Drawing the best conclusion
Although it was a largely meaningless match, the second-last home-and-away of the 2012 season represented a quiet milestone for the AFL. The game, contested at the MCG in front of a modest crowd of 27,893, pitted two of the years also-rans, Richmond and Port Adelaide, against each other with little more than pride and bragging rights on the line. As was Richmond's frustrating habit during 2012, they built a what appeared to be a match-winning lead at times, only to see it whittled away. Unlike other occasions during this season though, the Tigers didn't surrender the entire match. When the siren sounded to end the final game of the season for Richmond and Port Adelaide, scores were locked at 106 apiece. The match ended in a draw, the 150th draw in VFL/AFL history. Many supporters, from either side, came away feeling empty.
But was their emptiness founded upon another wasted season? Or the long wait until late March 2013 when a new season begins? Or perhaps it was based on the fact that drawn matches don't take supporters to either end of the emotional spectrum. Some fans would rather experience either the high associated with a nail-biting win or the depths of despair that come with a narrow loss. Anything other than the nothingness of a “no-result”.
Draws have been part of the fabric of footy almost since the first recorded game (actually, another form of “no-result” as neither team scored and the game was called off after two weeks!). But after the formation of the VFL in 1897, at which time it was determined that behinds (previously recorded but having no official value) would count as one point, while goals would be worth six, they became something of an uncommon occurrence. 150 over a period of 116 seasons equates to an average of just 1.3 draws per year.
Growing up a stats nut, I always quite liked the occasions these little anomalies bobbed up. I was especially excited as a 12-year-old on the 14th May, 1977 when two drawn matches were recorded! Of course not everyone shared my excitement, Statistical quirks aren't everybody's cup of tea! At the same time, though, I don't recall fans in that era actually being upset or annoyed by the odd drawn match. Depending on the circumstances, fans might have been annoyed at throwing away a winnable game, or elated that they had avoided a loss at the last moment. But I have no recollection of calls for extra-time in those days. (1977 proved to be a significant year for draws. St Kilda drew again two weeks later, and North Melbourne and Collingwood famously drew and the Grand Final.)
In recent years, though, there seems to have been a groundswell of support for the notion of extra time in matches that are level when the final siren sounds. Why is this? Is it a reflection of the perceived “instant gratification” culture of modern society? My suspicion is that it is.
Although I can appreciate that there can be a certain emptiness when a game involving one's team ends without a clear winner, I also believe that fans can and should embrace the huge impact a draw can have on a team's season as a whole. The Richmond-Port Adelaide match is not the best example, but there are many cases in which the difference between a draw and a win (or loss) has been huge. Sometimes the difference is immediately obvious. In Round 22, 1976, Melbourne met bottom placed Collingwood. A win to the Demons and a loss to Footscray against top side Carlton would see the both sides finishing on 11 wins but Melbourne sneaking a place in the finals with a superior percentage. Melbourne duly defeated the Magpies and Footscray did not win. But they did draw their match against the Blues, and the two points gleaned from that draw was enough to give the Dogs a place in the finals.
There are many other cases where a draw has had a huge impact on the make-up of the ladder. In 1944, Richmond finished on top of the ladder with 13 wins and a draw, ahead by just 0.1% of Fitzroy (also 13 wins and a draw, with both sides only half a game clear of third-placed Essendon, who recorded (12 wins and two draws). The Bombers ended the season half a game clear of Footscray, whose record of 12 wins and one draw was enough to keep Carlton (12 wins, 0 draws), with a vastly superior percentage, out of finals action.
Those two examples alone are evidence enough for me to maintain the draw as an integral part of the home-and-away season. But not everyone agrees. The NRL decided in 2003 to remove drawn matches from the equation by introducing a “golden point” rule. Now in its 10th season, the rule's introduction has seen 70 matches decided in this fashion. What do the fans think of it? According to Back Page Lead's Nick Tedeschi, there “seems to be a split between golden point, golden try and the draw with the status quo getting the nod, as always.”¹ Tedeschi's own viewpoint is not so equivocal:
“I dislike golden point immensely—there is nothing wrong with the draw. I don't mind 5 each way. The concern is that golden point is nearly always a field goal shootout. My favourite thing about the draw is that it breaks up the table and doesn't see teams eliminated on percentage/for and against. ”¹
John Harms, editor of the Footy Almanac and noted fan of both codes, can see both sides of the argument:
“I know I have mixed feelings about it. Not sure about other fans. On the one hand, exhilarating, exciting, tension-filled etc – on the other hand can be a little unfair. Steve Renouf’s last ever grade game was a GF that was decided in a golden point that lasted 17 minutes and is one of the better pieces of sporting action I’ve ever seen. Personally I prefer the draw in home and away, and in finals 5 minutes each way as a decider—and then golden point. ”¹
For Australian Rules, there is little support for a golden point or golden goal scenario. But those that don't like the draw suggest that 5 minutes of extra time each way would be the best solution to their perceived problem. And I can see that scenario being a very exciting one, which is why I believe it is the correct method of deciding finals (other than the Grand Final). Extra time was introduced by the AFL after Collingwood and West Coast played out a draw in the 1990 Qualifying Final. Replaying the match had two significant effects which led to a rethink of how such outcomes were managed, Firstly, it meant that the date of the Grand Final had to be pushed out by a week. By 1990 the Grand Final had become a marquee event and changing the date of the game and associated events had severe negative logistical and financial consequences. Secondly, it meant that Essendon, who had secured a week's break and would play the victor of the Collingwood-Eagles match, would now face a second week without taking the field. Essendon players from that season are virtually unanimous in believing that the second week's break derailed their entire finals campaign. The Bombers subsequently lost the Second Semi-Final to Collingwood (who had defeated West Coast in the Qualifying Final replay), and were well below their best when they were thrashed by the Magpies again in the Grand Final.
That leaves us with the scenario of a drawn Grand Final. What should be done when scores a locked when the final siren goes to end a Grand Final, as was the case in 2010?
Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell was in no doubt immediately after the siren went: “It's probably going to take this for the AFL to change the rules; it's an absolute joke.”² Perhaps he might have been a little bit more tolerant seven days later, after the Pies thrashed St Kilda in the replay.
Having a replay to decide a premiership after a drawn Grand Final, while upsetting the holiday plans of some, certainly doesn't have a negative effect on the AFL's hip-pocket. After 2010, it legislated that drawn Grand Finals would still be decided via full replay, with extra time instituted in the extremely unlikely event of the replay also being drawn. That's a solution that pleases me, but not all fans. One of my friends bemoaned that fact that there was a decided lack of atmosphere about the 2010 replay. I argued that this was an unfortunate result of the replay being vastly lopsided (which, to a lesser extent, also detracted from the other two Grand Final replays in 1948 and 1977). He countered with the argument that the build up also lacked something—there was no Brownlow Medal count, no Grand Final Parade, even the Saturday pre-game was lacking a certain “oomph”. While undoubtedly true, I believe it's a small price to pay for what is, on average, a once-in-every-40-years event.
When it comes down to it, I'm a bit of a traditionalist. I like the quirks that the drawn game introduces to a season. And I haven't always left a drawn match feeling empty. In 2008, my Bulldogs were 19 points behind Richmond with three minutes to play. They somehow managed to conjure up two goals and a behind before, just as the siren was about to sound, Brian Lake took a huge pack mark. Lake, unable to take his kick due to a leg injury sustained in the contest, handed the ball off to Will Minson, who slotted the post-siren goal to give the Bulldogs the two points. I walked out of the stadium a pretty happy man that day! True, I didn't get to sing the club song, and neither did Tiger fans.
Perhaps in such scenarios, as has been suggested, they should play “Up There Cazaly” over the PA and fans from both clubs could join in. I'd be happy with that. But those of you who aren't content with that thought needn't get too upset about it. History shows that it's an event that happens to your team only once every five or six years. Surely we can all put up the luck of that draw!
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Appendix 1 - When draws count
1904 – In Round 10, Carlton 5.5 (35) draws with Geelong 4.11 (35). At the end of the home and away season, the Blues finish second, just half a game clear of South Melbourne, who finish fifth and miss the finals despite have a superior percentage to Carlton. The Blues make it through to the Grand Final.
1919 – Fitzroy surrenders an eight-point three-quarter time lead against Geelong in round 15. The match ends in a 75-all draw and Fitzroy, despite having a much higher percentage misses out on fourth place to Richmond, who go on to contest the Grand Final.
1923 – In a scenario that would please most Blues' fans, Carlton come from 15 points down at half time to draw Collingwood in their match at Princes Park. Collingwood (percentage 109.1) misses out by half a game on a place in the top four to Geelong (percentage 104.0).
1937 – Richmond converts a half-time deficit of 12 points into a draw against South Melbourne in Round 3. It would be enough to keep the Tigers inside the top four at season's end, at the expense of Carlton, who have the better percentage but finish half a game adrift.
1944 – The top four sides all play drawn matches, with Essendon featuring in two. Richmond, having drawn with Footscray in round 6, head the ladder with 13 wins and 1 draw, with a percentage of 131.2, just 0.1 ahead of second placed Fitzroy (also 13 wins and 1 draw). (A single extra point to Fitzroy in any match would have given them top spot.) Fitzroy draws with Essendon in round 9 and finish the season half a game ahead of the Dons, who have the year's best percentage of 134.0. Essendon had also drawn against St Kilda in round 6 (on the same day that Richmond drew with Footscray) and finish with 12 wins and 2 draws. Footscray's draw with Richmond leaves them with 12 wins and 1 draw and a modest percentage of 106.9. It's enough to keep out Carlton who despite having the year's second-best percentage (131.5), finish with just 12 wins.
1947 – Collingwood and South Melbourne draw 9.15 (69) apiece in round 15. Collingwood finishes the year in fifth place with 11 and a half wins and a percentage of 112.4. Richmond claims fourth spot with 12 wins and a percentage of 109.1.
1948 – One year later it is the Tigers on the receiving end. They draw with Essendon (who finish the season in top spot) in round 5, after leading at three-quarter time by 20 points. Their final tally of 11 wins and a draw (percentage 125.6) is not enough to put them ahead of the fourth-placed Bulldogs (12 wins, percentage 103.2).
1948 Grand Final - Essendon finishes three and a half games clear of Melbourne on top of the ladder, and then comfortably beats them in the Second Semi Final. The Bombers go into the Grand Final as hot favourites but, in an amazing display of inaccuracy, kick 7.27 (69) to draw with Melbourne 10.9 (69). Melbourne then stuns Essendon in the replay, kicking six goals to none in the first quarter before coasting to a 39-point win.
1959 – A round 14 draw against eventual premiers Melbourne proves costly for Fitzroy, who finish the year with 10 and a half wins and a superior percentage to Essendon. The Bombers sneak into fourth place and go on to lose to the Demons in the Grand Final.
1961 – Two years on and the Lions bomb out again, finishing half a game behind Footscray, whose percentage is well below Fitzroy's. A draw in round 12, again with Melbourne, proves the difference. Footscray goes on to play in the Grand Final.
1966 – A round 8 draw against North Melbourne proves costly to Richmond, who finish half a game behind Essendon despite a better percentage.
1976 – Footscray pinches a draw against Carlton in the final round of the year. Despite have a poor percentage (96.8), it's enough for the Dogs to pip Melbourne (percentage 99.4) into fifth place by half a game.
1977 – South Melbourne (110.6%) finish half a game clear of Carlton (111.9%), thanks to a round 7 draw against St Kilda.
1977 Grand Final – In his first season as coach of Collingwood, Tom Hafey looks set to become to first coach to take a team from wooden-spooners to premiers in the space of one season. At three-quarter time in the Grand Final, Collingwood leads North Melbourne by 27 points. But North rallies and takes the lead before "Twiggy" Dunne takes a pack mark to level the scores. The siren goes minutes later with the scoreboard displaying Collingwood 10.16 (76) v North Melbourne 9.22 (76). The replay is won comfortably by North Melbourne. Scoreboard etching by Jim Pavlidis
1991 – Reigning premiers Collingwood fall half a game short of making the top six. A round 4 draw against St Kilda proves costly.
1993 – In the only draw of the season, Essendon and Carlton finish their round 2 match with scores level. The teams occupy the top two spots at the end of the season, half a game ahead of North Melbourne, whose percentage is superior to both sides. North, who had lost their last round match to Footscray, are consigned to third place and an elimination final, which they lose to reigning premiers West Coast. Had either Carlton or Essendon lost the drawn round 2 match, North would have claimed second spot and the double chance.
1996 – A draw against lowly Footscray in round 4 proves to be as good as a win for Hawthorn. The Hawks (98.5%) finish in the top eight, half a game clear of Richmond (117.4%).
1997 – Brisbane and Port Adelaide draw in round 20. The Lions finish in the top eight, equal with ninth-placed Port on wins but with the better percentage. A loss in that round 20 match would have seen the Lions give up their place in the finals to the Power.
2005 – A draw against Carlton in round 4 is enough to give Port Adelaide (11 wins 1 draw, 98.16%) a place in the eight ahead of the Western Bulldogs (11 wins 0 draws, 101.45%).
2006 - The draw that wasn't. When the final siren sounded in their round 5 match, Fremantle led St Kilda by one-point. The timekeepers, believing the umpires had heard the siren, stopped sounding it. But the umpires had not heard it and allowed play to continue until the Saints' Steven Baker snapped a point which levelled the scores. The timekeepers re-sounded the siren while the ball was in motion. This time it was heard by the umpires, who blew the whistle for full-time. Because he was infringed as he kicked, Baker was allowed to take a post-siren shot at call. He again kicked a behind. The match declared a draw but four days later the AFL commission met and declared that the match should have ended when the initial siren sounded and awarded the match to Fremantle.
The significance of the two points stripped from St Kilda as a result of the game being declared a Fremantle one cannot be understated. St Kilda finished the season with 14 wins in sixth place on the ladder. They were then defeated by 18 points at the hands of Melbourne in the Second Elimination Final. Coach Grant Thomas was subsequently sacked by the St Kilda board. Had the behind and the draw been allowed to stand, St Kilda would have finished fourth and played West Coast in the first week of the finals. Even if the Saints had lost that match, their fourth-placing would have given them a second chance.
2010 Grand Final - St Kilda pulls back a 24-point half-time deficit to draw level with Collingwood late in the last quarter. Brendon Goddard takes a screamer and converts to put the Saints a goal ahead. A rushed behind and a goal to Travis Cloke returns the lead to the Pies before Stephen Milne just fails to trap a bouncing ball which wobbles through for a St Kilda behind. The siren sounds shortly after with Collingwood on 9.14 (68) and St Kilda 9.14 (68). Collingwood jumps to an early lead in the replay and is never headed, winning by 56 points.
Appendix 2 - Draws by club
Team | Matches played | Draws | Draws as % of games played |
---|---|---|---|
Essendon | 2322 | 34 | 1.46% |
Carlton | 2357 | 33 | 1.40% |
Fitzroy | 1928 | 26 | 1.35% |
Collingwood | 2395 | 26 | 1.09% |
St Kilda | 2240 | 25 | 1.12% |
South Melbourne | 2281 | 23 | 1.01% |
Footscray | 1801 | 22 | 1.22% |
Richmond | 2115 | 22 | 1.04% |
Melbourne | 2264 | 21 | 0.93% |
Geelong | 2287 | 21 | 0.92% |
North Melbourne | 1825 | 18 | 0.93% |
Hawthorn | 1828 | 10 | 0.55% |
Brisbane | 595 | 8 | 1.34% |
West Coast | 613 | 6 | 0.82% |
Port Adelaide | 369 | 5 | 1.36% |
University | 126 | 2 | 1.56% |
Adelaide | 510 | 1 | 0.20% |
GWS | 22 | 0 | 0.00% |
Gold Coast | 44 | 0 | 0.00% |
Fremantle | 404 | 0 | 0.00% |
Footnotes
- Email interview with the author.
- Post-match interview with Matthew Richardson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agf1vnApM4A
- MCG scoreboard etching by Jim Pavlidis.
Comments
Andrew Connelly 21 September 2012
Leave Draws as they are
Andrew Robinson 23 September 2012
In the regular season, I agree with you, and see no good reason to eradicate the draw. In a knock-out situation such as that which occurs during the finals series, then there is a practical reason to break the tie, so fair enough. The VFA only used a tie-break in full senior games during its knock-out Centenary Cup competition in 1977. The method used was to delay the siren if the scores were level, until the next score was registered. Players and umpires would be unaware that extra time was being played. This did actually happen in one game: Caulfield 17-17-119 Preston 18-10-118, and Caulfield unexpectedly went on to make the final where they were thrashed by Port.
Brian Membrey 24 September 2012
Extra time certainly would have helped the V.F.A. in 1927 when both the First Semi-Final between Brighton and Preston (62 points apiece), and the Second Semi-Final (Coburg and Port Melbourne, 100) were drawn. The First Semi replay was actually after the Second Semi draw, and after all that was settled, the Association's problems were compounded when torrential rain washed out the Preliminary Final on October 1.
Fortunately John Wren's Motordrome in Swan Street was available, otherwise the Association would have had extreme difficulty in finding a non-cricket ground for a Grand Final ultimately played on October 15.
Andrew Gigacz 24 September 2012
Gotta love the impressively in-depth VFA knowledge of both Andrew Robinson and Brian Membrey! Thanks gents.
Jason Phillips 24 September 2012
Good read, thanks.
Jeff Dowsing 20 October 2012
Yes, great read. Definitely keep the draw. How often do we say 'a draw would have been a fitting result' or 'no one deserved to lose today'.
Australian Rules Football History in Progress 22 October 2012
Here's a local scenario when extra time would have been useful - similar to what faced Essendon in 1990. In 1965 in the Federal FL, Springvale got the week off into the grand final and simply had to wait for the preliminary final between Glenhuntly and East Malvern. Trouble was not only did the two sides draw the preliminary final, they also drew the replay so a second replay was needed! It was Glenhuntly who finally got through to challenge Springvale - but unlike Essendon it was Springvale who won the game. Likely because Glenhuntly were tired. As I recall, the FFL did have trouble securing a venue for the second prelim replay as well as the big one.
For myself, leave it as it is. Western Australian regional footy had two grand final replays this year (I think they may be the only state at local level that doesn't have replays for the grand final - most local leagues elsewhere do), one up in Carnarvon and the other in the South West and I listened to the replay online through Radio South West. The other argument is that - unlike the NRL (or any thugby league comp for that matter) - draws just don't happen often enough to worry about. 150 in 116 years? Who gives a ..... you know!
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