Did the best team win the 2006 AFL Grand Final?

THE OCTOPIUS MANAGEMENT AND STAFF extend their congratulations to the Sydney Swans and the West Coast Eagles in what can only be described as a thrilling 2006 AFL Grand Final.

It was the best AFL Grand Final since, well, since last year when the Sydney Swans and the West Coast Eagles played each other in the 2005 AFL Grand Final.

We congratulate the West Coast Eagles on their victory.

Commiserations

Although there would be something decidedly unfair about either team enjoying a 2 – Nil Win/Loss ratio over the other; we cannot help but sincerely commiserate with the Sydney Swans for their valiant and courageous efforts in the final half of the game; where their hopes of securing back-to-back premierships were dashed by the slimmest of possible margins. In fact, at the risk of incurring the wrath of the West Coast Eagles supporters, it is our contention the better team lost on the day.

The West Coast Eagles played four quarters of their best possession football amassing a staggering 373 - 279 superiority over the Swans, as well as winning the centre Hit Outs 40 – 22. In comparison, the Sydney Swans were uncharacteristically uncoordinated and shaky in the first half, playing their worst football since midway through the season. The majority of their mistakes were unforced errors, which cannot be attributed to any incursion or pressure applied by the West Coast Eagles. A telling example of this is the Swans had three free kicks and a fifty metre penalty inside their forward fifty in the first term, and yet, could only manage three behinds.

If, the West Coast Eagles were playing at their very best for the entire game as every commentator in the media tends to agree they were; and the Sydney Swans are appraised on average to have put in a mediocre performance; and yet, only one point separated the teams at the end of the game. Which team is the better? The team that played at their full potential and as good as they ever are likely to play, or, the team that has the known potential to play consistently better, and invariably do with devastating consequences for their opponents.

The Planets

It happens!

Some days the alignment of the planets are not favourable and nothing goes right.

In the second term Barry Hall was involved in a “game losing” umpiring decision, which was perplexing to understand at the time when it occurred, however, in the aftermath, and in knowledge of the fact the outcome of the game was decided by a solitary point, the decision of the umpire becomes even more incredulous. Hall, after having played on from a free kick forty-five metres out from goal and on the boundary line, booted a sensational and inspirational goal that sailed through the goal posts at post height, but had the ball recalled by the umpire, who, made Hall retake the kick when the correct decision under the AFL Advantage Rule should have been, to give him the option of either retaking the kick or retaining the goal. As it eventuated, Hall kicked a behind on the second attempt, which would have been statistically the more probable outcome due to the distance and angle from goal - even for a player of Hall’s ability.

Whilst it is true both teams had their fair share of errant kicking for goal during the course of the game, Halls inspirational goal kicked on the run, would have been pivotal for the Swans at a crucial moment in the game when the West Coast Eagles were exerting dominance over the quarter - and potentially the game. It was only due to the tenacity and determination of the Sydney Swans, the viewing public had the privilege of watching a sensational encounter between these two worthy adversaries all the way to a nail-biting conclusion.

Unusual

We all experience those moments in life where the vision we are observing does not match the soundtrack in our minds, due to some kind of anomaly the senses are reluctant to accept.

In the dying moments of 2005 Grand Final, West Coast Eagles player Dean Cox kicked the ball to a group of three Eagles players waiting in the Eagles forward pocket; where with outstretched arms and hands they desperately tried to mark the ball; only to have Leo Barry wisp the ball away in a flash of brilliance. Even now, a year later, the mind in recall of that scene, expects to follow the ball into the hands of one of the West Coast Eagles players. This is in spite of the fact the mind is aware Leo Barry will be appearing in the next frame to mark the ball.

A good indication you have just witnessed something unusual is when the mind attempts to create the vision it was expecting to observe. Hall’s goal in the second quarter of the 2006 Grand final was not nearly as dramatic as Leo Barry’s mark, however, when the mind persistently attempts to reconstruct the remainder of the quarter from the moment the ball sailed through the goal posts, it is a sure sign an unusual and dramatic shift has occurred which may, or may not, be how the true course of events were supposed to unfold.

Games of football are often marred by poor decisions by umpires. And though whimsically rationalised as being part and partial of the game, they somehow never seem to diminish in their capacity to contentiously arouse reservations, which detract and lessen conviction in the final result. And, always seems to leave a degree of doubt about the winner’s full entitlements to claim victory. The West Coast Eagles undoubtedly possess the skill levels to be a premiership team. Whether or not they received this mantle prematurely is debatable.