The implications for the trade period are huge. With the retirement of Clement and Buckley, the Pies must have freed up some serious cash. Paul is convinced that they will pursue Darren Jolly to satisfy their Ruck dilemna. They can probably afford him and a couple of others now.

 -Jeff

Geelong 24. 19. 163
Port 6. 8. 44
Norm Smith Medallist: Steve Johnson
Highest goal kicker: Cameron Mooney (5)

Add to to this 9 All- Australians selections and Bartel’s brownlow medal and it’s hard to see anybody in Corio Bay going to bed for the next week!

Weel done Bomber and the ferocious Geelong Cats- 2007 premiers. It’s been a pleasure to watch your attacking brand of footy this year. Stay tuned tomorrow for our final podcast, with all the wash up from the grand final day and our thoughts on the game. Paul and I are going out to have a couple of drinks tonight to celebrate the Cats win!

Geelong 13.14 (92) d Collingwood 13.9 (87)

The Cats saw off the Pies in front of 98,000 (biggest crowd since the ‘97 grand final.) It was a classic.

Port Adelaide 20.13 (133) d Kangaroos 5.16 (46)

Kangaroos did not fire a shot against Port Power who ran them off their feet. Archer’s last game was one to forget

GRAND FINAL

St Kilda 14.18 (102)
Richmond 13.14 (92)

West Coast 21.6 (132)
Essendon 19.10 (124)

Geelong 22.13 (145)
Brisbane Lions 15.13 (103)

Port Adelaide 17.15 (117)
Fremantle 12.13 (85)

Sydney 22.9 (141)
Hawthorn 10.9 (69)

Kangaroos 23.19 (157)
Western Bulldogs 14.9 (93)

As Warren Tredrea kicked one of Port Power’s 24 goals late in the final quarter on Sunday afternoon, I pondered a long standing footballing question: is it okay to leave the game early?

The reasons for an early exit are clear. The prospect of getting a seat on the train ride home is attractive, or avoiding the traffic jam. The pain of sitting through the opposition team’s triumphant sing-a-long after the siren will also be avoided. The reasons to stay though are also compelling, especially on this day, Matthew Richardson’s 250th.

A week earlier, when Kevin Sheedy reached the record-breaking milestone of 879 games as player and coach, Bomber fans faced the same conundrum. Sit there and watch the Bulldogs pour on eight goals in the final quarter or sneak out ahead of the final siren? Given the legendary coach’s subsequent demise, I wonder if the consciences of some Bomber fans are troubling them. Sheedy acknowledged the dedication of those who stayed for his post match presentation, by waving and applauding generously. Perhaps there have been times in his 27 year tenure at the club when he wishes he could have had an early night.

As a Richmond fan, one of my few fond memories is our win over the dominant 2001 Essendon team in round 22 of that season. I watched the Bomber fans leave the MCG deep into the last quarter. The disappointment must have been an unfamiliar feeling for them after such a long period of success. I almost let myself believe that we had caused the team to fracture as the supporters all chose their separate moments to leave and wandered off in different directions. In contrast, I felt my team was unified. The tiger fans sang the song in perfect unison and left the stands together, celebrating our elevation into a top four spot on the ladder. The week after, roles were reversed and Essendon beat the Tigers in first week of the finals. I caught the early train home that night.

At the game we use our voices. We shout ‘get rid of it’ when an opponent is closing in on one of our players. We advise them to ‘Kick it long’ at other times (though less frequently in today’s game.) ‘Go back and have a shot’ is another well rehearsed stanza for Richmond fans as we know all too well that Richo can sometimes let his impetuousness get the better of him when he takes a mark inside 50. The Tigers cheersquad do their best to intimidate the opposition with insults and diligently drag yellow and black floggers to the game every week to distract the opposition forwards when they shoot for goal. In this way, supporters are part of the team. When the team plays well, we share in the success.

When the team plays badly however, there are too few things a supporter can do. When it all becomes too much, some invoke the tough love approach by abusing the players or perching above the race and giving the coach a bake after the game. Or there’s the well-rehearsed routine of cutting up your membership into little pieces and posting it to the club. Maybe the most dignified way to voice your disapproval, though, is to revoke your patronage prematurely.

What would be the fallout of me leaving early on this day I wondered. After all, according to my membership I am ‘part of the Richmond movement.’ If I decided to leave early, I would be no more a team player than Brendan Fevola, who allegedly took his boots off with three minutes remaining in the Blues loss to Fremantle in round 13. I did the team thing, I stayed. What’s an extra ten minutes in the car park anyway when you’re celebrating a Richmond legend.

The Blues last few losses have been disasterous and their 117 point loss to Brisbane on Sunday certainly didn’t help Pagan’s cause.

Collingwood 15.13 (103) def Fremantle 13.16 (94)
Collingwood overpowered the Dockers. Rocca got his groove back whilst Pav and Tarrant had nights to forget.

Melbourne 13.11 (89) def Adelaide 10.12 (72)
Roo was back to see his Crows trail most of the day. Eventually when they mounted their challenge - Melbourne had all the answers. A last quarter bomb from Neitz outside the 50 was pivotal.

West Coast 18.13 (121) def Kangaroos 7.13 (55)
Kangaroos never really looked the goods in the House Of Pain. No Embley, No Cousins, No Kerr, No worries!

Essendon 11.8 (74) def Sydney 11.7 (73)
The Swans came within a whisker of pinching the game as Buchanan’s last minute snap grazed the post.

Richmond 10.13 (73) drew with Brisbane Lions 10.13 (73)
Neither team could land the knockout punch. Foley was impressive for the Tigers.

Hawthorn 17.7 (109) def Port Adelaide 10.15 (75)
Hawks have one of the few midfields that can match Port’s. Crawford, Mitchell, McGlynn and Hodge were the destroyers.
After two consecutive losses at home - it’s safe to say that Port are on the slide.

Carlton 21.12 (138) def Western Bulldogs 19.14 (128)
An 8 goal third quarter (four from Lappin) shocked the Bulldogs - not to mention most of the football world.

Geelong 19.11 (125) def St Kilda 9.11 (65)
The Cats destroyed the Saints - it was like watching Billy Brownless wrestle a midget!
Geelongs percentage sits at 155! The next best is the Eagles on 129.5.
Chapman was good in his return and Bartel shortened his Brownlow odds.
Can the Cats grind a team into the turf!?!

There’ll be a lot of punters resting easy tonight after Chris Judd’s eye gouging charge was thrown out of the tribunal tonight.. Campbell Brown’s evidence would have helped. He said the contact was to his face but above the eye. Judd is back into favouritism for the Brownlow and will be available to take on the Rampant Roos this weekend