1996 Grand Final

[Primmy]

One of the few joys was seeing Stewie (with a worse mullet than Capper) streaming out of defence with the footy and bombing it long (only sometimes to a Swans player).

Ah yes, one of the finest sights in footie. Still miss him.

[Doctor J.]

standing gobsmacked at the size of the shiner on Craig O'Brien.

Yeah the Kelly pass to Plugger would have given us a handy break, and if someone had shot bloody Glen (never done anything before or after) Freeborn in the car park before the game, things might have been different.

To me (and this is from memory, have never watched the game other than being there live) the turning point of that game was when David King (illegally) cleaned up Craig O'Brien by sliding into him with his legs and collecting him in the head. Knocking him out cold. No free kick, nothing. OB was taken off the ground, allowing North to change their structure. Archer was moved on to Luff to quiten him and Schwass, who was getting towelled by Luff moved into the middle.

In the second half, Big Staf was still winning the hit outs but North, through Schwass began to win the clearances. (Yes Nico even back then our clearance work was @@@@). Their 3rd q killed us, but the final nail IMO was Kickett not making the distance from about 45 with his shot on goal on the 3 quarter time siren. Had he got that I believe we would have got a bit of momentum going into the last.

The final quarter they just ran all over us.

I remember Sheedy saying on radio when asked who he thought would win at half time, and he instantly said North, because he knew how much his players were hurting physically from the prelim final and North's prelim final against Brisbane was a much less physical contest. He just felt that North would not be as physically spent. I think the result in the end proved him correct.

To this day I have never sat in section M5 at the MCG. Bad omen that section. M30 is no good either, but M31, nothing but good vibes there!!!

[AnnieH]

Shut up.
Don't remind me.

[Plugger46]

As silly as it sounds, I reckon we might've won the game if Kelly had hit Plugger on the chest. I think Lockett had 3 at that point, that would've made it 4 and we would've been 5 and a half goals in front - very difficult to come back from that sort of margin, especially in a GF.
Think Freeborn kicked his first from that turnover and after that, they never really looked back.

[AnnieH]

Arrrrggghhhhhhh.
Tell them to stop!!


(La la la la la la la la she sings, with her hands held over her eyes!).


That second half was dismal.

[Kanga]

Unforgettable game. I popped the champagne for the missus mid way thru the last term

[Go Swannies]

Unforgettable game. I popped the champagne for the missus mid way thru the last term

I presume they showed the game last night because of Adam Simpson's retirement this weekend.

[floppinab]

As silly as it sounds, I reckon we might've won the game if Kelly had hit Plugger on the chest.

People often say that sort of thing about game but I think we put far too much weight on incidents like that when there are a hundred things that happen in a game (more often that not, not captured well in a TV broadcast) out on the ground that have an impact on what is goinig on.

I also tend to think this game was the last GF where the sort of thuggish tactics used by North had some impact. A few already mentioned here but what about the roundhouse right miles off the ball by Schwatta on Luff. Don't think it made it on the main broadcast but have seen footage of it. Haven't seen anything like that in a GF since.

[Plugger46]

People often say that sort of thing about game but I think we put far too much weight on incidents like that when there are a hundred things that happen in a game (more often that not, not captured well in a TV broadcast) out on the ground that have an impact on what is goinig on.

Fair point. Just thought that was the main turning point in the game, we were well on top and had the opportunity to go further in front. North were struggling big-time and then they kicked a goal against the flow - really got their tails up.

I reckon we were probably a year too early. '97 could've been the year if Lockett had got on the park but again, we're dealing in hypotheticals.

[Hartijon]

The turning point for me was Kelly's hospital pass to the couageous Craig O'brien who had he marked probably would have converted. Instead he had to drop to his knees, and expose himself to an illegal assault(no free kick) that smashed him and our team's momentum

[top40]

On 1st October 2016 or when Sydney win their next flag, (which ever event arises first), I intend to get the DVDs for both the 1996 and 2006 Grand Finals. If the former event arises first, it will represent the 20th and 10th anniversary respectively of these Grand Finals. The pain will be gone by then.

[ScottH]

Also, The Dunkley incident the previous week, wouldn'at have helped. He showed that when he tried to punch a ball instead of attempt to mark it, and it he missed it completely, sailed through for a goal IIRC.

[snajik]

To me (and this is from memory, have never watched the game other than being there live) the turning point of that game was when David King (illegally) cleaned up Craig O'Brien by sliding into him with his legs and collecting him in the head. Knocking him out cold. No free kick, nothing. OB was taken off the ground, allowing North to change their structure.

Absolutely right. I'll never forgive that thug King who also wanted to go on with it even though Obie was unconscious. Would have got 6 weeks these days. It also completely unsettled our forward structure.

I don't go along with the Kel kick that dropped short theory. I reckon we probably had it lost a week earlier after we slogged it out against the Bombers. We were spent. North had a nice cruisy PF against the Bears from memory. Then there was the all-consuming Dunkley incident during GF week. Could have done without it, and Dunkley consequently played a shocker.

As for Plugger and his dodgy groin......he had 3 goals by quarter time. Legend.

[Lohengrin]

On 1st October 2016 or when Sydney win their next flag, (which ever event arises first), I intend to get the DVDs for both the 1996 and 2006 Grand Finals. If the former event arises first, it will represent the 20th and 10th anniversary respectively of these Grand Finals. The pain will be gone by then.

It never goes!

[goswannie14]

I can remember going to Randwick the next day to greet the players (helped enormously with the grief) and standing gobsmacked at the size of the shiner on Craig O'Brien.

I actually thought if O'b had been paid that free we would have been about 5 goals clear and it would have been our flag. He wasn't, we didn't and it wasn't.