When discussing football, invariably the conversation turns to reminiscing – comparing players from different eras, suggesting a current player reminds you of a particular star from the past, remembering famous anniversaries, or just certain matches between two clubs when they are about to clash again.
These types of musings generally occur more often around finals time, as the pointy end of the season brings with it a heightened sense of anticipation. Fans of the competing clubs look for any omen or trend that will add further spring to their step – and how their team has performed in September against the upcoming foe is often a good starting point.
Historical data will have no say in what unfolds in the four AFL finals this weekend, but as we know, the football gods work in strange ways, which makes analysing what has been before us all the more fascinating as we contemplate what lies ahead.
The most intriguing of the four match-ups is the first qualifying final between Geelong and the Kangaroos. Most pundits believe the premiership is there for the taking for the Cats – they finished three games and almost 40 per cent clear on top of the ladder and have lost just once (by a kick) since round five.
However, when it comes to finals against the Roos their record is very poor. Apart from the famous 'Hand of God' 1994 Preliminary Final, when Gary Ablett Snr, who had been kept in check by Mick Martyn, took a one-handed mark in the goalsquare and, with the final kick of the game, broke the deadlock to boot the Cats into the Grand Final, they have not beaten the men from Arden Street in four other meetings.
This weekend is the 10th anniversary of their most recent finals encounter, when the Roos caused as big a boil-over as it will be if they prevail this Sunday at the MCG.
On a cold, wet Sunday night, Wayne Carey played one of the great individual finals matches in having 20 kicks, taking 10 marks and booting 7.0 as the seventh-placed Roos defeated the second-placed Cats by 18 points in the 1997 third qualifying final – 11.13 to 9.7.
A year earlier they met in the identical final, but with the roles reversed; the Roos had finished second and the Cats seventh. On this occasion they played according to their seedings, with the Kangas whipping their opponents by 10 goals in what turned out to be Ablett Snr's last senior game.
One has to rewind to 1976 and then 1950 to find their initial finals meetings. Thirty-one years ago it was North by 33 points in a wet first semi-final at the MCG, and in '50 North won its first ever final in triumphing by 17 points over the Cats in the preliminary final to qualify for its maiden grand final.
Speaking of firsts, Hawthorn and Adelaide's first elimination final battle at the Telstra Dome on Saturday afternoon will be their first finals meeting since the Crows first ever finals appearance.
In just their third season in the AFL, the Crows shocked their more experienced opponents in the 1993 first Elimination Final at the MCG by 15 points after leading by 24 at the main change.
No prizes for guessing that Jason Dunstall was the leading goalkicker in the game – he contributed six