A single point separated these two giants in a classic grand final rematch
In short: In 2006, the Melbourne Cricket Ground hosted a battle so intense it redefined the record books. After losing by four points to the Sydney Swans the previous year, the West Coast Eagles fought back in a thrilling one-point victory, marking the first time since 1966 that a grand final was decided by a single point.
The 2006 AFL Grand Final was a high-stakes rematch between the Sydney Swans and the West Coast Eagles. The Eagles entered the match as the ladder leaders with 17 wins and 5 losses, while the Swans arrived having finished fourth with 14 wins and 8 losses. The intensity was heightened by the fact that this was the second consecutive year these two sides had met in the premiership decider.
The match was a tale of two halves. West Coast dominated early, leading by 25 points at half time. However, the Swans mounted a fierce comeback in the third quarter, reducing the deficit to 11 points by three-quarter time. The final quarter became a frantic, goal-for-goal struggle. Sydney's Adam Goodes, who had won the Brownlow Medal just a week prior, scored a goal within the first 15 seconds of the final term, bringing the margin to less than a single kick.
Ultimately, West Coast held on to win by one point, securing their third premiership and their first since 1994. This result was part of a broader statistical anomaly: it was the fifth consecutive match between these two specific teams to be decided by less than a goal. The closeness of these encounters—with margins of 4, 4, 2, 1, and 1 points—shattered the previous record for the five most recent games between two teams, which was 19 points.
The victory also highlighted a shifting landscape in the league. It was the eighth time in ten years that a non-Victorian club had claimed the premiership, a trend that prompted an investigation by then-AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou into the performance of Victorian clubs.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2006 AFL Grand Final
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