1995 AFL Grand Final

1995 AFL Grand Final

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the 1995 AFL Grand Final took place.

Carlton

Geelong
21.15 (141) 11.14 (80)
1 2 3 4
CAR 4.5 (29) 10.8 (68) 16.11 (107) 21.15 (141)
GEE 2.4 (16) 3.10 (28) 6.12 (48) 11.14 (80)
Date 30 September 1995
Stadium Melbourne Cricket Ground
Attendance 93,670
Ceremonies
Pre-match entertainment Tina Arena
Accolades
Norm Smith Medallist Greg Williams (Carlton)
Jock McHale Medallist David Parkin
Broadcast in Australia
Network Seven Network
Commentators Sandy Roberts and Ian Robertson
 1994 AFL Grand Final 1996 

The 1995 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Geelong Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 1995. It was the 99th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League), staged to determine the premiers for the 1995 AFL season. The match was attended by 93,670 spectators. The 1995 Grand final was won by Carlton by a margin of 61 points. It was Carlton's 16th premiership victory, making it the most successful club in the league's history. The game also marked Carlton's sixteenth consecutive win and twenty-third win for the year overall, then a record.

Background

Main article: 1995 AFL season

Both clubs were back in the Grand Final after recent unsuccessful attempts. Carlton had last played in the Grand Final in 1993, which it had lost against Essendon; Geelong was back after having lost the previous year's premiership decider. The Cats had finished runners-up in three of the past six Grand Finals (in 1989, 1992 and 1994), and were looking for its first flag since 1963.

At the conclusion of the home and away season, Carlton had finished first on the AFL ladder with 20 wins and 2 losses, winning the McClelland Trophy. Geelong had finished second with 16 wins and 6 losses.

In the lead-up to the Grand Final, Carlton defeated the Brisbane Bears by 13 points in the Fourth Qualifying Final, thereby earning the week off, and subsequently defeated North Melbourne by 62 points in the Second Preliminary Final. Geelong defeated Footscray by 82 points in the Third Qualifying Final before defeating Richmond by 89 points in the First Preliminary Final.

The Grand Final billed as having the potential to be the best Grand Final in years, when the top two sides of 1995 were due to clash in their first Grand Final. Geelong looked like it had its best chance of winning a premiership since claiming the 1963 flag, after crushing Footscray and Richmond in the previous two weeks of the finals. Carlton, on the other hand, were the standout team of 1995 - the first team ever to win 20 home and away matches.

Match summary

Team 1 2 3 Final
Carlton 4.5 (29) 10.8 (68) 16.11 (107) 21.15 (141)
Geelong 2.4 (16) 3.10 (28) 6.12 (48) 11.14 (80)

There had been strong pre-game build-up expecting a tight contest; and when the markets opened, Geelong was a slight 8/11 favourite with bookmakers,[1] before Carlton had edged into 8/11 favouritism by the opening bounce.[2] The game itself, however, was a very one-sided affair. Played on a wet and blustery day, the Blues were dominant in all areas of the game.

Carlton kicked the first four goals of the game, including three goals in four minutes between the 12th minute and the 16th minute.[3] Geelong kicked two goals in time on of the first quarter to trail by only 13 points at quarter time, but had been thoroughly outplayed and was considered lucky to be so close.[4] Carlton continued to dominate the second quarter, kicking six goals to one such that the game was effectively over by half time, Carlton leading by 40 points. Carlton's Earl Spalding also produced one of the more memorable moments of the game early in the second quarter, when he applied a smother on a Peter Riccardi kick, picked up the ball, and set up a goal for himself. A brawl involving most players erupted after the half-time siren following a clash between Ang Christou and Billy Brownless;[5] at the tribunal later in October, Carlton was fined $25,000, Geelong was fined $30,000 and Barry Stoneham was fined $5,000 for the melee.[6]

The game was no different in the second half. Carlton kicked five of the first six goals of the third quarter to extend the lead to twelve goals before two goals in time-on brought the margin back to 59 points at three quarter time, and key Geelong playmaker Peter Riccardi tore his hamstring early in the third term.[3] By time-on in the final quarter, Carlton had extended the margin to a game-high 84 points, before late goals brought the final margin back to 61 points.[4] It was the second successive year that Geelong had been blown out in the Grand Final, after losing to West Coast the previous year by 80 points.

The Norm Smith Medal was won by Greg Williams, who starred as an attacking midfielder. He kicked five goals, including three in the third quarter, and assisted on another three; and he finished the game with 31 disposals, including ten in the opening quarter. Carlton full back Stephen Silvagni also attracted high praise for keeping champion Geelong full forward Gary Ablett, Sr. goalless, the first time Ablett had been kept goalless in a game since 1992.[7] Other dominant players for Carlton included Justin Madden, who won the ruck battle comfortably, as well as Brett Ratten, Anthony Koutoufides, Stephen Kernahan and Craig Bradley.

In the post-match ceremony when Carlton players were being awarded their victory medallions, Peter Dean attempted to jump over the railing of the victory dais in celebration, but tripped and fell off it. He was not injured.

Teams

Carlton
B: 14 Michael Sexton 1 Stephen Silvagni 39 Ang Christou
HB: 33 Matthew Hogg 35 Peter Dean 5 Andrew McKay
C: 13 Milham Hanna 7 Brett Ratten 43 Anthony Koutoufides
HF: 23 Dean Rice 11 Earl Spalding 6 Matt Clape
F: 2 Greg Williams 4 Stephen Kernahan (c) 19 Brad Pearce
Foll: 44 Justin Madden 21 Craig Bradley 20 Fraser Brown
Int: 16 Scott Camporeale 32 Adrian Whitehead 22 Glenn Manton
Coach: David Parkin
Geelong
B: 17 Tim McGrath 36 Ben Graham 21 Michael Mansfield
HB: 12 Brad Sholl 14 Steven Handley 40 Paul Brown
C: 4 Aaron Lord 7 Paul Couch 2 Leigh Colbert
HF: 11 Leigh Tudor 31 David Mensch 9 Shayne Breuer
F: 16 Billy Brownless 5 Gary Ablett (c) 15 Peter Riccardi
Foll: 6 John Barnes 23 Liam Pickering 32 Garry Hocking
Int: 10 Grant Tanner 29 Ken Hinkley 42 Adrian Hickmott
Coach: Gary Ayres

Goal kickers

Carlton

  • Kernahan 5
  • Williams 5
  • Pearce 4
  • Bradley 2
  • Camporeale 1
  • Madden 1
  • Rice 1
  • Spalding 1
  • Whitehead 1

Geelong

  • Brownless 3
  • Handley 3
  • Breuer 1
  • Couch 1
  • Mensch 1
  • Pickering 1
  • Riccardi 1

References

  1. Rohan Connolly (24 September 1995). "It's Blue murder". The Sunday Age (Sports Liftout). Melbourne, VIC. p. 3.
  2. Martin Blake (30 September 1995). "Finals four wait on coaching call". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 31.
  3. 1 2 Michael Roberts (1995), "Blue heaven", Blues' 95 Premiers – Official Carlton Premiership Souvenir, Sporting Links Publications, pp. 4–11
  4. 1 2 Rohan Connolly (1 October 1995). "It's Blue thunder". The Sunday Age (Sports Liftout). Melbourne, VIC. p. 3.
  5. Stephen Linnell (2 October 1995). "Send-off rule may be back on AFL's agenda". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. p. 2.
  6. Tony de Bolfo (17 October 1995). "Merger bids can extend – AFL". Herald Sun (Afternoon ed.). p. 78.
  7. Ken Piesse (1 October 1995). "Ablett suffers alone". Sunday Herald Sun. Melbourne, VIC. p. 56.

External links

See also

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