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RW "KC Swan" Lipp
In Response To:
 Brenda
Responses To This Message:
 Brenda |
| Re: Kangaroos |
Friday, 27 August 2004, at 12:30 a.m. US Eastern Time |
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> So in other words the Roos came to Sydney, declared themselves the home team,
> and then after the finals took off to another town. Do I got it?
Not exactly.
In '96 the Kangaroos and the Swans met in the Grand Final. Sydney finished the season as minor premiers, just ahead of North Melbourne:
Win Lose Draw %-age Pts
Sydney 16 5 1 123.8 66
North Melb 16 6 0 127.4 64
Brisbane 15 6 1 125.6 62
West Coast 15 7 0 125.3 60
Carlton 15 7 0 110.8 60
Etc.
The observant reader will notice that three other teams had higher percentages. Either of two additional points scored would have put North Melbourne at the top of the ladder: if Richmond had found one more point in round 4, to create a tie; or if Essendon had found one more point in round 6, to create a win.
The McIntyre Eight finals system was still in use in '96 (I prefer it to the current system). Sydney won their Qualifying Final, narrowly beating Hawthorn by one goal. Meanwhile, North Melbourne crushed Geelong by ten goals. (Interestingly, both games were decided by exactly the goals; in each game both teams scored the same number of behinds.)
Both teams having won through to the Preliminary Finals, they took the Semi Finals weekend off. In the PFs Sydney again played a close match, beating Essendon by a single point when Tony "Plugger" Lockett broke a tie with a 50m kick for a behind after the siren.
North Melbourne faced Brisbane in the second PF, with a Bear win to create the first ever all-non-Victorian final. Instead, the Kangaroos were 6.2 better, as 17.12 defeated 11.10. It would be the last ever game for the Brisbane Bears, as they would merge with Fitzroy to become the Brisbane Lions for '97.
Thus we reach the pinnacle of the Centenary Season, the 100th Grand Final. On that certain Saturday in September it was still Friday in Kansas City, and I had a need to get up early on Saturday morning. As late as 9:30 I was still saying I couldn't watch the GF live, and with satellite coverage the only option I couldn't tape it to watch later. But I knew that if Sydney won I would never forgive myself for not watching it, so at 11:00 I was at Coach's in south KC where they put the game on the big screen for me. The North Melbourne Kangaroos versus the formerly South Melbourne Swans.
Sydney came out strong. North Melbourne had a reputation that year for folding their tents when faced with a deep hole. Sydney's plan was to create one, as they led by three goals at the first break.
North Melbourne 3.2 (20)
Sydney 6.2 (38)
In the second quarter, the Swans continued to pile on and pushed the lead out to 24 points. Moving the ball forward with ease, Sydney looking to take a five goal lead and North Melbourne looking to pack it in, disaster struck for the Swans. Paul Kelly kicked to Tony Lockett near the goal square, but the ball fell short. The Kangaroos gathered the loose ball, quickly moved down field, and kicked a goal of their own for a 12-point swing. Revitalized, the Kangaroos took control of the game. By halftime, North Melbourne had pulled into a narrow lead.
North Melbourne 3.2 8.7 (55)
Sydney 6.2 8.5 (53)
The third quarter is known as "The Premiership Quarter", as so often Grand Finals are won and lost here. North Melbourne added on 11 scores, but only four goals and seven behinds. Sydney was held to three scores of their own, only one of them a goal. With ten more scores on the board, the Kangaroos should have put this one away. Instead, inaccuracy left the door open ever so narrowly and hope was alive for the Swans.
North Melbourne 3.2 8.7 12.14 (86)
Sydney 6.2 8.5 9.7 (61)
Alas, it was not to be. North Melbourne found their kicking foot and slammed on ten more scores in the final quarter, seven of them for goals. Sydney managed seven scores of their own, and four of those for goals.
North Melbourne 3.2 8.7 12.14 19.17 (131)
Sydney 6.2 8.5 9.7 13.10 (88)
North Melbourne was the better team on the day. North Melbourne was really the better team top-to-bottom over the entire season. But that doesn't mean that as a Swans fan I have to like it.
In '99 North Melbourne took a cue from the Footscray Bulldogs, who had become the Western Bulldogs, and dropped "Melbourne" from their name. They stated their goal as being to expand their membership by appealing to fans beyond their traditional North Melbourne base. Their incursion into Sydney demonstrated that they apparently felt "North" extended very far in that direction.
However, their marketing efforts in Sydney were very poorly executed. Their presence in the Sydney market was almost non-existent. They passed out membership brochures at Sydney Swans games, where every spectator was probably either already a Swans fan or passionate fan of the visiting team. If the North Kangaroos had been trying to sell KFC to the Sydney market, they probably would have been advertising it as "Hot Dead Chicken!"
The Kangaroos played their "home" matches against Sydney at the SCG. The final Kangaroo v. Swan clash of this era (and I don't recall who was the "home" team this time) featured the Sydney fans singing "There's Only One Team In Sydney" for most of the game. When they weren't singing that, they were chanting "Carey's A Wanker!
Does that clear it up for you?
-- RW "KC Swan" Lipp
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