North Melbourne 19.10 (124) d Carlton 12.17 (89)
John Longmire and Wayne Carey were possibly the most dynamic forward duo of the 1990s but only Carey enjoyed the spoils of the 1996 premiership as Longmire sat in the stands nursing the knee that had been operated on earlier that year.
When 1999 came around, Longmire finally joined Carey as a premiership player and the look of elation and relief on his face at the end of the game is the most enduring image of that day.
The coach: Denis Pagan
“I can’t say there was one stand-out moment in 1999 where I knew we had it won. I can think of some pivotal moments when the tide turned, such as when Wayne Carey went on to the ball in the third quarter because Steve Silvagni had kept him under check. I think Wayne had something like seven possessions for the quarter and he got things going for us.
“Silvagni was instructed to stay back and we were able to score a couple of goals. I also remember seeing John Longmire straight after the game. John had missed the 1996 flag with a knee injury. He played an insignificant role in the 1999 grand final, I don’t think he had too much of the footy. One of the things that really did strike me was the look of joy after the disappointment he had been through.”
The player: John Longmire
“I probably carried on as if I won the Norm Smith Medal. I had three possessions, two of them were ineffective and you would have thought that I’d kicked 10 goals. I didn’t think I’d ever get there. I was struggling through the year with injuries and was essentially gone as a player.
“I was on the bench when the siren went with Cam Mooney and Anthony Stevens. I remember Stevo couldn’t walk and Cam had to piggy back him across the ground to where the other players were. I didn’t give Stevo a second thought, we celebrated on the bench then I took off so I left poor old Stevo there.”
