Yes it’s over! The 109th Australian Football League (AFL) season Premiership Cup has been won by the Sydney Swans.
By now most Australians would have heard that the victorious Swans, cup in hand, returned to Sydney. They were greeted by thousands of adoring fans at the SCG, while the Swan’s flag flew over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Monday.
“Can we create a dynasty? I don’t know. I know it takes a lot of hard work, and all I want to do now is enjoy it,” said Paul Roos, Sydney’s coach.
For those who aren’t privy to the result, the mentally tough Swans defeated a brave West Coast Eagles outfit that nearly pinched the premiership, in the low-scoring contest by just four points. The Swans win, broke the AFL’s longest premiership drought streak.
In the closest, and by far, the best Grand Final since the 1977 drawn match between Collingwood and North Melbourne, the Sydney Swans 8.10. (58) defeated West Coast Eagles 7.12. (54).
The crowd of 91,898 at the game, and an estimated average television audience of 3.4 million, and a peak of 4 million people Australia-wide (in Sydney, almost one million) according to Network Ten, spent the afternoon watching the match.
Coming into the game we saw two very different preparations. It was, West Coast’s dominant mid-field against Sydney’s strong defensive backs and classy forwards. The Swan’s road weary yet settled list (just one change in the last eight weeks), against the Eagles injury riddled list that had played its last three matches over four weeks at home.
The final AFL match for 2005 was punctuated by pressured and un-pressured errors, spectacular high marking and silky ball skills for both sides. Every stoppage and contest was critical and any unforced error could be attributed to the outcome.
With 10 seconds to go, Sydney a kick in front on the scoreboard, and Dean Cox, the West Coast All-Australian ruckman, booted the ball deep into attack. The game could have gone either way. Incredibly, everything now hung on the result of this single contest.
Scorched into AFL history was the most memorable moment of the match. Sydney’s All-Australian defender, Leo Barry emerged from a cluster of seven players, 20 metres from goal, ball in hand, and fans screaming. Barry had leapt and marked the ball cleanly – five seconds on the clock. As he went back for his kick the siren sounded on deaf ears, a few ticks later the Swan team-mates knew they’d won 2005’s cup.
“It’s my greatest moment in Football. I’m ecstatic about what’s happened but it’s hard to quantify (the importance to Sydney). It puts an exclamation mark on the Sydney Swans,” said Roos.
West Coast’s Chris Judd was deservedly awarded ‘best on ground’ and received the normally coveted Norm Smith Medal. Most agree they’d trade the Norm Smith for a Premiership medallion.
Ben Cousins, 2005’s Brownlow Medallist and the captain of the West Coast Eagles, was gallant in defeat. While congratulating Sydney, the All-Australian mid-fielder reminded his team-mates, “This isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.”
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