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Welcome to the penultimate instalment of the 2005 Troy Luff Medal! Tonight, we look at one of the best wins of our Premiership season, when the Swans travelled to Melbourne to defy the odds, media pundits, history and St Kilda to reach only our second Grand Final in sixty years.
Before we do so, let's review the vote tally. Only the top two players remain in contention, and Craig Bolton must make in-roads into Brett Kirk's lead in this match, if he is to win a Troy Luff Medal:
53. Brett Kirk
48. Craig Bolton
38. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
25. 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
7. Jared Crouch
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels, Adam Schneider
1. Jarrad McVeigh, Jason Ball
After our miraculous victory over the Cats, Sydney's attention turned to the Saints and the preliminary final. The same can't be said, however, for the rest of the football world, which had already been focusing firmly on the glamour Victorian side since their qualifying final win over Adelaide. During the week, the Herald Sun had polled St Kilda's 1966 premiership players to see how many would attend the Grand Final. Sydney were a side-show, a minor hurdle on the way to St Kilda's date with destiny.
Of course, this was of no concern to the Swans. As always when they are underdogs Sydney had a calm, quiet self-belief. It was easily visible from the first minutes of the final. Unlike the Geelong game, the Swans started well, playing with the free, confident style that has served them so well whenever they've chosen to use it. Sydney, with Ryan O'Keefe firing, took a two goal lead in to quarter time. Barry Hall had also started well, although a love-tap to Matt Maguire's mid-riff would prompt excited media speculation.
In the next two quarters, St Kilda started to get on top of the Bloods, but could never gain a decisive edge. Poor kicking in the second quarter - 2.4 - didn't help their cause, however. Although there were ominous signs, the Swans were never out of the contest, and were once again making fools of the 'experts' who said they couldn't win. After two quarters in which the underdone Saints needed - and perhaps expected - to gain a break on Sydney, the side-show Swans were only seven points down.
Two years ago against Brisbane, the Swans had been even closer to a Grand Final, and had fallen away. This time, they were determined not to let their chance slip. The Saints, for their part, were bruised in body and broken in spirit, and provided no opposition to the Sydney flood. Flood of goals, that is, as Adam Schneider kicked the first two of the quarter to put us front. The Swans had taken a Grand Final berth, and now they ran away with it, kicking another five goals to seal the victory by 31 points. Sydney's hopes of Premiership victory, barely a glimmer the week before, were now burning brightly.
With impressive performances all over the ground, competition was fierce for Troy Luff Medal votes:
5. Ryan O'Keefe
4. Craig Bolton
3. Barry Hall
2. Adam Schneider
1. Jared Crouch
1. Brett Kirk
Congratulations to all six. Craig Bolton has closed the gap to just two votes, and despite few possessions he was well and truly in contention for votes in the Grand Final. Yet Kirk's effort to tie for one vote could prove crucial. Will the 2005 Premiership edition Troy Luff Medal come down to this single vote?
Here's the vote tally:
54. Brett Kirk
52. Craig Bolton
41. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
25. Nick Davis
22. Ryan O'Keefe
18. Amon Buchanan
17. Luke Ablett
14. Leo Barry
13. Paul Williams
12. Tadhg Kennelly
9. Darren Jolly, Michael O?Loughlin
8. Jared Crouch
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike, Adam Schneider
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels
1. Jarrad McVeigh, Jason Ball
Join me tomorrow night, as we complete our Troy Luff Medal count for 2005, with that day at the MCG.
Charlie
Before we do so, let's review the vote tally. Only the top two players remain in contention, and Craig Bolton must make in-roads into Brett Kirk's lead in this match, if he is to win a Troy Luff Medal:
53. Brett Kirk
48. Craig Bolton
38. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
25. 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
7. Jared Crouch
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels, Adam Schneider
1. Jarrad McVeigh, Jason Ball
After our miraculous victory over the Cats, Sydney's attention turned to the Saints and the preliminary final. The same can't be said, however, for the rest of the football world, which had already been focusing firmly on the glamour Victorian side since their qualifying final win over Adelaide. During the week, the Herald Sun had polled St Kilda's 1966 premiership players to see how many would attend the Grand Final. Sydney were a side-show, a minor hurdle on the way to St Kilda's date with destiny.
Of course, this was of no concern to the Swans. As always when they are underdogs Sydney had a calm, quiet self-belief. It was easily visible from the first minutes of the final. Unlike the Geelong game, the Swans started well, playing with the free, confident style that has served them so well whenever they've chosen to use it. Sydney, with Ryan O'Keefe firing, took a two goal lead in to quarter time. Barry Hall had also started well, although a love-tap to Matt Maguire's mid-riff would prompt excited media speculation.
In the next two quarters, St Kilda started to get on top of the Bloods, but could never gain a decisive edge. Poor kicking in the second quarter - 2.4 - didn't help their cause, however. Although there were ominous signs, the Swans were never out of the contest, and were once again making fools of the 'experts' who said they couldn't win. After two quarters in which the underdone Saints needed - and perhaps expected - to gain a break on Sydney, the side-show Swans were only seven points down.
Two years ago against Brisbane, the Swans had been even closer to a Grand Final, and had fallen away. This time, they were determined not to let their chance slip. The Saints, for their part, were bruised in body and broken in spirit, and provided no opposition to the Sydney flood. Flood of goals, that is, as Adam Schneider kicked the first two of the quarter to put us front. The Swans had taken a Grand Final berth, and now they ran away with it, kicking another five goals to seal the victory by 31 points. Sydney's hopes of Premiership victory, barely a glimmer the week before, were now burning brightly.
With impressive performances all over the ground, competition was fierce for Troy Luff Medal votes:
5. Ryan O'Keefe
4. Craig Bolton
3. Barry Hall
2. Adam Schneider
1. Jared Crouch
1. Brett Kirk
Congratulations to all six. Craig Bolton has closed the gap to just two votes, and despite few possessions he was well and truly in contention for votes in the Grand Final. Yet Kirk's effort to tie for one vote could prove crucial. Will the 2005 Premiership edition Troy Luff Medal come down to this single vote?
Here's the vote tally:
54. Brett Kirk
52. Craig Bolton
41. Barry Hall
36. Jude Bolton
35. Adam Goodes
25. Nick Davis
22. Ryan O'Keefe
18. Amon Buchanan
17. Luke Ablett
14. Leo Barry
13. Paul Williams
12. Tadhg Kennelly
9. Darren Jolly, Michael O?Loughlin
8. Jared Crouch
6. Lewis Roberts-Thomson
4. Nic Fosdike, Adam Schneider
2. David Spriggs, Luke Vogels
1. Jarrad McVeigh, Jason Ball
Join me tomorrow night, as we complete our Troy Luff Medal count for 2005, with that day at the MCG.
Charlie
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