Best prelim finals of all time

[Strebi3]

2011 noms are weird. I was 13 at the time and just remember a poor skilled game where Hawthorn led for most but couldn’t quite shut the door. Can you judge a prelim off one quarter of footy? All I hear talked about is buddy’s dribbler and Luke Ball’s winner. Two great moments but hardly a game you’ll rewatch in full!

 

[Plugger35]

Both incorrect. Roger James killed your momentum. Unbelievable first qtr against the St Kilda tide.

Yeah he played a blinder for Port in that game, another SA no name type that killed us like Shane Ellen did for the Crows in the 1997 GF.

2006 Crows vs Eagles at Football Park is good. Great midfield battle between Neil Craig's Crowbots and the Rolls-Royce of Judd, Cousins and Kerr.

Cousins was running like a madman in the second half of that game, you have to wonder if he had taken some enhancements at half time.

 

[Catsace]

1974 North v Hawthorn MCG. Wet, low scoring game; NM 8.8.56 - Haw 7.9.51
( can't find any vision of this game )

1976 North v Carlton VFL Park.
Carlton multiple chances in the last q, just couldn't find the next goal;
NM 10.7.67 - Carl 9.12.66
( some highlights on the you-tube )

All the big stars from all 3 clubs playing in these games.

To be honest, as an 8 y/o i didn't watch the game but I recall the headline in the Sunday Press at the time with the headline 'Smackaroos'. I used to always go to local Geelong Football league games in that era, with my father the manager of a side back then, so i didn't watch any VFL games till the following year. But that match was my first rock-solid memory of VFL footy.

Geelong's been in plenty of close PF's....losing in '80 and '81 to the Pies narrowly, the 1994 PF vs North was an epic game, as a Cat fan the euphoria of the finish was only exceeded by the Premierships later on. The '99 game as mentioned, and for the Cats the 2007 PF was along with the 2022 QF the most exhausting and tense finals I've experienced. And the Hawks won a trio of narrow PF's in '12, '13 and '14 vs Adelaide, Geelong and Port respectively.

Last night's match was a bit like the Port/Tigers PF of 2020...again a super close game with low scoring, and going down to the wire.

 

[Rod Stroker]

19 mins 46 secs in, Drew Morphett:

"Mark Roberts back in, 16 weeks after a knee construction"

LOL! Gotta love 90s football. These days it's more like 16 months.

 

[Alex Matt]

1994 PF North v Geel. Anyone who says otherwise didn’t see it or weren’t born. An epic.

 

[Plugger35]

19 mins 46 secs in, Drew Morphett:

"Mark Roberts back in, 16 weeks after a knee construction"

LOL! Gotta love 90s football. These days it's more like 16 months.

90s football was the best, better commentary too, players could still lay a bump or a dangerous tackle without people getting up in arms.

This wasn't one of the best prelims but it's still one of my favourite prelims of the 90s, back when knocking off North was an achievement.

 

[Moonatic77]

1994 PF North v Geel. Anyone who says otherwise didn’t see it or weren’t born. An epic.

Spot on here mate! Was an epic. Ablett goaless until last 10 sec. Plucks one out of the air, Martyn shattered, Ablett kicks goal and consoles Martyn after siren

 

[Demonic Ascent]

1987

2021 not a great game unless you're a Melbourne supporter but 3rd quarter for Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

33

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

putting on a clinic.

 

[demondavey]

You sick freak. Someone put this guy away.

Was there a controversial goal that game?

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Hawthorn vs Geelong 2013. Such a shame Varcoe missed that shot with about 30 seconds left as extra time would have been epic.

Cats were out on their feet. Even if that went through we would have lost in in extra time.
Chappy and Enright were massive outs in that game.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

'07 Geelong vs Collingwood in front of 98k supporters is up there. These two teams have had some awesome finals matches over the years.

The only final Geelong actually played, that year.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

No love for 2020 Port vs Richmond on here? The game was neck and neck the entire time!

There should be an asterisk over that year, shortening those quarters really ruined it.

 

[flamethrower]

1997. Adelaide d WB.

That was actually a poorly played game, and had some terrible injuries (Modra ACL, Jarman concussion but played on to win the game and the GF the following week - these days he would have been subbed out and missed the GF). It only gets remembered because the Bulldogs' choked away a 5 goal half time lead, and a chance to break a long GF drought.

Adelaide tried to kick themselves out of it in the 1st half (4.11, finishing with 12.21), and the Dogs did kick themselves out of it in the last quarter with 0.6.6. And the Bulldogs' coach flat refused to put players behind the ball to slow the Crows in the last quarter.

 

[Punt Road Feral]

2006 Crows vs Eagles at Football Park was good. Great midfield battle between Neil Craig's Crowbots and the Rolls-Royce of Judd, Cousins and Kerr.

There’s a highlights reel of that trio somewhere that’s literally out of this world.
The shear power of breaking tackles and gut running in a hostile environment and nailing targets with precision on the opposite foot was footy at its finest.

Ill see if I can find it and post it.
Edit: found

 

[DeezNuts]

Hawks vs Port 2014 at the G is one I don’t see mentioned enough.

Cracking game of footy, awesome young side in port almost rolling over an all time great Hawks team

 

[Rod Stroker]

Spot on here mate! Was an epic. Ablett goaless until last 10 sec. Plucks one out of the air, Martyn shattered, Ablett kicks goal and consoles Martyn after siren

Err... he had 2 goals to half time

 

[Moonatic77]

Err... he had 2 goals to half time

Yeah you're right, just looked that up. My memory is failing me, I just remember Mick Martyn playing a great game on him up until those final moments

 

[Mr Meow]

The only final Geelong actually played, that year.

Geelong has beaten an MCG tenant/Melbourne
-based team at the G in a final(s) for each of its flags this century.

Since West Coast's inception into the AFL, the only time they achieved this was 2018.

'91, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '11, '12 and '15 they failed at that hurdle.

 

[Harrison Bergeron]

There should be an asterisk over that year, shortening those quarters really ruined it.

No surprise the only person who's liked your post so far is a handbagger. #cope&seethe

 

[GoldbergsGold]

No surprise the only person who's liked your post so far is a handbagger. #cope&seethe

I do wonder who would have won the 2020 premiership had the original fixture and countdown time taken place.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

North Melbourne vs Geelong in 1994 was a great game with an unforgettable finish.

Dennis Cometti delivered the best line at the crescendo of that match.

"there is no justice in football, that is the look on the face of Michael Martyn. The master all day and this game will be remembered for this kick"

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Collingwood v Geelong 2007 nail biter. Crowd was 98k+ from memory

Had two of my all time favourite football moments.

 

[Sub_Zero]

2007 Geelong vs Collingwood
2011 Hawthorn vs Collingwood

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Cats v Pies 2007.
One of the best games ever played, let alone prelims.

Cometh the moment, cometh the man.

View attachment 1811118

As good as Ottens and Ablett were - that game was won by Joel Corey and lost by Chris Bryan.

How ****ing long does it take you to put the damn ball on your boot

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Had two of my all time favourite football moments.

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I needed to relive this, thanks