2006 AFL Grand Final

Grand final of the 2006 Australian Football League season 2006 AFL finals series January 2021 December 2017 AFL 2006 2006 AFL Grand Final Logo.jpg 300px Pre-match entertainment before the game. Giant banners were unfurled featuring the colours and emblems of all 16 clubs of the 2006 AFL premiership season. 50px WCE 50pxWC SYD 4.2 (26) 8.7 (55) 10.10 (70) 12.13 (85) 1.4 (10) 4.6 (30) 8.11 (59) 12.12 (84) 12.12 (84) 12.13 (85) 30 September 2006 Melbourne Cricket Ground 97,431 WC Michael Vozzo (2), Brett Allen (10), Darren Goldspink (32) West Coast City End Brian Mannix, John Paul Young, Sean Kelly, Daryl Braithwaite, Shane Howard and Irene Cara Brian Mannix, John Paul Young, Daryl Braithwaite and Shane Howard Andrew Embley (WC) John Worsfold Network 10 Stephen Quartermain (Host)Anthony Hudson (Commentator)Robert Walls (Expert Commentator)Malcolm Blight (Expert Commentator)Neil Cordy (Boundary Rider)Tim Gossage (Boundary Rider) 2005 2007 The 2006 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 2006. It was the 110th annual grand final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League),In 1897 and 1924 there were no grand finals and instead the premier was decided by a finals play-off. In 1948 and 1977 there were grand final replays after initial draws. staged to determine the premiers for the 2006 AFL season. The match, attended by 97,431 spectators, was won by West Coast by a thrilling one point, earning the club its third premiership. Background 2006 AFL season This was the second consecutive year that these two teams played in the premiership decider, with the Swans having won the 2005 AFL Grand Final by a margin of 4 points. At the conclusion of the home and away season, West Coast had finished first on the AFL ladder with 17 wins and 5 losses, winning the McClelland Trophy. Sydney had finished fourth with 14 wins and 8 losses. In the week leading up to the grand final, Sydney's Adam Goodes was awarded the Brownlow Medal. Pre-match entertainment Prior to the match, at 10:00 a.m. the TAC Cup grand final was played. The Red Berets parachuted into the MCG delivering the match balls, followed by a team warm up and the beginning of pre-match entertainment. The entertainment included a performance of the song "Flashdance (What A Feeling)", performed by Irene Cara, as well as appearances from Brian Mannix, John Paul Young, Daryl Braithwaite and Shane Howard (lead singer of Goanna). The medley of songs they performed included "Solid Rock", Yesterday's Hero", "The Horses", "Everybody Wants to Work" and "I Hear Motion". Match summary thumb|275px|right|The Sydney cheer squad celebrate a goal West Coast started the better, and outplayed the Swans in the first half and led by a convincing 25 points at half time. The Swans fought back in the third quarter and the margin was just 11 points at 3/4 time. Goodes goaled within the first 15 seconds of the last quarter and the margin was suddenly less than a kick. It was goal-for-goal in one of the most intense final quarters of modern grand final history, with West Coast hanging on by a single point to win its first premiership since 1994 and avenge its heartbreaking four-point loss to the Swans in the previous year's grand final. It was the fifth consecutive match between the two teams to be decided by less than a goal, and the first grand final to be decided by a point since St Kilda defeated Collingwood in the 1966 VFL Grand Final. The match has been labelled as a 'classic'.Jim Main, Aussie Rules: For Dummies (2nd edition, 2008) p 10. Grand Final Sprint The Grand Final Sprint, which had heats ran before the pre-match entertainment and the final ran during the half-time break, was won by Carlton's Brendan Fevola. The 2006 Grand Final saw the first use of handicaps during the sprint. Norm Smith Medal +Norm Smith Medal voting tallyPositionPlayerClubTotal votesVote summary1st (winner)Andrew EmbleyWest Coast Eagles103,3,3,12ndBrett KirkSydney Swans82,2,2,23rdDean CoxWest Coast Eagles63,1,1,14thDaniel KerrWest Coast Eagles335thTadhg KennellySydney Swans226thBeau WatersWest Coast Eagles11 Andrew Embley was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for being judged the best player afield. He recorded 26 disposals, 6 marks, and 2 goals. Also polling votes were Brett Kirk (27 disposals and 9 tackles), Dean Cox (20 disposals and 34 hitouts), Daniel Kerr (20 disposals and 5 tackles), Tadhg Kennelly (21 disposals), and Beau Waters (26 disposals and 10 marks). The voters and their choices were as follows:Andrew Embley Wins Norn Smith Medal https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/andrew-embley-wins-norn-smith-medal.272676/ 2020-07-26 BigFooty 30 September 2006 en-US Voter Role3 votes2 votes1 voteRohan ConnollyThe AgeAndrew EmbleyBrett KirkDean CoxMark MaclureABCDaniel KerrBrett KirkDean CoxJenny McAseyThe AustralianAndrew EmbleyBrett KirkDean CoxMike SheahanHerald SunAndrew EmbleyTadhg KennellyBeau WatersRay WilsonThe West AustralianDean CoxBrett KirkAndrew Embley Match scoring records The 2006 grand final placed Sydney vs West Coast games further in the VFL/AFL record books for closeness, with the five most recent margins up to and including this game standing at 4, 4, 2, 1 and 1. With 12 points' total difference across five games, Sydney vs West Coast comprehensively beat the previous five-game record of 19 points, set by Hawthorn versus Collingwood in 1958–60. They also became the seventh pair of teams in VFL/AFL history (and the second in 2006 after Geelong vs Western Bulldogs) to contest two consecutive one-point games. These records were further improved in the grand final rematch in Round 1, 2007, which was again decided by a single point, giving the pair the record for four games, five games and six games (5 points, 9 points and 13 points, respectively),How can a 1-point game go from 9 points to 13 in a single game? December 2022December 2022 and positioning them equal second for three games behind Brisbane vs Port Adelaide (2 points, 1997–98) and Hawthorn vs Footscray (3 points, 1956–57). Scorecard Grand final Saturday, 30 September (2:30 pm) 1.4 (10) 4.6 (30) 8.11 (59) 12.12 (84) O'Loughlin, Davis 3 Mathews, Roberts-Thomson, Goodes, Schneider, O'Keefe, Malceski 1 Fosdike, Richards, Kennelly, O'Loughlin, McVeigh, Kirk, Goodes Ablett (shoulder) Nil A 4.2 (26) 8.7 (55) 10.10 (70) 12.13 (85) 3 Lynch2 Embley, Hansen, Cousins1 Judd, Armstrong, Hunter Embley, Chick, Judd, Glass, Lynch, Selwood, Braun, Cox, Cousins, Kerr Nil Nil MCG 97,431 Vozzo, Allen, Goldspink Norm Smith Medal Andrew Embley () Network 10 Brian Mannix, John Paul Young, Daryl Braithwaite and Shane Howard Post-match presentation The post-match presentation was carried out by Craig Willis. The Jock McHale Medal was presented by former St. Kilda and Hawthorn Premiership coach Allan Jeans to the 2006 Premiership coach John Worsfold. The Norm Smith Medal was presented by former Essendon player and 1984 winner Billy Duckworth to 2006 winner Andrew Embley. The premiership cup was presented by former West Coast Eagle two-time premiership player Glen Jakovich. International telecasts The following television networks covered the event: Papua New Guinea – EM TV, Australia Network New Zealand – SKY Sport 1 Southeast Asia – Australia Network Middle East – Australia Network Israel – Fox Sports Israel Indian subcontinent – Australia Network North America/United States – Setanta Sports North America, MHz Worldview Canada – Fox Sports World Canada United Kingdom – British Sky Broadcasting Ireland – TG4 Spain – Canal+ Spain Grand final week Brownlow Medal 2006 Brownlow Medal The 2006 Charles Brownlow Medal Presentation was held at the Palladium at Crown Casino, Melbourne, on 25 September 2006. The Charles Brownlow Medal is awarded to the "Best and Fairest" AFL Player of the year. It is selected by a 3–2–1 voting system awarded by the umpires of each match for the whole year (excluding finals and pre-season). The winner of the 2006 Brownlow Medal was Adam Goodes, the Sydney Swans utility who was playing in the grand final later that week. It was his second and final Brownlow Medal of his career. + 2006 Charles Brownlow Medal Results Place Player Votes 1st Adam Goodes 26 2nd Scott West 23 3rdDaniel Kerr was ineligible for 3rd place, even though he polled 22 votes, due to suspension. Chris Judd 21 Grand final parade The grand final parade took place on Friday 29 September 2006 and commenced on St Kilda Road, and ending at Spring Street. The crowd was officially estimated at fifty thousand people. thumb|650px|center|Some of people who lined the streets of Melbourne for the 2006 AFL Grand Final parade Teams _swans19h _whitesides _hoops_red ffffff ff0000 ffffff Sydney _wceagles19h _goldsides _goldtop 062EE2 062EE2 062EE2 West Coast 9 Nick Malceski 21 Leo Barry 25 Ted Richards 6 Craig Bolton 30 Lewis Roberts-Thomson 17 Tadhg Kennelly 20 Luke Ablett 31 Brett Kirk (c) 32 Amon Buchanan 24 Jude Bolton 19 Michael O'Loughlin 5 Ryan O'Keefe 4 Ben Mathews 1 Barry Hall 13 Adam Schneider 16 Darren Jolly 37 Adam Goodes 3 Jarrad McVeigh 2 Nick Davis 26 Sean Dempster 15 Stephen Doyle 12 Nic Fosdike Paul Roos WC 37 Adam Selwood 23 Darren Glass 44 David Wirrpanda 38 Brett Jones 39 Adam Hunter 8 Beau Waters 10 Michael Braun 9 Ben Cousins 32 Andrew Embley 17 Daniel Chick 29 Ashley Hansen 5 Tyson Stenglein 7 Chad Fletcher 21 Quinten Lynch 18 Rowan Jones 20 Dean Cox 3 Chris Judd (c) 4 Daniel Kerr 35 Steven Armstrong 6 Drew Banfield 26 Sam Butler 14 Mark Seaby John Worsfold List 2006 AFL Grand FinalWC(12.12)84 – 85(12.13) PositionPlayerPoss. PossessionsGoalsForwardAdam Schneider141Barry Hall12Nic Fosdike20Half-ForwardRyan O'Keefe151Michael O'Loughlin103Jude Bolton10CentreAmon Buchanan15Brett Kirk27Luke Ablett5Half-BackTadhg Kennelly21Lewis Roberts-Thomson81Craig Bolton10BackTed Richards17Leo Barry11Nick Malceski101RoverJarrad McVeigh9FollowerDarren Jolly5Adam Goodes221InterchangeBen Mathews101Nick Davis113Sean Dempster7Stephen Doyle6Coach:Paul RoosPositionPlayerPoss. PossessionsGoalsForwardSteven Armstrong81Quinten Lynch113Mark Seaby2Half-ForwardDaniel Chick10Ashley Hansen112Tyson Stenglein23CentreAndrew Embley262Ben Cousins182Michael Braun22Half-BackBeau Waters26Adam Hunter221Brett Jones16BackDavid Wirrpanda13Darren Glass10Adam Selwood26RoverDaniel Kerr20FollowerDean Cox20Chris Judd281InterchangeDrew Banfield9Sam Butler14Chad Fletcher25Rowan Jones13Coach:John Worsfold Aftermath West Coast's premiership victory was the eighth time in ten years, and the sixth consecutive year dating back to 2001, that a non-Victorian club had won the premiership, prompting then-AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou order an investigation into the under-performance of the Victorian clubs in the competition; at that point, was the last Victorian club to win a flag, in 2000, and was the last Victorian club to play in a grand final, in 2003.https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/nsw/demetriou-victorian-clubs-need-help-ng-8e41746da1ae0a78102cf3ad6261be8d Demetriou: Victorian clubs need help PerthNow Jon Ralph Kelvin Healey News Corp Australia 27 May 2007 6 October 2023https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-05-27/interstate-afl-dominance-leads-to-investigation/2560448 Interstate AFL dominance leads to investigation ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 27 May 2007 6 October 2023 This trend since changed, and in the twenty subsequent seasons (2007–2026), only three non-Victorian clubs – Sydney (2012), West Coast (2018) and Brisbane (2024, 2025, 2026) – have won the premiership.https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/news/1226487/remember-when-2012-grand-final Remember when .. 2012 Grand Final Sydney Swans Peter Blucher 22 September 2022 6 October 2023https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-29/eagles-snatch-epic-grand-final-win-over-magpies/10320770 AFL grand final: West Coast beats Collingwood by five points at the MCG in classic decider ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Andrew McGarry 29 September 2018 6 October 20232025-09-27 Lion hearted: Brisbane's second-half blitz seals back-to-back flags https://www.afl.com.au/news/1431050 2026-09-15 afl.com.au enHorn Jonathan 2024-09-28 Brisbane Lions crush Sydney Swans by 60 points in grand final to win fourth AFL flag https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/sep/28/afl-grand-final-results-sydney-swans-vs-brisbane-lions-match-report 2026-09-15 The Guardian en-GB 0261-3077https://www.afl.com.au/news/1621721/match-report-brisbane-lions-beat-fremantle-dockers-in-epic-grand-final The Unstoppables: Lions come from nowhere to win epic GF, break Freo hearts Australian Football League Callum Twomey 26 September 2026 26 September 2026 See also 2006 AFL season 2006 AFL finals series References Category:VFL/AFL Grand Finals Grand Final Category:West Coast Eagles Category:Sydney Swans