Grand Final #4 - 2002

[Harrysz]

Brisbane Lions 75 defeated Collingwood 66

Mick Malthouse coached 718 games of VFL/AFL football. That’s a record. He was a premiership player in 1980 and he won premierships for West Coast in 1992 and 1994 and for Collingwood in 2010. And yet, he has said that the only photograph he has kept of a team which he has coached is a photograph of the 2002 Grand Final side. He chose to memorialise that team above all others.

The 2002 season started poorly. First, a 7 goal loss to Richmond and then a 1 point win over West Coast. The West Coast win was notable for two reasons. Brodie Holland kicked 8 goals and West Coast debuted a young player called Chris Judd.
In round 3, Collingwood lost to Carlton but then gathered some momentum. On ANZAC Day, Collingwood beat Essendon by 5 goals in rainy conditions and a 17-year-old called Mark McGough won the ANZAC Day medal. McGough’s career petered out after that but he had his famous moment.
Collingwood then strung several wins together, including a thrilling 3-point win against Brisbane Lions, who were the reigning premiers. Collingwood finished fourth on the ladder but there was an unexpected 7 goal loss to the lowly Western Bulldogs in the last match of the home and away season. Collingwood was drawn to play Port Adelaide in Adelaide in the first qualifying final. Best player Nathan Buckley was injured and Collingwood was given no chance of winning. Collingwood won that game. Although I did not attend. Port Adelaide was laden with talent but the Magpies would not give up. Paul Lucuria was superb and the football world was shocked by Collingwood’s victory.
There was then a week off which gave Nathan Buckley time to recover. The next game was against Adelaide at the MCG in the preliminary final. Collingwood was great winning by 28 points. However, Jason Cloak was reported and was suspended for 2 weeks. Much has been made over the years of the Grand Final suspensions of Phil Carman in 1977 and Anthony Rocca in 2003. Not much is said about Jason Cloak’s suspension which forced him to miss the 2002 Grand Final. But, he had one good year, 2002 during which he mostly played in the back pocked and filled the role well. When he was suspended, James Clement had to be moved to the full back line weakening the defence.

Collingwood met the Brisbane Lions in the Grand Final. The game was played in wet conditions and as usual, no one gave Collingwood any chance. But Collingwood was right in this game up until the end. Only 1 goal was scored in the first quarter and that was by Anthony Rocca. Brisbane dominated the second quarter and kicked 4 goals 8 to Collingwood’s 3 goals straight. In the third quarter, Collingwood seemed to be getting on top when Nathan Buckley kicked a spectacular long-running goal to give Collingwood a 7 point lead. Then disaster struck. Jonathan Brown kicked a goal from the boundary line from a long way out and then Michael Voss kicked a running goal to give Brisbane a 7-point lead at three-quarter time.

In the last quarter luck deserted Collingwood. Anthony Rocca who had played a superb game kicking 4 goals, had a kick for goal from about 50 metres out. It appeared to be a goal and Rocca and other Collingwood players celebrated but the goal umpire signalled a point. Later on, Channel 10 replayed the Grand Final which included Brisbane’s coach Leigh Matthews’ comments. It was called “From the lips of Lethal.” His comment after Rocca’s kick for goal? “That looked like a goal to me.” There was no digital review system and Channel 10 (who deservedly lost AFL rights shortly after this) did not have any camera behind the goals. So there was no replay to look at. In a desperately close match, this goal umpiring decision was crucial.
Collingwood attacked and Chris Tarrant was blatantly manhandled by Mal Michael, the ex- Collingwood player and Brisbane full back. It was extraordinary that a free kick wasn’t paid. Brisbane then raced the ball into attack and a very technical free kick for shepherding was paid to Alastair Lynch who kicked the goal putting Brisbane back in front after Josh Frazer had secured the lead for Collingwood. In a master move, Matthews moved Jason Akermanis to the forward line. He got the ball, ran away from the Brisbane goal and kicked over his left shoulder to give Brisbane a 9-point lead. There were no further scores and Brisbane won the game by 9 points. That margin points was the widest margin either team had during the entire game. Nathan Buckley won the Norm Smith medal, even though he was on the losing side. After the medal presentation, Buckley took the medal off and put it in his sock. He later said that he didn’t want to walk into the Collingwood dressing room displaying his medal, where his teammates were terribly depressed having lost a close Grand Final. Nathan Buckley – a man with class.

At the end of the previous season, Collingwood had traded Mal Michael to Brisbane in exchange for Jarrod Malloy. This was one of the poorer exchanges of players entered into by Collingwood over the years. Mal Michael played in three premierships. Jarrod Malloy faded from the scene. In the 2002 Grand Final, he shot for goal from about 30 metres out just before half-time but didn’t make the distance.

In my opinion, that Brisbane Lions team is the best team in the last 50 or 60 years. Mal Michael was at full back. Justin Leppitsch (current Assistant Coach to Collingwood) was at centre half back. The midfield comprised Luke Power, Michael Voss, Nigel Lappin, Jason Akermanis and Simon Black. Centre half forward was Jonathan Brown, a champion in any era and full forward was Alastair Lynch, a very tough player and a deadeye kick for goal. This was an incredibly talented side, brilliantly coached by master coach Leigh Matthews. And yet, Collingwood almost beat that side and won an unlikely premiership. No wonder Mick Malthouse has preserved a photograph of this team.

[Ronnie McKeowns boots]

here is a sliding doors moment for you; imagine if we had goal line replays/reviews back then.....the Rocca goal in all likelihood is awarded, and the team gets a crucial minute or 2 to catch their breath before the Lions onslaught

[ropeter]

I always wondered why there was no replay of the Rocca goal. Now I know.
That over the shoulder to Tarrant was straight out of the centre after Fraser goal.
Momentum halted right there and a softish penalty to Lynch followed.

[Harrysz]

As I wrote, Collingwood's luck ran out in the last quarter.

[Pete 70]

Once again love these posts. Thanks so much mate.

I love this game so much for the fighting spirit we had. The ex-North player Freeborn was huge for us. But to me, the moment that guts us is not the Rocca goal but it’s the non free to Tarrant right after Fraser’s goal. Robert Walls who I massively respected actually (ex-Brisbane coach) said that was a clear free kick. Then in that time honoured tradition, ball goes down the other end and they get a soft free kick. 12 point swing. Margin is 9 points. There’s the game. Buckley was enormous. Funnily enough the game we were never expected to win is the one we should have.

[MagpieWhisperer35]

Rocca goal denied, Tarrant was smashed no free kick, Lynch was pushed by a Lions player and got free typical Collingwood daylight robbery.
Horrible day still feel sick about it

[LaurieHolden]

[Presti35]

I was shattered this day. We really deserved to win.

[lazzadesilva]

[Harrysz]

I don't believe that umpires cheat. Like players and coaches, they make mistakes. Who knows, perhaps Anthony Rocca's kick for goal sailed over the post. The goal umpire was there looking up. Maybe it wasn't a goal.

But you know, the umpire who awarded the technical free kick to Alastair Lynch for shepherding in the last quarter of the 2002 Grand Final, would have been very handy in the last quarter of the 2018 Grand Final when Braden Maynard was illegally shepherded. But as Tommy Hafey used to say, you should never be in a position where a bad umpiring decision can cost you the game.

[Jezza]

I was very young, but I remember feeling proud rather than disappointed in this Grand Final.
2003 was far more shattering with higher expectations and us being favourites.

[Jezza]

[Harrysz]

For me the 2002 loss was more emotionally tough than the 2003 loss. It's true that we were favourites in 2003 but that was only because the Brisbane players were supposedly banged up. But we were never in that game.

In 2002 although we were rank outsiders, we couldn't have done more and we nearly won it. I also felt proud of Collingwood that day but losing a close Grand Final is always painful.

[duke750]

2002 was the first GF after we broke the drought in 1990 and I felt that we could win any GF. Not to be, but I agree that we were more likely to win that game than 2003

[Boot]

I remember the 2002 Grand Final with great pride and dissapointment. Going into that game as rank outsiders after some super performances leading into that game to beat the South Australian teams after being underdogs in those game too.
The day itself was very wet and I think this suited Collingwood as the slippery conditions robbed Brisbane of some of the skill deferential they were blessed with whilst I think Collingwood was able to match them in the "spirit" of the team lead by Paul Lucuria who was irrepressible that whole September and the utter brillance of Nathan Buckley who was at his absolute best that day.
Eventually a couple of bad umpiring decisions and the vastly superior natural talent of the opposition team defeated a very brave Collingwood team. That brave loss in the 2002 grand final paved the way for Collingwood to look a far more stronger team in 2003 only to loose their champion Anthony Rocca for the Grand Final with a suspension that caused the whole team to loose structure and confidence to be thrashed by Brisbane in the most important game of the year. That one hurt a lot more.