As we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the 2005 premiership we take a look back at five big stories from the sensational season that ended a 72 year premiership drought.
Barry Hall fronts the tribunal
“I’m off to the Grand Final” read the front page of the Daily Telegraph. It was the Wednesday before the 2005 grand Final and Swans captain Barry Hall has been cleared to play by the tribunal. Hall was charged by the Match Review Panel for striking St Kilda defender Matt Maguire during the Preliminary Final win over St Kilda. After catching a private jet down to Melbourne for the hearing, the tribunal needed just four minutes to clear the Swans goal kicker to play against the Eagles. The tribunal downgraded the behind the ball strike from a serious level two striking charge to a level one offence. It became the biggest story of Grand Final week since Andrew Dunkley was cleared by the court system to play in the 1996 Grand Final. Hall would play, kick two goals and hold the cup aloft as premiership captain.
Ugly Footy – Demetriou v Roos
It was a comment that would come back to haunt former AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou. In the lead up to Round 6 against West Coast, Demetriou stuck the boots in by saying the Swans played “ugly footy” after losing two games on the trot. “I don’t like at all the way that they’re playing football but that’s just a personal view. It would be fair to say in the early part of the season we saw some games that weren’t attractive and I think they’ve been described as ugly”. Paul Roos hit back with the Swans eventually going on to win their first premiership in 72 years.
Maxfield stands down
On May 11, 2005, the Swans announced the role of captain would be shared between members of the Swans’ leadership group in light of Stuart Maxfield decision to stand down from the role. Maxfield suffered from a debilitating knee injury that saw him play only five games throughout the season. Paul Roos paid tribute to Maxfield’s selflessness and pivotal part in helping the Swans reach the Grand Final. “Stuart Maxfield’s role and the leaders’ role cannot be underestimated at this footy club, Stuart in particular who’s really driven that leadership program and out culture.” The job on Grand Final day would ultimately land with Barry Hall who famously lifting the cup alongside coach Paul Roos.
Sick Swans
The Swans carried numerous injuries into the biggest game of the year, unbeknown to the majority outside of the football club. The hero of the 2005 Premiership, Leo Barry, was just one knock away from needing emergency surgery to his face with a ripple cheekbone fracture. In the same boat as Barry was teammate Adam Schneider. Barry Hall couldn’t raise his left arm due to a torn AC joint while Jude Bolton had dislocated his AC joint in Round 19 and played with painkillers. Ben Mathews was on pain killers for the last 16 weeks of the season due to a pinched nerve in his foot, Craig Bolton had chronic knee concerns, Darren Jolly a broken hand and Jared Crouch was unable to walk due to an ankle injury suffered early on in the final term. It was very much an injury-riddled side which limped over the line by just four points to win the club’s first flag in 72 years.
Bad call
“Umpires boss Jeff Gieschen yesterday made the extraordinary admission that the Swans were victims of a bad decision in Friday’s qualifying final in Perth” read journalist Robert Grant’s opening line in a story published in Daily Telegraph on September 3, 2015. The story referred to a decision paid against Leo Barry for allegedly interfering with West Coast’s Tyson Stenglein who was manning the mark. It was later deemed by the umps boss officiating umpire Shane McInerney failed to see Stenglein move off the mark and initiate contact on Barry who was running past. Stenglein kicked the goal as a result of the controversial reversal to put the Eagles within four points of the lead in the fourth quarter. The Swans would go down by four points and have to fight for their life against the Cats in the following week’s semi-final.
