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Eagles On Top Of The World

by bnkennedy — Sat, 2006-09-30 22:35 — Last Updated: Sun, 2006-10-01 10:22

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne, reporting from the MCG

Yesterday's mesmerizing festival of football at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), with the reversal of the result, went into another realm and did what few Hollywood films ever do - the sequel was far better than the original.

Headlines in sports pages this year, particularly in Melbourne, have lamented the AFL style of play going ugly and the interstate dominance as a threat to the game. West Coast yesterday obliterated those arguments with a pulsating running game and third Premiership while their opponents, Sydney, proved the bravest of opponents in a Grand Final for the ages. It's taken forty years for another Grand Final to be settled by the lowest of margins (not counting the draw between North Melbourne and Collingwood in 1977), it may take a century for two sides to be this evenly matched again.  read more »

Goodes The Toast Of The AFL

by bnkennedy — Wed, 2006-09-27 04:44 — Last Updated: Wed, 2006-09-27 16:39

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne

Swans utility Adam Goodes claimed his second Brownlow Medal on Monday night, foiling local favorite Scott West of the Bulldogs who even in finishing second proved his remarkable consistency - it was the fifth time the Bulldog star had finished in the top four.

But it was Goodes, the affable Sydney star who staked his claim as one of the most durable winners in the history of the medal. His previous win - jointly taking out the award alongside legends Nathan Buckley of Collingwood and the Crow's Mark Ricciuto in 2003 - had been while playing as a ruckman.  Now a free wheeling midfielder, Goodes has often played matches on a higher plane than opponents and team mates alike this season, dominating proceedings as a big kid dominates underage games.  read more »

Bulldogs Speed Run Over Magpies

by bnkennedy — Sun, 2006-09-10 23:56 — Last Updated: Tue, 2006-09-12 19:04

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne

The gulf in finals experience between the seasoned Collingwood side and the greenhorns from the Western Bulldogs loomed as a decisive factor in the first Elimination Final at the MCG yesterday. A lack of Finals experience had already proved detrimental to Fremantle in Adelaide. Additionally Collingwood were back on the Finals stage for the first time since its humiliation by Brisbane in the 2004 grand final and for skipper Nathan Buckley and company, surely this was their day for the Magpies to reassert themselves in Finals play. After all, the Western Bulldogs had experienced an awful year on the injury front and had no forwards over six foot, unheard of in almost any era of Australian Football. Seemingly the Bulldogs didn't read the script,  with a swag of well manufactured goals and an unstoppable combination of flair, pace and instinctive football overwhelmed the flat-footed Magpies. 

A bruising intensity underlined the first quarter, established from the opening bounce when Magpie hard-nut Brodie Holland cleaned up the Bulldogs Brett Montgomery in one of the most ferocious hip-and-shoulders seen in many years.
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Demons Rise To Topple Saints

by bnkennedy — Fri, 2006-09-08 13:07 — Last Updated: Fri, 2006-09-08 14:09

By Barry Kennedy AFANA Reporter in Melbourne

A rare all-Victoria contest -- albeit an Elimination Final -- kick-started the 2006 AFL Finals Series at the MCG last night. Melbourne has had much pain inflicted on it at this time of the season ever since it was overrun by Essendon in the 2000 Grand Final. In the last two seasons, Melbourne had bowed out of the flag race after failing at this hurdle.  St Kilda’s long suffering supporters have seen their side progress further into September over the last two years, but have themselves been at the wrong end of two painful Preliminary Final losses, despite their star-studded line-up. So with the specter of a quick exit from the finals race looming for the loser, there were plenty of reasons for these two aspiring sides to hit the ground running. 
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Eagles In Cruise Control

by bnkennedy — Sun, 2006-09-03 03:14 — Last Updated: Sun, 2006-09-03 22:46

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne

There were very different stakes for Richmond and West Coast in the round 22 clash at a sunny MCG yesterday. The Eagles had two home finals sealed and, with key players out,  could use the clash as a pre-Grand Final work out on the hallowed MCG. For the Tigers, the game was a chance to send off two retiring veterans -- Mark Chaffey and Greg Stafford.  Lesser lights on the Tigers side were probably playing for the future.

Things began to look ominous for the Tigers from the outset.  read more »

Gehrig Demolishes Bulldogs

by bnkennedy — Sat, 2006-08-26 18:15 — Last Updated: Sun, 2006-08-27 20:43

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne

Having conquered the heavyweight Adelaide Crows last week, the Bulldogs were tipped to derail the Saints back from a bad night in Perth last round. But on Friday it was St Kilda that showed that when they're 'on,' they are as electrifying as any AFL outfit. With a package featuring stylish midfielders, bold backline runners and big angry forwards, St Kilda offered a complete performance on Friday not unlike its team of 2004 that served up 14 straight wins.

St Kilda and Western Bulldogs are co-tenants of Telstra Dome. Both sides have led a merry dance over visitors to the ground this year, the Bulldogs with their carry and skill level, St Kilda  read more »

Bulldogs Do It For Victoria

by bnkennedy — Sat, 2006-08-19 22:58 — Last Updated: Sun, 2006-08-20 12:08

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne
 
In the wake of slip ups by Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs last round, the big talk in Melbourne this week was the possibility of interstate clubs filling the top four positions at the end of the year. This has been interpreted as further proof of a permanent shift in the balance of power in AFL football to the north and west of Melbourne. If that was the case, the Bulldogs, returning from heat of Darwin, (itself the longest road trip on the AFL itinerary) and with only 24 players available for selection, should have been easy meat for the rebounding Crows.
 read more »

Tigers Cubs Maul Sleepy Lions

by bnkennedy — Tue, 2006-08-15 23:55 — Last Updated: Sun, 2006-08-20 12:07

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne
 
Since draft and salary cap equalization began leveling up the competition ten years ago, clubs have adopted a youth first approach. Rebuilding sides invariably pack their teams with young players and Richmond and Brisbane are very much in that category. Young teams are often inconsistent however and so it proved this night for Brisbane. Richmond had the game sealed well before half time. Only time will tell how good the new batch of Richmond talent will be. Unfortunately for Brisbane with premiership heroes bowing out almost by the month,
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Hurt Dogs Into Top Four

by bnkennedy — Mon, 2006-07-17 05:10 — Last Updated: Sat, 2006-08-12 16:00

Carlton Blues and the Western Bulldogs have both produced seasons that are out of the norm for their respective clubs. The Western Bulldogs, originally Footscray have never been a top team, winning just the one Premiership. Their style of play has often been labelled ugly, not the fluid white-hot running of the 2006 version. Carlton has traditionally been a league powerhouse with 16 flags to their credit. The current Blues side is a world away from a Premiership threat.

The Bulldogs started the game in a fashion you'd expect a fifth ranked side playing fifteenth, with three quick goals. Daniel Giansiracusa kicked the first after finding space before Rohan Smith converted. Matthew Robbins took a trademark strong mark on a full pace lead for the Bulldogs third. Barnaby French got on the board first for the Blues, before Whitnall took a great one handed mark while holding off an opponent. Big name forwards Brad Johnston and Brendan Fevola scored a goal each for their respective  sides to finish the quarter.  read more »

September Bound Eagles Gather Steam

by bnkennedy — Fri, 2006-08-04 22:14 — Last Updated: Sat, 2006-08-05 21:10

By Barry Kennedy, AFANA Reporter in Melbourne
 
St Kilda entered the Telstra Dome on Friday coming off a commanding 103 point belting of Richmond last week. The Eagles had their own cause for optimism even after shocking the football world with a 82 point thrashing of the Adelaide Crows last week. This match like many to come in the next few weeks loomed as a mini Final. For the Eagles this game was big chance to ensure a top two finish and the benefit of two home finals. For the Saints a win was imperative to keep ahead of fellow top four aspirants Sydney, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs.
 
The opening quarter was a rugged affair with few gaps to be found and sporadic scoring.
 read more »

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