Kevin Sheedy fondly recalls the 1993 season as being like riding a wave and the legendary Essendon coach sees no reason why it cannot happen again.
It is 25 years since the remarkable Baby Bombers premiership, when everything went their way for one of the most unlikely flags in AFL history.
Indeed, a look at milestone grand final anniversaries is an unnerving exercise for Richmond fans.
Twenty years ago, North Melbourne kicked themselves out of the 1998 grand final as Adelaide successfully defended their premiership
A decade later, Alastair Clarkson and Hawthorn famously stopped the Geelong shark, which had looked unstoppable before the 2008 grand final.
“Anything can happen. Richmond proved that last year and the Bulldogs the year before,” Sheedy told AAP.
The four-time premiership coach would relish coaching against Richmond in this finals series, despite the Tigers’ minor premiership and their status as red-hot favourites.
“They only have one ruckman and one key forward – the rest are angry ants,” he said.
Essendon had missed the 1992 finals series and their 1993 team was full of kids – James Hird was in just his second season and Dustin Fletcher was still in secondary school.
But Tim Watson was coaxed out of retirement, Sheedy frantically waved his jacket after the landmark round-16 win over West Coast and the Bombers finished minor premiers.
Even after losing their opening final to Carlton, even after falling seven goals behind in the preliminary final against Adelaide, the Bombers found a way.
“That’s when the coach had to do something … it was one of my better ones,” Sheedy says of what happened at halftime in the Crows final.
The premiership centre-line of Ricky Olarenshaw, Joe Misiti and Paul Hills had less than 100 senior games between them.
But veteran Gary O’Donnell anchored the midfield and Michael Long cut loose to win the Norm Smith Medal, providing the grand final highlight with his brilliant running goal that Steve Silvagni may or may not have touched on the line.
“You’re unaware of what your talents are, because you’re just starting,” Sheedy said of the Baby Bombers.
“Your players still don’t know how talented they are, because they’ve never performed in a finals series.
“We had about eight or nine new kids … no-one knows what it’s going to be like.”
Sheedy has skin in the game for this month’s finals series – he is one of Richmond’s greatest players and was the inaugural GWS coach.
“The Giants have to make courageous decisions at the selection table this week – pretty similar to the Bulldogs two years ago,” he said
“I’d play Zac Williams. He has great talent and he’ll be there for another 150-200 games.”
THREE PREMIERSHIP BOILOVER ANNIVERSARIES
1993 – Baby Bombers
A potent mix of kids and veterans shines in an even season. Neale Daniher, then an Essendon assistant coach, famously uses video footage to pick apart Carlton’s midfield strategies and give the Bombers a crucial edge. The fax to Sheedy outlining what he has learned is sent by accident to a Carlton supporter as well, but Daniher is able to stop it reaching the Blues.
1998 – Crows and McLeod go back-to-back
No wonder North Melbourne coaching great Denis Pagan sees Richmond as potentially vulnerable this month. He knows from bitter experience. The Crows had lost their opening final in ’98 and were given little chance against the Roos. But North sprayed 6.15 in the first half – 21 scoring shots to seven. Adelaide great Andrew McLeod cut loose to win his second-straight Norm Smith Medal as the Crows kicked 11 goals to two in the second half for a 35-point win.
2008 – Hawks stop the shark
Clarkson uses a shark stuck dead in the water as an analogy for stopping Geelong’s damaging run. An overweight Stuart Dew and a young Cyril Rioli have massive cameos. Goalkicking inaccuracy also plagues the Cats – Cameron Mooney and Brad Ottens among the most culpable of the Cats in front of the big sticks. Luke Hodge plays with a cracked rib and fearlessly backs into the defensive hole repeatedly to win the Norm Smith Medal.