2007 AFL finals series

2007 AFL premiership season
Date	7–29 September 2007
Teams	8
Premiers	Geelong 7th premiership
Runners-up	Port Adelaide (2nd grand final)
Minor premiers	Geelong 8th minor premiership
Attendance
Matches played	9
Total attendance	574,424 (63,825 per match)
Highest	98,002 (First Preliminary Final, Geelong vs Collingwood )
←  2006 2008  →

The Australian Football League's 2007 Finals Series determined the top eight final positions of the 2007 AFL season. It began on the weekend of 7 September 2007 and ended with the 111th AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 September 2007. The Geelong Football Club were crowned the 2007 AFL Premiers, beating the Port Adelaide Football Club by 119 points to win their first premiership since 1963.

The eight teams qualified for the finals series by finishing in the top eight positions of the premiership ladder at the completion of the home and away series.

Ladder

2007 AFL ladder

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	L	D	PF	PA	PP	Pts
1	Geelong (P)	22	18	4	0	2542	1664	152.8	72	Finals series
2	Port Adelaide	22	15	7	0	2314	2038	113.5	60
3	West Coast	22	15	7	0	2162	1935	111.7	60
4	Kangaroos	22	14	8	0	2183	1998	109.3	56
5	Hawthorn	22	13	9	0	2097	1855	113.0	52
6	Collingwood	22	13	9	0	2011	1992	101.0	52
7	Sydney	22	12	9	1	2031	1698	119.6	50
8	Adelaide	22	12	10	0	1881	1712	109.9	48
9	St Kilda	22	11	10	1	1874	1941	96.5	46
10	Brisbane Lions	22	9	11	2	1986	1885	105.4	40
11	Fremantle	22	10	12	0	2254	2198	102.5	40
12	Essendon	22	10	12	0	2184	2394	91.2	40
13	Western Bulldogs	22	9	12	1	2111	2469	85.5	38
14	Melbourne	22	5	17	0	1890	2418	78.2	20
15	Carlton	22	4	18	0	2167	2911	74.4	16
16	Richmond	22	3	18	1	1958	2537	77.2	14

Source: AFL ladder
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Geelong was easily the minor premier in 2007 and undisputed favourite coming into the Finals Series.

Summary of results

	Qualifying and elimination finals					Semi-finals						Preliminary finals					Grand final
	Sep 9, MCG
	1	Geelong	23.18 (156)
	4	Kangaroos	8.2 (50)			Sep 15, MCG
						Kangaroos		14.9 (93)
	Sep 8, Telstra Dome					Hawthorn		8.12 (60)				Sep 21, MCG
	5	Hawthorn	15.15 (105)									Geelong		13.14 (92)
	8	Adelaide	15.12 (102)									Collingwood		13.9 (87)			Sep 29, MCG
																	Geelong		24.19 (163)
	Sep 8, MCG											Sep 22, AAMI Stadium					Port Adelaide		6.8 (44)
	6	Collingwood	18.17 (125)									Port Adelaide		20.13 (133)
	7	Sydney	13.9 (87)			Sep 14, Subiaco Oval						Kangaroos		5.16 (46)
						West Coast		10.14 (74) (aet)
	Sep 7, AAMI Stadium					Collingwood		13.15 (93) (aet)
	2	Port Adelaide	9.14 (68)
	3	West Coast	9.11 (65)

The finals system

Main article: AFL final eight system

The system is a final eight system. This system is different to the McIntyre final eight system, which was previously used by the AFL.

The top four teams in the eight receive what is popularly known as the "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals; this means that if a top-four team loses in the first week, it still has a chance to redeem itself by getting a chance to play in a semi-final the next week against the winner of an elimination final. The bottom four of the eight are forced to play what are called elimination finals, in which only the winners survive and move on to week two to play the losers of the qualifying finals.

In the second week, the winners of the qualifying finals receive a bye to the third week, while the losers of those qualifying finals must play the winners of the elimination finals for a chance to play the qualifying finals winners. Home-ground advantage goes to the team with the higher seed.

In the third week, the winners of the semi-finals from week two play the winners of the qualifying finals in the first week, with the latter receiving home-ground advantage. The winners of those matches move on to the Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, where the new premier will be crowned. ^[1]

Week One

First Qualifying Final (Geelong vs. North Melbourne)

Geelong vs North Melbourne
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Geelong	3.5 (23)	10.10 (70)	16.16 (112)	23.18 (156)
North Melbourne	3.0 (18)	4.1 (25)	6.1 (37)	8.2 (50)
Venue:		Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Date and time:		9 September 2007 – 2:45PM AEST
Attendance:		77,630
Umpires:		Dean Margetts, Scott McLaren, Scott Jeffery
Goal scorers:	Geelong	5: Mooney, Chapman 3: N Ablett 2: Enright, G Ablett, Ottens 1: Bartel, S Johnson, Stokes, Mackie
	North Melbourne	1: McIntosh, Grant, Brown, Petrie, Firrito, Edwards, Harvey, Wells
Best:	Geelong	Scarlett, G Ablett, Chapman, Milburn, Bartel, Harley, J Selwood, Stokes, Hunt
	North Melbourne	Rawlings, Firrito, Wells, Edwards, Simpson
Reports:		nil
Injuries:		nil
Australian television broadcaster:		Seven Network

Second Qualifying Final (Port Adelaide vs. West Coast)

Port Adelaide vs West Coast
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Port Adelaide	1.3 (9)	2.7 (19)	6.9 (45)	9.14 (68)
West Coast	2.3 (15)	3.6 (24)	7.10 (52)	9.11 (65)
Venue:		AAMI Stadium, Adelaide
Date and time:		7 September 2007 – 7:50PM ACST
Attendance:		37,750
Umpires:		Michael Vozzo, Brett Rosebury, Shaun Ryan
Goal scorers:	Port Adelaide	1: P. Burgoyne, S. Burgoyne, Chaplin, K. Cornes, Ebert, Motlop, Salopek, Tredrea, Westhoff
	West Coast	2: Judd, Lynch 1: Cox, Hurn, LeCras, Rosa, Seaby
Best:	Port Adelaide	P Burgoyne, Lade, Chaplin, K Cornes, Surjan
	West Coast	Priddis, Stenglein, Waters, Hunter, A Selwood
Reports:		nil
Injuries:		West Coast: Cousins (hamstring)
Australian television broadcaster:		Seven Network

First Elimination Final (Hawthorn vs. Adelaide)

Hawthorn vs Adelaide
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Hawthorn	4.3 (27)	8.7 (55)	10.10 (70)	15.15 (105)
Adelaide	7.4 (46)	10.7 (67)	12.12 (84)	15.12 (102)
Venue:		Telstra Dome, Melbourne
Date and time:		8 September 2007 – 2:30PM AEST
Attendance:		36,534
Umpires:		Hayden Kennedy, Brett Allen, Ray Chamberlain
Goal scorers:	Hawthorn	7: Franklin 3: Roughead 1: Lewis, Brown, Bateman, Crawford, Young
	Adelaide	4: McGregor, Welsh 2: Porplyzia 1: Edwards, Gill, Knights, van Berlo, Torney
Best:	Hawthorn	Crawford, Franklin, Roughead, Sewell, Hodge, Brown, Ladson, Birchall, Guerra
	Adelaide	Shirley, Torney, McGregor, Thompson, Goodwin, Massie, Edwards, Stevens
Reports:		Adelaide: Torney (high contact)
Injuries:		Hawthorn: McGlynn (adductor) out, replaced in selected side by Osborne, Hodge (knee), Bateman (hamstring) Adelaide: Porplyzia (shoulder)
Australian television broadcaster:		Ten Network

Second Elimination Final (Collingwood vs. Sydney)

Collingwood vs Sydney
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Collingwood	6.5 (41)	8.9 (57)	13.12 (90)	18.17 (125)
Sydney	1.4 (10)	7.5 (47)	9.8 (62)	13.9 (87)
Venue:		Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Date and time:		8 September 2007 – 7:30PM AEST
Attendance:		64,645
Umpires:		Stephen McBurney, Matt Stevic, Shane McInerney
Goal scorers:	Collingwood	6: Rocca 3: Cloke, Rusling 1: Buckley, Davis, Didak, Medhurst, Pendlebury, Swan
	Sydney	4: O'Loughlin 2: Davis, Malceski 1: Bolton, Fosdike, Hall, Kirk, Schneider
Best:	Collingwood	Rocca, Shaw, Pendlebury, Cloke, Buckley, Swan, Davis
	Sydney	Goodes, Kirk, Malceski, O'Loughlin, Crouch
Reports:		nil
Injuries:		nil
Australian television broadcaster:		Ten Network

Week Two

First Semi-final (North Melbourne vs. Hawthorn)

North Melbourne vs Hawthorn
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
North Melbourne	3.3 (21)	5.5 (35)	9.7 (61)	14.9 (93)
Hawthorn	2.1 (13)	4.3 (27)	6.8 (44)	8.12 (60)
Venue:		MCG, Melbourne
Date and time:		15 September 2007 - 7:30PM AEST
Attendance:		74,981
Umpires:		Michael Vozzo, Brett Rosebury, Scott McLaren
Goal scorers:	North Melbourne	4: Edwards, Harvey 1: Swallow, Petrie, McIntosh, McMahon, Grant, Wells
	Hawthorn	3: Franklin 1: Roughead, Boyle, Bateman, Guerra, Lewis
Best:	North Melbourne	Smith, Rawlings, Harris, Gibson, Edwards, McIntosh, Harvey
	Hawthorn	Sewell, Lewis, Guerra, Croad, Bateman, Crawford
Reports:		Hawthorn: Crawford (striking), Lewis (striking), Hodge (striking)
Injuries:		nil
Australian television broadcaster:		Ten Network

Second semi final (West Coast vs Collingwood)

West Coast vs Collingwood
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final (ET)
West Coast	0.4 (4)	5.5 (35)	8.9 (57)	10.12 (72)	10.14 (74)
Collingwood	1.5 (11)	4.8 (32)	7.11 (53)	10.12 (72)	13.15 (93)
Venue:		Subiaco Oval, Perth
Date and time:		14 September 2007 - 6:45PM AWST
Attendance:		43,627
Umpires:		Stephen McBurney, Shaun Ryan, Shane McInerney
Goal scorers:	West Coast	2: Lecras, Wirrpanda 1: Cox, Embley, Fletcher, Lynch, Priddis, Rosa
	Collingwood	3: Rocca 2: Didak, Medhurst, Swan 1: Bryan, Cloke, Pendlebury, Thomas
Best:	West Coast	Cox, Priddis, Jones, Chick, Glass
	Collingwood	Didak, Medhurst, Pendlebury, Swan, Goldsack
Reports:		nil
Injuries:		West Coast: Hansen (hamstring) Collingwood: Burns (ankle)
Australian television broadcaster:		Seven Network

Scores were tied at the end of regulation time, with both teams having scored 10.12 (72). Two five-minute periods of extra time were played to decide a winner. This was only the second time that extra time had been implemented since the provision to do so was introduced in the early 1990s. In two coincidences, it was the drawn qualifying final between these two teams in 1990 which most directly led to the introduction of the extra time provision in the first place, and; it was the pairing of the weekend's other game, Hawthorn and the North Melbourne, who contested the only previous game to require extra time.

Week Three

First Preliminary Final (Geelong vs. Collingwood)

Geelong vs Collingwood
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Geelong	4.4 (28)	7.6 (48)	9.13 (67)	13.14 (92)
Collingwood	2.5 (17)	6.7 (43)	9.8 (62)	13.9 (87)
Venue:		Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Date and time:		21 September 2007 - 7:50PM AEST
Attendance:		98,002
Umpires:		Stephen McBurney, Scott McLaren, Shane McInerney
Goal scorers:	Geelong	3: S. Johnson, Stokes 2: Mooney 1: G. Ablett, Chapman, Kelly, Ottens, Rooke
	Collingwood	3: Cloke, Medhurst 2: Didak, Rusling 1: Davis, O'Bree, Burns
Best:	Geelong	G. Ablett, Ottens, Corey, Bartel, S. Johnson, Scarlett, Milburn, Hunt
	Collingwood	H. Shaw, Clement, Lockyer, Clarke, O'Bree, O'Brien, Buckley, Cloke
Reports:		nil
Injuries:		Collingwood: Rocca (ankle)
Australian television broadcaster:		Seven Network

Second Preliminary Final (Port Adelaide vs. North Melbourne)

Port Adelaide vs North Melbourne
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Final
Port Adelaide	6.0 (36)	9.3 (57)	17.10 (112)	20.13 (133)
North Melbourne	3.2 (20)	3.7 (25)	4.10 (34)	5.16 (46)
Venue:		AAMI Stadium, Adelaide
Date and time:		22 September 2007- 4:30PM ACST
Attendance:		44,953
Umpires:		Michael Vozzo, Hayden Kennedy, Brett Rosebury
Goal scorers:	Port Adelaide	3: Ebert, Motlop, Tredrea 2: Logan, Rodan, Salopek 1: Boak, C Cornes, K Cornes, Pearce, Westhoff
	North Melbourne	2: Grant 1: Edwards, Harris, Lower
Best:	Port Adelaide	Chaplin, S. Burgoyne, C. Cornes, Logan, Pearce, Surjan, Rodan, Ebert, Motlop
	North Melbourne	Harris, Simpson, Sinclair, Archer, Lower
Reports:		nil
Injuries:		Port Adelaide: Wilson (ruptured achilles tendon)
Australian television broadcaster:		Ten Network

Week Four

Grand Final (Geelong vs. Port Adelaide)

Main article: 2007 AFL Grand Final

	Grand final
Saturday, 29 September (2:40 pm)	Geelong	def.	Port Adelaide	MCG (crowd: 97,302)	Report
	5.7 (37) 11.13 (79) 18.17 (125) 24.19 (163)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	2.2 (14) 4.3 (27) 5.5 (35) 6.8 (44)	Umpires: McBurney, McInerney, McLaren Norm Smith Medal: Steve Johnson (Geelong) Television broadcast: Network Ten National anthem: Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Mooney 5 Chapman, Johnson 4 N. Ablett 3 Bartel 2 Ottens, Byrnes, G. Ablett, Rooke, Ling, Mackie 1		Goals	2 Tredrea, S. Burgoyne 1 C. Cornes, Logan
Johnson, Chapman, Scarlett, King, Ottens, Mooney, Corey, Enright, Bartel		Best	Tredrea, P. Burgoyne, K. Cornes
Nil		Injuries	Nil
Nil		Reports	Nil
Geelong's winning margin of 119 points was the biggest in a grand final ever.

See also

• 2007 AFL Season

Notes and references

AFL final eight system

1. AFL Finals System Explained (AFL.com.au) ^{[ dead link ]}

External links

• AFL official website
• RealFooty by The Age (Melbourne) Online Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
• SportsAustralia (news and views)