ABLETT DELIVERS A WIN FOR THE AGES
contest, that’s what it was. “Mick Martyn played an amazing game on Gary Ablett Sr for the whole game and for Leigh Tudor … to essentially get a mongrel kick out of the pocket and straight over the top of Mick’s head into Gary Ablett’s hands — it was pretty devastating to be honest.”
The game was stacked with highlights: Paul Couch and David Mensch were both on the receiving end of hard hits; Wayne Carey pulled in 14 marks, had 24 touches and kicked six goals; John Barnes pulled in a game-saving mark in the final 90 seconds; and Peter Riccardi set off for a three-bounce run in front of the Great Southern Stand.
There was some amusement when it was rated only at No.50 in the best 50 games of the past 50 years in a recent Fox Footy compilation.
Geelong would fall against West Coast in the following week’s grand final as the Eagles collected a second flag in three years.
Stevens had a chance in the final quarter to extend North Melbourne’s lead, only for his shot from 20m out to hit the post. “I think what that tells you is that the pressure of the game was full-on,” he said.
“We always used to have great battles with Geelong and probably because we had an association with the Cats because we had guys like Tim McGrath, Leigh Tudor, Darren Steele, that went on from the Kangas to the Cats.
“There’s always a good relationship and friendship but a rivalry in regards to wanting to make sure we bash the sh-- out of each other.
“It wasn’t our day. That day, it wasn’t meant to be.
“Sometimes I sit back and I watch the grand final the following week and I sit back (and wonder) whether we could have put up a better contest than what Geelong did that day.
“It’s always a memory that sticks out.
“I’ve still got my jumper I wore in the game.
“It is a bit of a talking point because it was a classic game.”