THE BOXING MATCH

[Demonland 73,140]

by Whispering Jack

It might not have been the heavyweight championship of the world but the battle between St. Kilda and Melbourne in the AFL Second Elimination Final of 2006 (sorry, but I must have somehow missed the first one!) was a willing battle among the contenders.

The Saints came out swinging punches furiously, taking up the pace and running the team in the red and blue corner ragged. Veteran Robert Harvey was in everything, Fraser Gehrig was simply too fast for Melbourne defender Ben Holland and had three goals on the board by mid quarter while Stephen Milne kept the defence well and truly flustered. The St. Kilda defence was bolstered by playing an extra man, Brendan Goddard, and this tactic was frustrating the Melbourne forward line with the ball being effortlessly moved out of danger at almost every possible opportunity. By quarter time, the Saints had their opponents on the ropes and floundering as they faced a score line of 2.2.14 to 5.4.34 - one that flattered the Demons a little given that they had so few winners on the ground.

After the bell started proceedings in the second term, the Demons were still playing patchy football and many of their stars were being kept well under wraps by the disciplined Saints. When Nick Riewoldt booted the Saints sixth for the night, they had reached a lead of 27 points at the half way mark of the second quarter. The time was almost ripe for the knock out blow.

However, Melbourne coach Neale Daniher had other ideas and he managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat.

The bunny was called "Plan B", something that many Demon fans might hitherto have thought to be a mythical creature. He had already made the move of Nathan Carroll onto Gehrig after those three early goals. He also swung Cameron Bruce onto Robert Harvey. Daniel Bell was assigned Goddard and Daniel Ward took Stephen Milne after Matty Whelan was crunched in the shoulder and taken off and Jeff White was given more time to work a demolition job on the ineffectual St. Kilda rucks. The tide turned, the older St. Kilda legs began to slow while others found their bodies unable to withstand the punishment of AFL finals pressure.

The Clarke brothers were both gone by half time but two other hits from Demon players helped lift their team off the canvas. Brock McLean's magnificent side bump on Justin Koschitzke put the troubled ruckman off the field while Carroll's tackle on Gehrig who stupidly tried to sidestep him left the G Train limping for that moment and playing out the game more like the Puffing Billy.

By half time, the Saints still held a strong lead on points but they were visibly tiring.

When you trail by 20 points half time in a final, the situation calls for a hero to stand up and be counted and there in the clearing was the boxer, Brock - a real fighter by his trade. He was simply magnificent winning midfield clearances, ramming his hard body through packs and delivering the ball forward. He had other heroes standing beside him, men like Brad Green and Cameron Bruce who also worked their butts off with their classy football, James McDonald who completely blanketed St. Kilda champion Nick dal Santo and then added some telling blows of his own and skipper David Neitz who kicked the important goals when they were needed. The Demons made their first desperate lunge to get to within two points ten minutes into the third before a combination of bad luck and a little lack of discipline that conceded some soft frees and 50 metre penalties and the Saints had suddenly taken a 22 point lead in the time on period of the penultimate quarter.

But real fighters come back and the Dees did that with two goals late in the term. The Saints still led on points but the Demons were coming with twenty minutes of playing time to go!

The first five minutes of the last quarter was a slugfest and while the Saints appeared wobbly on their legs they managed to strike the first blow of the term with a goal after Aaron Davey's undisciplined retaliation saw him penalised with a 50-metre penalty.

The Demons however, were not done yet. They attacked and attacked and youngsters Matthew Bate and Brock, the hero, delivered striking blows before the skipper, who had missed three chances from close in early in the quarter, put the team in front with his fourth goal thanks to a brilliant pass from Davey who had spent a few minuted stewing on the bench after his earlier indiscretion. Then, Max Hudghton needlessly grabbed McLean around the neck and the resultant goal put the game beyond doubt - a technical knockout that was poetic justice given the one high tackle missed by the umpires in front of goal in the second quarter and the fact that throughout the evening Maxie spent most of his time hanging on to and constantly infringing against David Neitz (he gave away two frees to the Demon spearhead but it could just as easily have been half a dozen).

St. Kilda left the field dazed and bloodied but Melbourne remains a contender for the title. The Demons took the risk and went for youth while the Saints, on the other hand, went for the nursing home. The Saints might want to point to their injuries but the Demons were also affected badly by the loss of Whelan (shoulder) and second ruckman Mark Jamar (foot). Melbourne also needs more from some of its more experience players and leaders like Russell Robertson, Adem Yze and Brad Miller, who to his credit, came good in the last quarter.

The big question now is how far can the Demons go and whether they can win the flag. Most would doubt that they can make it but consider this:-

St. Kilda was eliminated from the AFL 2004 finals series by Port Adelaide who were the eventual premiers.

St. Kilda was eliminated from the AFL 2005 finals series by Sydney who were the eventual premiers.

And St. Kilda was elimated form the AFL 2006 finals series by Melbourne.

Melbourne 2.2.14 3.4.22 8.5.53 13.12.90

St Kilda 5.4.34 6.6.42 9.8.62 10.12.72

Goals Neitz 4 McLean 2 Bate Bruce McDonald Miller Pickett Robertson Yze

Best McLean Neitz Bruce Green McDonald White Carroll

Injuries Jamar (foot) Whelan (shoulder)

Reports - Nil

Umpires Rosebury, Schmitt, Goldspink

Crowd 67,528 at the MCG

[Guest engy]

Hi Whispering Jack,

great article and great use of Simon and Garfunkle's lyrics in reference to Brock McLean "in the clearing stands a boxer....!

Melboure last won a premiership in 1964, 24 year later in 1988 we lost to Hawthorn in the G.F, 12 years later we lost to Essendon in the G.F. 6 years later we are in another finals series.

And if your assement on defeating St.Kilda leading to Port Adelaide and Sydneys premierships is correct, we may be a Grand ol flag for the Dee in 2006...