1997 Australian Football League Season
The 1997 AFL season was the 101st season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season ran from 27 March until 27 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top eight clubs. Before the season, the Port Adelaide Football Club (SANFL) was admitted to the league, increasing the South Australian membership to two clubs. Foundation club Fitzroy, which had gone into administration in 1996, merged with the Brisbane Bears to form a new Queensland-based club known as the Brisbane Lions. The Footscray Football Club changed its name to the Western Bulldogs. With these changes, the league's size remained at sixteen clubs. The premiership was won by the Adelaide Football Club for the first time, after it defeated by 31 points in the 1997 AFL Grand Final. Premiership season Round 1 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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1997 AFL Grand Final
The 1997 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Adelaide Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1997. It was the 101st annual grand final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League), staged to determine the premiers for the 1997 AFL season. The match, attended by 99,645 spectators, was won by Adelaide by a margin of 31 points, marking that club's first premiership victory. Background The Saints were playing in their first premiership decider since losing the 1971 VFL Grand Final, and looking to win just their second premiership after their famous one-point win against in 1966, while the Crows were appearing in their first Grand final since entering the competition in 1991. It had been a very even home and away season, with St Kilda finishing on top of the AFL ladder after 22 rounds, winning the McClelland Trophy. Their record of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Princes Park (stadium)
Princes Park (or Carlton Recreation Ground, currently known by its sponsored name Ikon Park) is an Australian rules football ground located inside the wider Princes Park, Carlton, Princes Park in the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton North, Victoria, Carlton North. It is a historic venue, having been the home ground of the Carlton Football Club since early in its history. Prior to a partial redevelopment the ground had a nominal capacity of 35,000, making it the third largest Australian rules football venue in Melbourne after the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Docklands Stadium. Princes Park hosted three VFL Grand Final, grand finals during World War II, with a record attendance of 62,986 at the 1945 VFL Grand Final between Carlton and . After 2005, when the ground hosted its last Australian Football League (AFL) game, two stands were removed and replaced with an indoor training facility and administration building, reducing the capacity. Austadiums lists the current capacity of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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AFL Tribunal
The AFL Tribunal is the disciplinary tribunal of the Australian Football League (AFL), an Australian rules football competition. The Tribunal regulates the conduct of players, umpires, and other officials associated with the AFL and its clubs. Points system Prior to 2005, any player who was reported would face a hearing at the AFL Tribunal. This process had become problematic, and in 2005, a new system (similar to that used by the NRL Judiciary at the time) was adopted. The changes were primarily made to reduce the number of tribunal hearings, and to improve the consistency of penalties. The current tribunal process is as follows: Match Review Panel On-field umpires and certain off-field observers can report players for incidents which occur during games. On the Monday after the round of football, each incident is then reviewed by the Match Review Panel, a small panel of former players and umpires. Within the review, the Match Review Panel grades the severity of the incident i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Greg Williams (Australian Footballer)
Gregory Donald Williams (born 30 September 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented , the Sydney Swans and in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. A midfielder, he is a dual Brownlow Medal winner and at his peak was the then highest-paid player in the history of the sport. He was also a very controversial player throughout his career, and was involved in a variety of scandals throughout the 1990s. Playing style Williams made his name as one of the best centres in the history of the game. He was particularly skilful at handpassing, and was the most prolific user of the skill during his era. The hallmark of Williams' play was his ability to win ground contests, and almost immediately free the ball to nearby teammates via quick, accurate handpassing. To that end, Williams' other strengths included his vision and awareness of the teammates around him; he is said to have been heavily involved in midfield tactics at ball-ups. His ki ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sean Denham
Sean Denham (born 29 April 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer. Recruited from Melton South, Denham was an unheralded rover, who came to Essendon from Geelong in a swap that saw ruckman John Barnes sent the other way following the 1991 season. His style of play as a tagging run-with player, typified during the 1990s the changing face of the modern game. Despite having a small stature, Denham's tough approach and ability to verbally rile his opponent, coupled with his tagging role sparked a massive on-field rivalry with fiery Carlton rover Greg Williams during the 1990s. Popular football commentator Rex Hunt once described Denham as "The Brush" or "Dunny brush Denham" during his radio broadcasts. After a spate of poor form and injuries after the club's successful 2000 season, aged 31 he decided to retire. He and Barnes played alongside each other during that premiership season. During his 132 games for the Bombers, he played a fundamental role in the 1993 premiershi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Easter Monday
Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the Octave of Easter, and in Eastern Christianity it marks the second day of Bright Week. Religious observances Eastern Christianity In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches, this day is called "Bright Monday" or "Renewal Monday". The services, as in the rest of Bright Week, are quite different from during the rest of the year and are similar to the services on Pascha (Easter Sunday) and include an outdoor procession after the Divine Liturgy; while this is prescribed for all days of that week, often they are only celebrated on Monday and maybe a couple of other days in parish churches, especially in non-Orthodox countries. Also, when the calendar date of the feast day of a major saint, ''e.g.'', St. George or the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michael Wilson (Australian Footballer)
Michael Robert Wilson (born 21 November 1976) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) AFL career Success (1997–2006) Affectionately known as 'Wilbur', Wilson was one of the talented crop of youngsters making the transition from the SANFL to the national league as part of Port Adelaide's inaugural AFL squad in 1997. Playing primarily as an onballer Wilson immediately made an impression and took out the 1997 AFL Rising Star award as the league's best young prospect in his debut season. From 1998 onward, Wilson played primarily as a medium-sized defender rotating through the midfield on occasion. With a pair of SANFL premiership medallions already in his keeping by age 19, Wilson was able to add the AFL equivalent in 2004, capping a brilliant individual season with a sturdy performance in Port Adelaide's first AFL flag win ov ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fabian Francis
Fabian Francis (born 24 October 1973) is a former Australian rules football, rugby league footballer, most notable for his professional career with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League. Early life Born in Darwin into a family of Torres Strait Islander descent, Francis grew up playing both rugby league and Australian rules football. Francis played in the Litchfield Rugby League Club's premiership team in 1992. He chose to focus on Australian rules football and began playing Australian rules football for the Southern Districts club in the Northern Territory Football League. Francis moved to Adelaide in 1992 to play for Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League. Although he did not play a senior game for Port, Francis sufficiently impressed Australian Football League (AFL) club Melbourne to draft him. AFL career Francis made his AFL debut with Melbourne in 1991, but he did not enjoy living in Melbourne and after one season ret ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Donald Dickie
Donald Dickie (born 8 May 1972 in New Zealand) is a former professional Australian rules footballer notable for his brief appearance in the Australian Football League for the Port Adelaide Football Club. Dickie was born in New Zealand of a Māori people, Māori heritage, he is one of few Maori Australians in the history of the VFL/AFL. His family emigrated to South Australia where he played with the Norwood Football Club. AFL career Port Adelaide career (1997 - 2000) Dickie was taken at Pick #19 in the pre-season AFL draft as a zone selection. The wingman became a cult player at Port Adelaide known for his exciting dashing play and hard tackles. At the end of the 1998 AFL season he earned runner up in the John Cahill Medal. After inconsistent form and complications with ankle injuries Dickie was delisted by the power at the end of 2000 having played a total of 55 games. SANFL career Coaching career Dickie was an assistant coach with the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL. Ref ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Saverio Rocca
Saverio Giovanni Rocca (born 20 November 1973) is a retired Australian professional sportsman. He played Australian rules football for Collingwood and North Melbourne in the Australian Football League, and then switched to playing American football as a punter for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in the National Football League. Rocca was born in Melbourne. Between 1992 and 2007, he played 257 AFL games as a full forward or centre half-forward, kicking 748 goals. He ranks fourteenth on the all-time goalscoring list. Rocca was his team's leading goalkicker on ten occasions (seven for Collingwood and three for North Melbourne), and in 1995 won the Copeland Trophy as Collingwood's best and fairest player. Only two players ( Matthew Richardson and Kevin Bartlett) have scored more goals in their career without winning a Coleman Medal (i.e., scoring the most goals in a particular season). Known for his ability to kick long distances, Rocca retired from Australian f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley (born 26 July 1972) is a former professional Australian rules football coach, player and commentator. He is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as one of the top 50 players of all time. Buckley won the inaugural Rising Star Award, in 1993, then went on to become one of the game's elite, captaining Collingwood between 1999 and 2007,Collingwood Football ClubHonour Roll Retrieved 21 July 2013. winning the Norm Smith Medal for best player afield in the 2002 Grand Final despite playing in the losing team, only the third player in history to do so, the Brownlow Medal in 2003, winning Collingwood's Best and Fairest award, the Copeland Trophy, six times and named in the Collingwood Team of the Century. Buckley was selected in the All-Australian Team seven times and captained the Australian international rules football team against Ireland. In 2004 Buckley became an original inductee into the Collingwood Hall of Fame. He retired at the conclusion of the 2007 AFL s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paul Williams (Australian Rules Footballer)
Paul Williams (born 3 April 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is also a former assistant coach in the AFL, which most notably included a brief period as caretaker coach of the Western Bulldogs towards the end of the 2011 season. Playing career Collingwood Football Club Williams began his AFL career with Collingwood Football Club, joining them from Tasmanian club North Hobart. Playing in a number of positions ranging from half back to half forward, the tough-tackling Williams was a regular in the mostly unsuccessful Collingwood side of the late 1990s, racking up 189 games and kicking 223 goals (his best being 6 against Carlton in 1996). Sydney Swans However, at the end of the 2000 season, he was traded to Sydney Swans for two draft picks. There, he immediately made an impact, winning two consecutive Bob Skilton Medals in 2001 and 2002, as well as being sele ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |