GRAND OLD FACTS

Ironically, number 31, Melbourne's most famous number, is the least attractive of the hundred:

100 Melbourne grand final facts

1 - Melbourne has won 12 premierships (1900, 1926, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960 and 1964)

101:

The 1941 Grand Final showcased one of the gutsiest triumphs in the long and decorated history of the Melbourne Football Club. The Demons were severely depleted - they were missing about 12 players due to war service and injury - and faced a full strength Essendon, and were on the end of an astonishingly lopsided free kick count, which favoured the Bombers 52-20. But the Bombers posed no threat to the Demons, who put the premiership beyond doubt with an 11-goal to two first half. As Smith simply stated: "We won the premiership easily."

As Smith really wanted to state: "Suck on that, maggot."

Comments

[Tony]

Note: Fact 101 comes from page 96 of the biography of Norm Smith, The Red Fox.

[TKYCraig]

"100 - And Melbourne has won six of its 12 premierships against Collingwood"
... which they should be commended for, and the rest of the nation grateful.

[Tony]

Must have been fun for my mum growing up. Grandad barracked for Collingwood, but mum barracked for Melbourne.

[Pat]

So which team is the AGB's selection in today's GF?

I'm going for Collingwood since I have spoken to a few Pies fans and they reckon St Kilda employs a spoiling, stodgy, strangling style of play which I'm always opposed to in all sports.

Pies also seem to be always there abouts come the finals but always choke tragically at the final hurdle, reminsicent of Parra.

Good to see a totally Melbourne GF, just as it will be good to see a totally Sydney GF in the GheyRL (as Rammer wittily calls it - not quite the rhyming resonance of GheyFL but point taken).

If the Dragons make it we will see one of the most boring GF's in that last score or more of NRL history. Is it a coincidence the Saints play the same style of game as their Melbourne namesakes? Difference is Dragons would be favourites for it whereas Pies are favourites because that is exactly what they aren't.

But a 66% strike rate (source Yobbo) might come unstuck against a strangling defence, so it could be another tragic end to the season for the Pies.

I've got a gut feeling that this year will see mediocrity win out in both codes. In which case both Saints to win their respective GFs.

Ya heard it here first!