AFL grand final 2021 LIVE updates Melbourne Western Bulldogs count down to first bounce
1 of 4
Melbourne captain max Gawn spoke to Channel Seven before the game...
What’s the vibe like amongst the group?
We had a chopper follow us, we got in the tunnel and lost the chopper which is good. It is exciting. Bit of a low key start at the hotel. Went to the beach. Now we’re here.
Both sides are coming in off red hot form from the prelims. What’s key for you or what has been the main areas of focus ahead of the Dogs?
I can’t get my head around the first five minutes. That’s all I’m thinking about. That will hold one of the teams in good stead if they’re able to get off to a good start. Hopefully big Benny Brown will get us a first goal.
Great story for Benny Brown. For all the Dees supporters around the country, they’re with you for every move. Do you have a quick message?
The eastern state Demons supporters have been through a lot. Queensland got us last year but the NSW and Victorian supporters are doing it tough. Especially Victoria at the moment with so many Melbourne supporters there. We hold the name of the city on our jumper. We are doing it for them as much as for everyone in Perth as well. Most importantly my 45 teammates, I’m doing it for them.
The Norm Smith Medal has been handed out 43 times since it was first introduced in 1979, and of all the guernsey numbers, No.5 has proven to be the most successful number on grand final day, netting the award four times.
Geelong legend Gary Ablett senior was the first to salute in that number back in 1989 when he kicked nine goals in a losing side against Hawthorn. Essendon champion James Hird followed suit 11 years later, and Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley not long after him in 2002 (also in a losing side). Sydney star Ryan O’Keefe made it four for No.5 when he led the Swans to premiership glory in 2012 against the Hawks.
Gary Ablett Sr, James Hird, Nathan Buckley and Ryan O’Keefe.Credit:composite image
Numbers four (thanks to Dustin Martin), seven, 13, 15 and 32 have each been worn by three Norm Smith Medallists.
Norm Smith medals by number
4. 5 (Gary Ablett snr, James Hird, Nathan Buckley, Ryan O’Keefe)
3. 4 (Dustin Martin x3)
3. 7 (Gary Ayers x2, Lenny Hayes)
3. 13 (Paul Dear, Michael Long, Luke Shuey)
3. 15 (Byron Pickett, Luke Hodge x2)
3. 32 (Colin Robertson, Shaun Hart, Andrew Embley)
2. 2 (Dean Kemp, Greg Williams)
2. 3 (Chris Judd, Jimmy Bartel)
2. 11 (Bruce Doull, Glenn Archer)
2. 17 (Maurice Rioli, Brian Lake)
2. 20 (Simon Black, Steve Johnson)
2. 22 (Billy Duckworth, Tony Shaw)
2. 23 (Andrew McLeod x2)
1. 6 (Shannon Grant)
1. 10 (Scott Pendlebury)
1. 26 (David Rhys-Jones)
1. 27 (Simon Madden)
1. 29 (Kevin Bartlett)
1. 30 (Peter Matera)
1. 33 (Cyril Rioli)
1. 35 (Paul Chapman)
1. 37 (Wayne Harmes)
1. 39 (Jason Johannisen)
Daniel Cherny on former Demons president Joseph Gutnick.
For the first time since World War Two, the grand final will be staged away from the MCG in consecutive years. And, for the first time ever, the premiership decider will be held outside of Victoria in back-to-back seasons, with last year’s showpiece match held at the Gabba.
In fact, Optus Stadium experienced the equal-third shortest wait to host a VFL/AFL Grand Final, behind the Junction Oval and East Melbourne Cricket Ground. The state-of-the-art Perth stadium becomes the eighth grand final venue.
Years it took to host a grand final
Junction Oval 1
East Melbourne Cricket Ground 3
Lakeside Oval 4
Optus Stadium 4
MCG 5
Waverley Park 22
Gabba 28
Princes Park 45
Melbourne run out onto Optus Stadium before the first preliminary final.Credit:Getty Images
Of course, this isn’t the first time that these two sides have met in a VFL/AFL grand final.
Way back in 1954 was the first, and only, occasion that the Demons and Bulldogs battled it out against each other for premiership glory.
And it was a famous day for Footscray, as they claimed their first flag, 29 years after entering the competition.
Click here to read the full match report from that historic match.
Footscray’s captain Charlie Sutton leads the team out.Credit:The Age Archives
The grand final might be being held in Perth this year, but there is certainly no shortage of colour from fans representing the opposing Victorian teams.
Fans arrive for the 2021 AFL Grand Final.Credit:Getty Images
Fans arrive for the 2021 AFL Grand Final.Credit:Getty Images
Fans arrive for the 2021 AFL Grand Final Credit:Getty Images
Fans arrive for the 2021 AFL Grand Final .Credit:Getty Images
The Western Bulldogs have repelled a late Melbourne challenge in a hard-fought match to steal top spot with just four rounds remaining.
It was skipper Marcus Bontempelli who stood up when the moment demanded as the charging Demons drew within four points with nine minutes left. He kicked a goal at a stoppage before winning a centre clearance to hit Jamarra Ugle-Hagan on the chest inside 50.
Ugle-Hagan kicked the goal to stretch the margin beyond two goals, with former Demon Mitch Hannan sealing the match and a 20-point win when he marked in the goal square two minutes later.
Click here to read the full report.
Cody Weightman takes a specky.Credit:Getty Images
Victoria’s COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar has given some more insight into how significant an impact illegal social gatherings are having on the spread of coronavirus the state, and shared his fears that more people will decide to break the rules for tonight’s grand final.
He estimates that 45 per cent of people who are catching the virus in the home are doing so when households are mixing when they shouldn’t be.
“That’s a really consistent pattern we’ve seen really for the last five or six weeks, ever since the numbers started to take off,†he said.
And it’s not shocking breaches such as illegal engagement parties that contact tracers are finding. People are, for example, helping out their mothers with chores or visiting their cousins.
“It’s all the day-to-day things that we all desperately want to go back and do. We are seeing far too high a level of that happening. Not just within the northern suburbs but across Melbourne.â€
In contrast, Mr Weimar said the workplace outbreaks were now much smaller, indicating that if more people followed public health orders, the number of cases being reported in Victoria could be significantly reduced.
Public health officials are concerned that more people might decide to break the rules to gather with friends or family today for the AFL grand final, with two Victorian teams battling it out for a premiership.
“I’m extremely worried that large numbers of Victorians will say tonight ‘we’ll all get together and have a night out. And we’ll take our masks off and we will scream and shout and have a good drink’,†Mr Weimar said.
“As a result of that, six or seven days down the road we have another big cluster of cases.â€
Western Bulldogs’ home ground, Footscray’s Whitten Oval, maybe much quieter than you would ever expect on Grand Final Day for premiership contenders, but that will change next weekend when it’s transformed into a huge vaccination clinic.
The Age first flagged the proposal in February this year. AFLW star Isabel Huntington confirmed in Victoria’s daily COVID update that a community push involving local GP Mukesh Haikerwal to set up a pop-up centre had been fruitful.
The pop up will run on Saturday October 2 and Sunday October 3.
Huntington said 2000 Pfizer vaccines will be available across the two days, and bookings could be made from Monday on the state government’s coronavirus vaccine booking website.
“I’d love to be playing in front of a full house … in January 2022,†she said.
Underlying the importance of vaccination, Health Minister Martin Foley said discussions were ongoing about what areas of the health system would have to pause to help accommodate the greater number of coronavirus patients.
“Elective surgery is clearly on the table to pause and delay,†he said.
1 of 4
0 Response to "AFL grand final 2021 LIVE updates Melbourne Western Bulldogs count down to first bounce"
Post a Comment