In the 100th year of the VFL/AFL, the premier would be commemorated by a one-of-a-kind gold premiership cup.
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Despite North’s favouritism, it still had the ugly memories of its only regular season meeting with Sydney. In Round 10 it faced the Swans at Princes Park (now Visy Park) and was comfortably defeated by 79 points.
After a tight start, it appeared Sydney was continuing on its way from earlier in the year. Despite the best efforts of Brett Allison, Rodney Eade’s side kicked away late in the term with the last three goals.
Surprise packet Troy Luff isolated Wayne Schwass deep in the forward line, robbing North of its rebound from the defensive half. He kicked two goals before the switch was made as Glenn Archer moved onto him. Tony Lockett was having an impact as well, kicking several vital goals early.
At the start of the second quarter, it was much of the same. Jason Mooney (older brother of Cameron), pushed Ian Fairley off the ball and goaled in the first few minutes. Sydney’s lead was out to 24 points and the interstate side had all the momentum.
It made the next few minutes critical. North, hanging on like a boxer stuck on the ropes, was wobbling mightily.
From the ensuing centre bounce, Swans’ captain Paul Kelly burst from the square, through on goal. The shot travelled just inches. Minutes later Daryn Cresswell’s snap on goal fell just short of the line.
Then the match-turning passage of play; with possession 50 metres out on the boundary, Kelly opted for a short pass to a rampaging Lockett. The kick fell just short and possession was gained by Mick Martyn. North rebounded to the opposite end before 29th gamer Glenn Freeborn booted his first goal.
It was the spark the Kangaroos needed. Freeborn’s danger at ground level, in combination with a rotating cast of spare men dropping in front of Lockett turned the flow of the Grand Final.
[RELATED: Glenn Freeborn’s three-goal second quarter]
One of the loose men at times was Corey McKernan. After injuring his knee early in the preliminary final victory over Brisbane, his slow start against Sydney had many wondering whether he should have played in the final game of the season.
However as North worked its way into the game, the big man’s influence grew. His effort was epitomised by the final play of the first half.
From the centre bounce, McKernan won the tap and then punched the ball forward. Freeborn kicked his third for the term and North, stunningly, was in front at the long break by two points.
Perhaps showing the importance of the moment, both sides were tentative in a slow start to the third quarter. With the ball bouncing between the half-forward lines, there was little scoreboard pressure in the opening minutes.
Nevertheless, North gradually re-imposed its superiority and started to pepper the goals. The result though was five consecutive behinds. It meant that when Lockett kicked his fifth goal, the Roos’ lead was just eight points.
Then came North’s second big push of the day. Three consecutive goals to Craig Sholl, Peter Bell and Darren Crocker had the lead out at 27 with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter. It was looming as a match-winning lead.
But there was still time for what would turn out to be Sydney’s last surge. Before the final change it had four shots on goal. Stuart Maxwell, Michael O’Loughlin, Paul Roos and Derek Kickett all had the chance to push the Swans closer but the end result was just two behinds.
North started the final term with a 25-point lead, just half an hour away from its third premiership and when Anthony Stevens capped a superb individual effort with the first goal of the quarter, the only question remaining was ‘how far North?’
Mark Roberts put an exclamation point on the game with a trademark long-range goal, and it was a fairytale finish for Ian Fairley.
The veteran, playing the last match in his 217-game career drifted into the forward pocket in the last minute. He flew for a great mark just outside the goal-square and his final play in an AFL game was kicking the last goal for a premiership winning side.
North Melbourne 3.2.20, 8.7.55, 12.14.86, 19.17.131
Sydney 6.2.38, 8.5.53, 9.7.61, 13.10.88
Goals
North Melbourne: Crocker 3, Freeborn 3, Allison 2, Roberts 2, Sholl 2, Stevens 2, Bell 1, Carey 1, Fairley 1, Rock 1, Simpson 1
Sydney: Lockett 6, Luff 2, O’Loughlin 2, Cresswell 1, Kickett 1, Mooney 1
Norm Smith Medal: Glenn Archer (NM)
