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Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:43 pm
by haloman
I'm restricting this to games I've seen either Live at the ground or live on TV. For me there are only three I can think of but I'm sure there are heaps more.......

1989 VFL Grand Final Hawthorn vs Geelong

This was the game that got me hooked on footy. Ablett kicks 9 in the losing team and wins the Norm Smith. Brereton and Dippers heroics. Hamilton kicks a goal with 35 seconds left to bring the margin back to within a kick. That game had everything.

1997 Preliminary Final Western Bulldogs vs Adelaide.

Crows comming back from the dead. Jarman the hero. Libbers celebration when he kicked a point in the last quarter. (Greatest point celebration in football history.) Terry Wallace walking from the coaches box at games end looking for rock to crawl under. Maybe a little biased there but still a great game of footy right to the end.

1994 ANZAC Day Essendon vs Collingwood.

Have never baracked for either team but I bought the game on tape and still watch it from time to time. First ANZAC Day clash and it ended in a draw. Big Sav booted 7 and tied the game up with about minutes to play. Buckley vs Hird at the hieght of their powers. Awesome game of footy.

Probably should have put the 1999 Preliminary final between Essendon and Carlton in ahead of the Crows v Bulldogs game. What can I say I'm a Crows man. With that said I did also enjoy the 2007 Grand Final. :d :d :d

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:45 pm
by Dirko
The 89 GF Number one for sure.

I still smile about the 99 Prelim & Mad Dog Brown's tackle....

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:09 pm
by cripple
Best game i have been to in terms of atmosphere and fanatacism was this years anzac day clash. was right behind zaharkis when he had the game winning kick and it was amazing. The crowd was at fever pitch for the entire quarter and even sucked me into barracking for the bombers, in my crows jumper and all. Absolutely amazing.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:11 pm
by Dutchy
Roos/Bombers 99 or 2000 MCG both kicked over 140 points

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:12 pm
by JK
Port v Brisbane at AAMI, final Minor Round game of (maybe) 2002?

Essendon v Geelong in maybe 93' ... Ablett's 14 goals vs the Big Fish' 10, end to end shoot out, great stuff.

Roo's Bombers when Carey kicked 10 at the G including "that" goal

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:27 pm
by haloman
Constance_Perm wrote:Port v Brisbane at AAMI, final Minor Round game of (maybe) 2002?

Essendon v Geelong in maybe 93' ... Ablett's 14 goals vs the Big Fish' 10, end to end shoot out, great stuff.

Roo's Bombers when Carey kicked 10 at the G including "that" goal


Port v Brisbane game was a good one.........was that the first of two draws in a row between them?

I remember that Essendon v Geelong game. Ablet kick 14 and the cats lost by 3 or 4 goals :shock:

I forgot one between Collingwood and West Coast. Think it was the 1990 Prelim Final with Sumich missing in the goal square and it ending up in a draw. I think that was right anyway.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:28 pm
by FlyingHigh
Constance_Perm wrote:Essendon v Geelong in maybe 93' ... Ablett's 14 goals vs the Big Fish' 10, end to end shoot out, great stuff.



Also about this time was the Essendon/WCE jacket-waving game. PLus some great contests between WCE and NM. These years 93-95 seemed to be some of the best footy - old-style contested, going-forward type of footy but with rapid advances in skill level as players started to bceome professional.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:31 pm
by JK
haloman wrote:
Constance_Perm wrote:Port v Brisbane at AAMI, final Minor Round game of (maybe) 2002?

Essendon v Geelong in maybe 93' ... Ablett's 14 goals vs the Big Fish' 10, end to end shoot out, great stuff.

Roo's Bombers when Carey kicked 10 at the G including "that" goal


Port v Brisbane game was a good one.........was that the first of two draws in a row between them?

I remember that Essendon v Geelong game. Ablet kick 14 and the cats lost by 3 or 4 goals :shock:

I forgot one between Collingwood and West Coast. Think it was the 1990 Prelim Final with Sumich missing in the goal square and it ending up in a draw. I think that was right anyway.


The Port v Brissy game was the one where Roger James kicked the winning goal from the pocket.

Forgot about the WC v Coll game, was that the one where Daicos kicked that ridiculous Checkside goal?

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:34 pm
by haloman
Constance_Perm wrote:
haloman wrote:
Constance_Perm wrote:Port v Brisbane at AAMI, final Minor Round game of (maybe) 2002?

Essendon v Geelong in maybe 93' ... Ablett's 14 goals vs the Big Fish' 10, end to end shoot out, great stuff.

Roo's Bombers when Carey kicked 10 at the G including "that" goal


Port v Brisbane game was a good one.........was that the first of two draws in a row between them?

I remember that Essendon v Geelong game. Ablet kick 14 and the cats lost by 3 or 4 goals :shock:

I forgot one between Collingwood and West Coast. Think it was the 1990 Prelim Final with Sumich missing in the goal square and it ending up in a draw. I think that was right anyway.


I think that goal Dacois Kicked was in the replay from memory. The AFL changed it's rules after that season with only the GF requiring a replay and all other finals going to extra time.

The Port v Brissy game was the one where Roger James kicked the winning goal from the pocket.

Forgot about the WC v Coll game, was that the one where Daicos kicked that ridiculous Checkside goal?

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:41 pm
by Brock Landers
Sydney v West Coast grand final in '05

I still remember watching the Hawthorn v Geelong '89 grand final with my dad as an 8 year old so it must've been a pretty good game.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:48 pm
by saintal
As much as the result hurt, the best game that I've been in attendance at was the 2004 Prelim at Footy Park.

Guerra having one final lunge to soccer through an equaliser, only for the ball to be bottled up in the saints forward pocket for the final minute of play.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:58 pm
by bulldogs
1977 GF Nth Melb v Colliwobbles MK1

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:01 pm
by gadj1976
SJABC wrote:The 89 GF Number one for sure.

I still smile about the 99 Prelim & Mad Dog Brown's tackle....


99 Prelim for me too. I was there, got a ticket in the midst of a heap of Essendon people, down the end where they were kicking in the third and making a huge comeback. They were giving it to me in the 3rd, but certainly went quiet in the last.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:07 pm
by Wedgie
Easily the 94 Prelim (sorry Dutchy) when Ablett won it with a kick after the siren after being creamed most of the day by Mick Martin. Most amazing game of footy and the end to end stuff late in the last when both sides were stuffed was unbelievable.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:08 pm
by Baron Greenback
Dutchy wrote:Roos/Bombers 99 or 2000 MCG both kicked over 140 points



Agreed.
Easily the best game I've seen.

Rounding out the top 5:
2002 - Port v Brisbane. Was at that game and was left shattered after Roger James' kick. But a bloody good game nevertheless.
2009 - Essendon v Adelaide. Once again at the game and it was a great shootout with both sides playing attacking football in a defensive era.
2005 - Sydney v West Coast GF. A lot of people thought this match was tedious, but I was glued to the TV all game. Leo Barry's mark was unreal in the context of the match and season.
2001 - Brisbane v Essendon. The famous "if it bleeds we can kill it" match. I have it at home on DVD and was where it all started for the Lions threepeat.

Unlucky to miss out: 1989 GF Hawthorn v Geelong, 1997 PF Adelaide v Western Bulldogs.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:13 pm
by Dutchy
SJABC wrote:I still smile about the 99 Prelim & Mad Dog Brown's tackle....


And I smiled a week later 8)

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:15 pm
by JK
The early-mid 90's final between the Cats and the Bullies which is mostly only remembered for Bill Brownless' winning goal after the siren, was actually an excellent spectacle throughout IIRC.

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:26 pm
by Wedgie
Constance_Perm wrote:The early-mid 90's final between the Cats and the Bullies which is mostly only remembered for Bill Brownless' winning goal after the siren, was actually an excellent spectacle throughout IIRC.

I was at that one also, it was before the prelim I mentioned but wasn't quite as good as a spectacle and the drama wasn't as high because unlike the GF spot and end of the season that the Prelim carried the QF actually counted for nothing the way the finals were structured. Was great at the time for Billy though. :)
I still have both games recorded and occasionally pull them out.*

Another good Cats one was Riccardi's 55 metre goal after the siren against Carlton. Loved that win after the little peanut that dived down the other end to cheat and put his team in front. :D

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:28 pm
by JK
Wedgie wrote:Loved that win after the little peanut that dived down the other end to cheat and put his team in front. :D


Matty Lappin???

Re: Best AFL/VFL Game of all Time.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:52 pm
by rod_rooster
haloman wrote:Libbers celebration when he kicked a point in the last quarter. (Greatest point celebration in football history.)


For comedic value then yes but the Swans celebration after Lockett kicked the point after the siren to win the Prelim over Essendon in 1996 is surely hard to top.