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CHICK DEFENDS EAGLES’ HONOUR By Mark Harding
Sunday Herald Sun – October 1, 2006

If you could only make one single point, how would you define the difference between the West Coast Eagles and the Sydney Swans?

While single words are hopelessly inadequate, the recent history between these two wonderful sides suggested yesterday’s Grand Final would be a battle of Brilliance v. Grit.
The brilliance would belong to the Eagles, the grit to the Swans. But in the end, it was grit which won it for the boys from the west.
Daniel Chick has never been a high possession gatherer and yesterday was no exception. He had just seven kicks, three handballs, two marks – statistics that could never tell the tale of his extraordinary contribution to his side’s heartstopping victory at the MCG yesterday.
The first single point premiership decision in 40 years might not have been all Chick’s doing, but with two passages of play deep into the final quarter he has carved a place in Grand Final history perhaps every bit as special as Leo Barry’s mark last year.
At the 23 minute mark, wounded and hobbling, Chick delivered a three-point masterpiece of defensive skill. First he smothered a clearing kick from Ryan O’Keefe. Then he gathered the loose ball and handballed to Adam Hunter. And to cap it off he shepherded Hunter on his run into an open goal, which pushed the margin out to seven points.
The Swans hit back again a few minutes later with a goal to Nick Malceski which reduced the difference back to a point but Chick would impose himself a second time. As Ted Richards ran around the AFL members flank, ready to send the ball back into the Swans 50 metres zone, Chick ran him down on tired, worn legs and pressured Richards into kicking the ball out on the full. It was not the intention, but in the circumstance it was a bonus that Chick’s tackle was so tough that Richards crashed to the turf and was knocked senseless.
Someone, one day, should make a commercial of Chick’s courage, although the heroic Eagle would probably shy from the publicity.
For the second year in a row these two sides delivered a Grand Final of the highest quality. Once again there were lots of clangers and while there was a total of 24 goals kicked instead of 15 last year, they were still mighty hard to come by.
There was almost symmetry in that last year, the Swans were the better team for most of the day, the Eagles hit back and the Swans just lasted. This time, the Eagles were the better team, the Swans hit back and the Eagles just lasted.
All impartial observers would surely agree that justice was served, although the Swans were fantastic in defeat and would be hurting badly as they relive some of their darkest moments of lost opportunity.
Their first half was uncharacteristically shaky and their run and use of the ball was restricted by a West Coast team which largely stuck to its proven one on one game plan, but would occasionally slip a man back and keep the opposition thinking with a series of positional changes.
John Worsfold pulled the biggest surprise in the starting line ups by starting Adam Hunter and not Darren Glass on Barry Hall, although it lasted only eight minutes in what was clearly a planned switch.
Even though the Eagles had already asserted an advantage with the first two goals, Hunter went forward, Glass went from Michael O’Loughlin to Hall and Daniel Chick moved to O’Loughlin.
Hunter would move from forward to back from back to forward on numerous occasions.
The match up everyone wanted to see – Chris Judd on Adam Goodes – was on from the opening bounce. For the Eagles, Tyson Stenglein was running with Brett Kirk, while the Swan tagger Jarrad McVeigh was charged with the responsibility of stopping Ben Cousins and Ben Matthews was going with Daniel Kerr.
The Eagles got off to a cracking start, kicking the first three goals. Ashley Hansen got the first at six minutes with the assist going to that man who would be so significant at the end, Daniel Chick.
The Swans had three free kicks and a 50 metre penalty inside their forward 50 in the first term but from these four set shots could manage only three points.
They turned 16 points down at the first change and would slip 29 points behind at the 22 minute mark of the second term when one of their best players Tadhg Kennelly slipped over and Ben Cousins pounced to win a free and goal.
Quentin Lynch was proving a target the Eagles had lacked last year and with Dean Cox rampant in the ruck, Chris Judd running through the midfield and Andrew Embley picking up numerous touches all over the forward half, the unthinkable – a blow out – began to look a possibility.
Of course, the Swans are made of sterner stuff than that. And they ever so gradually got back into the contest.
Adam Goodes lifted after a poor first half and one of their three co-captains Brett Kirk was inspirational, finishing the game with 27 possessions and nine clearances.
Down 25 points at half time, they pegged it back in the third term with Nick Davis pulling his weight in the forward line and Ted Richards giving them some life, even it was living dangerously.
It was Richards who got the ball to Davis near the siren at three quarter time and when the Swan goaled from a lucky mark the difference at the final break was just 11 points.
Sixteen seconds into the final term it was back to five points when McVeigh cleared from the opening bounce, Hall marked and handballed to Goodes who ran through to goal.
It set up 30 minutes of the most spectacular theatre – Schneider snapped to make it a point at the 16 minute mark and Sydney had kicked the only two goals of the quarter. Then Steven Armstrong, largely unsighted all day, goaled for the Eagles at the 18 minutes mark. O’Keefe bounced one through a minute later and although the Eagles claimed the ball had been touched, the difference was back to a point.
Enter Daniel Chick.
The Eagle didn’t win the Norm Smith Medal and didn’t even come close. But his significance was greater than anyone’s in the minutes that counted.
The Norm Smith was well deserved by Andrew Embley but there were three or four others with strong claims. Dean Cox in the ruck dominated his opponents, particularly in the first half when the Eagles gained their break. At half time, he had won nine centre hit outs to nil and finished the match with 20 possessions, seven clearances and 34 hit outs.
Chris Judd was… well, Chris Judd and we suspect that it was only his reputation and the higher bar that is set for him, that may have cost him a second medal.
Kirk was Sydney’s best but Goodes should be commended for coming back from a dreadful first half.
The biggest problem Sydney had all day was that Barry Hall was not an influence. Several times he got the ball only to give it up and he finished without a goal. In a one point decision, that surely gives Darren Glass the right to hold the Cup just that little bit higher.
The Eagles should be commended for the way they paid tribute to their respected foes after the match but Sydney had their chances.

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