1990 AFL Grand Final — End Of The Colliwobbles

The 1990 AFL Grand Final saw Collingwood defeat Essendon 13.11 (89) to 5.11 (41) at the MCG, a 48-point margin that ended the Magpies’ 32-year premiership drought (since 1958). Played on 6 October 1990 in front of 98,944 fans, Collingwood’s premiership was the first under Leigh Matthews’s coaching tenure. Tony Shaw won the Norm Smith Medal; Matthews collected his first Jock McHale.

The Build-Up: 32 Years of Waiting

Collingwood hadn’t won a flag since 1958. The Colliwobbles the Magpies’ famous Grand Final losses across the 1960s, 1970s, 1977 (drawn replay loss), 1979, 1980, 1981 (no, that was Carlton in 1981), and others had built one of the longest droughts in the league.

Leigh Matthews had taken over as Collingwood coach in 1986, the first Hawthorn legend to coach the Magpies. The 1990 home-and-away campaign saw the Magpies in form. Tony Shaw led the captaincy, Peter Daicos was the goalkicking maestro, and Mick McGuane was the midfielder.

Essendon, under Kevin Sheedy, had reached the Grand Final after their 1985 premiership and 1989 finals run. Tim Watson, Paul Salmon, and Mark Harvey, the Bombers were strong.

The Match: Magpies’ Coronation

Collingwood started fast and dominated. Tony Shaw’s captaincy and midfield work set the tempo. Peter Daicos’s class around the contest including a famous boundary-line snap, was decisive.

By half-time, the Magpies led by 30 points. The third quarter extended the margin substantially. Essendon’s 5.11 five goals across four quarters tells the story of stifled scoring.

Final score: Collingwood 13.11 (89) defeated Essendon 5.11 (41) by 48 points.

The Norm Smith Medal: Tony Shaw

In 1990, Norm Smith went to Tony Shaw of Collingwood. Shaw’s 26 disposals, captaincy, and midfield class earned the recognition.

The Premiership Coach: Leigh Matthews (First)

Leigh Matthews collected his first Jock McHale Medal in 1990. He’d later add three more at Brisbane (2001, 2002, 2003), making him one of the most-decorated modern coaches.

Famous Moments

• Tony Shaw’s 26 disposals and captaincy — Norm Smith winning.
• Peter Daicos’s class — including a famous boundary-line snap.
• Mick McGuane’s midfield work.
• Gavin Brown’s pressure.
• Damian Monkhorst’s ruck dominance.
• Tim Watson’s defiant 18 disposals — Bombers’ captain.
• Paul Salmon’s contested marking.
• The 48-point Magpies winning margin.
• Leigh Matthews’s emotional first Cup lift — Hawthorn legend coaching the Pies to glory.
• The Colliwobbles ending — 32 years of waiting over.

Trivia for the Pub

• Date: 6 October 1990, MCG.
• Final: Collingwood 13.11 (89) defeated Essendon 5.11 (41).
• Margin: 48 points.
• Crowd: 98,944.
• Norm Smith: Tony Shaw.
• Jock McHale: Leigh Matthews (first).
• Collingwood’s 14th VFL/AFL premiership.
• Magpies’ first flag since 1958 — 32-year drought ended.
• Leigh Matthews coached his Hawthorn rivals at Collingwood.
• Essendon’s 5 goals were the lowest in any modern Grand Final losing effort.

The Verdict

The 1990 AFL Grand Final ended the Colliwobbles. Tony Shaw’s Norm Smith, Leigh Matthews’s first flag, and the 48-point Magpies’ thrashing all combined for one of the most-celebrated drought-breakers. Long live the 1990 Magpies.

The Colliwobbles were one of the AFL’s most storied grand final heartbreaks. The 1958 flag had been earned; the 1960s and 1970s had been a Grand Final torment with multiple losses. The 1990 win finally broke the streak. The next Magpies flag would come in 2010 (after another 20-year wait).

For Leigh Matthews, the 1990 win was unique, the Hawthorn legend coaching the Magpies (Hawthorn’s biggest rivals) to glory. Matthews had been a four-time Hawks premiership player; the 1990 coaching breakthrough at Collingwood was a different chapter. He’d later coach Brisbane to three flags (2001-2003), making him the most-decorated coach of his generation across two clubs.