Collingwood – 9-14-68 St Kilda – 10-8-68
Next Saturday, we’ll have to go through it all again. But is that really a positive?
Draws are quite rare in the AFL Grand Final, and when the final whistle blew on Saturday afternoon, I was vocally expressing my frustration at the TV, insisting that the game should conclude on the same day. However, after some reflection… I find myself uncertain.
The 2010 Grand Final marks the third tied Grand Final in League history, and interestingly, Collingwood was part of that encounter as well. In fact, Collingwood suffered a loss in the subsequent replay against North Melbourne, which might serve as a good sign for St Kilda.
Looking back before 1977, you’d need to go as far back as 1948 for the first tied Grand Final. That match featured Essendon and Melbourne, with Melbourne emerging victorious in the replay.
If you take a glance at soccer, while it can sometimes be the most thrilling aspect of the game, it can also lead to an agonizing way to lose.
Neither Collingwood nor St Kilda deserves the agony of losing in extra time or in a situation akin to a penalty shoot-out.
I understand the hassle it will create for fans seeking tickets, organizing flights, accommodations, and so on, but it still promises to be a spectacular event.
The challenge of a replay lies in whether a team can maintain composure mentally. The moment the final whistle blew, it was evident that the players found themselves in a state of uncertainty… unsure of their next move, their behavior, and their emotions. You could genuinely empathize with the players. But if both can rally whatever thoughts circulate in an AFL player’s mind, it will lead to another memorable game.
Moreover, it’s problematic that fans and the crowd might expect the next game to pick up right where the last one ended; however, it will be a completely different contest (mark my words, after saying this, it will end up 68-68 again).
Just consider the odds of it finishing 68-68 yet again.
It’s a possibility.
by Vanda’s Voice
