Grand Final 2006

Sydney v West Coast
Grand Final, 2006

The players on the dais. Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Date

Sat, 30 September 2006 (2:30 PM EST)

Venue

MCG

Attendance

97,431

Result

Won by 1

Score

WCE 12.13.85 - 12.12.84 SYD

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In a sequel that was just as good as the original (thanks Huddo) West Coast won their third premiership and avenged the previous year's heartbreaking loss to Sydney. The Eagles had the better of Sydney in the first half, building up a solid 25 point lead by halftime. More than half that buffer had been erased by the final change, and when Adam Goodes goaled within seconds of the start of the fourth term it was game on. The Swans scrapped their way within a point but never drew level thanks to some moments of brilliance by the Eagles' charges, including Daniel Chick's memorable smother-handball-shepherd and some big defensive marks by Andrew Embley. Sydney kicked the final goal to get within a point and were pushing into attack when the final siren sounded, with the ball being thrown in close to the spot of Leo Barry's famous mark 12 months previously. Embley was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his 26 possessions and two goals, and Chris Judd (28 possessions, 8 clearances and a goal) and Dean Cox (20 possessions, 34 hitouts) would also have been worthy winners.

Summary[]

		1/4 time		1/2 time		3/4 time		Final
Sydney		1.4.10		4.6.30		8.11.59		12.12.84
West Coast		4.2.26		8.7.55		10.10.70		12.13.85

Goals: Lynch 3, Cousins, Embley, Hansen 2, Armstrong, Hunter, Judd

Best: Embley, Chick, Judd, Glass, Lynch, Selwood, Braun, Cox, Cousins, Kerr

Injuries: Nil

Milestones: Banfield final appearance

Named sides[]

	West Coast				Sydney
B:	Selwood	Glass	Wirrpanda	B:	Malceski	Barry	Richards
HB:	B.Jones	Hunter	Waters	HB:	C.Bolton	Roberts-Thomson	Kennelly
C:	Braun	Cousins	Embley	C:	Ablett	Kirk	Buchanan
HF:	Chick	Hansen	Stenglein	HF:	J.Bolton	O'Loughlin	O'Keefe
F:	Fletcher	Lynch	R.Jones	F:	Mathews	Hall	Schneider
R:	Cox	Judd	Kerr	R:	Jolly	Goodes	McVeigh
I:	Armstrong	Banfield	Butler	I:	Davis	Dempster	Doyle
	Seaby				Fosdike
E:	Graham	Rosa	Staker	E:	Spriggs	Bevan	Vogels

In: Wirrpanda

Out: Graham

From the papers[]

The West Australian[]

"Glass' dourness and the steadiness of Chick and Banfield blended magnificently with the back-line work of Beau Waters, Adam Selwood and Brett Jones.

Though the silk section of the midfield provided opportunities to win the game, a defiant defence did the same amount of work to save it.

This year's premiership battle was almost a mirror-image of last year, with Sydney staging the fightback to almost steal the game whereas in 2005 West Coast were forced to claw their way back.

The difference between the two outcomes is reflected in the stats sheets. West Coast's contribution goes deep down the list of players, with men like Chick, Glass and Banfield rated in the bottom five but still having an enormous impact."

The Sunday Age[]

"A withering run from Daniel Kerr and clever snap from Steven Armstrong gave West Coast a seven-point buffer, cut back to the barest of margins again immediately when the hard-working Ryan O'Keefe slipped a tackle, and a long, speculative left boot bounced over desperate Eagle clutches.

What happened next was perhaps the Leo Barry moment of the 2006 grand final. Deep in attack, Eagle Daniel Chick brilliantly smothered the attempted clearing kick of O'Keefe, recovered to take possession, and handball to Adam Hunter, who ran into to boot West Coast's final goal of the game, and make it seven points once more.

Still Sydney would not die, Nick Malceski's snap curling back to bring the Swans within one point again with about 21/2minutes to play. And the final moments of the season said it all: desperate bodies from either side throwing themselves headlong at ball and man, the consequence of every possession, every lunge, every step never greater.

Like last year, it was a denouement of almost unbearable tension. Like last year, the game ended with the ball deep in the scoring territory of the trailing team, one that had fought back from deep trouble to almost pinch victory. Only the roles had been reversed."