2010 AFL Grand Final — The Drawn Grand Final And Replay

The 2010 AFL Grand Final was the most dramatic in modern AFL history, drawn between Collingwood and St Kilda, replayed the following week, and won by Collingwood in the replay 16.12 (108) to 7.10 (52). The original Grand Final on 25 September 2010 ended 9.14 (68) to 10.8 (68) a draw. The replay on 2 October 2010 saw Collingwood thrash St Kilda by 56 points. Mick Malthouse won the Jock McHale Medal; Scott Pendlebury won the Norm Smith Medal in the replay. Collingwood’s premiership ended a 20-year drought.

The Build-Up: A Magpies Mission

Collingwood entered 2010 having last won a flag in 1990. The 20-year drought had been long; Mick Malthouse’s coaching tenure (since 2000) had progressively built a championship-grade team. Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Heath Shaw, Travis Cloke, and Alan Didak, the Magpies’ modern superstars, had all reached AFL prime.

St Kilda Saints, under Ross Lyon, also reached the Grand Final after a strong McClelland Trophy season. The 2009 Grand Final loss to Geelong had stung; 2010 was the Saints’ redemption mission.

The Drawn Grand Final (25 September 2010)

The 2010 AFL Grand Final was originally played at the MCG on 25 September 2010 in front of 100,016 fans. The match was tight throughout. Collingwood led at half-time; St Kilda fought back; the lead changed multiple times in the fourth quarter.

The final score at the siren: Collingwood 9.14 (68) drew with St Kilda 10.8 (68). The result was the first Grand Final draw since 1977 (Collingwood vs North Melbourne). The replay was scheduled for the following Saturday.

The drawn Grand Final featured several iconic moments:

• Stephen Milne’s missed goal late in the fourth quarter would have iced it for the Saints.
• Lenny Hayes’s 33 disposals, Norm Smith winning effort.
• The bizarre handball scenarios in the dying minutes.
• Mick Malthouse’s emotional post-match.

The Replay (2 October 2010)

The replay was held at the MCG one week later. Collingwood started fast and never looked back. The Magpies’ depth, freshness, and tactical adjustments all proved decisive.

The final score: Collingwood 16.12 (108) defeated St Kilda 7.10 (52) — a 56-point margin in the replay.

The Norm Smith Medal: Scott Pendlebury (Replay)

The 2010 Norm Smith Medal went to Scott Pendlebury of Collingwood for his performance in the replay. Pendlebury’s 30+ disposals, ball-getting, and class won the recognition.

Lenny Hayes had won Norm Smith voting in the original drawn Grand Final but was not awarded the medal due to the draw outcome.

The Premiership Coach: Mick Malthouse

Mick Malthouse won the Jock McHale Medal in 2010. The medal was Malthouse’s third premiership (1990 West Coast, 1992 West Coast, 2010 Collingwood), establishing him as one of the modern era’s most-decorated coaches.

Famous Moments

• The drawn Grand Final — first since 1977.
• Stephen Milne’s missed goal in the original.
• Lenny Hayes’s 33 disposals in the original.
• Heath Shaw’s iconic tackle — Magpies defensive moment.
• Scott Pendlebury’s Norm Smith in the replay.
• Mick Malthouse’s third premiership.
• The 56-point replay margin.
• Dane Swan’s continuing form — Brownlow form.
• The post-match celebrations — 20-year drought ended.
• Stephen Milne’s heartbreaking week between the two games.

Trivia for the Pub

• The 2010 Grand Final was the first drawn AFL/VFL Grand Final since 1977.
• The original was played on 25 September 2010; the replay on 2 October 2010.
• Original score: 9.14 (68) drew with 10.8 (68).
• Replay score: Collingwood 16.12 (108) defeated St Kilda 7.10 (52).
• Crowd at original: 100,016.
• Crowd at replay: 93,853.
• Norm Smith Medal: Scott Pendlebury (in the replay).
• Jock McHale Medal: Mick Malthouse.
• Collingwood’s 15th AFL premiership overall.
• The drawn Grand Final led to a 2016 rule change, extra time would replace replays in future Grand Finals.

The Verdict

The 2010 AFL Grand Final was the most dramatic in modern history. The drawn original game, the week-long break, the dominant replay, and Collingwood’s 20-year drought ending all combined to make 2010 a Grand Final like no other.

For St Kilda, the 2010 loss was particularly painful. The Saints had nearly won the original Grand Final; the replay was a thrashing. The 1966 premiership remained the Saints’ only flag.

For Collingwood, the 2010 premiership was vindication for Mick Malthouse’s long coaching tenure. The 1990 premiership had been earned under Leigh Matthews; the 2010 win was Malthouse’s first as Magpies coach.

The drawn Grand Final also produced rule changes. From 2016, drawn Grand Finals would be resolved by extra time rather than replays, ensuring no future Grand Final replay would occur.