Zero Hanger takes a look the top five season-opening clashes of the last ten years!
"THE SUB!" This classic could certainly feature higher on the list, with 19 seconds to go in the last, enter Darren Milburn. The substitute came into the game in the second half of the Friday night clash. The low-scoring affair was tight throughout and struggled to produce the high-scores we expected. Milburn, the oldest player on the field, received a handball from Cameron Mooney in the goal square. Milburn broke the Saints fans hearts slamming through a major to claim a one-point victory at the MCG
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A miss after the siren was the ultimate climax in this classic. Hamish McIntosh lined up from 45 meters out on an angle that most would say is a difficult shot. The Dons were up by 22 points at half-time and looked as they were set to run away with a strong victory. The Roos fought back hard in the last quarter, when Stewart Crameri made a horrible blunder it looked as though the Kangaroos were going to steal one of the greatest wins of the season very early on, McIntosh missed across the face of goal, jubilation for the Dons, while devastation for the Roos.
It was the start of the infamous Kennett curse after the Hawks upset the Cats in what has to be one of the most entertaining Grand Finals of the modern era. Geelong started their 11 game winning streak against the Hawks in their round one clash under Friday night lights.
After Jeff Kennet spoke publicly before the season opener saying "What they don't have, I think, is the quality of some of our players; they don't have the psychological drive we have. We've beaten Geelong when it matters". The Cats streak came to a halt in the 2013 preliminary final we're the Hawks ran out five-point victors.
So the question is asked, was the Hawthorn President right?
While the return of Gary Ablett was the headline of the game, the contest itself was brilliant, including the unearthing of Tim Kelly and Esava Ratugolea. The ending of the match was certainly the highlight. The Sunday feature was an arm wrestle for most of the game when it looked as though the Cats would run away with a famous victory.
Enter Max Gawn. The 208cm ruckman took a clutch mark 25 meters out with no angle. Commentators put their glasses down and penned in the major, but it wasn't to be/ Gawn hooked the ball and the Dees' went down by three points in a thriller.
The high scoring affair was scintillating and had everything a classic should have. The reigning premiers Geelong came into the game as favourites with the Dockers' newly appointed coach, Ross Lyon coaching his first game. Hayden Ballantyne lit up the stage with two goals, but it was skipper Matthew Pavlich who provided the goods at the 27-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Pav booted a soccer goal that put Fremantle up by 10 with just three minutes to go in the last. the Cats' made a small comeback with Jimmy Bartel sliding a shot through for a major with 40 seconds still on the clock. But it wasn't to be for the Cats, with the Dockers running out four-point victors in front of 34,000 at Subiaco Oval.