Former Cat Harry Taylor and Eagle Josh Kennedy are both AFL premiership players, but it\u2019s fair to say neither had played in a grand final as crazy and memorable as the Great Northern League grand final that took place in the wild west on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Taylor and Kennedy lined up for Northampton against Railways, making their Rams favourites to win the match at Wonthella Oval in Geraldton.<\/p>\n
Northampton led all day \u2013 until the Railways kicked two goals in 30 seconds to snatch what appeared on the scoreboard to be a one-point lead with less than five minutes remaining.<\/p>\n
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Harry Taylor saw the funny side of post grand-final celebrations.<\/span><\/p>\n Taylor, who was the league\u2019s leading goalkicker, was not so sure the scoreboard was as accurate as it needed to be. He had noted earlier that a behind he kicked had not been registered, but the game was too frantic to do much.<\/p>\n The Railways grimly hung on until the siren went and their players and supporters celebrated in the usual manner. Fair enough, too. They thought they had clinched their first premiership since 2010.<\/p>\n A trestle table with the trophies and cup was dragged onto the ground and Railways players were seen having the first of what was expected to be many beers while Northampton players slumped on the ground.<\/p>\n But the goal umpires knew the score on the scoreboard was wrong, conferring in the middle of the ground to say the actual result was a tie and extra time would need to be played.<\/p>\n The bewildered players had to regroup somehow amid the mayhem and get their minds back on the job as the commentator said in an understated manner, \u201cthere has been a few issues with the scoreboard throughout the day\u201d.<\/p>\n As luck would have it, Northampton rallied to kick the only two goals in extra time to win their first premiership for 19 years.<\/p>\n Premiership Eagles (and now premiership Ram) Josh Kennedy.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Taylor joined teammates to celebrate the unbelievable win, leaving his car at the ground overnight so he didn\u2019t have to drive.<\/p>\n He could only laugh when he returned the next day to a typical country football salute, finding the two back tyres of his SUV removed and sitting nicely under each wheel rim for him to reattach to his car, no real harm done.<\/p>\n It was then that his Geelong days kicked back in and Taylor, who along with Kennedy, are among not only the best, but the most likeable, key position players of their era, decided to draw on his Mad Monday experience at the Cats.<\/p>\n Taylor rocked up to the Monday premiership celebrations dressed as a mechanic, carrying a spare tyre and a jack.<\/p>\n Having KISS on the MCG as the pre-game \u201centertainment\u201d ahead of this year\u2019s grand final is no surprise given they played at VFL Park on November 15, 1980 on their first tour of Australia.<\/p>\n The ticket for that concert described the venue as Waverley Football Ground and the band promised to play Rain or Shine<\/em> on a tour that caught the town\u2019s imagination. The concert was part of a push from the VFL to turn Waverley into a concert venue; the league fought Waverley council in the Town Planning Appeals Tribunal in an attempt to have the venue granted permanent entertainment status.<\/p>\n VFL Park had hosted Rod Stewart in 1979 \u2013 the concert earned the league the princely sum of $30,000, according to reports at the time \u2013 while David Bowie, then Simon and Garfunkel sung at the venue in 1983, a mere 40 years ago. U2 also played there in 1998, the last major rock concert at the venue.<\/p>\n KISS on stage in Melbourne in 1980 at VFL Park in Waverley.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Age<\/cite><\/p>\n Of course, KISS\u2019 appearance before the media on the MCG just days before the grand final is sure to be … actually, who knows? Snap Shot just wishes Norman Gunston could be there, as he was 43 years ago when KISS arrived and his first question was to ask which member of the band was the construction worker.<\/p>\n Before you go, here are …<\/em><\/p>\n Five key lines Snap Shot believes the AFL can use to sell the idea of KISS being the pre-match entertainment of this year\u2019s grand final:<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like the both of us can get going and can make it work. Obviously, he\u2019s here for a while,\u201d Melbourne skipper Max Gawn on playing in tandem with Brodie Grundy.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI feel like the both of us can get going and can make it work. Obviously, he\u2019s here for a while … depending on your definition of \u2018a while\u2019.<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
The KISS principle<\/h3>\n
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On the coach\u2019s whiteboard<\/strong><\/h3>\n
They said:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
But they forgot to say:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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