Match Summary

The Grand Teams:
BRISBANE LIONS v COLLINGWOOD
Grand Final – Saturday, 2:30pm AEST, MCG

BRISBANE LIONS
B: Chris Johnson, Mal Michael, Darryl White
HB: Nigel Lappin, Justin Leppitsch, Luke Power
C: Martin Pike, Michael Voss, Robbie Copeland
HF: Blake Caracella, Jonathan Brown, Ashley McGrath
F: Craig McRae, Alastair Lynch, Daniel Bradshaw
FOLL: Clark Keating, Simon Black, Jason Akermanis
I/C: Jamie Charman, Marcus Ashcroft, Richard Hadley, Shaun Hart
EMG: Tim Notting, Chris Scott, Aaron Shattock
IN: Marcus Ashcroft
OUT: Tim Notting

COLLINGWOOD
B: Ben Johnson, Shane Wakelin, Rhyce Shaw
HB: James Clement, Jason Cloke, Richard Cole
C: Shane Woewodin, Nathan Buckley, Alan Didak
HF: Chris Tarrant, Simon Prestigiacomo, Shane O’Bree
F: Paul Licuria, Ben Kinnear, Leon Davis
FOLL: Josh Fraser, Scott Burns, Heath Scotland
I/C: Brodie Holland, Ryan Lonie, Matthew Lokan, Tristen Walker
EMG: Steve McKee, Jarrod Molloy, Andrew Williams
IN: Tristen Walker
OUT: Anthony Rocca (suspended)

BRIS 5.5 11.7 14.12 20.14 (134)
COL 3.3 4.7 9.7 12.12 (84)
GOALS: BRIS- : Akermanis 5, Lynch 4, Caracella 2, Brown 2, McRae, Pike, Hadley, Black, Leppitsch, Hart, Bradshaw; COL - Didak 3, Burns 2, Davis, Woewodin, Buckley, Licuria, Tarrant, Fraser, Scotland
BEST BRIS - Black, Akermanis, Keating, Lynch, Michael, Voss, Hart; COL - Fraser, Buckley, Woewodin, Burns

INJURY: BRIS - Leppitsch (calf), Michael (leg)

UMPIRES: McBurney, Kennedy, Allen

ATTENDANCE: 79,451 at MCG

Norm Smith Medallist: Simon Black (Brisbane)

They say there is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal, and the Lions proved it. Michael Voss (knee), Jonathan Brown (broken hand), Martin Pike (thigh),
and Ngel Lappin (ribs) would have been on the sidelines had been any other game. And as hurt as they were, had no right to play the way they did. But they ignored the injuries and played like men possessed to steamroll the PIes and be the first team since Melbourne in the late 50s to make it 3 in a row. Coach Leigh Matthews revealed after the game that the medical staff dispensed 18 vials of painkillers during the game, sx times more than what they might normally use during a game.
Rocca's absence hurt more than anyone might have imagined as the wiry Fraser and the inexperienced Walker were no match against the bigger and more experienced Keating and Charman. It also robbed the Pies of Fraser playing up forward.
The game started at fierce pace, with both sides throwing thermselves at each other an the ball. Less than a minute into play, Brown was crunched by Burns in a marking contest. The Lions cleared the ball and got it Lynch for the first goal of the game. From the next bounce, the Lions took it away again but Voss, on a difficult angle kicked a point. The Pies got on the board minutes later when Woewodin marked and goaled. It was quickly answered with a mark and goal to Bradshaw. The Pies came back again with a goal to Fraser to trail by 2 points. That was the closest Collingwood get to the Lions. Akermanis broke free from the middle and kicked one on the run. McRae and Caracella both goaled to send the margin out to 20 points before Buckley booted one just before1/4 time to have the Pies within 14 points at the first break.
Brisbane responded with the first two goals of the second term through Jason Akermanis and the tyro, Richard Hadley. Didak got one back for the Pies, but from there it was all Brisbane as they dominated play and pressured the Pies into costly turnovers. A free to Leppitsch 20 metres out was the first of 4 more goals for the Lions and they went to 1/2 time 42 points clear.
Collingwood gave its fans a glimmer of hope with goals to Didak and Burns early in the 3rd term but the revival was shortlived. Voss broke out of the centre for a behind; McGrath swooped on a spilled mark by Cole for another minor score and Power snapped wide. Then Akermanis goaled as Collingwood’s kick-in strategy failed to survive the second possession and Caracella added another after being carelessly scragged by Shaw. The lead was then 46 points and the game over. The PIes managed a goal to Burns before Tarrant, well held by the defence of White, Bradshaw and Michael, took a rare mark and goaled to cut the margin to 35 points.
Pke and Scotland traded goals and it was the Lions by 35 points at 3/4 time.
The Pies had several chances add goals but Tarrant missed several shots before Lynch, Brown, and Akermanis booted goals. Hart's running goal from 25 metres and Brown's mark and goal blew the margin out to 69 points.
Didak, Davis (just 2 possessions for the game), and Licuria added consolation goals late in the term to make the margin less humiliating.
Voss was on the bench for much of the final term, but was determined to come back on late to be there when the final siren went. He got his wish.
Black, who had 39 possessions, was a deserving winner of the Norm Smith Medal. Woewodin, Holland, and Licuria all had a run on Black but none could stop him.
Lappin was solid across half back. Buckley was minded by Copeland, but still managed 24 touches. Fraser, while beaten in the ruck, was a solid contributor around the ground.
Black is the fourth player to win the Brownlow and Norm Smith medals after Nathan Buckley, James Hird and Greg Williams.

Network Ten’s broadcast of the game was the most watched AFL Grand Final in history in Melbourne and Brisbane and the second most watched Grand Final in history (behind the Kangaroos v Sydney in 1996).
The Lions demolition of Collingwood drew an average audience of 3.0 million (TEN’s broadcast averaged 2.6 million in 2002) viewers and a peak of 3.5 million to become the most watched sporting event in 2003, the most watched program for the year in Melbourne and the second highest rating program of the year nationally.
Network Ten’s general manager, sport, David White said: "this truly national 2003 AFL Finals Series have been outstanding and this is the perfect finish to what has been a magnificent season that has seen television audience increases across the board."
The Brisbane public showed overwhelming support for the Lions yesterday with an
incredible increase of 200,000 viewers from last year. TEN’s broadcast in Brisbane averaged 575,000 to comprehensively beat Nines prime time rugby league preliminary final, which averaged 341,000.

MAJOR POINTS
• Most watched AFL Grand Final in history in Melbourne
• Most watched AFL Grand Final in history in Brisbane
• Most watched sporting event in 2003
• Most watched program in Melbourne in 2003
• Second most watched AFL Grand Final since people meters were introduced in 1991
• Average audience in Brisbane up 200,000 on 2002 (the average audience for Brisbane this year was higher than their peak audience in 2002)
• National audience average up 340,000 on 2002

And it was a blustery, chilly, overcast afternoon yesterday which saw the Chicago Swans take on the Chicago Sharks in the last game of the year before the nationals in two weeks:

SWANS 1.0 1.0 3.1 4.5 (29)
SHARKS 4.3 10.4 12.4 15.4 (94)
I am sure the boys are going to have a serious chat with Andy, who put together this schedule about booking a game the day after the Grand Final. It was a badly undermanned Swans team which played. There were so few there, it had to be reduced to a 12 a side match. Josh, who usually plays defence, had to do the ruckwork which seriously robbed the backline. The Swan forward line was equally short without Pete and Al, who also can play ruck. Forwards Carl and Rod had to play further afield. As a result, the Sharks were able to dominate and had plenty of numbers at the ball and constantly cleared the ball and kept the pressure right on the Swans. Just two scoring shots in the 2nd term failed as both were marked by Shark defenders

And speaking of the USAFL, Jon "Doc" Cheffers has co-authored a book about the history of Doc at the 1998 Nationals. He was sort of a mentor and records keeper for the Boston Demons and it was quite sweet the way they all looked after him at games. I knew several years ago he was planning on writing this book and he returned home to Australia last year and has done it.
Doc actually played briefly for Carlton in 1955. He played 4 games and kicked 4 goals.

As for our GF party, we had a great turnout with about 70 or so people showing up, including several Magpie supporters. The Swans and Sharks also had their own parties.

And that's it for the season. Of course, I will be back periodically with all the offseason news, such as trades, the draft, and the International games.

GO BLUES IN `04!!

Lisa

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