Line in the Sand Match
Encyclopedia
Line in the Sand match is the unofficial title of the infamous Round 11, 2004 match between Australian football
clubs and played at the MCG
on Saturday, 5 June 2004.
A number of incidents in the third quarter led to some fights breaking out all over the ground eventually turning into a five minute bench-clearing brawl. Following the brawl, Essendon made a stand on the scoreboard, kicking 14 goals to Hawthorn's six to record a 74-point win.
18 players from both clubs faced the wrath of the AFL Tribunal
on 8 and 9 June 2004 with record suspensions and fines handed out.
During this time, they came up against the Bombers on three occasions - 1983
, 1984
and 1985
. The Hawks comfortably won in 1983 and the Bombers followed up with back-to-back wins in 1984 and 1985. Throughout this decade, both clubs were known to play hard, attacking brands of football resulting in lots of biffs, bumps and brawls. It was during this decade that the rivalry between the two clubs really took hold, continuing to this day.
Essendon continued to intimidate opposition clubs in the late 1990s and into the early years of the 21st century, resulting in more Premiership success and a dominant era over Hawthorn. Essendon entered the match having won 9 of the previous 10 meetings between the two clubs, by an average margin of 39 points.
Prior to the match, the Olympic Torch entered the Melbourne Cricket Ground
, venue for the 1956 Olympic Games
, on the Australian leg of the Olympic Torch Relay. Just the night before, the torch entered Sydney's Telstra Stadium, venue of the 2000 Games
, prior to the NRL
match between the Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters
.
who played for the Hawks during the 1980s and early 1990s, to "draw a line in the sand" and take a physical stand against the Bombers to make it clear that they wouldn't take the intimidation any longer. Brereton denied the allegation but admitted to advising senior players "to stand up to any Essendon aggression".
Within the first two minutes of the third quarter, Mark Williams
kicked Hawthorn's 6th goal of the match to cut Essendon's lead to 26 points.
Following the centre bounce, several players were on the ground vigorously attempting to gain possession of the ball and clear it for their team. Mark Johnson
of Essendon attempted to join in at a stoppage but was quickly removed by a number of Hawthorn players. This led to some wrestling and jumper punches amongst the players with approximately 16 players in the centre square at the time. Channel 10 commentators said that the spirit was "bubbling over a little".
A free kick was awarded to Hawthorn and the ball was quickly kicked forward. The Hawks were unable to take a mark inside their forward 50 and the ball fell into Mark Bolton
's hands who was able to clear for the Bombers. He kicked the ball along the southern side of the ground with the aim of reaching Jason Winderlich
who, while attempting to mark close to the ground, copped a very hard knock from Hawthorn's Chance Bateman
, possibly a knee or hip connecting with his head. A free kick was awarded to Winderlich who was forced from the ground under the blood rule
.
had to be restrained and given marching orders from Bruce Connor, Essendon's Head Physiotherapist, to receive attention to a bloodied eye.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
clubs and played at the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
on Saturday, 5 June 2004.
A number of incidents in the third quarter led to some fights breaking out all over the ground eventually turning into a five minute bench-clearing brawl. Following the brawl, Essendon made a stand on the scoreboard, kicking 14 goals to Hawthorn's six to record a 74-point win.
18 players from both clubs faced the wrath of the AFL Tribunal
AFL Tribunal
The AFL Tribunal is the disciplinary tribunal of the Australian Football League .-Points system:Source: AFL Tribunal 2011 Guidebook...
on 8 and 9 June 2004 with record suspensions and fines handed out.
Background
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Hawthorn experienced a golden era by making every Grand Final from 1983 to 1989 and again in 1991, victorious on five occasions.During this time, they came up against the Bombers on three occasions - 1983
1983 VFL Grand Final
The 1983 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Hawthorn Football Club and Essendon Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 24 September 1983. It was the 87th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
, 1984
1984 VFL Grand Final
The 1984 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1984. It was the 88th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
and 1985
1985 VFL Grand Final
The 1985 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1985. It was the 89th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
. The Hawks comfortably won in 1983 and the Bombers followed up with back-to-back wins in 1984 and 1985. Throughout this decade, both clubs were known to play hard, attacking brands of football resulting in lots of biffs, bumps and brawls. It was during this decade that the rivalry between the two clubs really took hold, continuing to this day.
Essendon continued to intimidate opposition clubs in the late 1990s and into the early years of the 21st century, resulting in more Premiership success and a dominant era over Hawthorn. Essendon entered the match having won 9 of the previous 10 meetings between the two clubs, by an average margin of 39 points.
Prior to the match, the Olympic Torch entered the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, venue for the 1956 Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
, on the Australian leg of the Olympic Torch Relay. Just the night before, the torch entered Sydney's Telstra Stadium, venue of the 2000 Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, prior to the NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
match between the Bulldogs and Sydney Roosters
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
.
Lead up to the brawl
Hawthorn players were allegedly directed at half time, by Club Director Dermott BreretonDermott Brereton
Dermott Hugh Brereton is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Of Irish descent , he is known for his aggressive style of play. Brereton kicked 464 goals and played in five Premierships for during...
who played for the Hawks during the 1980s and early 1990s, to "draw a line in the sand" and take a physical stand against the Bombers to make it clear that they wouldn't take the intimidation any longer. Brereton denied the allegation but admitted to advising senior players "to stand up to any Essendon aggression".
Within the first two minutes of the third quarter, Mark Williams
Mark L. Williams
Mark Williams is a former indigenous Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and Essendon in the Australian Football League...
kicked Hawthorn's 6th goal of the match to cut Essendon's lead to 26 points.
Following the centre bounce, several players were on the ground vigorously attempting to gain possession of the ball and clear it for their team. Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson (footballer)
Mark 'MJ' Johnson is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club and Fremantle in the AFL.-Early life:Johnson is commonly known as "Mr...
of Essendon attempted to join in at a stoppage but was quickly removed by a number of Hawthorn players. This led to some wrestling and jumper punches amongst the players with approximately 16 players in the centre square at the time. Channel 10 commentators said that the spirit was "bubbling over a little".
A free kick was awarded to Hawthorn and the ball was quickly kicked forward. The Hawks were unable to take a mark inside their forward 50 and the ball fell into Mark Bolton
Mark Bolton
Mark Bolton is a retired Australian rules footballer.He was recruited to Essendon with pick 4 in the 1997 National Draft, via Ringwood, Victoria and Eastern U18...
's hands who was able to clear for the Bombers. He kicked the ball along the southern side of the ground with the aim of reaching Jason Winderlich
Jason Winderlich
Jason Winderlich is an Australian rules footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Essendon in the Australian Football League ....
who, while attempting to mark close to the ground, copped a very hard knock from Hawthorn's Chance Bateman
Chance Bateman
Chance Bateman is an Australian rules footballer who currently plays for Hawthorn in the Australian Football League ....
, possibly a knee or hip connecting with his head. A free kick was awarded to Winderlich who was forced from the ground under the blood rule
Blood rule
The Blood rule is a rule used in many sports that states that an athlete that receives an open wound, is bleeding, or who has blood on them or their clothes, must immediately leave the playing area to receive medical attention...
.
The brawl
A number of brawls broke out on the Great Southern Stand side of the centre square with many players getting involved. Players tackled each other to the ground, threw fist and jumper punches and wrestled with each other with Hawthorn's Richie Vandenberg and Lance Picioane particularly active and Essendon's Adam McPhee, Mark Johnson and Justin Murphy were keen to respond. As Winderlich continued off the ground in the arms of trainers he was struck by Campbell Brown of Hawthorn, after the match described by Matthew Lloyd as "one of the most disgusting things I've seen on a football field". Channel 10 commentators described it as "the 1980s revisited", "unbelievable" and stated "we haven't seen these sort of scenes for a long time in AFL Football". Trainers, runners and some senior players were seen restraining and dragging their club's players away from opposition players, while Adam McPheeAdam McPhee
Adam McPhee is an Australian rules football football player who plays for the Fremantle Football Club and formerly for the Essendon Football Club. He is a versatile player who has played both as a forward and defender, and recently has also moved into a tagging role, with high profile clashes with...
had to be restrained and given marching orders from Bruce Connor, Essendon's Head Physiotherapist, to receive attention to a bloodied eye.
After the brawl
A few follow-up scuffles occurred but Essendon regained composure and hit back hard on the scoreboard, kicking 9 of the next 10 goals to extend the three-quarter time lead to 74 points. A 10-goal final quarter, 5 to each team, left the margin as it was at three-quarter time, with the Bombers recording a 74-point win.The fallout (reports)
The fallout from the match was significant, with a record 18 players reported on a record 26 charges. Some players were reported by umpires on the field, while the rest were cited on video evidence by Video Reports Officer Ian Robinson and after an investigation conducted by the AFL's Investigations Officer Rick Lewis.Hawthorn
| Player | Charge |
|---|---|
| John Barker | Striking Adam McPhee, Essendon, in the third quarter. |
| Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. | |
| Simon Beaumont Simon Beaumont Simon Beaumont is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Hawthorn in the AFL.Carlton secured the services of Beaumont with the 18th pick in the 1993 AFL Draft... |
Striking Justin Murphy during the third quarter. (Video evidence) |
| Misconduct in that on two occasions he thrust his head towards the face of Justin Murphy, Essendon, during the third quarter. | |
| Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. | |
| Campbell Brown Campbell Brown (footballer) Campbell Brown is an Australian rules footballer who has previously won a premiership with the Hawthorn Football Club and currently plays for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:... |
Wrestling with Dean Rioli, Essendon, during the third quarter. |
| Striking Jason Winderlich, Essendon, in the third quarter. | |
| Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. | |
| Richard Vandenberg Richie Vandenberg Richard "Richie" Vandenberg was an Australian Rules Footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. He was the captain of the Hawks for the final three years of his career 2005 -2007.... |
Striking Adam McPhee, Essendon, during the third quarter. |
| Misconduct in that he made unnecessary and unreasonable contact with his leg to Adam McPhee, Essendon, during the third quarter. | |
| Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. | |
| Lance Picioane Lance Picioane Lance Picioane is an Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide, Hawthorn and the Kangaroos during his time in the Australian Football League .... |
Striking Adam McPhee, Essendon, during the third quarter. |
| Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. | |
| Chance Bateman Chance Bateman Chance Bateman is an Australian rules footballer who currently plays for Hawthorn in the Australian Football League .... |
Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. |
| Peter Everitt Peter Everitt Peter "Spida" Everitt is a former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda, Hawthorn Hawks and the Sydney Swans in the AFL. He made his debut for St Kilda in 1993 and in 2003 began playing for Hawthorn. Everitt was traded to the Sydney Swans at the end of 2006. Following the club's 2008... |
|
| Nick Holland Nick Holland Nick Holland is a former Australian rules football player. He played 179 games for the Hawthorn Football Club between 1994 and 2005, serving as Vice Captain between 1999 and 2003. He is a previous winner of the AFL Rising Star, Hawthorn's Best & Fairest award, Hawthorn's leading goal kicker in... |
|
| Mark Williams Mark L. Williams Mark Williams is a former indigenous Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and Essendon in the Australian Football League... |
Essendon
| Player | Charge |
|---|---|
| Justin Murphy | Alleged misconduct in that he headbutted Simon Beaumont during the third quarter. (Video evidence) |
| Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. | |
| Jason Johnson Jason Johnson (Australian rules footballer) Jason Johnson is retired Australian rules footballer who spent his entire professional career with Essendon of the Australian Football League .... |
Engaging in a melee during the third quarter. |
| Mark Johnson Mark Johnson (footballer) Mark 'MJ' Johnson is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club and Fremantle in the AFL.-Early life:Johnson is commonly known as "Mr... |
|
| Adam McPhee Adam McPhee Adam McPhee is an Australian rules football football player who plays for the Fremantle Football Club and formerly for the Essendon Football Club. He is a versatile player who has played both as a forward and defender, and recently has also moved into a tagging role, with high profile clashes with... |
|
| Mark McVeigh Mark McVeigh Mark McVeigh is an Australian rules footballer. He made his debut for Essendon Football Club in 1999 after representing NSW/ACT at Under 18 level... |
|
| Damien Peverill Damien Peverill Damien Peverill is an Australian rules footballer who played 144 senior games with Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League between 2001 and 2008... |
|
| Dean Rioli Dean Rioli Dean Rioli is an indigenous former Australian rules football player who spent his whole professional career with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.... |
|
| Dean Solomon Dean Solomon Dean Solomon is retired Australian rules footballer. He played for the Fremantle Dockers and the Essendon Bombers in his 13 year, 209 games and a premiership career.-Early career:... |
|
| Andrew Welsh Andrew Welsh (footballer) Andrew Welsh is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.He was picked up at Draft Pick Number 47 in the 2001 AFL Draft. He is a backline player who has played halfback or back pocket for much of his career... |
Tribunal outcomes
The Tribunal decisions were severe with five players suspended for a combined total of 16 matches and players involved in the melee fined a combined total of $70,700, the most from a single match in VFL/AFL history, and described by Tribunal Chairman Brian Collis, QC, as bringing "football into disrepute".Hawthorn
Richard Vandenberg, Lance Picioane, Campbell Brown and Simon Beaumont were suspended for a combined total of 15 matches and melee fines totalled $36,700:| Player | Charge | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Vandenberg | Striking Adam McPhee | Suspended for 3 matches |
| Kneeing Adam McPhee | Suspended for 3 matches | |
| Melee | Fined $4,000 | |
| Lance Picioane | Striking Adam McPhee | Suspended for 4 matches |
| Melee | Fined $4,000 | |
| Campbell Brown | Striking Jason Winderlich | Suspended for 4 matches |
| Melee | Fined $4,000 | |
| Wrestling with Dean Rioli | Fined $1,200 | |
| John Barker | Striking Adam McPhee | Cleared |
| Melee | Fined $4,500 | |
| Simon Beaumont | Striking Justin Murphy | Cleared |
| Misconduct against Justin Murphy | Suspended for 1 match | |
| Melee | Withdrawn | |
| Chance Bateman | Melee | Fined $5,000 |
| Peter Everitt | Fined $5,000 | |
| Nick Holland | Fined $5,000 | |
| Mark Williams | Fined $4,000 |
Essendon
Justin Murphy was suspended for 1 match and melee fines totalled $34,000:| Player | Charge | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Murphy | Head-butting Simon Beaumont | Suspended for 1 match |
| Melee | Withdrawn | |
| Mark Johnson | Melee | Fined $6,500 |
| Adam McPhee | Fined $4,500 | |
| Dean Solomon | Fined $4,500 | |
| Mark McVeigh | Fined $4,000 | |
| Dean Rioli | Fined $4,000 | |
| Damien Peverill | Fined $3,500 | |
| Jason Johnson | Fined $3,500 | |
| Andrew Welsh | Fined $3,500 |
Match result
External links
- Bigpond TV "Hawks vs Bombers" - Video clip of Channel 10's television coverage, replayed on Fox Footy.