Saturday September 29
Grand Final - Geelong v Port Adelaide v Kangaroos at the MCG, 2.30pm
IMPENDING MILESTONES
50 games -- Damon White, Port Adelaide
50 games -- Danyle Pearce, Port Adelaide
Longest Premiership Drought -- Geelong. Geelong's wait for a flag since 1963 is currently the sixth-longest wait by any club in the history of the game. The longest waits are Sydney / South Melbourne (72 years, 1933-2005), St Kilda (69 years, 1897-1966), Western Bulldogs / Footscray (53 years, 1954-current), Fitzroy (51 years, 1945-96) and North Melbourne (50 years, 1925-75).
Longest Premiership span, player then coach -- Mark Thompson. Should Geelong be successful this week, Mark Thompson will be part of a premiership 23 years after he represented Essendon in the successful 1984 side. This will be the seventh-longest span in the history of the game, behind only Leigh Matthews (32 years, 1971-2002), Kevin Sheedy (31 years, 1969-2000), Frank Hughes (28 years, 1920-48), Jock McHale (26 years, 1910-36), Norm Smith (25 years, 1939-64)and David Parkin (24 years, 1971-95).
Captain and Coach of a Premiership -- Mark Thompson. Should Geelong be successful this week, Thompson would become the seventh person in the history of the game to captain and then coach a premiership team, having captained the successful Essendon team in 1993. He would join Percy Bentley (captain Richmond, coach Carlton), Reg Hickey (captain and then coach of Geelong), Ron Barassi (captain Melbourne and then coach Carlton and North Melbourne), David Parkin (captain Hawthorn and then coach Hawthorn and Carlton), Leigh Matthews (captain Hawthorn and then coach Collingwood and Brisbane Lions) and John Worsfold (captain and then coach of West Coast).
Longest Grand Final span, player then coach -- Mark Williams, Port Adelaide. Mark will coach Port Adelaide this week 26 years after his first Grand Final appearance as a player for Collingwood in 1981. This is the sixth-longest span in the history of the game, behind only David Parkin (36 years, 1963-99), Jock McHale (34 years, 1903-39), Leigh Matthews (33 years, 1971-2004), Kevin Sheedy (32 years, 1969-2001) and Frank Hughes (29 years, 1919-48).
Longest Grand Final span, player then coach -- Mark Thompson, Geelong. Mark will coach Geelong this week 23 years after his first Grand Final appearance as a player for Essendon in 1984. This is the 12th-longest span in the history of the game, behind those listed above -- David Parkin, Jock McHale, Leigh Matthews, Kevin Sheedy, Frank Hughes and Mark Williams -- and Phonse Kyne (25 years, 1935-60), Norm Smith (25 years, 1939-64), Denis Pagan (25 years, 1974-99), Ron Barassi (24 years, 1954-78) and Allan Jeans (24 years, 1965-89).
Brothers in Premership Teams -- The Abletts. Should Geelong be successful this week, Gary and Nathan Ablett would become the 19th set of brothers in the history of the game to play together in a premiership team, joining Jim and Mick Grace (Fitzroy), Arthur and Fred Leach (Collingwood), Ted and George Lockwood (Collingwood), Robert and George Weatherill (Richmond), Syd and Gordon Coventry (Collingwood), Frank and Len Murphy (Collingwood), Albert and Harry Collier (Collingwood), Les and Peter Hardiman (Geelong), Gordon and Doug Strang (Richmond), Dick and Tom Reynolds (Essendon), Harold and Chris Lambert (Essendon), Lou and Ron Richards (Collingwood), Sted and Phil Hay (Hawthorn), Alistair and Stewart Lord (Geelong), Leigh and Kelvin Matthews (Hawthorn), Chris and Brad Scott (Brisbane Lions), Peter and Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) and Chad and Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide).
Brothers in Premiership Teams, twice -- The Cornes' and the Burgoynes. Should Port Adelaide be successful this week, Chad and Kane Cornes and Peter and Shaun Burgoyne would become the ninth and tenth set of brothers in the history of the game to play in a premiership together on two separate occasions, having all played in the successful 2004 side. From the list above, the would join the Grace brothers (1898-99), Lockwood brothers (1902-03), Coventry brothers (1927-30), Murphy brothers (1928-30), Collier brothers (1927-30 and 1935-36), Hardiman brothers (1931 and 1937), Lambert brothers (1946 and 1950) and Scott brothers (2001-02).
Premierships with Different Clubs -- Cam Mooney, Geelong. Should Geelong be successful this week, Mooney would become the 26th player in the history of the game to have played in premiership with two clubs, having been a member of the successful Kangaroos side in 1999. A full list of the previous 25 players is on page 643 of the AFL 2007.
2007 AFL ATTENDANCES
The AFL has broken its all-time attendance record for a single season of home and away and finals matches. Following the weekend's two Preliminary Finals, to this point of the 2007 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, 6,952,643 fans have attended the 176 home and away matches and eight finals played so far, eclipsing the previous record tally of 6,763,853, established in the 2005 season.
The eight finals played so far in the 2007 Toyota AFL Finals Series have drawn a total of 477,122 fans, after the home and away season registered an all-time record total of 6,475,521 supporters.
This year's finals series tally is on track to be the second-best attended finals series in history, should the Grand Final attendance this week pass 95,611.
The leading finals series attendances in history are:
2007 AFL PREMIERSHIP CUP PRESENTER
As per the approach adopted from the start of the 2004 season, the AFL has approached a representative of Geelong and Port Adelaide respectively to present the Premiership Cup, should their club be successful this weekend. Fred Wooller and Gavin Wanganeen have each accepted the AFL's invitation to be the presenter, should their club win.
Fred Wooller -- Played 132 games for Geelong between 1956-64, kicking 225 goals. Captain in 1963-64. Best and Fairest in 1960. Leading goalkicker 1957 and 1959-60.
Gavin Wanganeen -- Played 173 games Port Adelaide between 1997-2006, after 127 games for Essendon between 1991-1996. Inaugural club captain, 1997-2000. 2003 Best and Fairest. 2004 Premiership, after 1993 premiership with Essendon. 2001 and 2003 All Australian after 1992, 1993 and 1995 All Austrlaian with Essendon. 1993 Brownlow Medallist with Essendon. Member of Essendon and Indigenous Teams of the Century.
NORM SMITH MEDAL -- VOTING PANEL
The Judges for the 2007 Norm Smith Medal will be Danny Frawley (Triple M, chairman), Steve Butler (West Australian), Josh Francou (5AA), Jake Niall (The Age) and Darryl Timms (The Herald Sun).
PERMISSION TO TRAIN LIST
The AFL wishes to advise the following eligible father/son players have been given permission to train, following the guidelines set down by the AFL in these instances:
Essendon - Darcy Daniher (Calder Cannons), son of Anthony Daniher, 109 games with Essendon.
Geelong - Adam Donohue (Geelong Falcons), son of Larry Donohue, 105 games with Geelong.
2007 NAB AFL DRAFT -- KEY DATES
The AFL wishes to advise the following key dates as part of the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Process:
Tuesday Oct 2 - Friday Oct 5 - NAB AFL Draft Camp.
Saturday Oct 6 - Victorian State Screening Session.
Monday Oct 8 to 2pm Friday Oct 12 - Exchange Period.
Saturday Oct 13 - South Australian State Screening Session.
Sunday Oct 14 - Western Australian State Screening Session.
Wednesday Oct 31 (2pm) - List Lodgement One, including rookie promotions, retained second year rookies and father / son selections.
Wednesday Nov 14 (2pm) - Draft Nominations Close.
Friday Nov 16 (2pm) - List Lodgement Two.
Wednesday Nov 21 (2pm) - Delisted Player Nominations Close.
Saturday Nov 24 (10am) - NAB AFL Draft Selection Meeting.
Tuesday Nov 27 (2pm) - Uncontracted Listed Player Nominations Close.
Friday Nov 30 (2pm) - List Lodgement Three and TPP Estimates.
Friday Dec 7 (2pm) - Delisted Player Nominations Close.
Tuesday Dec 11 (10am) - NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft Selection Meeting (Microsoft Live meeting).
Tuesday Dec 11 (10.15am) - Nomination of Brisbane Lions and Sydney eligible rookie list players.
Tuesday Dec 11 (10.30am) - NAB AFL Rookie Draft Selection Meeting (Microsoft Live meeting).
