Victorians End Dream Team Dream

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

TEAMS

VICTORIA
B: C. Brown (HAW) M. Scarlett (GEEL) D. Milburn (GEEL)
HB: H. Shaw (COL) T. Croad (HAW) J. Waite (CARL)
C: B. Harvey (NM) S. Mitchell (HAW) A. Goodes (SYD)
HF: R. O'Keefe (SYD) J. Brown (BRIS, capt) R. Murphy (WB)
F: S. Johnson (GEEL) B. Fevola (CARL) D. Bradshaw (BRIS)
R: T. Simmonds (RICH)
ROVERS: J. Bartel GEEL) C. Judd (CARL)
I/C: J. Fraser (COL) L. Power (BRIS) P. Chapman (GEEL) J. Kelly (GEEL) N. Foley (RICH) S. Pendlebury (COL) J. Selwood (GEEL)
EMG: J. Roughead (HAW) B. Sewell (HAW)

INJURED: G. Ablett (GEEL) N. Dal Santo (STK) B. Johnson (WB)

DREAM TEAM
B: G. Johncock (ADE) B. Rutten (ADE) C. Bolton (SYD)
HB: A. McLeod (ADE, capt) M. Pavlich (FRE) A. Cooney (WB)
C: M. Richardson (RICH) D. Kerr (WCE) S. Burgoyne (PA)
HF: S. Goodwin (ADE) C. Mooney (GEEL) D. Motlop (PA)
F: B. Burton (ADE) L. Franklin (HAW) L. Davis (COL)
R: D. Cox (WCE)
ROVERS: P. Burgoyne (PA) K. Cornes (PA)
I/C: N. Bock (ADE) J. Charman (BRIS) J. Corey (GEEL) M. Stokes (GEEL) B. Kirk (SYD) R. Griffen (WB) D. Glass (WCE)
EMG: N. Bassett (ADE) D. Cross (WB) C. Enright (GEEL)

INJURED: L. McPharlin (FRE) T. Kennelly (STD)

The team selections were based upon the players' home state rather than the team they currently play for.

VICTORIA    3.6   9.8   14.9   21.11 (137) 
DREAM TEAM  5.4   8.6   15.8   18.12 (120)

GOALS: VIC - Fevola 6, Brown 3, Johnson 3, Harvey 3, O'Keefe, Murphy, Brown, Chapman, Bradshaw, Foley; DT - Franklin 4, Davis 3, Motlop 2, Burton 2, Goodwin 2, Richardson, Kirk, S. Burgoyne, Mooney, Stokes

BEST: VIC - Fevola, Foley, Pendlebury, Goodes, Harvey, Judd; DT - P. Burgoyne, McLeod, S. Burgoyne, Johncock, Franklin, K. Cornes

ALLEN AYLETT MEDAL: Brendan Fevola

INJURY: Kerr (leg) - Kerr was cleared of any serious injury but will still miss several weeks through suspension.

UMPIRES: Vozzo, Kennedy, Rosebury, McInerney

CROWD: 69,294 at the MCG

It was an entertaining game to say the least, with all the skills on show--not to mention a few bumps. Murphy and Craig Bolton collided, leaving Bolton temporarily dazed. Franklin later crunched his Hawk teammate Mitchell. With dominant forwards Fevola, Brown, Bradshaw, Pavlich and Franklin minding the goals, Richardson started on a wing opposed to Goodes and Croad. Bolton, Bock and Rutten had their work cut out against Brown and Fevola. In a twist of fate, several teammates were matched up against each other: Scarlett vs. Mooney, Croad vs. Franklin and Murphy vs. Griffen.

After several misses from both sides early in the first term, the Dream Team took over and shot out to a handy lead with goals to Burton, Goodwin and Davis. Fevola got the first of his six midway through the term, but Franklin and Mooney added a pair for the Dream Team to maintain their lead. By this time Kerr was off injured, not to return. Harvey and Foley worked hard through the middle. Harvey snapped a late goal while Foley set up Fevola for the last goal of the term to cut the Dream Team's lead to 10 points at 1/4 time.

Goodes, Judd, Harvey and Foley lifted in the second term to lead the Victorian charge. Harvey, Brown and Fevola all kicked goals to snatch the lead for Victoria. From there, it was goal for goal with Franklin, Johnson, Davis and finally Bradshaw all putting through major scores. Franklin and Johnson each kicked another, but it was Victoria by eight points at 1/2 time.

The lead was out to 20 points early in the third term through goals to Foley and Murphy. Motlop got one back for the Dream Team only for Fevola to reply at the other end. Where Judd and Goodes were influential earlier in the game, McLeod and the Burgoyne brothers were equally so in the third. McLeod and Peter Burgoyne set up plenty of attacks from defense while Kane Cornes reigned in Judd and won plenty of the ball himself alongside Port teammate Shaun Burgoyne. Davis, Motlop and Stokes goaled to cut Victoria's lead. O'Keefe ended the Dream Team's run momentarily but another three goal burst from the Dream Team saw Burton kick two and Kirk one to give the Dream Team a five point lead at 3/4 time.

Richardson had a chance to give Victoria the lead early in the final term, but missed. Minutes later, Shaun Burgoyne goaled and it was the Dream Team by 12 points. Brown then goaled from a free kick before Mitchell and Murphy combined to set up Fevola who leapt through two defenders for a strong grab and goal to level the scores. Franklin then missed two shots which would have given the Dream Team a two goal lead. Instead, the margin was just two points. Goodwin's goal made it an eight point lead to the Dream Team before Fevola goaled to put the margin back to two points. Chapman then missed for the Vics, cutting the gap to just a point. Chapman redeemed himself minutes later with a mark (catch of the ball) and goal. Brown did likewise and the Vics were out to an 11 point lead. Chapman hit the post and the difference was two straight goals. Franklin goaled from 55 meters (60 yards) to narrow the Victorian lead to just one goal. Harvey goaled on the run for the Vics before Brown matched Franklin's efforts with a goal from outside 50 meters (55 yards). Brown got the ball again but mis-kicked. Fortunately, Johnson was in the right place at the right time to catch it. He was hard up against the boundary but danced around Johncock and slotted the goal to ensure the win.

After the game, a number of players said they would like the concept of State or Origin games to be revived. Geelong's Cameron Mooney and Matthew Scarlett, Bulldog Brad Johnson, as well as Coach Mark Williams said it would be great to have state games once more.

State of Origin was abandoned by the AFL after 1999 due to increasingly dwindling attendances as well as players withdrawing from the selected teams with supposed "injury" to get out of playing. There was also growing concern among AFL coaches over their star players getting suffering serious injury.

Source: Melbourne Age, Herald Sun, afl.com.au, and author notes from live broadcast