The Sporting Day: Grand Final Week

It is a rare treat these days. And for football fans across Australia, it is a weekend of dreams and glory and hope. It is a weekend of mateship and finality and coronation. It is a weekend of rugby league and Australian rules, the two most beloved sports in Australia, and the culmination of two wonderful seasons and the celebration of two wonderful sports. The AFL and NRL Grand Final’s will be played out this weekend in what can only be described as, to borrow from 'Rampaging' Roy Slaven and H.G Nelson, a 'festival of the boot'. It is enough to blow the mind and swell the heart.

What a year of football it has been.

In rugby league, it has been one dominated by the Melbourne Storm, a team who has lost only three games all season. There was a wonderful State of Origin series where new stars were born and the legend continued. We said farewell to the greatest of them all, Andrew Johns and welcomed the heir apparent, Johnathan Thurston, who won his second Dally M Medal in three seasons. As we cried for the role of the five eighth, we marveled at the magnificence of the multitudes of modern day fullbacks. We saw the return of South Sydney to competitive rugby league and we looked on in horror as rugby league heartlands like Penrith and Newcastle struggled to come to grips with the mediocrity of their top grade teams. We say goodbye to plenty who have given so much: David Peachey, Paul Mellor, Paul Bowman, Jason Smith to name but a few.

In Australian rules, we have witnessed the domination of the Geelong Cats and in the process, the joy of youthful football. In an era dominated by defence and strategies designed to constrict, we have witnessed the beauty of flowing football orchestrated by stars like Jimmy Bartel, Gary Ablett and Joel Corey. The interstate supremacy has been weakened, though the interstate sides have hardly gone backwards. There is the fight for Chris Judd, one of the most naturally gifted footballers of his generation. And there was the homage paid to retiring kings like James Hird, Glen Archer, Anthony Koutoufides and Mark Riccuito. Nathan Buckley may well be added to that list.

And now, all that is left is to crown the champions.

On Saturday, the Geelong Cats will square off against the Power of Port Adelaide. The Cats, after a brilliant season that saw only four defeats and won the team their first Brownlow Medal since 1989, enter as big favourites. Bookmakers have assigned them the number of 18.5. The Power, underestimated all season and rarely mentioned in the same breath as the term premiership contender, will wear the underdog tag with pride. And they will use it as motivation. Those as skilled as Chad and Kane Cornes, Peter and Shaun Burgoyne and Warren Tredrea rarely accept being touted as outsider and consider it necessary to prove themselves once more. But this Grand Final is about the Cats,for the most part. They have been to the Big One plenty of times over the past two decades yet their last Premiership was way back in 1963. Victory will not only bring joy to the people of Geelong but will slay the demons that have caused such misery.

On Sunday evening, the Melbourne Storm and the Manly Sea Eagles will meet in the Grand Final of the NRL. The two best teams will square off to see who is number one. The Melbourne Storm will seek to bring the glory to their town that has been missing since 2000, when Essendon won the AFL. They will also be seeking redemption for their shock defeat in last year’s decider. Manly are continuing on the road to renew past glories. A team that is as hated as it is successful, the last ten years have been a painful ride where failure was the norm and the loathing turned to apathy. A win on Sunday would ensure the hatred returns. This will be a brutal and bruising encounter and looks set to be one for the ages.

This is the pinnacle of weekends for football fans. Enjoy.     

© 2007 Punting Ace.com