The best pictures of the 2012 AFL season
Sydney's Nick Malceski is mobbed by teammates after kicking the winning goal in a classic Grand Final win against Hawthorn at the MCG. Picture: Hamish Blair Source: Herald Sun
START our countdown of the best and worst of the year in footy with the top 10 matches of the season.
Over the next 10 days we'll name the highlights, lowlights and simply strange moments of the year in footy in a countdown of top 10 countdowns (still with us?).
To kick off the series here are the best 10 AFL games of 2012.
There were 187 premiership matches this year and a fair few were quickly forgotten. But a few deserve to stick in the memory for a lot longer - at least until Round 1 next season.
Did we get it right? Vote in our poll and leave a comment below
Let the countdown begin...
10. GWS d Gold Coast, Round 7
The AFL's newest franchise went into this Manuka Oval clash against the competition's second-newest team with no wins from six outings at an average losing margin of 71 points. But after trailing by four points with a quarter to go, the Giants stormed home, kicking five goals to none in the last quarter, to claim their first-ever premiership points. Well, there's a big, big sound from the west side of town...
9. Port Adelaide d North Melbourne, Round 8
This game didn't rise to any great heights in the early stages - in fact, some scribes were starting to pen Matthew Primus's obituary as the Roos cruised to what looked like an easy victory. Lindsay Thomas missed a sitter from the goalsquare but it didn't seem to matter as North led by 29 points halfway through the final quarter. Then the game turned on its head. With Jay Schulz marking everything, Port came from the clouds to kick five goals in little over 10 minutes, Paul Stewart putting the Power in front for the first time in the match with a goal on the run 30 minutes into the final term. The siren sounded soon after to record an unbelievable two-point win.
8. Sydney d Essendon, Round 11
Essendon kicked the first goal of the game but could manage only 11 more behinds in the first half as the Swans skipped to a 47-point lead at three-quarter time. But the Bombers launched an improbably charge and all of a sudden they couldn't miss, piling on nine goals including a Leroy Jetta mid-air volley to cut the margin to four points with five minutes to play. The last roll of the dice fell to Courtenay Dempsey, who marked on the 50m line with a second on the clock. As Dempsey wheeled on to his right boot the siren sounded and the umpire called play on, ending the Bombers' dream of the greatest comeback win in history.
Essendon v Sydney Swans. Etihad Stadium. Courtenay Dempsey, Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: The Australian
7. Brisbane Lions v West Coast, Round 10
Another nailbiting finish, with the Lions storming home with an eight-goal final term to record one of the upsets of the season. Super sub Josh Green kicked three goals in a marathon final quarter and the winning play was a long Josh Drummond kick-in that ended up with James Polkinghorne who somehow found himself alone in the centre square with seconds to play. He launched a torpedo which flew 60m, straight through the middle. Lions win by two.
6. Gold Coast d Richmond, Round 16
The Tigers are somehow the only team to have never beaten the Suns, denied this year when NRL convert Karmichael Hunt marked on his chest moments before the siren in Cairns. Hunt's post-siren shot never looked like missing. The Tigers had led by 10 points with less than a minute remaining - then came what Paul Roos called "the worst 47 seconds in footy". Richmond suffered two more heartbreaking losses in the next two weeks, the third in a row by less than a goal to an undermanned Carlton which came back from 13 points behind late in the final quarter. Former Demon Brock McLean's wobbly kick from 50m on the boundary cleared a pack of players and rolled through for a goal to Carlton the lead with 90 seconds to play.
Karmichael Hunt celebrates with his team-mates after kicking the match-winning goal after the final siren against Richmond Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images
5. Richmond d St Kilda, Round 10
It wasn't all heartbreak for Richmond fans in 2012. The Tigers and Saints put on one of the most entertaining games of the season at a packed Etihad Stadium on a Friday night in June. The match produced 34 goals and more than 10 lead changes, including several in a rollicking last quarter as both sides grabbed the momentum only to have it ripped away again. The final say fittingly went to Jack Riewoldt, who booted his eighth goal of the match (his 100th AFL game) to seal a memorable Tiger victory.
St.Kilda v Richmond at Etihad Stadium. Tigers fans go nuts as Jack Riewoldt kicks goal. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun
4. Collingwood d Essendon, Round 5
The Pies led a tight contest all day only for Brent Stanton to snatch the lead for Essendon late in the final term. The ball then fell in the Magpies goalsquare, Jarryd Blair threw a leg at it and 87,000 fans held their breath as the AFL's new video goal review system swung into action. The third ump ruled Blair got his shin to the ball just before it crossed the goal-line to hand Collingwood a remarkable one-point win.
The annual blockbuster game between Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG. A last-minute goal from Jarryd Blair. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun
3. Hawthorn d Sydney, Round 22
Dubbed by many as the match of the season, the two heavyweights slugged it out on a wet SCG in August. The Swans dominated early, jumping to a 38-point lead, only for Lance Franklin - returning from injury - to drag the Hawks back into the match with three second-term goals. It was goal for goal in a breathtaking and bruising second half, with Ryan O'Keefe putting the Swans in front with 70 seconds to play only for Shaun Burgoyne and Brad Sewell to reply.
Fox Sports: Vote for the biggest AFL moment of 212 here
2. Geelong d Hawthorn, Round 19
The legend of footy's greatest modern rivalry grew again in 2012 with two more epic battles. In Round 2 Geelong, inspired by human battering ram Joel Selwood, kicked 4.1 to 0.5 in the final quarter to conjure a two-point win. But they went one better in Round 19 with one of the great home-and-away clashes. The Cats were on fire early, ramming home 9.3 in the first term. But the Hawks crawled off the canvas, coming from 51 points down to hit the lead late in the final term. Enter Tom Hawkins. The maligned key forward had been unstoppable all night and when his sixth goal sailed through from 55m as the siren sounded Geelong players ran from everywhere - and the Kennett curse was alive.
Geelong key forard Tom Hawkins celebrates after kicking the winning goal against Hawthorn after the siren. Picture: George Salpigtidis. Source: AdelaideNow
1. Sydney d Hawthorn, Grand Final
With momentum swings all day and possible heroes appearing at every turn, one of the great Grand Finals wasn't decided until Nick Malceski snapped a goal over his head with 32 minutes gone in the final term. Hawthorn, the hot favourite, was stunned and Sydney has its second flag in 78 years.
TOMORROW: TOP 10 MARKS OF 2012
Follow Al Paton on Twitter: @al_superfooty
Sydney celebrates its Grand Final victory over Hawthorn in style. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
2012 countdown: Top 10 games
Dengan url
http://sudahterlupakan.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-countdown-top-10-games.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
2012 countdown: Top 10 games
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar