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The Hitman
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Essendon vs. Brisbane Grand Final Match Review
Brisbane defeated Essendon by 26 points to win the 2001 premiership in front of a 91,000 strong crowd today.
Luke Power kicked three for the winners, while Matthew Lloyd kicked five, and Scott Lucas four for the losers.
After the dodgy pre-match entertainment finished, and Julie Anthony sung the national anthem, Michael Voss won the toss and kicked to the City end, where the Lions cheer squad was planted.
The ball was hot from the opening bounce, with many stoppages, and plenty of the expected body contact early on. The injured James Hird started forward, and the first score was a rushed behind which was fisted through from a Gary Moorcroft long bomb.
Essendon looked to be perhaps too physical, giving away some silly free kicks, including one against Dustin Fletcher which gave Alistair Lynch an easy set shot, which he missed.
The first goal went to Lynch after he went for a rugby style mark which didn’t go the required 10 metres, but John Barnes dropped an elbow on him, giving him a free kick from an identical spot from where he just missed, but this time he nailed it.
Bradshaw, Copeland and Lynch missed getable shots for the Lions, as their inaccuracy started to show, despite them dominating around the ground. Luke Power marked just inside 50, and from an angle, slotted through Brisbane’s second goal, giving them a great start.
James Hird was put in the middle, and had an immediate impact by getting the clearance and kicking it to a ready and waiting Lucas, who kicked the Bombers first from 45 metres out. Blake Caracella uncharacteristically missed an easy set shot, and Martin Pike missed a snap, as the flurry of behinds continued.
The Bombers worked the ball into the forward pocket, before Dean Rioli chipped the ball backwards, finding a diving Jason Johnson, who put through Essendon’s second. Jonathon Brown missed an easy running goal before Matthew Lloyd kicked his first after long kicks by Fletcher and Lucas from a kick out found him open.
Dean Solomon cleaned up his teammate in Hardwick before Brownlow Medallist Jason Akermanis snapped a goal. Chris Scott found Michael Voss on the siren, but the Brisbane captain missed, giving Brisbane a 5 point lead going into the first break.
Brisbane missed many chances to run away with the game in the first stanza, while Essendon took the majority of their limited chances. This was to be telling in the second quarter where Essendon lifted their game.
The second quarter was to be the period where Essendon made their charge. Lloyd missed an early snap, but made amends when he recieved a free kick against Justin Leppitsch, and kicked a goal from 40 out. Luke Power cleaned up Lucas in that play, and he had to come off with the blood rule, later to return with a headband made from bandages.
Voss got the next centre clearance thanks to a soccer off the ground, where Lynch marked, but missed another set shot. Opportunities continued to go begging as Chris Johnson made a great dash through the centre, before he hit the post. Essendon should have made them pay when Nigel Lappin dragged the ball back into him, and got pinged for holding the ball inside the Bomber 50. Heffernan missed, and added another behind to an already badly blemished scorecard for both sides.
Lucas snapped a goal, thanks to some nifty handpasses from Rioli and Lloyd, before Brisbane hit back thanks to some sublime work down the ground. Brad Scott beat Hird on the wing, before finding Brown in the pocket, who goaled, bringing the deficit back to one point.
Moorcroft and Voss missed chances, before Caracella ran into an open goal after a spillage in an open Essendon forward line. Chris Johnson then gave away a questionable free kick to Moorcroft for legging, and he goaled, giving Essendon a handy little break.
Scott Lucas missed a shot from 50 metres, before eventually getting the ball 60 metres out, and kicking an inspiring goal. I started to think that the game might be getting beyond Brisbane, before Brisbane goaled through Lynch just before the half time siren, giving Essendon a 14 point lead going into the long break.
Brisbane needed to show plenty of heart and fight to get back into it, and the third quarter is where they set up their historic win.
The ball stayed in the Essendon forward line for the start of the quarter, before Lucas missed a running shot from just inside 50. The Lions worked the ball down the ground, where Marcus Ashcroft found space on the forward flank, and decided to have a little jog to the 50 metre line, where he launched a shot which bounced in the goal square and through the big sticks thanks to some good sheparding by Alistair Lynch.
Essendon looked to hit back when Jason Johnson made a long pass to a waiting Steven Alessio in the goal square, but Tim Notting got their and fisted it through for a rushed behind, while Lynch missed a shot from outside 50.
Copeland looked to have dislocated his shoulder, and came off clutching at it after Mal Michael jumped on him, injuring him before he even hit the ground.
Brisbane got the second goal of the quarter, after some brilliant play by the midfield leading into attack. Michael Voss and Darryl White fought like hell to get the ball forward from the wing, and White spotted up Chris Scott. He got it to Notting, as their run into attack continued. The ball fell in the pocket, Brown working it forward, before Luke Power rammed home a goal which showed that the Lions were not dead yet.
Essendon needed a steadier, and got it when Sean Wellman got a centre clearance and found Lloyd 40 metres out. He drilled it, putting the margin back to 9 points. Brisbane again responded, through Nigel Lappin after some hard work by Michael Voss, bringing the margin to three points, and the Lions looked dangerous.
Daniel Bradshaw unexpectedly came back on after an injury, while James Hird came off for a rest. Chris Johnson superbly intercepted an Essendon forward thrust, had a bounce, and found Chris Scott. Chris Scott got the ball to McRae, who found big man Jonathon Brown. Brown kicked the goal, and the crowd went nuts as Brisbane hit the front.
Hird came on for Mercuri, and Essendon started to look a tad flustered, as they were making mistakes and looked very tired. Brisbane kicked yet another goal after Lynch took a stretching mark in the pocket, passing it outside 50 to Johnson, who spotted up Lappin. Lappin went back and drilled it, and Brisbane were out to a 10 point lead.
Essendon looked like they were gone when Martin Pike got a goal just before the three quarter time break. Brisbane went into the break ahead by 16 points, and looked to have all the run. Essendon needed the first few goals to keep in the game, or else a blowout would occur.
Hardwick and Rioli started on the bench for Essendon, while Jason Akermanis had been rested during the third quarter, and looked fresh. Brisbane controlled the ball at the start of the final stanza, working it extremely well off the back flank.
Their first chance to put away the Bombers came through Chris Johnson after an amazing handball from Voss released him in the pocket, but his snap missed. The ball found it’s way at the other end when Matthew Lloyd out muscled Michael, but missed from 45 out, directly in front, in what was a goal he needed to kick.
The resulting kick out was coughed up in the centre though, and Adam Ramanauskas used great vision to find Lloyd alone on the forward flank, and he kicked a wonderful running goal from 50 metres out. Essendon had the first goal, but would they be able to continue their fight?
The answer was no as Brisbane dominated the next ten minutes, kicking 4.5 without a whimper from Essendon.
Simon Black missed a shot after he wheeled onto his left in the pocket and blazed away, but he had Lynch open in the goal square. Notting then goaled after Shaun Hart earned a free kick, but it was payed advantage, and Notting scored an open goal.
Half way into the final quarter, and Brisbane led by 17 points. Jonathon Brown got a free kick (which wasn’t there) against Barnes, but hit the post. Jason Akermanis got the ball outside 50, ducked and weaved, and launched a bomb on his left foot which was touched on the line by a desperate Fletcher, in what would have been goal of the day. He had another chance, to seal the game, but his set shot from 50 metres out hit the post.
The signs were ominous, as Brisbane kept the pressure on the Bomber defence. Then the floodgates opened, with skipper Michael Voss booting the sealer, and Luke Power and Jason Akermanis kicking goals to ice the game, to the chants of the Lions crowd.
Simon Black missed another shot, and Matthew Lloyd kicked his fifth for Essendon, proving that he is a champion, even if his team is losing. Scott Lucas added another goal in junk time, as the crowd was singing the Brisbane song.
A rushed behind by Mal Michael, and Brisbane chipped it out of defence, before the final siren went, handing Brisbane a 26 point win over Essendon, and winning them their first flag since 1944, when Fitzroy were the Gorilla’s, and 43 years before Brisbane even existed.
Brisbane truly deserved this win, as they definitely played the better football. They clearly were fitter, had more skill, and if they didn’t waste so many opportunities, this would have been a blowout.
The umpires did as best as you could ask of them. They say the sign of a match well umpired is when you don’t notice them. Well, I honestly didn’t notice them, and there were only one or two decisions which could be questioned at all. Well done.
With Lloyd kicking five and Lucas four, you would think that the Bombers should have done better. The fact that Lloyd kicked five is a credit to him, because the disposal to him was awful, and he carried his team in the second half. Lucas was sensational in the first half, but his game dropped off in the second half, and unfortunately, no one else stepped up for Essendon.
Leppitsch did well on Lloyd, even though he had five kicked on him. Four out of the five, he really couldn’t do anything about, so he should be happy with his job. Michael was good, while Pike, White, and Brad Scott gave great run out of the backline.
The Brisbane midfield simply slaughtered the Essendon on-ball brigade. Black, Voss, Hart, Akermanis, Chris Scott, Notting, Lappin, Johnson and Ashcroft all rotated into the midfield, and they got the ball out so many times, and ran so hard, that Essendon simply had no chance. The best midfield in the league easily, and they just took advantage of Keating and McDonald’s good ruck work.
Jason Johnson was good in the first half, but other then him, no one in the Essendon midfield stood up. Misiti was hardly sighted, Mercuri and Hird were injured and ineffective, and Barnes and Alessio were losing in the ruck.
Alistair Lynch kicked 2.4, and it looked like his yips could have cost them the game in the second quarter. Jonathon Brown was sensational, and he looks like a bona fide star…I know it has been said, but he is the next Carey. Power looked so dangerous when he was near the ball, and the Brisbane midfielders came forward and kicked many of their goals.
Fletcher was admirable, but defeated, and if Lynch had kicked straight, he would have looked very ordinary. Wellman tried to be a rebounding defender/wingman, but was dragged back whenever Voss drifted forward. Hardwick tried, but was injured, Jacobs was ran everywhere by Bradshaw early on, and Mark Johnson did absolutely nothing.
Gary Moorcroft added bite, but Heffernan, and McVeigh (Mark McWho?) were hardly sighted. Rioli looked dangerous when he got the ball, and Solomon, Blumfield and Caracella tried, but were beaten by their opponents.
So Brisbane take the cup north, and Essendon are left wondering where those back-to-back flags went. One premiership from three seasons of sustained dominance is disappointing, but Brisbane did deserve this premiership.
Both teams will be back in September next year, but congratulations to Brisbane for winning the 2001 AFL Premiership Cup.
Essendon: 3.2.20 8.6.54 9.8.62 12.10.82
Brisbane: 3.7.25 5.10.40 11.12.78 15.18.108
Goals: Essendon – Lloyd 5, Lucas 4, Moorcroft 1, Caracella 1,
J. Johnson 1; Brisbane – Power 3, Lynch 2, Brown 2, Akermanis 2, Lappin 2, Notting 1, Ashcroft 1, Voss 1, Pike 1.
Best: Essendon – Lloyd, Lucas, J. Johnson, Wellman, Caracella; Brisbane – Hart, Lappin, Brown, Black, C. Johnson, Power, Akermanis, Voss, C. Scott, Pike.
By Brett Collett
The Hitman
Brisbane defeated Essendon by 26 points to win the 2001 premiership in front of a 91,000 strong crowd today.
Luke Power kicked three for the winners, while Matthew Lloyd kicked five, and Scott Lucas four for the losers.
After the dodgy pre-match entertainment finished, and Julie Anthony sung the national anthem, Michael Voss won the toss and kicked to the City end, where the Lions cheer squad was planted.
The ball was hot from the opening bounce, with many stoppages, and plenty of the expected body contact early on. The injured James Hird started forward, and the first score was a rushed behind which was fisted through from a Gary Moorcroft long bomb.
Essendon looked to be perhaps too physical, giving away some silly free kicks, including one against Dustin Fletcher which gave Alistair Lynch an easy set shot, which he missed.
The first goal went to Lynch after he went for a rugby style mark which didn’t go the required 10 metres, but John Barnes dropped an elbow on him, giving him a free kick from an identical spot from where he just missed, but this time he nailed it.
Bradshaw, Copeland and Lynch missed getable shots for the Lions, as their inaccuracy started to show, despite them dominating around the ground. Luke Power marked just inside 50, and from an angle, slotted through Brisbane’s second goal, giving them a great start.
James Hird was put in the middle, and had an immediate impact by getting the clearance and kicking it to a ready and waiting Lucas, who kicked the Bombers first from 45 metres out. Blake Caracella uncharacteristically missed an easy set shot, and Martin Pike missed a snap, as the flurry of behinds continued.
The Bombers worked the ball into the forward pocket, before Dean Rioli chipped the ball backwards, finding a diving Jason Johnson, who put through Essendon’s second. Jonathon Brown missed an easy running goal before Matthew Lloyd kicked his first after long kicks by Fletcher and Lucas from a kick out found him open.
Dean Solomon cleaned up his teammate in Hardwick before Brownlow Medallist Jason Akermanis snapped a goal. Chris Scott found Michael Voss on the siren, but the Brisbane captain missed, giving Brisbane a 5 point lead going into the first break.
Brisbane missed many chances to run away with the game in the first stanza, while Essendon took the majority of their limited chances. This was to be telling in the second quarter where Essendon lifted their game.
The second quarter was to be the period where Essendon made their charge. Lloyd missed an early snap, but made amends when he recieved a free kick against Justin Leppitsch, and kicked a goal from 40 out. Luke Power cleaned up Lucas in that play, and he had to come off with the blood rule, later to return with a headband made from bandages.
Voss got the next centre clearance thanks to a soccer off the ground, where Lynch marked, but missed another set shot. Opportunities continued to go begging as Chris Johnson made a great dash through the centre, before he hit the post. Essendon should have made them pay when Nigel Lappin dragged the ball back into him, and got pinged for holding the ball inside the Bomber 50. Heffernan missed, and added another behind to an already badly blemished scorecard for both sides.
Lucas snapped a goal, thanks to some nifty handpasses from Rioli and Lloyd, before Brisbane hit back thanks to some sublime work down the ground. Brad Scott beat Hird on the wing, before finding Brown in the pocket, who goaled, bringing the deficit back to one point.
Moorcroft and Voss missed chances, before Caracella ran into an open goal after a spillage in an open Essendon forward line. Chris Johnson then gave away a questionable free kick to Moorcroft for legging, and he goaled, giving Essendon a handy little break.
Scott Lucas missed a shot from 50 metres, before eventually getting the ball 60 metres out, and kicking an inspiring goal. I started to think that the game might be getting beyond Brisbane, before Brisbane goaled through Lynch just before the half time siren, giving Essendon a 14 point lead going into the long break.
Brisbane needed to show plenty of heart and fight to get back into it, and the third quarter is where they set up their historic win.
The ball stayed in the Essendon forward line for the start of the quarter, before Lucas missed a running shot from just inside 50. The Lions worked the ball down the ground, where Marcus Ashcroft found space on the forward flank, and decided to have a little jog to the 50 metre line, where he launched a shot which bounced in the goal square and through the big sticks thanks to some good sheparding by Alistair Lynch.
Essendon looked to hit back when Jason Johnson made a long pass to a waiting Steven Alessio in the goal square, but Tim Notting got their and fisted it through for a rushed behind, while Lynch missed a shot from outside 50.
Copeland looked to have dislocated his shoulder, and came off clutching at it after Mal Michael jumped on him, injuring him before he even hit the ground.
Brisbane got the second goal of the quarter, after some brilliant play by the midfield leading into attack. Michael Voss and Darryl White fought like hell to get the ball forward from the wing, and White spotted up Chris Scott. He got it to Notting, as their run into attack continued. The ball fell in the pocket, Brown working it forward, before Luke Power rammed home a goal which showed that the Lions were not dead yet.
Essendon needed a steadier, and got it when Sean Wellman got a centre clearance and found Lloyd 40 metres out. He drilled it, putting the margin back to 9 points. Brisbane again responded, through Nigel Lappin after some hard work by Michael Voss, bringing the margin to three points, and the Lions looked dangerous.
Daniel Bradshaw unexpectedly came back on after an injury, while James Hird came off for a rest. Chris Johnson superbly intercepted an Essendon forward thrust, had a bounce, and found Chris Scott. Chris Scott got the ball to McRae, who found big man Jonathon Brown. Brown kicked the goal, and the crowd went nuts as Brisbane hit the front.
Hird came on for Mercuri, and Essendon started to look a tad flustered, as they were making mistakes and looked very tired. Brisbane kicked yet another goal after Lynch took a stretching mark in the pocket, passing it outside 50 to Johnson, who spotted up Lappin. Lappin went back and drilled it, and Brisbane were out to a 10 point lead.
Essendon looked like they were gone when Martin Pike got a goal just before the three quarter time break. Brisbane went into the break ahead by 16 points, and looked to have all the run. Essendon needed the first few goals to keep in the game, or else a blowout would occur.
Hardwick and Rioli started on the bench for Essendon, while Jason Akermanis had been rested during the third quarter, and looked fresh. Brisbane controlled the ball at the start of the final stanza, working it extremely well off the back flank.
Their first chance to put away the Bombers came through Chris Johnson after an amazing handball from Voss released him in the pocket, but his snap missed. The ball found it’s way at the other end when Matthew Lloyd out muscled Michael, but missed from 45 out, directly in front, in what was a goal he needed to kick.
The resulting kick out was coughed up in the centre though, and Adam Ramanauskas used great vision to find Lloyd alone on the forward flank, and he kicked a wonderful running goal from 50 metres out. Essendon had the first goal, but would they be able to continue their fight?
The answer was no as Brisbane dominated the next ten minutes, kicking 4.5 without a whimper from Essendon.
Simon Black missed a shot after he wheeled onto his left in the pocket and blazed away, but he had Lynch open in the goal square. Notting then goaled after Shaun Hart earned a free kick, but it was payed advantage, and Notting scored an open goal.
Half way into the final quarter, and Brisbane led by 17 points. Jonathon Brown got a free kick (which wasn’t there) against Barnes, but hit the post. Jason Akermanis got the ball outside 50, ducked and weaved, and launched a bomb on his left foot which was touched on the line by a desperate Fletcher, in what would have been goal of the day. He had another chance, to seal the game, but his set shot from 50 metres out hit the post.
The signs were ominous, as Brisbane kept the pressure on the Bomber defence. Then the floodgates opened, with skipper Michael Voss booting the sealer, and Luke Power and Jason Akermanis kicking goals to ice the game, to the chants of the Lions crowd.
Simon Black missed another shot, and Matthew Lloyd kicked his fifth for Essendon, proving that he is a champion, even if his team is losing. Scott Lucas added another goal in junk time, as the crowd was singing the Brisbane song.
A rushed behind by Mal Michael, and Brisbane chipped it out of defence, before the final siren went, handing Brisbane a 26 point win over Essendon, and winning them their first flag since 1944, when Fitzroy were the Gorilla’s, and 43 years before Brisbane even existed.
Brisbane truly deserved this win, as they definitely played the better football. They clearly were fitter, had more skill, and if they didn’t waste so many opportunities, this would have been a blowout.
The umpires did as best as you could ask of them. They say the sign of a match well umpired is when you don’t notice them. Well, I honestly didn’t notice them, and there were only one or two decisions which could be questioned at all. Well done.
With Lloyd kicking five and Lucas four, you would think that the Bombers should have done better. The fact that Lloyd kicked five is a credit to him, because the disposal to him was awful, and he carried his team in the second half. Lucas was sensational in the first half, but his game dropped off in the second half, and unfortunately, no one else stepped up for Essendon.
Leppitsch did well on Lloyd, even though he had five kicked on him. Four out of the five, he really couldn’t do anything about, so he should be happy with his job. Michael was good, while Pike, White, and Brad Scott gave great run out of the backline.
The Brisbane midfield simply slaughtered the Essendon on-ball brigade. Black, Voss, Hart, Akermanis, Chris Scott, Notting, Lappin, Johnson and Ashcroft all rotated into the midfield, and they got the ball out so many times, and ran so hard, that Essendon simply had no chance. The best midfield in the league easily, and they just took advantage of Keating and McDonald’s good ruck work.
Jason Johnson was good in the first half, but other then him, no one in the Essendon midfield stood up. Misiti was hardly sighted, Mercuri and Hird were injured and ineffective, and Barnes and Alessio were losing in the ruck.
Alistair Lynch kicked 2.4, and it looked like his yips could have cost them the game in the second quarter. Jonathon Brown was sensational, and he looks like a bona fide star…I know it has been said, but he is the next Carey. Power looked so dangerous when he was near the ball, and the Brisbane midfielders came forward and kicked many of their goals.
Fletcher was admirable, but defeated, and if Lynch had kicked straight, he would have looked very ordinary. Wellman tried to be a rebounding defender/wingman, but was dragged back whenever Voss drifted forward. Hardwick tried, but was injured, Jacobs was ran everywhere by Bradshaw early on, and Mark Johnson did absolutely nothing.
Gary Moorcroft added bite, but Heffernan, and McVeigh (Mark McWho?) were hardly sighted. Rioli looked dangerous when he got the ball, and Solomon, Blumfield and Caracella tried, but were beaten by their opponents.
So Brisbane take the cup north, and Essendon are left wondering where those back-to-back flags went. One premiership from three seasons of sustained dominance is disappointing, but Brisbane did deserve this premiership.
Both teams will be back in September next year, but congratulations to Brisbane for winning the 2001 AFL Premiership Cup.
Essendon: 3.2.20 8.6.54 9.8.62 12.10.82
Brisbane: 3.7.25 5.10.40 11.12.78 15.18.108
Goals: Essendon – Lloyd 5, Lucas 4, Moorcroft 1, Caracella 1,
J. Johnson 1; Brisbane – Power 3, Lynch 2, Brown 2, Akermanis 2, Lappin 2, Notting 1, Ashcroft 1, Voss 1, Pike 1.
Best: Essendon – Lloyd, Lucas, J. Johnson, Wellman, Caracella; Brisbane – Hart, Lappin, Brown, Black, C. Johnson, Power, Akermanis, Voss, C. Scott, Pike.
By Brett Collett
The Hitman
