When Matthew Pavlich leads the Fremantle Dockers out onto the MCG in Saturday’s Grand Final, it will have been 6603 days since the club’s first ever match in the AFL, which was also at the home of football on Saturday 1 April, 1995, against Richmond. To break it down even further, that’s 158,472 hours, 9,508,320 minutes and 570,499,200 seconds.
Pav’s long wait
Should Fremantle win this week, Matthew Pavlich will have played in a premiership in his 291st senior game – the third longest-wait in VFL/AFL history. The longest wait ever was Hawthorn legend Shane Crawford, who won a premiership in his 305th and final game in 2008. In second place is former Collingwood and Sydney midfielder Paul Williams, who won the 2005 premiership with the Swans in his 294th game.
Brothers to clash
If both Stephen and Brad Hill play this week, they will become the second set of brothers in VFL/AFL history to be on opposite teams in a grand final. The first were Alan and Vic Belcher, who played for Essendon and South Melbourne respectively in the 1912 Grand Final. Stephen and Brad’s mother, Stephanie, will get a few bemused stares aimed her way at the MCG on Saturday. She’ll be wearing a Freo and Hawthorn scarf to the game. Both Hill boys grew up in the northern Perth suburb of Clarkson and played their junior footy for Quinns District Football Club. At a higher level, they represented the West Perth Falcons, who were crowned WAFL premiers on Sunday. This Saturday, one of them will be an AFL premiership player.
Lyon’s fourth shot at greatness
Ross Lyon becomes the 14th man in VFL/AFL history to coach two clubs into grand finals. The Freo senior coach has been to the big dance on three occasions. In 2009, the toe-poke by Geelong’s Matthew Scarlett denied the Saints a flag. A year later, a draw was the outcome of an epic tussle with Collingwood. St Kilda lost the replay. Many experts have labeled Lyon the best coach in the game, but the Freo coach would be the first to tell you that means nothing without a premiership.
Something’s got to give
The unstoppable force that is Hawthorn’s offence is hurtling towards the immovable object otherwise known as Freo’s defence this Saturday. The Hawks were clearly the highest scorers in the AFL this season, compiling 2523 points in the home and away rounds. Freo registered one of the best defensive seasons ever, conceding just 1518 points. Something has got to give in the Grand Final.
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