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Welcome to the twelth instalment of the Troy Luff Medal for 2005! Tonight, we review two of the most important chapters in our epic Premiership story. First, we look at the controversial loss to West Coast in the first week of the finals. Then we go on to that game against Geelong, and those few seconds.
First, let's have a look at the vote tally. With only four finals to go, it's close at the top:
44. Brett Kirk
43. Craig Bolton
38. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
18. Amon Buchanan
17. Luke Ablett, Ryan O?Keefe
16. Nick Davis
14. Leo Barry
13. Paul Williams
10. Tadhg Kennelly
9. Darren Jolly, Michael O?Loughlin
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike
3. Jared Crouch
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels, Adam Schneider
1. Jarrad McVeigh
The Swans travelled to Subiaco to take on the West Coast Eagles, with a week off and home preliminary final on the line. When the sides had last met, West Coast had lost one game, was five games clear and seemingly certain of finishing top. By the time the finals arrived, however, they had crashed to second and had lost four of the last six games of the season. The Swans were by no means out of contention.
The first half saw the intense, physical struggle that is the hallmark of finals football. The Eagles went into half time with a negligible two point lead. The Swans were harassing the star-studded opposition midfield constantly, somehow having lifted to an ever greater intensity than that which got them to the finals. Tough, tight and unforgiving, the ten-goal first half wasn't a spectacle, but it was an engrossing contest.
In the third quarter, however, the contest finally swung in favour of the Swans. In a low scoring match, the Swans' 3.1 to three behinds was enough to secure a crucial 14 point advantage at three quarter time. The Swans were set for a repeat of the famous victory over Port Adelaide in 2003, as long as nothing went drastically wrong in the last quarter.
Well, we all know that it did. As the Eagles made a final charge and the Swans fought to hold on to their hard-earned lead, external factors came into play. A series of umpiring errors in the last few minutes - in particular a bizarre decision against Leo Barry that led to a Tyson Stenglein goal - gave the football world something to argue about for the next week. Unfortunately for the Swans, the four point margin in favour of West Coast was all that mattered. Well, that and revenge... but revenge could only come three weeks later.
Brett Kirk was brilliant in the middle, and Nick Davis, Jared Crouch and Adam Goodes were creative. The votes:
5. Brett Kirk
4. Nick Davis
3. Craig Bolton
2. Tadhg Kennelly
1. Jared Crouch
Congratulations to all five players! Brett Kirk earns best on ground honours, but Craig Bolton has stayed within close touch.
It's time for me to confess. I've lied to you all. In order to treat all four finals in our Premiership season with the importance that they deserve, I'm only going to be doing one final per night. Sorry about that.
Here's the vote tally:
49. Brett Kirk
46. Craig Bolton
38. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
20. Nick Davis
18. Amon Buchanan
17. Luke Ablett, Ryan O?Keefe
14. Leo Barry
13. Paul Williams
12. Tadhg Kennelly
9. Darren Jolly, Michael O?Loughlin
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike, Jared Crouch
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels, Adam Schneider
1. Jarrad McVeigh
Join me tomorrow night, when we look at the miracle that was the Swans' victory over Geelong in the semi final. With only three weeks left in our Premiership edition Troy Luff Medal, it still promises to be our closest count ever.
Charlie
First, let's have a look at the vote tally. With only four finals to go, it's close at the top:
44. Brett Kirk
43. Craig Bolton
38. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
18. Amon Buchanan
17. Luke Ablett, Ryan O?Keefe
16. Nick Davis
14. Leo Barry
13. Paul Williams
10. Tadhg Kennelly
9. Darren Jolly, Michael O?Loughlin
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike
3. Jared Crouch
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels, Adam Schneider
1. Jarrad McVeigh
The Swans travelled to Subiaco to take on the West Coast Eagles, with a week off and home preliminary final on the line. When the sides had last met, West Coast had lost one game, was five games clear and seemingly certain of finishing top. By the time the finals arrived, however, they had crashed to second and had lost four of the last six games of the season. The Swans were by no means out of contention.
The first half saw the intense, physical struggle that is the hallmark of finals football. The Eagles went into half time with a negligible two point lead. The Swans were harassing the star-studded opposition midfield constantly, somehow having lifted to an ever greater intensity than that which got them to the finals. Tough, tight and unforgiving, the ten-goal first half wasn't a spectacle, but it was an engrossing contest.
In the third quarter, however, the contest finally swung in favour of the Swans. In a low scoring match, the Swans' 3.1 to three behinds was enough to secure a crucial 14 point advantage at three quarter time. The Swans were set for a repeat of the famous victory over Port Adelaide in 2003, as long as nothing went drastically wrong in the last quarter.
Well, we all know that it did. As the Eagles made a final charge and the Swans fought to hold on to their hard-earned lead, external factors came into play. A series of umpiring errors in the last few minutes - in particular a bizarre decision against Leo Barry that led to a Tyson Stenglein goal - gave the football world something to argue about for the next week. Unfortunately for the Swans, the four point margin in favour of West Coast was all that mattered. Well, that and revenge... but revenge could only come three weeks later.
Brett Kirk was brilliant in the middle, and Nick Davis, Jared Crouch and Adam Goodes were creative. The votes:
5. Brett Kirk
4. Nick Davis
3. Craig Bolton
2. Tadhg Kennelly
1. Jared Crouch
Congratulations to all five players! Brett Kirk earns best on ground honours, but Craig Bolton has stayed within close touch.
It's time for me to confess. I've lied to you all. In order to treat all four finals in our Premiership season with the importance that they deserve, I'm only going to be doing one final per night. Sorry about that.
Here's the vote tally:
49. Brett Kirk
46. Craig Bolton
38. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
20. Nick Davis
18. Amon Buchanan
17. Luke Ablett, Ryan O?Keefe
14. Leo Barry
13. Paul Williams
12. Tadhg Kennelly
9. Darren Jolly, Michael O?Loughlin
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike, Jared Crouch
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels, Adam Schneider
1. Jarrad McVeigh
Join me tomorrow night, when we look at the miracle that was the Swans' victory over Geelong in the semi final. With only three weeks left in our Premiership edition Troy Luff Medal, it still promises to be our closest count ever.
Charlie
Would I do such a thing?
That is two words, dill.
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