Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

During a working holiday in Sydney in the 1960s, Sideline Sid chanced to go to an Australian Rules game that was brought north to the Sydney Cricket Ground to promote the game in the centre of rugby league territory.

In the days before Aussie Rules expansion into New South Wales and Queensland a couple of decades, ago there was little interest in aerial ping-pong north of the border. What sticks in my mind of the match at the SCG was the reputed 15,000 people that travelled from Victoria to watch what was just a club game of footie.

In what is usually the one time a year where I catch an Aussie Rules game, I tuned in to watch the Grand Final last Saturday afternoon. Cutting backwards and forwards to the horse racing, I was taking little real interest with the Pies (Collingwood Magpies) seemingly coasting to victory against the Saints (St Kilda).

A 24 point lead to the Magpies at the halfway stage suggested that the game was about to turn into one-way traffic. A number of the final stanzas in recent years have turned into boring one sided affairs in the second half.

However, the Saints had other ideas and clawed their way back in the third quarter to trail by just eight. The changeovers to the races became less frequent in the last quarter – with the racing action abandoned when the Saints hit the lead for the first time with just minute's left on the clock.

In one of the most absorbing finishes I've ever seen – St Kilda behind (one point) with 90 seconds remaining, tied up the score line at 68 points apiece. In spite of some incredible scrambling from both sides the final siren went without any more points on the board.

With the deadlock unbroken, the scenario is the both teams must return to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to play out the Grand Final for the second successive weekend.

While cynics would say that the replay is to generate extra income – the Grand Finals rules have always been a replay if scores are tied at the end of a Championship decider. In earlier days in Golf, there would be a full round playoff in championships, if two or more players were tied on the last hole of regular play.

While most Kiwi sporting followers fail to understand Aussie Rules – the real appeal is the fast paced action where there are few stoppages as in rugby. The four posts, where a goal must go through the two centre uprights takes a bit of understanding, as does the actions of the officials when a goal or behind (one pointer between the outside posts) is scored.

The only way to describe the support of Aussie Rules in Melbourne is fanatical to the point of obsession. Media cover nothing else in the race for the title, with leagues Melbourne Storm and the occasional rugby test in the city, failing to gain much coverage against the onslaught of club rules.

My pick in the replay is that the Magpies will finally rule supreme, however, for mine the real final will be in Sydney, where the Roosters and Dragons go head-to-head to decide the NRL championship.

Seeya at the Game.