1990 AFL Grand Final

The 1990 AFL Grand Final was played between Collingwood and Essendon at the MCG. Collingwood won the match by 48 points, winning their 14th premiership and ending a 32 year drought. After nine unsuccessful attempts in succession (including the famous draw in the 1977 Grand Final against North Melbourne), the Magpies weren't to be denied on this occasion. The match was played on the 6th of October, due to the fact that, under the finals system in place at the time, any draw was to be replayed the following week. The Magpies drew with West Coast at Waverley Park in the Qualifying Final in the first week of the finals, and thus delayed the rest of the finals series by a week. In a tragic postscript, Millane was killed in a car accident a year and a day after he had held the ball aloft in jubilation as the siren sounded to end the match.

Match Summary

The match began ominously for Collingwood, with Essendon's main threat, Salmon, on song with two early goals.

Amid the scrappy opening, it was clear that the Pies were aware of the 32-year burden of which they were shouldering. A typically miraculous goal to forward magician Peter Daicos helped settle the nerves, and a late major by the youngster Brown gave the inaccurate Pies a three point buffer at the first change.

However, the sounding of the quarter time siren sparked the wildest Grand Final brawl in many a year, with nearly all players from both teams, not to mention officials, taking part in the melee. The main casualty was Brown, who was felled by Terry Daniher, one of three Daniher brothers to represent the Bombers that afternoon. Legend has it that Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews told his team that it only had to settle before their counterparts did in the second term, and the premiership would be theirs.

His men followed the plan to the letter, piling on seven goals to Essendon's one for the term, effectively wrapping up the flag. Although Brown returned to the field in the third quarter to a standing ovation, booting his second of the match, the second half petered out, as the result was a foregone conclusion. Collingwood were premiers for the 14th time.

Teams

Aussie rules team | title = Collingwood
backpocket1 = Shane Kerrison
fullback = Michael Christian
backpocket2 = Denis Banks
halfbackflank1 = Shane Morwood
centrehalfback = Craig Kelly
halfbackflank2 = Michael Gayfer
wing1 = Darren Millane
centre = Tony Shaw (c)
wing2 = Graham Wright
halfforwardflank1 = Scott Russell
centrehalfforward = Peter Daicos
halfforwardflank2 = Doug Barwick
forwardpocket1 = Gavin Brown
fullforward = Damian Monkhorst
forwardpocket2 = Gavin Crosisca
ruck = James Manson
ruckrover = Michael McGuane
rover = Tony Francis
interchange1 = Jamie Turner
interchange2 = Craig Starcevich
interchange3 =
interchange4 =
interchange5 =
interchange6 =
coach = Leigh Matthews

Aussie rules team | title = Essendon
backpocket1 = Paul Hamilton
fullback = Anthony Daniher
backpocket2 = Terry Daniher (c)
halfbackflank1 = Chris Daniher
centrehalfback = Gary O'Donnell
halfbackflank2 = David Grenvold
wing1 = Greg Anderson
centre = Derek Kickett
wing2 = Peter Cransberg
halfforwardflank1 = Tim Watson
centrehalfforward = Paul Van Der Haar
halfforwardflank2 = Michael Long
forwardpocket1 = Alan Ezard
fullforward = Paul Salmon
forwardpocket2 = Darren Bewick
ruck = Simon Madden
ruckrover = Mark Harvey
rover = Mark Thompson
interchange1 = Kieran Sporn
interchange2 = Peter Somerville
interchange3 =
interchange4 =
interchange5 =
interchange6 =
coach = Kevin Sheedy

Result

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