St Kilda and Geelong were the two best teams during the 2009 home-and-away season. Both were undefeated when they met in Round 14, a match won by the Saints who would suffer just two losses before the finals series. Geelong, on the other hand, were hit by injuries but came into form during the finals. They entered the grand final on September 26 as warm favourites, and ended the day with a 12-point win to secure their second premiership in three years.
The final score was:
Geelong 12.8 (80)
St Kilda 9.14 (68)
Here is a summary of some eminent stories to emerge from grand final day.
Team Selection: No Room For Sentiment
Geelong went into the grand final with an unchanged lineup from the previous week, meaning forward Matthew Stokes could not force his way back into the team after ruling himself out of the preliminary final with a groin injury. On the other hand, ruckman Mark Blake won his first premiership after being dropped for the 2007 grand final and playing in the losing 2008 team.
St Kilda made one change, with Robert Eddy making way for former Sydney premiership player Sean Dempster. The Saints stuck with former Hawthorn defender Zac Dawson, ignoring the temptation to recall veteran and club favourite Max Hudghton.
Brendan Fevola
One distraction to the lead-up to the grand final was the controversy surrounding Carlton full forward Brendan Fevola. Fevola won the 2009 Coleman Medal as the AFL's leading goalkicker but did not participate in the traditional pre-game lap of honour after a public display of drunkenness at the Brownlow Medal count earlier in the week, which was won by Geelong midfielder Gary Ablett Jr.
Grand Final Experience
Geelong had played in the previous two grand finals, defeating Port Adelaide in 2007 and losing to Hawthorn in 2008. Of the 22 players who lined up for Geelong, young forward Tom Hawkins was the only one who had not played in a grand final before.
In contrast, St Kilda's last grand final was the 1997 loss to Adelaide. The only player from that game who remained on St Kilda's list was Hudghton, who did not play and has since announced his retirement. Four players from the St Kilda team had played in grand finals for other clubs.
Geelong also had more experience playing in wet conditions and on the MCG, in comparison to St Kilda who play predominantly at Etihad Stadium (Docklands). The experience, along with the memories of the 2008 loss, held Geelong in good stead.
Premiership Droughts
When Geelong beat Port Adelaide by 119 points in the 2007 grand final, they ended a premiership drought for the club dating back to 1963. Geelong were the minor premiers for the second consecutive year in 2008 when they finished on top of the AFL ladder, but lost the grand final. Winning the 2009 premiership has cemented their place as one of the greatest teams of the modern era.
St Kilda has won just one premiership its 112-year history in the VFL/AFL, by a single point back in 1966. They secured the minor premiership with a 20-2 win-loss record during the 2009 home-and-away season and led at every change in the grand final, but were overrun in the fourth quarter in which they failed to score a goal. Several St Kilda players were in tears after the final siren and captain Nick Riewoldt implored them to draw on the pain of the grand final loss to motivate them for next season.
The Selwood Family Treasure
Geelong star Joel Selwood has played in a grand final in each of his three seasons in the AFL. His older brother, West Coast's Adam Selwood, played in the previous two grand finals in 2005 and 2006. In other words, a Selwood has contested the last five grand finals and there are now three premiership medals in the family. However, Adam's twin Troy, who plays for Brisbane, and the youngest brother Scott (West Coast) are yet to play in an AFL grand final.
Paul Chapman: Norm Smith Medallist
Geelong's Paul Chapman was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as the best on ground in the grand final. Despite injuring his hamstring in the first half, Chapman played on, collecting 26 possessions and three goals which were instrumental in a low-scoring game.
Geelong coach Mark Thompson hopes his team can continue its dominance next year, despite acknowledging that players may need to be paid under their market value or be traded to ensure the club remains within the salary cap. Meanwhile St Kilda has vowed to improve further in 2010 to end its 43-year premiership drought.
