2009 AFL Grand Final

Geelong has devastated St Kilda, denying the Saints their second ever premiership, while securing the Cats their second in three years. In their third successive Grand Final, the Cats doggedly held the Saints out to win by 12 points at the MCG.

1st Quarter

The first bounce and subsequent ball contest were an even match and the resulting early deadlock set the tone for the game. St Kilda and Geelong are evenly matched and the early indicators confirmed all prior predictions of this being a tight game.

At the four minute mark, Raphael Clarke ambled off the mark after winning a free kick on the St Kilda half back line, and Max Rooke easily ran him down and tackled him. Winning an easy free kick from just outside 50 metres, Rooke booted the first goal.

In the ensuing play, there followed a pattern that was repeated many times, though not exclusively, throughout the game: Geelong kept attacking through the corridor and St Kilda kept nudging it back up along the wings and flanks.

During the early establishment of this pattern, Riewoldt broke the rhythm by airing a ball to Centre Half Forward where Geelong’s Matthew Scarlett pushed Koschitzke in the back. Koschitzke went back for his free kick but surprisingly pushed it right of goal out on the full.

Approaching the five minute mark, Scarlett sent a well timed handball to a running James Kelly who delivered precisely from 40 metres to Cameron Mooney who marked just inside Geelong’s fifty. Mooney’s set shot added another Geelong goal

Within a minute, St Kilda were applying pressure again in their forward line. Schneider received a clean handball as he ran unchallenged across the face of goal. From two metres beyond the goal square his left foot shot pushed the ball further left for a disappointing behind.

After more see-sawing possesion, several Geelong players forgot to contest a mark in St Kilda's half forward line, leaving the Saints' Brendon Goddard an uncontested mark at CHF, where he went back and goaled.

Eleven minutes into the quarter, Cat Joel Selwood bustled determinedly through a Clint Jones tackle and on the run from the right pocket curved a neat drop punt through for another Geelong major score.

In the 14th minute, on St Kilda’s half forward line, Jimmy Bartel fended Dal Santo in the face and gave away a free kick. Del Santo dropped a perfectly placed low pass over Joel Selwood’s head to land in the arms of Lenny Hayes who took the set shot and kicked truly for his fifth of the season.

With 4 and a half minutes remaining in the quarter Milne had a set shot from the left pocket and pushed it left fro a behind.

With the clock ticking down for the quarter, St Kilda's Farren Ray hooked the ball from the left pocket back over the goal square. Schneider marked and went back to kick an easy goal from 10 metres.

2nd Quarter

The quarter started and it took nearly ten seconds to clear the ball from the centre circle until Geelong pushed the ball into their half forward line where, following the rhythm of the game, Geelong conceded a free kick for the ball to begin its swing back toward the St Kilda goal.

Approaching the three minute mark, Nick Dal Santo won a free kick on the half forward flank and lofted the ball over the square before it bounced off the pack for a behind.

About three and a half minutes into the quarter Matthew Scarlett was tackled by several St Kilda players including Sean Dempster. As he hit the ground in the tackle, Scarlett swung his elbow at Dempster’s head, was spotted by the umpire and Dempster was awarded a free kick on the half forward flank. Set shot, from 40 metres out and kicked a goal.

Five minutes into the quarter, Chapman had a shot on the run from the 50 and Gardiner touched it across the line for a point.

At the sixteen minute mark Milne ran toward an open goal unopposed and inexplicably dribbled the ball along the ground from about 35 metres out allowing Scarlett to pick up the rolling ball near the goal square and begin another Geelong rebound.

Eighteen minutes into the quarter, McQualter missed an easy shot at goal he had acquired from a Milne handball while running straight at an open goal.

Within a minute, McQualter took possession near the boundary at 50 and delivered a well-controlled pass to Milne. His set shot started right and stayed away to right for a behind.

Paul Chapman went off temporarily for what appeared to be a hamstring concern, but returned after few minutes to feature strongly for the rest of the match.

Near the twenty minute mark, Joel Selwood knocked the ball forward from a boundary throw-in and snapped out a tidy hand pass to Cameron Ling who neatly hooked the ball toward goal. It rolled end over end into the goal square to be collected by Shannon Byrnes who kicked the easiest of goals.

Schneider crumbed a pack in the forward pocket and swung onto his left foot to hook a shot at goal, which swung to the right for a behind.

Halfway through the 24th minute of the quarter, Rooke was caught high just outside Geelong’s fifty. He kicked strongly to Ablett in the opposite pocket who was interfered with by Sam Gilbert.  Ablett was awarded afgree kick and slotted the goal.

In the 24th minute Riewoldt handballed to Gram within kciking distance.  Gram blazed away and the ball soared right of goal for a behind.

With scores level, Dawson took a mark on St Kilda’s back line and immediately played on across the face of goal. Chased by Hawkins, Dawson hurried to get a kick away but the kick was smothered by and controlled by Hawkins who snapped a quick goal, which replays showed hitting the post.

From the very next centre bounce, Geelong quickly won possesion and Chapman running at speed out of the centre square lined up and goaled on then run from 30 metres to set up a twelve point lead for the Cats.

The dying minutes of the quarter saw a determined fight back from the Saints.  With less than two minutes to go in the quarter, a bounce in St Kilda's half forward line tumbled into a scrappy terrestrial contest from which the ball emerged briskly into the eager hands of Clint Jones who snapped left foot grubber through for a goal.

Barely giving the St Kilda supporters time to catch their breath, less than a minute later a contested ball in St Kilda’s forward line rolled off the back of the back toward the St Kilda goal and Koschitzke toe-poked it through to level the score with nine seconds remaining in the quarter.

St Kilda may have been content to get another goal back so close to half time but things got even better for them as Geelong’s Darren Milburn disputed the validity of Koschitzke’s goal with the goal umpire and St Kilda was awarded a free kick right in front of goal for Milburn’s dissent. Schneider had no trouble lobbing through the gifted goal.

As the half time siren sounded moments later, St Kilda was in front with momentum: 7.7. 49 to Geelong 7.1 43

3rd Quarter

After about three minutes of inconsequential and evenly matched open play, Geelong's Mooney had a shot at goal on the run, which bounced and rolled across the face of goal before trickling through for a behind to open the quarter’s scoring, putting Geelong back within 5 points of the Saints.

Almost 5 minutes into the quarter, St. Kilda’s Brendon Goddard had a head clash with a team mate and, bleeding from the nose, had to leave the field under the blood rule.

After the stoppage for Goddard to leave the field, Gary Ablett had an opportunity at goal but pushed it to the right of goal for a behind.  Soon after, Mooney marked directly in front ten metres out. Mooney goaled easily to put Geelong back in front by two points.

From the ensuing bounce, St Kilda won the centre clearance fairly easily, resulting in Jason Gram delivering a well-weighted kick to Riewoldt, who marked and kicked his first goal of the match at the six minute mark of the quarter, to reclaim the lead for the Saints.

After another few minutes of ferociously contested play, which saw the ball swing between half-forward lines. Riewoldt marked on the St Kilda half-forward ,line and took a long kick with a slippery ball from 40 metres out and somewhat predictably scored a point.

Minutes later, Riewoldt had another opportunity at goal, on the run to the right of goal, but the attempt was desperatley smothered through for a behind by Geelong’s Harry Taylor.  Moments later, Montagna had a long shot at goal in general play, but it fell short and was rushed for another St Kilda behind.

Slowly battling the ball back up the ground, Geelong won possession on the wing, where Ling lobbed a torpedo into free space in the forward pocket, Paul Chapman ran onto the loose ball and turned to kick across his body and goal neatly.

Goddard back on with bandaging wrapped around his head to stem his bleeding nose.

Ablett broke a tackle and blazed away from just inside 50 to score a behind away to the left of goal.

More fiercely contested football saw St Kilda repeatedly ratchet out metres toward goal only to be rebounded by the Geelong back line. Geelong moved the ball much more quickly and directly to their forward line where St Kilda then commanded possession to repeat the pattern.

Montagna broke this pattern with a minute and a half left in the quarter by grabbing the ball on the run in the forward pocket and slotting it for a major.The following bounce resulted in another St Kilda centre clearance and fast play for a rushed behind.

The quarter finished with St Kilda seven points ahead: 9.11  65 to the Cats' 9.4  58

4th Quarter

In steady rain, the fourth quarter began. At the one and a half minute mark from a boundary throw in on the Geelong half forward flank, Paul Chapman delivered a perfectly poised kick to fellow Cat Hawkins, who kicked a goal from a slight angle 25 metres out, reducing the margin to one point.

After almost ten minutes of sustained swell in their forward line, resolutely dammed by the St Kilda defence, Geelong let St Kilda back within kicking distance of the goals, where Adam Schneider had an open running opportunity at goal inside fifty but wasted the opportunity with a point.

At around the 20 minute mark of the final term, Sean Dempster crumbed a pack in the centre of the St Kilda half forward line and hurried a snap at goal pushing it to the right for a behind.

After a few minutes more of St Kilda brick walling Geelong’s attacks on goal, Chapman had a hurried shot at goal from a loose ball from a bounce, the ball infuriating the tense Cats fanhs by going right of goal for a behind.

Rooke blazed from 45 metres and Steven Baker dived desperately touching the ball as it apporached the goal line restrciting the attempt to a minor score.  From the kick out, Geelong quickly won possession back. Joel Selwood took a solid mark 45 and hooked his kick to the right and leveled the scores with another behind.

Soon enough Geelong had another opportunity as Scarlett soccered in midfield to propel the ball towards Ablett who bombed long from the centre square.  The resulting loose ball was gathered by Paul Chapman and through for a valuable goal.

With less than 3 minutes left, Rooke soccered a shot which wobbled left of gaol for another agonising behind, followed soon after by a Scarlett point.  Hary Taylor marked strongly from the kick out taking enormous pressure off Geelong.　

As the clock washed away St Kilda's remaining hopes of doubling their Premiership tally, Mooney delivered a kick to Max Rooke. Rooke marked and the siren sounded. Rooke kicked after the siren to punctuate Geelong's 2009 Premiership with another goal.

Final Score - 2009 AFL Grand Final

Geelong 3.0   7.1    9.4    12.8 (80) 

St Kilda  3.2   7.7    9.11   9.14 (68)

GOALS

Geelong: Chapman 3, Rooke 2, Mooney 2, Hawkins 2, Ablett, Selwood, Byrnes,

St Kilda:  Schneider, Hayes, Montagna, Goddard, Jones, Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Dempster

BEST PLAYERS

Geelong: Chapman, Rooke, Selwood, Ablett, Scarlett, Corey, Bartel. Ling, Taylor

St Kilda: Hayes, Gram, Jones, Ball, Montagna, Baker, Goddard

INJURIES

Geelong: Nil

St Kilda: Goddard (nose)

Reports: Nil

Norm Smith Medallist:  Paul Chapman

Umpires: McBurney, Rosebury, Ryan

Grand Final Crowd: 99,251

2009 AFL Finals Results

1st Qualifying Final

2nd Qualifying Final

1st Elimination Final

2nd Elimination Final

1st Semi-Final

2nd Semi-Final

1st Preliminary Final

2nd Preliminary Final