The Terrace

Geelong (Blakey and Gaz in particular) allegedly created a world record on Sunday by kicking the quickest goal ever in a game of AFL football. It probably doesn’t mean it was a world record (we’re sure some squid playing up bush has dobbed one quicker), but here at The Terrace we’ll take it none-the-less. For the…ummm…record, the goal was kicked in under 9 seconds. We’re not sure if it is indeed a record for a VFL/AFL game. Does anyone know? I seem to recall Gary Senior kicked a quick one at the start of the ’89 GF, but i don’t think it was that quick. As an aside, our archivist has spent the last four nights fumbling through the office records to reveal a dozen Geelong significant records, including:

1. Highest number of possessions in a game (498 vs Brisbane, 2009)
2. Greatest ever winning grand-final margin (Geelong 24.19.163 vs Port Adelaide 6.8.44, 2007)
3. Only team to have nine players selected in an All-Australian team (2007)
4. The highest ever aggregate total for points scored in a season (3,334, 1992)
5. Highest ever score (Geelong 37.17.239 vs Brisbane Bears 11.9.75, 1992)
6. Ahhhh…highest number of losing grand finals in the ’90s (3 – ouch!)
7. The only player to have been awarded the Coleman medal three years in a row (guess who in 1993-94-95).
8. The only Victorian club to temporarily change their song from a traditional baritone/brass-band-backed classic to a post-modern cock-rock anthem (Cat Attack, 1991-92)
9. The only club to win three games in a row by more than 100 points (1989)
10. The record for the most goals kicked in a VFL/AFL Grand Final (guess who with 9 goals in 1989).
11. Record for the longest winning streak in AFL/VFL history (23 games, 1952-53 – soon to be smashed perhaps?).
12. Keeping a club to the lowest ever score (Geelong 23.24.162 vs St Kilda 0.1.1 in 1899)

Further suggestions to boost The Terrace’s archive would be more than welcome…

Anyway, enough said. Enjoy the goal!

Whilst we’re not still avenging the disallowed mark to Leigh Colbert in the 1997 2nd Semi-Final, here at The Terrace we can’t get our head around the fact Geelong went out in straight sets and Adelaide went on to win the flag. So it’s always sweet to return from the city of churches having read the lesson. Whilst Bock had attracted the majority of incense, Gazza (on his 150th) dropped by for the collection, to deliver the sermon and give us a blessing.

Seldom can opponents walk away from an eight-goal defeat and hold their head high. Adelaide persisted all night and kept reeling in margins established at the start of the first and second quarters, but Geelong was able to deliver the last rites with a seven-goal final quarter.

Each quarter in four words or less:
1st: Congratulations Gazza. Great start!
2nd: Good early, keep working
3rd: Blake has been dominant
4th: Geelong is on fire!

NB.
On the 18th June, 1999, Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) played his final game in the NHL. He retired as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer and holder of 61 individual records. He was known as ‘The Great One’.

The Great One

Jump forward a decade (and across the globe) and the son of ‘God’ was celebrating his 150th game with a career high 46 possession, best-on-ground/best-game-ever performance. His game has spawned a plethora of complimentary articles to say the least. Now the debate is on: who was/is better, Gary Jnr or Snr? Whichever way we look at it, it’s a great debate, the Garys are great and for that we should be enternally…ahhh…greatful!?

The Great One...Junior

It is almost time that an honorific nickname is given. Like our anthem, the current versions fall short of the possibilities: Gazza, Ablett Junior, Baby Jesus, Lil’ Gaz, Son of God.

Send us your thoughts…