AFL Grand Final '09

Yes, it's that one day in September once again, the one they all sing about (There are actually many AFL songs, but here's the one I'm talking about.). The last Saturday in September; the whole of the AFL season has been building towards this. It's the big one: St Kilda, winner of 22 out of 24 games in the season, with a total losing margin of 7 (as in, if you add all the losing margins, you get 7), plays Geelong, who have played in two (now three) consecutive Grand Finals, being by far the greatest team of seasons 2007 to 2009 (I was going for them, by the way). Anyway. Let's have a look at my day, and in case you hadn't realised, this is going to be a very footy-centred day.

I got up at about 7:30, and after doing chores and such, I did some of my PE assignment (jees, it never ends, does it?). I trawled internet sites looking for stuff, and I did print out a few things. Although I'll need to do some more stuff before Friday, when it's due. So after I did that, I went to play some Battlefield Heroes before the big game. However, it was mostly messing around on a pre-game, trying to work out some of the finer points of rocket jumping and flying and so on (incidentally, I can now fly much better than I could before, as I can actually get the plane off the ground. However, I'm still working out how to land and shoot, which is sorta the point. I mostly use it to get to places.). At around 2:20, though, I realised what time it was, and I went out to watch the AFL Grand Final of 2009 (warning: these next few paragraphs contain very full-on footy. Don't say I didn't warn you.).

The game started off exactly as you would expect in the best game of the season: full-on and intense, with neither side dominating. However, Geelong ended up getting the first goal two minutes in, and 5 minutes later, they got their second. After that, though, the tide of play quickly turned, with the St Kilda backline repelling almost every Cats advance. They could only manage one more goal for the quarter, while the Saints kept marching in (pun intended. Definitely intended. Quite frankly, I think that's hilarious.) to their forward 50, matching Geelong's 3 goals by the end of the quarter, and two behinds to boot (pun also intended.). The quarter time score read 3.2, 20 to 3.0, 18, St Kilda's way.

The second quarter was a weird one, as it brought back memories of the second quarter of last year's Grand Final (seriously, it was like déjà vu all over again.). The ball continued its way to St Kilda's end, although it had trouble working out where the big sticks were. Repeated shots at goal by the Saints ended in behinds from almost every single one, whereas Geelong kept taking the ball and getting the goals. In fact, in the space of 10 minutes or so, the Cats got two goals and the Saints got four behinds. The best part of the play, though, came in the end, when Geelong got two goals in the space of just over a minute (one, on the video replay, was seen to have hit the post, but they paid it as a goal.). However, the Saints didn't like that. They got the ball and added their two goals in two minutes. But it wasn't over, as Cat Darren Milburn (or so says the AFL website. My memory isn't that good.) started arguing with the goal umpire. He gave away a free kick in the goalsquare in the Grand Final, of all things, which ended in a Saints goal. Half-time saw a score of 7.7, 49 to 7.1, 43, with the Cats down by a goal. In the break, I played some BFH. Well, why not?

The third quarter was a fairly low-scoring affair, with there just being two goals a piece for both sides. There was even a period of over 10 minutes when there was no score at all. Not even a point. St Kilda squandered quite a few opportunities, getting three behinds in two minutes. It was a rather slippery ground, as it had been raining on and off for the whole game, really. The stage was set for the fourth quarter, with the Saints up by seven behinds at 9.11, 65 to 9.4, 58.

The last quarter was a really exciting one, as the last quarter of the last game was played in a remarkable fashion. Hawkins from Geelong got a goal less than two minutes in, leaving the Saints only a point up. However, two points to the Cats and three points to the Saints left the game in suspense, as there was an amazing save near the end by Baker of the Saints. Chapman, though, kicked a goal with less than 10 minutes to go putting the Cats in front, and the back line started to get flooded. St Kilda kicked it to open space in their forward 50, for a point, and the ball was kicked long to the flanks. Out came Harry Taylor of Geelong! He marked the ball amongst the pack of players of both sides, and kicked it down the ground, marked by Max Rooke. The siren went in front of goal, and Geelong supporters everywhere cheered, while Saints everywhere slunk. Rooke kicked the ball through for a meaningless goal after the siren, leaving the score reading 9.14, 68 to 12.8, 80. Geelong had won just one quarter throughout the whole game, but it was enough to give them the game. It was one of the greatest games I'd ever seen.

After the game, and after seeing who got the Norm Smith medal, I had dinner and such, and towards the end of the night, I played some more Battlefield Heroes, winning an epic 50-0 game (that's a perfect game, in case you didn't know) with my gunner and John. I played BFH long into the night, finally going to bed at around 11.

To comments now, 1 from Ebony.
*Ebony: Why saddened? Those were great last minutes! And we were talking about something, I suppose... what was everybody else talking about? And it was both an assessment and an exam; it was an exam meant to assess. Both right, I can title how I want.

And that was my day. Mostly watching the footy, and I felt obliged to give my commentary on the game. If you don't like reading about AFL, then you may have found that a bit boring. I actually quite liked writing that. Anyway. Yeah, it's a late post, but it's a weekend. So, there.

Atta way, Cats, atta way,
AB