The Australian Football League has given us some unbelievable moments in sporting history – many of them in the nail-biting Grand Final. Here are the five moments in AFL Grand Finals that prove that Aussie really does rule.
St Kilda and Collingwood Draw For A Grand Final Replay
2010 was a cracking year final as St Kilda and Collingwood came to a draw on 25th September, and following tradition, a replay was set for 2nd October. This wasn’t spared a debate, with the two captains, Collingwood’s Nick Maxwell and Nick Riewoldt of St Kilda, stating that they’d rather have played extra time. However, it paid off for Collingwood big time as they went on to win the Grand Final Replay by 108 to 52.
Robert DiPierdomenico Suffers A Punctured Lung
In the 1989 AFL Grand Final, Hawthorn’s Robert DiPierdomenico AKA Dipper, played on with a punctured lung in the first quarter against Geelong. Now that’s dedication.
Leo Barry Wins It For Sydney By Four Points
With Sydney leading by just four points, Leo Barry guaranteed them the 2005 win by taking a mark in the middle of a bunch of angry West Coast players, denying them the chance to kick a winning goal.
Coach Mark Williams Celebrates Port Adelaide’s First AFL Win
We love it when a coach throws a hissy fit ‘cause things didn’t go his way, but we love it even more when a coach celebrates a win just as much as his players. When Port Adelaide won their first ever AFL against the Brisbane Lions in 2004, coach Mark Williams referenced not only Allan Scott’s comment that the club couldn’t win under Williams, but also their reputation as chokers by pretending to choke himself with his own tie.
Peter Matera Kicks A 60-Metre Goal
He was a pivotal part of the West Coast Eagles’ win against Geelong in 1992 with five goals and 18 touches, but Matera’s moment of the match was undoubtedly his right-foot goal from 60 metres. An absolute stunner.
Image courtesy of Jimmy Harris
