Preliminary Final 1996, Essendon vs. Sydney

Game Statistics


ESSENDON.......4.4  4.6  8.6  10.9  (69)
SYDNEY.........1.3  6.6  8.7  10.10 (70)

Goals:

ESSENDON: Hird 3, Alessio 2, Cockatoo-Collins, O'Donnell, Symons, Wallis, Blumfield 1.
SYDNEY: Lewis, Cresswell 3, Kelly 2, Lockett, Luff 1.

Crowd:

41,731 at the SCG.

Comment:

The season is over for the Dons in dramatic and disappointing end at the hands of the Swans. Tony Lockett won Sydney the match by marking on the final siren, and kicking a behind to break the dead-locked scores (after doing very little throughout the night). The Bombers were up by two goals with a few minutes to go, then Sydney were able to level the scores before the dramatic finish.

The Bombers started in terrific form, not letting Sydney near the ball for the majority of the first quarter. It looked like the Swans wouldn't even kick a goal for the term, as the Dons were up four goals to nil. Then a complete turnaround in form saw Essendon only add two points to their score during the second quarter. Sydney took control, kicking five goals to nothing and going into the long break up by two goals.

The Dons were able to get back into the match in the third term, kicking three quick goals near the end of the quarter, to be only a point behind at three quarter time. Then it was time for one of the most thrilling ends to a final ever seen. The Dons got the first two goals of the quarter, and looked set to take part in another Grand Final, with only three minutes of play remaining. Then the unthinkable happened, Sydney took full control of the game and through goals to Lewis in the goal square, and Cresswell further out, they had levelled the scores. Then Tony Lockett, who had struggled all game, marked the ball fifty metres out from goal with 18 seconds to go. As he was preparing to kick the siren went. So the situation was: any score and Sydney were through - the Dons were out. And then he sunk the boot in like he wasn't carrying any injury at all. A behind was registered. The Dons were out of the premiership race.

It was a heart breaking moment for all Essendon players and fans alike. After it looked like the match was won, Sydney came from nowhere to steal it. But, having said that, it would have been extremely difficult for the Bombers to get up in time for the Grand Final. North Melbourne are in blistering form, and the Dons sustained at least six injuries during the match (see the injury report below for details). Still, a win was definitely there for the taking.

The better players for Essendon's last game of the year were: James Hird, who has had one of the best seasons I've seen by any player, and will go into this week's Brownlow Medal the favorite; Barry Young, who played his heart out, and the emotion showed on his face after the game as he came off the ground; Gary O'Donnell and Ben Doolan both played excellent games around the ground, as did Joe Misiti when he came on; and Ricky Olarenshaw also played well.

Well, it's all over for another year. The Dons did very well to get this far, and to miss out on a Grand Final by only one point wasn't a bad effort in the end. Walking back to the hotel from the SCG on Saturday night, the crowd were carrying on like the Swans had just won the flag. And I think, perhaps, that the game was their Grand Final. The competition is truly national now, but I think it will take a miracle for the Swans to get up and beat North next week. For the Bombers it's time to look to next year (except for the reserves team), and many positives have come out of season 1996. Well that's the last senior match report from me, but next week I'll give a Grand Final wrap-up, especially featuring on the performance of the reserves. - Brad

From the Coach!

As suspected, there will not be any audio or video this week. Things didn't quite go as planned (in more ways than one). But next year we'll have a full system of video and audio each week.

From the Medical Room...

The most serious injury was sustained by Matthew Lloyd, who ruptured his spleen and was taken to hospital in Sydney. Dean Wallis did a hamstring, Sean Denham injured his back, Gavin Wanganeen split the webbing in his hand again, Darren Bewick strained his neck and Damien Hardwick suffered a bruised sternum. With all those injuries it would have been hard to field a team next week!

The Statistics for the Match:


Possessions    Kicks          Handballs      Marks
HIRD        25 HIRD        17 O'DONNELL   13 ALESSIO      7
O'DONNELL   25 HARDWICK    14 DENHAM      11 HIRD         7
HARDWICK    23 YOUNG       13 OLARENSHAW  11 YOUNG        7
OLARENSHAW  21 O'DONNELL   12 MISITI      10 WALLIS       6
DOOLAN      20 DOOLAN      12 HARDWICK     9 OLARENSHAW   5
MISITI      20 FLETCHER    11 HIRD         8 HARDWICK     5
YOUNG       19 OLARENSHAW  10 WANGANEEN    8 BLUMFIELD    5
DENHAM      17 MISITI      10 DOOLAN       8 HARVEY       3
WANGANEEN   17 BEWICK       9 COCKATOO-CO  7 SYMONS       3
DANIHER,C   15 WANGANEEN    9 HARVEY       7 FLETCHER     3

The Reserves Report

No reserves match this week. The Dons are playing next week in the Grand Final against North Melbourne (if the seniors had have won, the reserves and senior Grand Finals would have been fought out between the same two teams!). Scott Cummings' suspension is a worry for the team, plus the ineligibility of some of the players for having played too many senior games (or not enough reserves games). But the Dons blitzed North by 69 points a week ago, so they could give the Bombers a premiership yet.

The other finals...

NORTH MELBOURNE....17.12 (114)
BRISBANE...........11.10  (76)
North absolutely dominated the match, and ran out easy winners in the end. Sydney will be very hard pressed to get within ten goals of them next week, in what's sure to be yet another one sided Grand Final.

Next Week:

Unfortunately there is no next week, except for our reserves, who will play North for the flag. The seniors now look to next year...

Semi Final Grand Final (reserves) Return to Game Listing
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