Let me preface this post by declaring not only am I privileged to be a member, I am also fortunate to work for the Melbourne Cricket Club.
The Club turned 180 years old late last year and one of the projects I’ve been working on is sourcing photos of the memorable moments celebrated at the MCG over the years to display. That’s included scouring through countless images of Dom Sheed’s goal in the dying stages of last year’s epic Grand Final between Collingwood and West Coast. As a passionate Pies fan, reliving that moment is about as much fun as visiting the dentist for a root canal. Like Jason Akermanis’ snap back in the 2002 decider, it’s a moment in time I’m trying to forget.
I watched last year’s Grand Final from a riverside cabin up in Bright with my son, who I’ve also brainwashed into barracking for the Pies. It was the first Grand Final I had not been to in more than two decades. But I had decided mid-way through the year to agree to my wife’s request for a family weekend away, thinking that the Pies had no chance of making it to the last day in September.
Beers on ice, our colours proudly worn, we shouted ourselves hoarse early on and pleaded to any religious form in the pulsating last quarter to deliver us our 16th premiership cup. That’s all history now.
By the way, I did find a great shot of Sheed’s goal that the CEO also liked and will be framed and hung somewhere around the ground. But enough of that.
So for Collingwood fans, when on Saturday night Liam Ryan spotted up Sheed at the 17-minute mark of the final term in front of the members stand and he slotted (beautifully, I must confess) a goal in the `Grand Final replay’ on Saturday night, it was a case of déjà vu for those in black and white.
The groans and comments of “not bloody Sheed again” around me spoke volumes that this wasn’t to be the revenge we all eagerly wanted when we turned up on a balmy evening hours earlier. It was the goal that snuffed out any hopes we had of staging a final quarter comeback and have our season on the positive side of the ledger.
The Eagles have now won the past four clashes against Collingwood – three of those at the MCG. In fact, it’s their second longest winning streak over Collingwood. I hope that doesn’t extend to 10 matches, which it did in the mid 1990s and early 2000s that started with another memorable finals clash between the two clubs.
The 1994 Qualifying Final at the WACA is memorable for being Tony Shaw’s last game – and the verbal spray John Worsfold gave Mick McGuane on the final siren after he spilt a mark that would have given him a shot at goal to win the match.
This latest encounter between Collingwood and West was the 53rd time the two clubs had met since the Eagles joined the competition in 1987.
Early on the match took a similar path along that which the two MCG clashes between the sides played out in 2018. The Pies dominated possession early and hit the scoreboard quickly. But not enough to make the reigning premiers pay. The reformed Jordan DeGoey kicked two early goals while the big American Mason Cox still needs to learn to master the skill of kicking the ball checkside.
The return of two players – Darcy Moore and Jamie Elliott – this season from long-term injuries and the homecoming of 2010 premiership player and 2012 best and fairest Dayne Beams after four seasons Up North has given us hope that our side will be better in season 2019.
The reality is, the Eagles are a better team as well and the early signs are it will take a good team to deny them defending their premiership.
Andrew Gaff and Brad Sheppard weren’t part of their premiership team and both were prominent in this win while they have a bloke named Nic Naitanui waiting in the wings to come back from a knee reco – which he coincientally suffered against Collingwood last year.
So it was another disappointing and frustrating trip to the MCG for the black-and-white army and it’s back to my photo search.
Now, where’s that Heath Shaw smother from the 2010 replay …
Bradley Green is a 25-year member who’s now fortunate to work for the MCC. Despite growing up in Victoria’s Western District, he followed his dad in barracking for Collingwood, a family ‘tradition’ he’s passed onto his six-year-old son.
COLLINGWOOD 3.1 6.3 7.6 11.10 (76)
WEST COAST 1.2 7.6 10.8 15.8 (98)
GOALS
Collingwood: De Goey 3, Treloar 2, Beams, Cox, Mihocek, Elliott, Sidebottom, Thomas
West Coast: Cripps 4, Sheed 3, Kennedy 3, Allen, Darling, Hickey, Ryan, Petruccelle
BEST
Collingwood: Grundy, Adams, Sidebottom, De Goey, Treloar
West Coast: Gaff, Sheppard, Sheed, Shuey, Hurn