two goals from what were his only chances. The Dogs took nearly every major chance they had but couldn’t close the door when they found themselves 16 points to the good.
Sydney are +4 for clearances, +2 for both inside-50s and marks inside 50 (clue: Jake Stringer has struggled), but -5 for tackles. It’s been a gripping game and here’s hoping that continues.
The word from our stats man
...though I’m not sure logic will prevail today
In-Running Probability Estimate (45-43; HT): Swans 62%
— Tony Corke (@MatterOfStats) October 1, 2016
Half-time: Sydney lead by two points
Half-time: Sydney 7.3 (45) vs Western Bulldogs 7.1 (43)
“This game is simmering as one of the great grand finals,” says Dennis Cometti. “The ingredients are in the mix.” He’s not wrong. That was a superb turnaround from the Swans and we’ve got an absolute epic on our hands as both teams head to the rooms at half-time. I can’t breathe! The Dogs led by 16 points early in the term but Josh Kennedy is putting on a midfield masterclass to keep the Swans in it.
Bulldogs goal! 2nd quarter (0:11 remaining) Sydney 7.3 (45) vs Western Bulldogs 7.1 (43)
Oh my word! Now Toby McLean snaps a goal for the Dogs, just when we thought the first term was done. What a game this is turning into. Insane.
2nd quarter (0:47 remaining) Sydney 7.3 (45) vs Western Bulldogs 6.1 (37)
Hamling! Well, he’s not the most imposing defender on the ground but the young Dog takes a big mark when Mitchell thumps one inside 50 for the Swans but the pressure still lingers as Sydney make one last charge.
Swans goal! 2nd quarter (2:25 remaining) Sydney 7.3 (45) vs Western Bulldogs 6.1 (37)
Now Sydney get a scrappy goal! Again it’s Mitchell, who might be playing his last game for the Swans today but no fan in the MCG today will care if he keeps up this cameo. He waited on the edge of a ruck duel and hacked it through on his left to get his second.
Bulldogs goal! 2nd quarter (2:51 remaining) Sydney 6.3 (39) vs Western Bulldogs 6.1 (37)
This is better from the Dogs. They settle for a few minutes and trap it inside their attacking 50 for a fair portion of it, but Stringer sends a hurried snap out on the full to release the pressure. Sydney go forward and Hamling is rag-dolled by Franklin but the Dogs hold firm to relieve the forward thrust and work it around the wing themselves. It’s artless but effective and Bontempelli re-emerges with a centring ball to Boyd, who is 15 metres out, directly in front. He gets his second! The Doggies will simply not go away.
2nd quarter (5:24 remaining) Sydney 6.3 (39) vs Western Bulldogs 5.1 (31)
I mentioned earlier how well Tom Boyd is playing for the Dogs and he’s really needed to with Jake Stringer having zero impact, a factor that is surely worrying for Luke Beveridge and his side, as is their lack of composure when they have the ball, which has gone out the window in the last ten minutes. Another factor: The Bont is MIA in that time.
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Swans goal! 2nd quarter (7:47 remaining) Sydney 6.3 (39) vs Western Bulldogs 5.1 (31)
Oof, Sydney could have extended the lead even further through Rohan not long after the re-start but he falls short with a snap. No matter, Josh Kennedy snaps another! Oh my word. The Dogs led this game by 16 points the blink of an eye ago and now they’re down by eight points themselves. Josh Kennedy is bobbing up everywhere and the Swans are all over it. Kennedy has gathered 19 disposals and two goals to almost singlehandedly pull his side back into it. What a champion.
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Swans goal! 2nd quarter (8:53 remaining) Sydney 5.3 (33) vs Western Bulldogs 5.1 (31)
Matthew Richardson is down on the boundary for Seven and he concurs with what seems an obvious call: Buddy Franklin is hobbled, but just as I type that he bulldozes through a tackle, handballs to Josh Kennedy, and the latter hacks a goal out of nowhere. How are Sydney doing this? They’ve just pinched back the lead!
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Swans goal! 2nd quarter (10:08 remaining) Sydney 4.3 (27) vs Western Bulldogs 5.1 (31)
Sydney are settling just a touch now and tackling fiercely when they don’t have the ball. They also get a truly bizarre goal when Gary Rohan marks 35 metres out but nobody hears the umpire calling “play on” over and over again, but the Swans forward eventually twigs, stepping around his man to snaffle the chance. The noise must be deafening out there.
Swans goal! 2nd quarter (11:23 remaining) Sydney 3.3 (21) vs Western Bulldogs 5.1 (31)
Is Buddy lame? He’s certainly not having much impact since going off the ground with that foot injury. It’s left to Tom Mitchell to drag Sydney back into it, which he does by marking on the edge of the 50 and spearing a long, handsome drop punt over the umpire’s hat. Boy did Sydney need that.
Bulldogs goal! 2nd quarter (12:15 remaining) Sydney 2.3 (15) vs Western Bulldogs 5.1 (31)
Whisper it quietly, but right now the game is presenting itself for the taking for the Dogs and as Liam Picken snaps a wonderful goal from near the boundary in front of the Olympic stand, they’re daring to dream. The Dogs are right on top now.
Bulldogs goal! 2nd quarter (13:19 remaining) Sydney 2.3 (15) vs Western Bulldogs 4.0 (24)
Where is the real Tom Boyd? The one out there today is playing like the second coming of Simon Madden, taking big grabs and dominating in the ruck as well. Not only that, but he’s lending a helping hand as Tory Dickson latches onto the ball now and spins around to punt his second goal of the game! The Dogs can’t miss! Qualfier: Heath Grundy was robbed of a mark to create the spillage that led to that goal.
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Swans goal! 2nd quarter (16:05 remaining) Sydney 2.3 (15) vs Western Bulldogs 3.0 (18)
Sydney are back and totally against the flow of play as Kieren Jack marks 40 metres from goal but he misses a very gettable chance. I’d expected the Doggies to falter in front of goal but it’s been the Swans. Who was that IBM exec who predicted there’d only be the need for two PC’s in the whole world? I feel a bit like him right now. Nick Smith does me a favour by latching onto a loose ball for Sydney and drilling the unlikeliest of replies. He hasn’t kicked a goal for three years but he’s sparing my blushes!
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Bulldogs goal! 2nd quarter (17:47 remaining) Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 3.0 (18)
We’re under way in the second term and the Dogs go forward straight away but Dane Rampe clears well to propel Sydney’s rebound. It’s all the nitty gritty stuff for now: scrubby kicks, hard tackles, but then a sublime moment from Marcus Bontempelli, who somehow finds space in a phone booth to shoot a pass inside 50, where Tom Boyd marks and then nails a tough chance from an acute angle, snapping it on his left boot. What a start for the Dogs!
An update from JP Howcroft
The decisive influence looks set to be the Bulldogs’ attacking efficiency. Across the season, and especially during the finals, they have enjoyed a sizeable territorial advantage, but, they average a mark only once every five entries inside 50.
By contrast, the Swans have spent more time defending their own turf in the past three weeks, highlighted by Geelong failing to convert an inside 50 differential of +32. However, Sydney boast the best percentage in the competition for points conceded per attacking sortie and score freely on the rebound. Which would seem to indicate the possibility of a Bulldogs dominated game decided by their ability to turn field position into points and neutralise the Swans after turnovers. A potentially thrilling version of cat and mouse.
Some quarter-time stats
Sydney’s Josh Kennedy has 9 possessions, Kieren Jack 8 and Luke Parker 7 in addition to his and Sydney’s only goal. The Dogs have been best served by Jason Johannisen (10), Jack Macrae (9) and Luke Dahlhaus (8) to go with team-lifting goals to Tory Dickson and Zaine Cordy. The Dogs are +9 for contested possessions but everything else is pretty even, except the free kick count, which the Dogs lead by six. The Dogs have 11 inside-50s for two marks, and should probably be ahead by more.
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Quarter time - the Dogs lead by four points!
Quarter-time: Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 2.0 (12)
There’s one more chance for the Swans to close out the term but Hamling is equal to the task of containing Buddy and forced the big forward out of bounds with a big tackle. What an opening term that was from the Dogs. They weathered so many challenges and nailed most of the chances they created themselves. Should they be ahead by more? Probably, but it’s still a superb start against a well-drilled Sydney.
1st quarter (1:13 remaining) Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 2.0 (12)
Dale Morris has been made to earn it but he’s just stopped Gary Rohan from marking at the top of the goal square and thus prevented a certain Sydney goal. I must say, I expected Sydney to blow the Dogs away in this first term but it’s not panning out that way and the Dogs are the side finishing this term with all the running as they go forward again. Easton Wood has been a star for the Dogs, but there are contributors all over.
Bulldogs goal! 1st quarter (3:20 remaining) Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 2.0 (12)
The momentum has swung the Doggies’ way in the last few minutes and they take a risk to switch play through Liberatore, who finds Hunter, who in turn tabs a lace-out pass onto the chest of Tory Dickson. The latter rarely misses from set shots but looks a little nervous here. He goes back and calmly slots it. The Dogs have the lead! They swarm Dickson! Great stuff.
Updated
Bulldogs goal! 1st quarter (4:49 remaining) Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 1.0 (6)
Oh dear. An opportunity presents for Zaine Cordy to centre the ball to an open Lachie Hunter and create a certain goal but he attempts a banana and fires it out on the full. Luke Dahlhaus has half a chance too but his 50-metre bomb falls well short and Naismith both marks it and clears danger.
The plus here for the Dogs is that the damage at the other end hasn’t been too severe in Sydney’s period of ascendancy and Cordy gets a chance to redeem himself when he catches Mills in a tackle to set up a shot. He’s right on the boundary and doesn’t seem to trust himself but improves the angle and threads it! The Dogs are on the board in fine style!
1st quarter (6:51 remaining) Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
Callum Mills is back in the team today and celebrates his inclusion with a lovely one-handed mark moving back with the flight of the ball as the Dogs attempt to go forward. The Swans rebound with intent and all of a sudden they’re in everything. Replays show that Franklin’s foot problem was caused when he rolled it landing on the foot of a team-mate in a marking attempt. He looks OK now though, and so do his side.
1st quarter (8:51 remaining) Sydney 1.2 (8) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
Now Parker asserts himself in the middle too, brutishly shrugging a tackle to send win the clearance and not long after Franklin is marking imperiously 15 metres from goal on an acute angle. He’s smiling, so clearly the foot is ok, but he misses a very gettable chance to the near side.
Sydney goal! 1st quarter (12:01 remaining) Sydney 1.1 (7) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
I’m worried for the Dogs here. They’ve certainly had the upper hand but they’re yet to score and Buddy Franklin not only re-enters the game but wins the ball immediately to send the Swans forward. Clay Smith takes a saving mark but not long after Jack centres the ball to Luke Parker, who is 40 metres out and right in front. He goes back for the set shot and drills it! Sydney are away!
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1st quarter (12:01 remaining) Sydney 0.1 (1) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
The pressure on Sydney’s defence has been immense so far and Zaine Cordy nails Dan Hannebery to the turf with a fierce tackle to lift his team. The Swans star is gasping for air in the aftermath. The Swans have a spirit-lifter of their own when big Naismith pulls off a smother from the boot of Lachie Hunter.
Soon after Sydney surge forward but artlessly, and it’s only Kieren Jack’s courage running back with the flight to mark that creates a scoring chance. Has he been knocked out in the process though? There’s no Buddy for the Swans but they have the first score of the game, almost ten minutes in, as Jack hooks it across the face after dusting himself off. This is gripping stuff.
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1st quarter (14:26 remaining) Sydney 0.0 (0) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
Heath Grundy gets into the game with a big pack mark in ‘Leo Barry territory’, which might be an omen for the Swans. To be honest, the Dogs have had the better of the start but they’re yet to capitalise. There’s a huge development now though as Buddy Franklin heads down into the rooms with a right foot injury. It must be serious if they’re taking his boot off.
1st quarter (15:55 remaining) Sydney 0.0 (0) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
Should Buddy have taken a shot there? Probably. It was the first clear chance of the game and he opted not to take it. The Dogs go forward again but Jeremy Laidler holds firm deep in defence for Sydney, as does Isaac Heeney in a follow-up entry from Liam Picken. The Dogs surge once more with a chaos ball but Sydney clear once again. It’s tense, hard-running, fierce-tackling footy.
Updated
1st quarter (18:10 remaining) Sydney 0.0 (0) vs Western Bulldogs 0.0 (0)
And we’re away! The opening bounce is a beauty and Bontempelli punches the Dogs forward before sending them towards 50 with a kick but the ball bounces straight off the chest of a leading Tom Boyd. The pressure is fierce, as you’d expect, and Sydney are soon going forward to Franklin, who marks outside 50 and makes a hash of a short pass.
Final thoughts and the toss
The Swans are the best-starting side in the competition and that is a worry for the Doggies early. Easton Wood wins the toss for the Doggies and kicks towards the city end. Let’s do this!
Anthem time
Vika and Linda Bull are given the honour this year and go a cappella, nailing it. I can also report that there’s no sign of protest on the ground. The players look too nervous to do anything other than stare straight ahead.
Under ten minutes now
The premiership cup is being delivered by former Swan Peter Bedford and Doggies legend John Schultz (with a cameo from Michael O’Loughlin) and soon we shall see whether the national anthem is greeted with any kind of protest, which was mooted this week but seems unlikely.
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The Swans are out on the ground now
They get a rev-up from Jarrad McVeigh in the race, huddle together and slap each others backs and then calmly stroll out onto the ground to run through the banner. What a moment. There’s a few nervous faces there but also a lot of experience. Thirteen of their players have been here before but in the next three hours all 22 of them have a chance to make history.
We’re 15 minutes away from the first bounce
And former Swans grand final hero Leo Barry presents the ball to today’s umpires as both teams limber up in the rooms. If the Doggies are nervous, they’re not showing it as they run out onto the ground to rapturous applause around the MCG.
Today could be three-peat of sorts for the Dogs
Their women’s team triumphed, their VFL boys saluted in last weekend’s grand final, now it’s just up to the seniors.
We have to side with the Bulldogs today, who have been incredible supporters of the women's game. Go Doggies - you deserve it! #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/qOjXgBps28
— Girls Play Footy (@GirlsPlayFooty) October 1, 2016
Another nice read on the mood out in Footscray this week
Their local MP Tim Watts penned this lovely tribute to the Doggies, and what they mean to the local community.
Today’s Norm Smith medal will be presented by...
Former North Melbourne premiership hero Shannon Grant! And our tips? I like Dan Hannebery and Isaac Heeny myself, but Dockers star Nat Fyfe appeared on TV earlier tipping Swans defender Dane Rampe, who judging by his hair, seems to hold The Stray Cats in similar esteem as one of today’s musical acts, The Living End.
Sting is up now
He also starts with a new one – ‘I can’t stop thinking about you’. Presumably this is all part of the contractual arrangement, but good grief just give the people what they want, Bernard.
Sure enough, he follows it with Message in a Bottle. If you’re not near a TV, let me paint a word picture: he’s dressed in black motorcycle trousers, which really don’t seem age-appropriate but I’m no style guru, and a very tight black t-shirt, which showcases the fact he might be the skinniest man to feature on grand final day since Michael Tuck’s pomp.
"Every move you make..." 🎶 #AFLGF https://t.co/9mzkemctj4
— AFL (@AFL) October 1, 2016
Reader Brendan Brown has emailed in to alert me to a disturbing fact: Sting is only four years younger than Mike Brady. Maybe we shouldn’t have made so much fun of him with regards to all that yoga and tantric sex. It seems to be doing wonders for him. He finishes his set with ‘Every breath you take’, lyically a far creepier song than anyone has ever been willing to admit. It’s hardly rocking the house. And...we’re done. As underwhelming as expected.
Bit of Terry Wallace about Sting
— Jonathan Horn (@JonathanHorn23) October 1, 2016
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One more note on grand final entertainment
There are no words in the English language that can improve on this image.
Bound For Glory. https://t.co/QC3JKkxm23 pic.twitter.com/tlbQcr9A2Y
— Chris Hatzis (@chrishatzis) October 1, 2016
One more on Dennis Cometti
Watch his reaction to this great video tribute and try not tearing up, I dare you.
WATCH: Dennis Cometti - One Last Time.
— AFL on 7 (@7AFL) October 1, 2016
A brilliant career inspiring & engaging Australia.#AFLGF #AFLFinals https://t.co/N8YV1k6qk8
The Living End are up on the stage now
And they’ve done that reunion tour thing of starting with a song nobody has heard of. Related: it’s not good. Just play Second Solution, lads. They make a slight return to form with ‘Prisoner of Society’, whose counter-culture message is nevertheless a little lost with a giant Virgin airlines logo across the front of the stage. And that’s it for them. Sting’s up next. He won’t have any trouble blowing his support acts off the stage.
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One sad note on a joyous day
Today is a swansong too, unfortunately. After 49 years in broadcasting, commentary legend Dennis Cometti is calling it quits when he pushes back his chair and pulls off the headset at the conclusion of this game. I spoke to the broadcasting great in the lead-up to the grand final, an insight into the great man you can check out below.
Cometti, of course, played half a season in the Dogs reserves back in 1971, a period in which Footscray coach Ted Whitten dubbed him “Mr Part-time” on account of Cometti’s mid-training dashes to the train station to get the 6:15 in to Flinders street to start his radio shifts. Cometti spoke earlier of how fitting it is that he should finish up calling a Doggies game. “I’m on the coattails of a fairytale,” he modestly said. Go well, Dennis.
The ‘entertainment’ is now under way
And Vance Joy is, well, Vance Joy. He’s not exactly Roy Orbison, is he? He’s flat and also totally off key for one thing, in my non-expert opinion. I will give him points for one thing: his hair is very late-80s SANFL. Johnny Platten on top, business at the back. His second song features a ukulele, which unlike Tony Liberatore or Peter Filandia, does not benefit from its diminutive scale.
Now remember to woof the house down. We are here loud and proud @westernbulldogs pic.twitter.com/Pvr0plpfBj
— Susan Alberti 🔴⚪🔵 (@SusanAlberti1) October 1, 2016
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The motorcade of retiring greats is making its way around the ground
Well, greats might be overstating it in a couple of instances. But there’s plenty of fan favourites: Teddy Richards, David Hale, Matthew Pavlich and Farren Ray, but also a whole heap of Australian Olympians too. Kyle Chalmers is out there lapping it up and 2015 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne.
But not everyone’s lapping it up at the MCG. Spare a thought for this guy:
Another cracking grand final read
Is right here from Gay Alcorn, who headed out west during the week and spoke to several Bulldogs luminaries. I think the mood is best summed up by Doggies vice-president Susan Alberti, who had this to say:
I just can’t wait to see the faces of all those people who have never given up. They have faced sadness and defeat and loss. To see those faces light up, that’s what I want to see. I know how much some of them struggle. Some of them save up their pension, they don’t have the money, they pay (membership) by the month. Some of them are very old, they are on walking sticks, salt of the earth, wonderful, wonderful, people.
Today’s grand final entertainment
...is not exactly the kind of line-up to inspire, and there’s seemingly no scope for a Meatloaf-level car crash, which really should be the aim, as I’ve previously alluded to.
Anyway, the big show is as follows: 1.33pm: Mike Brady performs “One Day in October”. 1.37pm: Vance Joy performs. 1.45pm: The Living End performs. 1.53pm: Sting performs. 2.04pm: Virgin Australia Flyover.
I never through I’d say this, but I’m already looking forward to the sound of music being drowned out by airplanes. Some people will be annoyed that Mike Brady is not performing Up There, Cazaly, while others think it sacrilege that he’s subbing October in for September.
Me? I’m just sad he’s not performing The Cube, his bizarro tribute to the Rubix Cube, which Google tells me wasn’t part of a grand concept album on children’s entertainment of the 1980s, but was released under the pleasingly naff moniker Mike Brady and the Cubettes.
Having said that...
We’d like to see an encore performance by this Swans fan. Yes yes, sorry I didn’t film it in landscape. Lesson learned.
Same. #AFLGF pic.twitter.com/wFLzCigT5r
— Russell Jackson (@rustyjacko) October 1, 2016
The sentimental favourites
Sorry Swans fans, we know you waited forever but this guy deserves to have a smile on his dial at the end of the day.
For this guy. Great bloke, footballer and writer. AND I admire all Roberts who embrace the name "Bob". #GoDoggies pic.twitter.com/bxZH8WwjMX
— Adam Zwar (@adamzwar) October 1, 2016
Our teams today
As far as we’re aware there’s no late changes for either side, though it’s doubtful they’ll line up exactly as they’ve been listed by the clubs here. Joel Hamling on Lance Franklin? I just can’t see it happening, but that’ll be one to watch. And who do the Dogs tag? Take out Josh Kennedy and Isaac Heeney, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker will still run amok. The bookies have installed Sydney at $1.55 favourites today and the Dogs are at $2.50. That seems about right to me.
Swans coach John Longmire spoke moments ago on Seven and had this to say about the fitness of Callum Mills and Jarrad McVeigh, who return from injuries today: “All you can do is go on what you see...what we’ve seen this week is that they’re right to go.”
Of the Dogs, Longmire adds: “They’re very strong in the contested ball...they’re fierce around the contest...they’re very hard, they’re very consistent and you know what you’re going to get from them.”
Western Bulldogs
Back: Jason Johannisen, Joel Hamling, Matthew Boyd
Half back: Shane Biggs, Dale Morris, Easton Wood
Centre: Lachie Hunter, Marcus Bontempelli, Liam Picken
Half forward: Jack Macrae, Zaine Cordy, Jake Stringer
Forward: Tory Dickson, Tom Boyd, Clay Smith
Followers: Jordan Roughead, Luke Dahlhaus, Tom Liberatore
Bench: Toby McLean, Fletcher Roberts, Josh Dunkley, Caleb Daniel
Emergencies: Matthew Suckling, Tom Campbell, Lin Jong
Sydney
Back: Jake Lloyd, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith
Half back: Callum Mills, Jeremy Laidler, Dane Rampe
Centre: Kieren Jack, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh
Half forward: Tom Mitchell, Lance Franklin, Luke Parker
Forward: Tom Papley, Kurt Tippett, Ben McGlynn
Followers: Sam Naismith, Dan Hannebery, Isaac Heeney
Bench: Gary Rohan, Zak Jones, George Hewett, Xavier Richards
Emergencies: Harry Cunningham, Toby Nankervis, Harrison Marsh
Preamble
Hello football fans and welcome to the AFL’s day of days as Sydney take on the Western Bulldogs in the 2016 AFL grand final, coming to you live from the MCG. If you’d tried to bet on this pairing of football sides at the start of the season, not only would the bookies have offered you long odds, they might have inquired as to the state of your wellbeing.
But here we are: the glamorous and well-drilled harbourside superstars of the Swans against a Doggies side full of talent and spirit, but representing Melbourne’s working class western suburbs and a group of fans who’ve had to wait entire lifetime’s for this day. Thirty years ago the club was on its knees. They haven’t figured in a decider in 55 years and took their one and only premiership cup in 1954, when Robert Menzies was Prime Minister and Vance Joy was not a combination of words that had ever been used.
There’s some romance here but also, I fear, perhaps a dose of reality in the next few hours. Am I wrong in thinking that Sydney will hold their nerve and benefit from their previous grand final experience? We shall see, but a bit more on the phenomenon of grand final nerves in the article below, which you can check out before I’m back with today’s teams. In short, the Doggies’ vaunted press meets Sydney’s hard-nosed, hard-ball-winning midfield in a contest between leg-speed and muscle. I’ll stick with the Swans as my tip, but certainly hope it’s closer than my gut feel suggests.
Will the weather be a factor today? No, thankfully. It’s 17 degrees in Melbourne, partly cloudy with a light westerly heading towards the Punt Road end, but there’s no rain predicted for the afternoon and the sun should be beating down on the glorious Melbourne Cricket Ground by the time today’s game ends. There’s no better day to be in Melbourne, folks.
Russell be with you shortly but in the meantime, check out JP Howcroft’s preview of what promises to be an intriguing AFL grand final.
