1991 AFL finals series

1991 Australian rules football tournament December 2017 December 2017 The 1991 Australian Football League finals series was the 95th annual edition of the VFL/AFL final series, the Australian rules football play-off tournament staged to determine the winner of the 1991 AFL Premiership season. The series ran over four weekends in September 1991, culminating with the 1991 AFL Grand Final at Waverley Park on 28 September 1991. The McIntyre final five system, which had operated from 1972 until 1990, was replaced by the first McIntyre final six system. The following season, it was replaced by the second McIntyre final six system. Bracket n y Sep 8, Subiaco Oval WC 15.11 (101) 18.16 (124) Sep 7, Waverley Park 17.11 (113) 11.9 (75) Sep 8, Waverley Park 15.14 (104) StK 14.13 (97) Sep 14, Waverley Park 13.17 (95) 13.15 (93) Sep 15, Waverley Park WC 17.15 (117) 12.7 (79) Sep 21, Waverley Park 8.16 (64) WC 11.13 (79) Sep 28, Waverley Park 20.19 (139) WC 13.8 (86) Venues In terms of venues, the 1991 AFL finals series was historically significant for two reasons. First, due to ongoing construction of the Great Southern Stand at the MCG, all but one of the matches of the 1991 AFL finals series were contested at Waverley Park. This was the first time since 1945 that a VFL/AFL finals series was not played at the MCG. Second, the Qualifying final at Subiaco Oval marked the first time a VFL/AFL final had been played outside of Victoria. Week one (qualifying and elimination finals) First Elimination final (Melbourne vs Essendon) The opening match of the 1991 AFL finals series saw fifth-placed play sixth-placed in the First Elimination final at Waverley Park. This marked the 14th VFL/AFL final between the two clubs, having previously met in the 1959 VFL Grand Final, which was won by Melbourne. They had also met in Grand Finals in 1941, 1946, 1948 (with the third game resulting in the first drawn VFL Grand Final) and 1957, with Melbourne winning all except the 1946 decider. Teamshttps://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/129712 TEAMS AS SELECTED ON THURSDAY NIGHT State Library of Victoria The Football Record 80 25 Australian Football League 7 September 1991 33 _red_v_top _redsides 061A33 ff0000 Melbourne _redrightsash _redsides _hoops_black 000000 000000 FB0000 Essendon #CC2031 Melbourne Melbourne Football Club #061A33 5 Earl Spalding 41 Peter Rohde 8 Graeme Yeats 21 Steven Febey 3 Garry Lyon (c) 17 Brett Lovett 48 Darren Cuthbertson 29 Andrew Obst 18 Steven Stretch 15 Stephen Tingay 19 Darren Bennett 14 Rod Grinter 16 Andy Lovell 13 Allen Jakovich 27 Sean Wight 11 Jim Stynes (vc) 12 Todd Viney 24 Luke Beveridge 25 Simon Eishold 23 Kevin Dyson John Northey #CC2031 Essendon Essendon Football Club #000000 45 Shane Heard 5 Terry Daniher 22 Ed Considine 10 Gary O'Donnell 30 Kevin Walsh 26 Mark Thompson (vc) 11 Greg Anderson 9 Derek Kickett 17 Kieran Sporn 4 Gavin Wanganeen 32 Tim Watson (c) 12 Craig O'Brien 27 Simon Madden 24 Michael Werner 13 Michael Long 3 Paul Salmon 8 Darren Bewick 15 Alan Ezard 38 Paul Hills 39 David Johnston Kevin Sheedy Essendon lost Salmon before the match with groin and ankle strains,Atkinson & Atkinson (2009), p. 434 and was replaced in the side by Peter Somerville. There were no late changes to the Melbourne team. Match summary After Essendon had the better of the first half, Melbourne kicked thirteen goals to four in the second half to advance to the first semi-final. Allen Jakovich was on fire for the Demons with eight goals. Scorecard First elimination final 1.2 (8) 4.5 (29) 10.7 (67) 17.11 (113) H 5.6 (36) 7.7 (49) 9.9 (63) 11.9 (75) Waverley Park 7 September 1991 (2:08 p.m.) 46,032 Report Vernon, Sheehan Jakovich 8Lovell 4Beveridge 2Spalding, Stynes, Viney 1 4 Werner 2 Watson 1 Daniher, Kickett, Greg Anderson, Sporn, Hills Jakovich, Stynes, Lovell, Viney, Lovett, Lyon Anderson, Ezard, Kickett, Bewick, Werner Seven Network * This win marked 's fifth consecutive VFL/AFL Elimination final win. Second Elimination final (Geelong vs St Kilda) The Second Elimination final saw third placed play fourth placed StK at Waverley Park. Grand finalists two seasons prior, the Cats bounced back from a disappointing 1990, jumping into the Top Six after an important 40-point win against Hawthorn in Round 12 and spending much of the latter half of the season in second place behind West Coast. The Saints were the feel-good story of 1991, putting a difficult decade behind them and qualifying for their first VFL/AFL finals series since 1973. This was the second VFL/AFL final between the two clubs, having previously met in the 1968 First Semi-final, which was won by Geelong. Teams Geelong made some late changes to its team, as Damian Bourke (calf injury) and Tim Darcy (sore ankle) were ruled unavailable;http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122383062 Geelong shows grit and determination The Canberra Times 66 20,603 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 9 September 1991 25 May 2022 18 National Library of Australia their places were taken by Stephen Hooper and Mark Neeld. There were no late changes for St Kilda. The Cats still boasted a number of players in their team from the 1989 VFL Grand Final while the Saints had only three players in their team with finals experience, albeit with other clubs: Russell Morris, Stephen Newport and Tim Pekin. _thinwhitehoops _whitesides _hoops_white 1C3C63 1C3C63 1C3C63 Geelong _redwhiteblack _hoops_black_red ffffff 000000 ffffff St Kilda #4D2004 Geelong Geelong Football Club #FBBF15 1 Steve Hocking 20 Andrew Rogers 28 Tim Darcy 27 Andrew Bews 34 Trevor Spencer 29 Ken Hinkley 24 Trevor Poole 5 Gary Ablett 39 Jamie Lamb 37 Sean Simpson 26 Barry Stoneham (vc) 45 Andrew Wills 19 Neville Bruns 16 Billy Brownless 3 Mark Bairstow 30 Damian Bourke 7 Paul Couch 32 Garry Hocking 18 Sean Denham 12 Spiro Malakellis Malcolm Blight #000000 St Kilda St Kilda Football Club #1C3C63 26 Kain Taylor 2 Danny Frawley (c) 10 Paul Harding 41 Tim Pekin 12 Russell Morris 6 David Grant 35 Robert Harvey 1 Stephen Newport 29 Nathan Burke 15 Frank Coghlan 23 Stewart Loewe 7 Nicky Winmar 37 Dean Rice 4 Tony Lockett 5 Gilbert McAdam 50 Lazar Vidovic 27 Dean Greig 14 Danny Craven 44 Craig Devonport 19 Ricky Nixon Ken Sheldon Match summary Although Geelong had opted to kick with the wind first, it was St Kilda who opened the scoring, to the delight of their long-suffering supporters. After three misses, Gilbert McAdam kicked truly on the run from 40 metres at the 9-minute mark. Frank Coghlan and Tony Lockett added further majors soon after to push the Saints' lead to 21 points at the 12-minute mark, with the Cats still not having registered a score. Bill Brownless finally got Geelong on the scoreboard at the 14-minute mark, with a long set shot resulting in a behind. However, Russell Morris' short kick-in did not reach Lazar Vidovic in the back pocket, and the resulting pressure allowed Sean Denham to swoop on the ball and score the Cats' first goal from a tight angle. After the slow start, Geelong's midfield took control and with quick goals to Brownless (two) and veteran Neville Bruns, the Cats had seized the lead at the 18-minute mark. Lockett then had two chances to regain the lead for St Kilda but missed both set shots, the second one from barely ten metres. He would later blame himself for the Saints' loss.https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/09/the-joy-of-six-memorable-first-week-afl-finals 9 September 2016 Russell Jackson The Joy of Six: memorable first-week AFL finals The Guardian Soon after, Brownless added his third for the quarter to give Geelong a ten-point lead at the first change. In the second quarter, the Saints took full advantage of the breeze, kicking six unanswered goals to open up a 26-point lead. As in the opening term, McAdam kicked the first goal before Lockett went on a rampage, booting the next five goals (it would have been six if he had marked in the goal square from another brilliant pass by Nicky Winmar, just after kicking his sixth goal for the game) before Garry Hocking slammed through a much-needed goal for Geelong at the 27-minute mark. When the siren sounded for the main break several minutes later, the Saints held a 19-point lead. Momentum swung back and forth in a pulsating third quarter. With their season on the line, the Cats hit back hard; their defensive pressure lifted, Garry Hocking was pivotal in numerous attacking thrusts, and Brownless began reimposing himself up front. After a long set shot from Brownless hit the post, Denham was in the perfect position to crumb and snap the first goal of the second half. Brownless then converted consecutive set shots, and when Hocking snapped his second, Geelong had regained the lead by seven points. St Kilda then scored the next three goals - through successive goals to Lockett and one awarded to Ricky Nixon which Geelong defenders protested was touched - to take back a 10-point lead with 8 minutes remaining in the term. Both coaches had made a number of positional changes; Blight dragged Ablett, who had been ineffective, moved Trevor Spencer off Lockett and replaced him with Barry Stoneham, who had kept Stewart Loewe quiet, while Sheldon shifted Loewe into defence on Brownless and Paul Harding was relocated to centre half-forward to oppose Spencer at centre half-back. The lead changed hands as Lockett registered his ninth goal, but when Brownless won a free kick against Saints skipper Danny Frawley and got his seventh major, the Cats took a one-point lead into the last change after Loewe's rushed shot from 50 metres drifted wide on the siren. The last quarter was a tense and scrappy affair as tired players from both sides struggled to gain the advantage. Seven minutes had elapsed before Lockett had the first clear scoring chance of the term, which would have been his tenth goal for the match. Since the second quarter, he had kicked eight goals straight, but on this occasion a hooked set shot registered his fifth behind. After another rushed behind levelled the scores, the Cats worked the ball downfield where Paul Couch, who had been well tagged by Danny Craven, received a handball from Brownless and kicked truly from 50 metres to regain the lead. When Brownless slotted his eighth with nine minutes remaining, Geelong was in front by 13 points and looked home. St Kilda's hopes lifted briefly when Loewe finally scored his first goal with a magnificent kick from outside 50 to bring the margin back to eight points with six minutes left. Three minutes later, Dean Rice collected the ball in open space, but his running shot missed and would end up being the last score of the game. Any remaining hope the Saints had all but disappeared when Vidovic not only had a free kick for a mark reversed but was also reported by two umpires for striking Ken Hinkley, apparently in retaliation after copping some unwanted physical attention from Hinkley. From there, the Cats controlled the ball in their attacking half, running down the clock until the final siren sounded to end an enthralling contest. After the game, both coaches praised the other team's efforts and commented on the nature of the Final Six system: I was brought up with the fact that if you are in finals, you are only in them to win. One of the sides had to go and it's really a pity it was us. We take defeat on the chin and we learn from it, and we'll come out a better side next season. [...] It is to Geelong's credit that they will be participating further. They played a good brand of football and I think if they play like that they will give all the sides a run for their money andn they could nearly take it (the premiership) out. Ken Sheldon The Age Ron Carter 9 September 1991 Eagles face fight to survive 23 They (St Kilda) were terrific. Our strengths that should have been were not, and their players around the middle cut us to pieces and they gave Lockett tremendous chances. We had to turn the game around at half-time. It was a great last quarter from us - a real gutsy win. [...] It's almost criminal one side is out of it and we have two chances. The stakes are high. It's up to the football people to make sure that everybody gets a reasonable go at it (the premiership). I don't quite know if it's right. Malcolm Blight Scorecard Second Elimination Final 5.3 (33) 6.6 (42) 13.10 (88) 15.14 (104) H StK 3.5 (23) 9.7 (61) 13.9 (87) 14.13 (97) Waverley Park 8 September 1991 (2:08 p.m.) 63,796 Report Cameron, Sawers Brownless 8 Bruns, Denham, G Hocking 2 Couch 1 9 Lockett 2 McAdam 1 Coghlan, Loewe, Nixon Brownless, G Hocking, Stoneham, Bruns, Poole, Bairstow Lockett, Winmar, Harvey, McAdam, Craven, Devonport Nil Vidovic (striking) Malakellis (shoulder), Bourke (calf), Darcy (ankle) Grant (concussion), Burke (corked thigh) Seven Network Qualifying Final (West Coast vs Hawthorn) The Qualifying Final saw minor premier host second-placed at Subiaco Oval. Not only was it the first VFL/AFL final to be played outside of Victoria, it was also the first time the two clubs had met in a VFL/AFL final. The Hawks had qualified for their tenth consecutive VFL/AFL finals series, while the Eagles had built on their third-placed finish in 1990 and won the first 12 games of 1991 to eventually finish three games clear on top of the ladder. The sides had met twice during the season - in Round 7 at Princes Park and Round 22 at Subiaco Oval - with West Coast winning both games. The build-up of excitement during the week leading up to the match resulted in Perth being dubbed 'Eagle City'.Atkinson & Atkinson (2009), p.435 Teams _wceagles19h _goldsides _goldtop 062EE2 062EE2 062EE2 West Coast _brown_stripes_copia _goldsides FBBF15 823f00 FBBF15 Hawthorn #F3AB00 West Coast West Coast Eagles #002D88 10 Don Pyke 14 Michael Brennan (vc) 53 Ashley McIntosh 17 Guy McKenna 48 Glen Jakovich 24 John Worsfold (c) 2 Dean Kemp 28 Chris Lewis 30 Peter Matera 1 Brett Heady 19 Karl Langdon 7 Craig Turley 20 Paul Peos 4 Peter Sumich 13 Scott Watters 34 Dean Irving 5 Dwayne Lamb 36 David Hart 39 Chris Waterman 9 Peter Wilson Mick Malthouse#4D2004 Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club #FBBF15 17 Michael Tuck (c) 24 Chris Langford 7 Gary Ayres (vc) 1 Ray Jencke 2 Chris Mew 16 Andrew Gowers 18 Darrin Pritchard 11 Darren Jarman 15 Ben Allan 6 Tony Hall 23 Dermott Brereton 3 Anthony Condon 13 Paul Dear 19 Jason Dunstall 4 Andrew Collins 12 Stephen Lawrence 33 Paul Hudson 44 John Platten 10 Chris Wittman 35 James Morrissey Alan Joyce Match summary This historic occasion was also reflected in the attendance as over 44,000 spectators crammed into Subiaco Oval, a figure which remains the venue's attendance record for a VFL/AFL match.AFL Tables Crowds - Subiaco https://afltables.com/afl/crowds/vn_subiaco.html 7 July 2023 Leading up to the match, there had been criticism about the condition of Subiaco's playing surface, which had not been helped by the playing of two WAFL finals there the previous day.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122382740 Prospect of rain adds new twist to final The Canberra Times 66 20,602 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 8 September 1991 7 July 2023 17 National Library of Australia Furthermore, rain had been forecast to sweep through Perth on match day, however both coaches dismissed weather and conditions as an influential factor. Urged on by a parochial home crowd confident of a repeat result from Round 22, the Eagles threw everything at Hawthorn, but in a frenetic opening term the battle-hardened Hawks matched the home side blow for blow, with the lead changing hands seven times. When the dust settled for quarter time the Eagles led by only five points. The forecast rain arrived in the second quarter, turning an already rough playing surface into a boggy mess. Even though Hawthorn lost key forward Dermott Brereton in the 12th minute with what appeared a serious knee injury (later diagnosed as a strained medial ligament), Paul Dear proved to be a more than handy replacement. In a prelude to his Grand Final performance, Dear's mobility gave Hawthorn extra options in attack, while his strong marking and aggression at every contest brought his on-ball teammates into the game as the Hawks gradually wrestled control. At half-time they had kicked more accurately, In his report for The Age the following day, chief football writer Ron Carter noted that "[t]he perseverance and non-stop aggression at the ball in winning the qualifying final in Perth was reminiscent of the Hawks of old." Scorecard Qualifying Final 5.4 (34) 8.9 (57) 12.12 (84) 18.16 (124) A WC 6.3 (39) 7.4 (46) 11.9 (75) 15.11 (101) Subiaco Oval 8 September 1991 (3:00 p.m. AWST) 44,142 Report Russo, Goldspink 4 Dunstall 3 Hudson 2 Dear, Jarman, Platten 1 Allan, Brereton, Condon, Lawrence, Lawrence Sumich 3 Lewis, Wilson 2 Heady, Kemp, Langdon, Matera, McIntosh, Turley, Waterman 1 Turley, McKenna, Matera, Waterman, Watters, Lewis Lawrence, Condon, Platten, Pritchard, Allan, Dear Nil Nil Nil Brereton (strained medial ligament) Week two (Semi-finals) First Semi-final (West Coast v Melbourne) The First Semi-final saw West Coast travel to Waverley to host Melbourne on Sunday 15 September. This was the third time both sides had met in a final, with the ledger standing at one win each. It was also the second consecutive year the two teams had met in the first semi-final. Teams _wceagles19h _goldsides _goldtop 062EE2 062EE2 062EE2 West Coast _red_v_top _redsides 061A33 ff0000 Melbourne #F3AB00 West Coast West Coast Eagles #002D88 17 Guy McKenna 14 Michael Brennan (vc) 10 Don Pyke 39 Chris Waterman 48 Glen Jakovich 24 John Worsfold (c) 7 Craig Turley 13 Scott Watters 30 Peter Matera 1 Brett Heady 53 Ashley McIntosh 2 Dean Kemp 28 Chris Lewis 4 Peter Sumich 19 Karl Langdon 34 Dean Irving 5 Dwayne Lamb 36 David Hart 45 Andrew Lockyer 9 Peter Wilson Mick Malthouse#CC2031 Melbourne Melbourne Football Club #061A33 8 Graeme Yeats 41 Peter Rohde 5 Earl Spalding 17 Brett Lovett 30 Paul Bryce 29 Andrew Obst 21 Steven Febey 37 David Flintoff 15 Stephen Tingay 18 Steven Stretch 3 Garry Lyon (c) 48 Darren Cuthbertson 16 Andy Lovell 13 Allen Jakovich 19 Darren Bennett 11 Jim Stynes 12 Todd Viney 24 Luke Beveridge 25 Simon Eishold 23 Kevin Dyson John Northey Match summary Again, it was a step too far for Melbourne, with the Eagles winning comfortably. Scorecard First Semi-final WC 2.4 (16) 7.6 (48) 12.13 (85) 17.15 (117) H 4.2 (26) 5.4 (34) 8.4 (52) 12.7 (79) Waverley Park 15 September 1991 41,136 Report Chris Mitchell, Bryan Sheehan Heady, Irving, Sumich, Wilson 3 Hart, Jakovich, Kemp, Lewis, Turley Jakovich 4 Rohde 2 Beveridge, Cuthbertson, Spalding, Stynes, Viney Seven Network Second Semi-final (Hawthorn v Geelong) The Second Semi-final saw Hawthorn host Geelong at Waverley Park on Saturday 14 September. This was the fourth finals meeting between both sides, with Geelong holding a 2–1 advantage. Their previous finals meeting was the unforgettable 1989 VFL Grand Final, which Hawthorn had won by six points. During the 1991 AFL season, the two sides had met in Round 12, with Geelong emerging victorious by 40 points. Teams14 September 1991 TEAMS AS SELECTED ON THURSDAY NIGHT http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/129717 The Football Record AFL Media 33 State Library of Victoria 80 26 Hawthorn made only one change to the team that had beaten West Coast, with Robran in for the injured Brereton. Geelong made three changes, two of which were forced - with Gary Ablett Sr. suspended and Spiro Malakellis out for the rest of the finals due to a shoulder injury, while the serviceable ruckman Stephen Hooper made way for Damian Bourke, who had been a late withdrawal the previous week. Tim Darcy, the other late withdrawal, was also reinstated, along with young half-forward Michael Mansfield. _brown_stripes_copia _goldsides FBBF15 823f00 FBBF15 Hawthorn _thinwhitehoops _whitesides _hoops_white 1C3C63 1C3C63 1C3C63 Geelong #4D2004 Hawthorn Hawthorn Football Club #FBBF15 7 Gary Ayres (vc) 24 Chris Langford 4 Andrew Collins 17 Michael Tuck (c) 2 Chris Mew 1 Ray Jencke 16 Andrew Gowers 15 Ben Allan 18 Darrin Pritchard 33 Paul Hudson 13 Paul Dear 6 Tony Hall 11 Darren Jarman 19 Jason Dunstall 35 James Morrissey 12 Stephen Lawrence 3 Anthony Condon 44 John Platten 25 Matthew Robran 8 Dean Anderson Alan Joyce #000000 Geelong Geelong Football Club #1C3C63 22 Mark Neeld 20 Andrew Rogers 28 Tim Darcy 1 Steve Hocking 34 Trevor Spencer 24 Trevor Poole 37 Sean Simpson 7 Paul Couch 19 Neville Bruns 45 Andrew Wills 26 Barry Stoneham (vc) 29 Ken Hinkley 18 Sean Denham 16 Billy Brownless 27 Andrew Bews (c) 30 Damian Bourke 3 Mark Bairstow 32 Garry Hocking 21 Michael Mansfield 39 Jamie Lamb Malcolm Blight Match summary The match took place in perfect conditions.Atkinson & Atkinson (2009), p. 436 Hawthorn were playing with a slight breeze advantage, and in an eventful first quarter, Hall kicked the Hawks' first two goals before being stretchered off at the 20-minute mark of the term when Hinkley hit him with an elbow to the back of the head after Hinkley had handpassed the ball. Although not reported at the time of the incident, the AFL Tribunal would later suspend Hinkley for three weeks using trial by video.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122384794 AUSSIE RULES : Tribunal outs two Geelong players The Canberra Times 66 20,611 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 17 September 1991 18 June 2021 20 National Library of Australia Hawthorn's wasteful accuracy in front of goal threatened to undo its good work around the ground; only one goal had been generated from their first six scoring shots before former captain and veteran midfielder Bruns kicked Geelong's first goal against the run of play. Moments later, key forward Brownless was reported by field umpire Dore for striking Hawthorn captain Tuck with what appeared an innocuous clip around the collarbone area. The Cats closed the margin to four points when Garry Hocking finished off a desperate passage of play with a left-foot snap, but thereafter the Hawks controlled the rest of the quarter. Again their poor finishing let them down, only adding one more goal through Hudson and six further behinds to take a 16-point lead into the first change. Geelong struggled to make inroads in the second quarter as Hawthorn went into the main break having extended their advantage by a mere point. Hudson had a chance just before the siren to extend the lead to 23 points, but his set shot sailed out of bounds. Brownless had kicked two of the Cats' three goals in the quarter but was clearly hampered by hamstring problems. With Ablett out suspended, Geelong's coaching staff were forced to make a number of positional changes to rectify their problems in attack. The Cats were first on the scoreboard in the second half when Garry Hocking kicked his second goal at the 3-minute mark. He had just taken a running shot at goal which had missed, but was pushed in the back after his kick by Allan, and duly converted the subsequent free kick. Hawthorn replied when Dear kicked his second goal after five minutes of end-to-end action, but with Bairstow and Poole starting to get their hands on the ball and send it repeatedly into attack with long kicks, Geelong finally managed to string together successive goals. When the versatile Stoneham took a juggling mark and kicked truly at the 15-minute mark, the Cats had taken the lead for the first time that afternoon. Brownless, who had struggled with hamstring problems for several monthshttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122384410 Brownless not likely to play The Canberra Times 66 20,609 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 15 September 1991 19 June 2021 13 National Library of Australia and had been labouring against Langford, finally hobbled off and would not return. Hawthorn regained the lead when Dunstall, well held by Rogers, kicked his first goal, but the Cats answered quickly through goals to the lively Neeld and Bruns to lead by eight points. But the battle-hardened Hawks hit back when Dunstall and Robran goaled against the run of play to level the scores. Mansfield's set shot after the siren drifted wide to give Geelong a one-point lead at the last change. The final term was a tense and physical affair. Hawthorn took back the lead through goals to Dunstall and Pritchard. The game was then held up for several minutes, as Hinkley was stretchered off with concussion and a broken nose after being sandwiched in a marking contest which resulted in the Pritchard goal. Geelong captain Bews, who had just come off with a suspected broken hand, was forced to return to the field.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122384413 TIMES Sports : Hawks back in big arena The Canberra Times 66 20,609 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 15 September 1991 19 June 2021 13 National Library of Australia It was the Cats' turn to struggle in front of goal, kicking five behinds before Neeld snapped his third at the 19-minute mark to narrow the margin to two points. Meanwhile, Hawthorn was also having injury problems, with Pritchard limping and Mew slightly groggy after a collision with teammate Ayres. With time-on approaching, the Hawks gained breathing space when Jarman snapped an amazing goal from a tight angle, but a near-instant reply from Mansfield brought the margin back to one point with seven minutes remaining. The suspense in time-on was almost unbearable, with Geelong trying to regain the lead and Hawthorn holding on grimly. The Cats had a final chance when Poole found space to run with the ball and kick it long towards goal, only for the Hawthorn defence to rush a behind. A minute later, the final siren sounded with the Hawks ahead by two points, sending them straight through to the grand final and gaining a much-needed week's rest. Relieved Hawthorn coach Alan Joyce praised his side's effort: "They had to be at their full in every department and to their credit they did enough to win. We have got a fortnight to prepare for the grand final and that's what we set out to achieve." Geelong coach Malcolm Blight was disappointed with a number of players who had faltered under finals pressure: "There's a few blokes today who should have a good look at the way they play footy and the way they approach their football. That's what finals are [about]; trying to find out what you're made of."" Scorecard Second Semi-final 3.11 (29) 6.13 (49) 10.13 (73) 13.17 (95) H 2.1 (13) 5.2 (32) 11.8 (74) 13.15 (93) Waverley Park 14 September 1991 63,733 Report Dore, Russo Dunstall 3 Dear, Hall, Pritchard 2Hudson, Gowers, Robran, Jarman 1 3 G Hocking, Neeld 2 Brownless, Bruns, Mansfield 1 Stoneham Platten, Condon, Gowers, Langford, Mew, Allan Stoneham, Poole, G Hocking, Couch, S Hocking, Bairstow Brownless (striking) Hall (concussion), Mew (thigh) Brownless (hamstring), Bews (suspected broken hand), Hinkley (broken nose) Seven Network Week three (Preliminary final) The Preliminary final saw return to Waverley to host on Saturday 21 September. This was the first final between the two sides. Teams21 September 1991 TEAMS AS SELECTED ON THURSDAY NIGHT http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/129718 The Football Record AFL Media 33 80 27 _wceagles19h _goldsides _goldtop 062EE2 062EE2 062EE2 West Coast _thinwhitehoops _sides_on_white _3whitehoops 1C3C63 1C3C63 1C3C63 Geelong #F3AB00 West Coast West Coast Eagles #002D88 45 Andrew Lockyer 14 Michael Brennan (vc) 36 David Hart 17 Guy McKenna 53 Ashley McIntosh 24 John Worsfold (c) 10 Don Pyke 13 Scott Watters 30 Peter Matera 1 Brett Heady 4 Peter Sumich 28 Chris Lewis 34 Dean Irving 9 Peter Wilson 39 Chris Waterman 48 Glen Jakovich 7 Craig Turley 5 Dwayne Lamb 22 David Hynes 2 Dean Kemp Mick Malthouse #000000 Geelong Geelong Football Club #FBBF15 39 Jamie Lamb 20 Andrew Rogers 27 Andrew Bews (c) 1 Steve Hocking 26 Barry Stoneham (vc) 15 Marty Christensen 24 Trevor Poole 7 Paul Couch 19 Neville Bruns 32 Garry Hocking 34 Trevor Spencer 22 Mark Neeld 21 Michael Mansfield 28 Tim Darcy 8 Robert Scott 30 Damian Bourke 3 Mark Bairstow 43 Russell Merriman 10 Stephen Hooper 45 Andrew Wills Malcolm Blight After half-jokingly suggesting fifteen changes following Geelong's two-point loss the previous week, Blight ended up making only four changes to the side; two were forced, with Hinkley (three weeks) and Brownless (one week) suspended,Atkinson & Atkinson (2009), p.437 while Denham and Simpson were dropped, replaced by Christensen, Hooper, Merriman and Scott. For West Coast, David Hynes was a late withdrawal and replaced with Adrian Barich. There were no late changes for the Cats. Match summary In complete contrast to the previous week, this game was played in cold, wet and windy conditions, and the poor visibility meant the stadium floodlights had to be turned on ten minutes into the first quarter. Kicking against the wind, Geelong managed to score first through Stoneham and hold West Coast goalless until nearly the 15-minute mark. With Jakovich starting to win more ruck contests, the Eagles suddenly turned the game on its head, kicking three goals in as many minutes to go into the first break with a 22-point lead. Geelong coach Malcolm Blight would later label that moment the turning point of the game.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122385905 TIMES Sport : Sumich kills Cats' hopes and creates a curiosity – Eagles and Hawks face up again The Canberra Times 66 20,616 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 22 September 1991 17 June 2021 13 National Library of Australia In the second quarter, West Coast worked hard playing against the wind to score two goals to Geelong's one to extend their lead to 27 points at the main break. Geelong were lucky to have that one goal counted to them, as replays showed Mansfield had clearly hit the post with his scoring attempt. The Eagles further extended their lead to 34 points early in the third quarter when Sumich kicked his fourth. The game had now reached a critical point. Geelong, spurred on by experienced midfielders Bruns, Bairstow and Couch, fought back to cut the margin to 23 points at the last change. However, as they had done the previous week, the Cats let themselves down with poor finishing in front of goal in the final quarter. They drew the margin back to five points with goals to Neeld and Bairstow, but only after kicking seven behinds in the first 15 minutes. West Coast steadied when Sumich kicked his fifth and sixth goals, and when Hart kicked a running goal with little time left on the clock, Geelong's season was over. The Eagles, and coach Mick Malthouse, had made it to their first Grand final, and while they had shown they could win tight games under pressure, the fact that they had played two games in the space of six days at Waverley Park in difficult conditions had pundits wondering how quickly they would recover for the following week. Scorecard Preliminary Final WC 4.6 (30) 6.9 (45) 8.12 (60) 11.13 (79) H 1.2 (8) 2.6 (18) 5.7 (37) 8.16 (64) Waverley Park 21 September 1991 47,638 Dore, Sawers Sumich 6 Lewis 2 Hart, Heady, Jakovich 1 2 Neeld, Scott 1 Bairstow, Mansfield, Poole, Stoneham Heady, Jakovich, Sumich, McIntosh, Matera, Pyke Bairstow, Bruns, Stoneham, Scott, Couch Bourke (twisted ankle) Seven Network Week four (Grand Final) 1991 AFL Grand Final This marked the first time that had qualified for the grand final, as well as the first team from outside Victoria. were appearing in their eighth grand final in nine seasons. They had met previously in the Qualifying final. This would be the first, and only, VFL/AFL grand final to be staged at Waverley Park. Grand final 28 September (2:50 pm) 5.1 (31) 7.2 (44) 12.5 (77) 13.8 (86) Sumich 5 Heady 4 Lewis 2 Wilson, Pyke 1 McKenna, Pyke, Mainwaring, Heady, Sumich Wilson (corked thigh) Nil A 3.4 (22) 7.12 (54) 12.15 (87) 20.19 (139) 6 Dunstall4 Brereton2 Dear, Pritchard, Hudson1 Condon, Hall, Anderson, Morrissey Dear, Lawrence, Morrissey, Condon, Platten, Brereton, Mew, Ayres, Dunstall Nil Condon (striking), Lawrence (striking) Waverley Park 75,230 Report Sheehan, Russo Norm Smith Medal Paul Dear Seven Network Daryl Braithwaite Notes Note Subiaco Oval was discontinued as an AFL venue after the 2017 AFL season, and while the stands have been demolished, the oval is still used. The highest recorded attendance was over 52,000 for the 1979 WANFL Grand Final. References Bibliography Atkinson Graeme Brant Atkinson 2009 The Complete Book of AFL Finals 4th Scoresby, Victoria The Five Mile Press 9781742112756 External links 1991 AFL finals on AFL Tables Football Record - Season 1991 at State Library of Victoria website Category:1991 in Australian rules football Category:1991 AFL season