2000 AFL Grand Final

2000 AFL Grand Final

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the 2000 AFL Grand Final took place.

Essendon

Melbourne
19.21 (135) 11.9 (75)
1 2 3 4
ESS 4.8 (32) 10.16 (76) 16.17 (113) 19.21 (135)
MELB 3.3 (21) 5.5 (35) 8.8 (56) 11.9 (75)
Date 2 September 2000
Stadium Melbourne Cricket Ground
Attendance 96,249
Umpires Darren Goldspink (32), Brett Allen (10), Hayden Kennedy (7)
Coin toss won by David Neitz, Melbourne
Kicked toward City Road
Ceremonies
Pre-match entertainment The Idea of North, Trish Delaney-Brown, Megan Corson, Andrew Piper and Nick Begie
National anthem Bachelor Girl
Post-match entertainment Mike Brady, Russell Morris and Rick Price
Accolades
Norm Smith Medallist James Hird (Essendon)
Jock McHale Medallist Kevin Sheedy (Essendon)
Broadcast in Australia
Network Seven Network
Commentators Bruce McAvaney, Sandy Roberts, Anthony Hudson and Robert DiPierdomenico
 1999 AFL Grand Final 2001 

The 2000 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 2 September 2000. It was the 104th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League,[1] staged to determine the premiers for the 2000 AFL season. The match, attended by 96,249 spectators, was won by Essendon by a margin of 60 points, marking that club's 16th premiership victory.

Background

Main article: 2000 AFL season
Further information: 2000 AFL finals series

This was Essendon's first appearance in a Grand Final since winning the 1993 AFL Grand Final, whilst it was Melbourne's first since losing the 1988 VFL Grand Final. Essendon had completed the best home and away season in modern history, winning 21 of 22 matches, an AFL record (which would be equaled by Geelong in the 2008 season), winning their second successive McClelland Trophy. Melbourne finished the home and away season third with 14 wins and 8 losses.

In the previous week's Preliminary Finals, Essendon defeated an injury depleted Carlton who were missing Craig Bradley, Stephen Silvagni, and Anthony Koutoufides by 45 points, while Melbourne defeated North Melbourne by 50 points. The following Monday saw Melbourne's Shane Woewodin awarded the Brownlow Medal with 24 votes, ahead of Western Bulldogs midfielder Scott West and Adelaide midfielder Andrew McLeod.[2]

Match summary

Melbourne captain David Neitz won the toss and chose to kick towards the City/Members end of the MCG in the opening quarter. The first score of the game went to Melbourne. Neitz, from a very tight angle near the behind post on the Members side of the goals, kicked the ball into the far goal post resulting in one point.

It was only a short time after the first score of the game that James Hird kicked the first goal of the game for Essendon. Melbourne's first goal was kicked by Stephen Powell.

The Bombers never looked threatened from quarter time and comfortably won its record-equaling 16th premiership by 60 points, after one of the most dominant seasons in VFL/AFL history.

One downside for the Bombers was an incident in which Melbourne's Troy Simmonds was hit high by Essendon's Michael Long, resulting in a 25-man brawl. Simmonds was taken from the field on a stretcher; nine players were reported on ten offences by the umpires.

Hird was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for being judged the best player afield. Paul Barnard and Matthew Lloyd each kicked four goals for the Bombers.

Essendon's triumph would be the last by any Victorian team until the 2007 AFL Grand Final when Geelong won its first premiership in 44 years and was the last win by Melbourne-based club until Hawthorn's victory in the 2008 AFL Grand Final.

On this day the National Anthem was sang by Tania Doko of Bachelor Girl.

Teams

Essendon
B: 1 Mark Johnson 31 Dustin Fletcher 6 Sean Wellman
HB: 11 Damien Hardwick 21 Dean Wallis 7 Dean Solomon
C: 26 Chris Heffernan 24 Joe Misiti 33 Blake Caracella
HF: 2 Mark Mercuri 25 Scott Lucas 5 James Hird (c)
F: 9 Adam Ramanauskas 18 Matthew Lloyd 13 Michael Long
Foll: 22 John Barnes 32 Justin Blumfield 14 Jason Johnson
Int: 8 Darren Bewick 16 Paul Barnard 27 Steven Alessio
29 Gary Moorcroft
Coach: Kevin Sheedy
Melbourne
B: 26 Daniel Ward 27 Anthony Ingerson 44 Alistair Nicholson
HB: 42 Peter Walsh 28 Matthew Collins 21 Steven Febey
C: 13 Adem Yze 22 Shane Woewodin 35 Anthony McDonald
HF: 18 Brad Green 5 David Schwarz 7 Stephen Powell
F: 24 Russell Robertson 9 David Neitz (c) 33 Jeff Farmer
Foll: 34 Jeff White 43 Guy Rigoni 36 Andrew Leoncelli
Int: 4 Brent Grgic 16 Travis Johnstone 47 Ben Beams
46 Troy Simmonds
Coach: Neale Daniher

Scorecard

Essendon vs Melbourne
Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Final
Essendon 4.8 (32) 10.16 (76) 16.17 (113) 19.21 (135)
Melbourne 3.3 (21) 5.5 (35) 8.8 (56) 11.9 (75)
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Date: 2 September 2000
Attendance: 96,249
Umpires: Darren Goldspink (32), Brett Allen (10), Hayden Kennedy (7)
Goal scorers: Essendon 4: Paul Barnard, Matthew Lloyd. 3: Blake Caracella. 2: James Hird. 1: Gary Moorcroft, Mark Mercuri, Michael Long, Justin Blumfield, Darren Bewick, Steven Alessio
Melbourne 3: Jeff Farmer, Stephen Powell. 2: David Neitz, Russell Robertson. 1: Brad Green
Best: Essendon Hird, Barnes, Caracella, Misiti, Wallis
Melbourne White, Powell, Johnstone, Neitz, Walsh
Reports:
Injuries: Melbourne: Simmonds (concussion)
Coin toss winner: David Neitz, Melbourne
Norm Smith Medal: James Hird, Essendon
Australian television broadcaster: Seven Network
National Anthem: Bachelor Girl

See also

References

  1. In 1897 and 1924 there were no Grand Finals and instead the premier was decided by a finals play-off. In 1948 and 1977 there were Grand Final replays after initial draws.
  2. Gruber, James. "Surprise Brownlow medal winner (AM transcript)". ABC. Retrieved 12 September 2010.

Notes

External links

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