From start to finish, it felt special. Brendan Fevola was a popular winner of the Allen Aylett Medal for best on ground, and in the end his clinical forward play was probably the difference between the teams, but there could have been half a dozen other worthy candidates.
The players were introduced one-by-one as they ran onto the ground before the match. Matthew Richardson was introduced as ‘Richoman’ and earned easily the biggest roar of all the Dream Team players.
Some things run deeper than state allegiance – Carlton and Collingwood players received the loudest welcomes of any of the men in the big white V. The question was: could a team of champions beat a … um … a couple of chunks of champion teams with a few extra champions tossed in?
The answer was in the balance for most of the game. The skills and, crucially, commitment were in clear view for the entirety of the match.
At different times, this was as close as footy comes to a game of pinball.
Rather than a centre bounce, the umpire might just as well have pulled back and released the spring, sending the shining orb into action. The Sherrin pinged and zinged at crazy pace, from superstar to superstar, intermittently hitting a jackpot in front of goal.
On display were the sort of clean hands than Lady Macbeth could only dream about, kicking with more precision than the Folies Bergere, and chains of passes tighter than a rusted lock-nut.
Fine players provided cameos of their greatness: Jonathan Brown’s ability to take a contested mark; Peter Burgoyne’s football brain; The visionary rebound of Matthew Scarlett; Robert Murphy’s intelligent ball use; Brett Kirk’s refusal to shirk the issue.
The start was fast rather than feverish. It was as if the crowd, much like the players, had to adjust to the different combinations. By midway through the first term however the players had settled, the crowd had settled, and the evening was alight.
That was when Buddy Franklin beat two before strolling in to goal at one end. Then Fev had the sit and took a stunning near-horizontal specie for a goal at the other end.
There has never been any doubt about the burly Carlton spearhead’s ability to excel on the MCG in a big game. The man who holds the world record for most goals in a millennium-eve game showed again that he has no fear of the spotlight.
In the first term, the ball barely went out of bounds. This may have been due to the precision of disposal. Perhaps it also reflected a lack of defensive-mindedness. In fishing they have tag and release; tonight it was all release, no tags.
Victoria hit the lead five minutes into the second quarter. The crowd left no doubt who it wanted to win as the noise lifted another notch.
Late in the first half Leon Davis took the ball near the boundary line on 50. He weaved into traffic, stepped forward and banged a magnificent goal. The crowd’s response was muted, surely a bizarre sensation for the Collingwood magic-worker in an MCG match.
Conversely, when Steve Johnson ran onto the ball at a similar angle at the opposite end and looped a brilliant goal across his body the response was rapturous.
The Dream Team reclaimed the lead with the last scoring shot of the third term, setting the scene for a quality finish.
Ultimately the out-of-towners faded with the match in the balance, and then Fevola did what Fevola does to get the Vics almost home. But then Franklin slammed a goal from outside 50 to get the Dream Team within a kick in the 25th minute of the last stanza.
Veteran Brent Harvey doubled the margin with a trademark running goal a minute later before Steve Johnson performed a party piece to seal the deal.
In a game like no other, some things don’t change.
The crowd shouts for quixotic power forwards.
Great players – such as Adam Goodes – can perform on the big stage, regardless of previous form.
Speed kills, whether it is generated through the running of Boomer Harvey or the lightning brain of Graham Johncock.
And a big game at the big ground is as good as it gets for people who love their footy.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or clubs.
