[Archive 2009-09-26] Geelong win 2009 Australian Football League Grand Final

Historical archive — originally published 2009-09-26. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Geelong defeated St. Kilda by 12 points in the 2009 Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Both sides advanced after winning their Qualifying and Preliminary Finals.

The AFL finals series groups the best eight teams into two groups - the first through fourth and fifth through eighth. The winners of the Qualifying Finals (first v fourth, second v third) get a week off, the losers play the winners of the Elimination Finals (Fifth v eighth, sixth v seventh).

Australian rules football is played on a field 170-200 metres long by 140-170 metres wide. The two teams consist of 18 players a side. Scores are quoted as goals-behinds (total).

St Kilda finished top of the ladder after the 22 Home and away season with only two loses in rounds 20 and 21. They defeated Collingwood by 28 points in the Qualifying Final then the Western Bulldogs by seven points in the Preliminary Final.

Geelong finished second with four losses, all in the latter half of the season. They defeated the Western Bulldogs by 14 points in Qualifying Final then Collingwood by 73 points in the Preliminary Final.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster James Taylor predicted that storms may pass over the MCG during the second, third or last quarters. "That's when we expect most likely we'll see shower activity spreading across Melbourne," Mr Taylor told AAP. "Hopefully, the opening ceremony will escape the weather. Thunderstorms are certainly possible." The police are also out in force, and will check all drivers leaving the ground are not drunk.

Geelong won the toss and kicked towards the City end. The predicted weather did not materialise in the first quarter Within the first eight seconds, the both teams had held up the ball causing another ruck contest.

Geelong pressed ahead in the first two minutes. Max Rooke manage to kick the first goal right on a minute twenty. St Kilda pushed forward immediately but did not convert. Geelong pressed again scoring a goal on five minutes. St Kilda replied with a behind.

St Kilda kicked their first goal through Brendan Goddard on eight and a half minutes. They continued to pressure Geelong resulting in another goal to Lenny Hayes.

The quarter ended in a back and forth tussle. Adam Schneider finished the quarter with a goal.

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