2005 AFL Grand Final — Sydney End 72-Year Drought

The 2005 AFL Grand Final saw Sydney Swans defeat West Coast Eagles 8.10 (58) to 7.12 (54) at the MCG — a 4-point thriller that ended Sydney’s 72-year premiership drought. Played on 24 September 2005 in front of 91,898 fans, the Swans’ premiership was the first since 1933 (when the club was still South Melbourne) and the first since the 1982 relocation to Sydney. Chris Judd won the Norm Smith Medal in defeat — only the second player ever to receive the award from the losing team. Leo Barry’s last-second mark in front of goal is one of the most-celebrated single moments in AFL history.

The Build-Up: 72 Years of Waiting

Sydney Swans hadn’t won a flag since 1933 (as South Melbourne, when the club was still based at Lake Oval). The 1982 relocation to Sydney, the 1996 Grand Final loss to North Melbourne, and decades of inner-Sydney football struggle had built one of the longest droughts in the league.

The 2005 Swans, under Paul Roos, had built a defensive juggernaut. Adam Goodes (the Brownlow Medallist), Barry Hall (key forward), Brett Kirk (the tireless midfielder), Tadhg Kennelly (Irish convert), Leo Barry (key defender), and the rest of the squad had developed a “blood and guts” identity. The 2005 home-and-away campaign saw the Swans top the ladder.

West Coast Eagles, under John Worsfold, had reached the Grand Final on the back of Chris Judd’s superlative form (he’d later win the 2005 Brownlow Medal posthumously to the loss). The Eagles were favourites.

The Match: Defensive Footy at Its Tensest

The 2005 Grand Final was a defensive arm-wrestle. Both teams played stifling pressure footy. Sydney led at half-time by 7 points; the Eagles fought back; the lead changed multiple times in the second half.

The fourth quarter was extraordinary. Both teams’ forwards were starved of supply. Set shots were rare and rarely converted. The lead changed inside the final 10 minutes.

The Swans went into the final minute up by 4 points. The Eagles surged forward. Daniel Kerr’s long bomb went deep into the Eagles’ forward line. Multiple Eagles forwards (Quinten Lynch, Daniel Chick, Ben Cousins) jumped at the contest. Leo Barry, the Swans’ key defender, took a contested mark on the goal line — sealing the premiership.

“Leo Barry, you star.” — Dennis Cometti’s call became one of the most-replayed broadcast moments in Australian sport.

Final score: Sydney Swans 8.10 (58) defeated West Coast Eagles 7.12 (54) — a 4-point margin in one of the most-watched Grand Finals of the modern era.

The Norm Smith Medal: Chris Judd (in defeat!)

The 2005 Norm Smith went to Chris Judd of West Coast — only the second player ever to win Norm Smith from the losing team. Judd’s 23 disposals, 1 goal, and dominant midfield work won the panel’s vote despite the Eagles’ loss. The award was bittersweet — a personal triumph in a team failure.

Maurice Rioli (1980 Richmond) was the only previous loser to win Norm Smith. Judd remains one of only two players in history to receive the medal from the losing team.

The Premiership Coach: Paul Roos

Paul Roos collected his first Jock McHale Medal. Roos’s coaching tenure (2003–2010) at Sydney was one of the most-respected in modern AFL — defensive footy, strong list management, and the building of a generation of Swans stars. He’d later return to coaching at Melbourne and oversee the building of the 2021 premiership squad.

Famous Moments

• Leo Barry’s last-second mark — the most-celebrated single moment in modern AFL.
• Chris Judd’s losing Norm Smith — only second-ever player to receive it.
• Dennis Cometti’s “Leo Barry, you star” call — broadcast immortality.
• Adam Goodes’s 19 disposals — Brownlow form in winning team.
• Brett Kirk’s 25 disposals — Swans’ tireless midfielder.
• Tadhg Kennelly’s emotional Irish jig — the Irish convert celebrating.
• Barry Hall’s 1 goal — Swans’ key forward producing the difference.
• Paul Roos’s Cup lift — 72 years of waiting ended.
• The 4-point margin — second-closest Grand Final of the modern era at the time.
• Sydney’s supporter celebrations — reaching back through Bob Skilton, the South Melbourne era, and the 1933 flag.

Trivia for the Pub

• Date: 24 September 2005, MCG.
• Final: Sydney Swans 8.10 (58) defeated West Coast Eagles 7.12 (54).
• Margin: 4 points.
• Crowd: 91,898.
• Norm Smith: Chris Judd (in defeat — only 2nd player ever).
• Jock McHale: Paul Roos (first).
• Sydney’s first VFL/AFL premiership in 72 years (since 1933 as South Melbourne).
• Sydney’s 4th flag overall (1909, 1918, 1933, 2005).
• Leo Barry’s mark is widely regarded as the most-replayed defensive moment in AFL history.
• Tadhg Kennelly was the first Irish-born player to win an AFL premiership.

The Rumours and Aftermath

The 2005 Grand Final began the Eagles-Swans rivalry of the modern era. The 2006 rematch (Eagles by 1 point) closed it. The combined Grand Final margins of just 5 points across two games is one of the closest two-game aggregates ever.

For Sydney, 2005 was a coronation. The 1933 flag had been won in a different era; the 2005 win was the modern Swans’ breakthrough. The 2012 Grand Final win added another premiership.

For West Coast, the 2005 loss set up the 2006 revenge mission. The Eagles would win 2006 by 1 point.

The Verdict

The 2005 AFL Grand Final was the match where defensive footy reached its modern apex and Sydney ended 72 years of waiting. Leo Barry’s mark, Chris Judd’s losing Norm Smith, Dennis Cometti’s call — every element combined for one of the most-celebrated Grand Finals in AFL history. Long live the 2005 Swans.