2017 AFL Grand Final – Adelaide Crows Vs Richmond Tigers

Match Summary

If you thought the 2016 grand final was a fairy tale finish for the western Bulldogs then it was matched if not topped by Richmond in the 2017 Grand final. The Tigers beat the Adelaide Crows by 48 points at the MCG to break a 37-year premiership drought. What made this win even more special was that Richmond finished 13th on the AFL premiership ladder in 2016. To jump from 13th in 2016 to premiers in 2017, is the biggest jump in VFL/AFL history, overtaking the climb their grand final opponents (Adelaide) achieved in 1997. It was a tightly contested first half with the game in the balance at halftime. Richmond were a class above their opponents in the third quarter, piling on five goals to one to set up their premiership victory.

The 2017 AFL Grand Final took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 30 September 2017 in front of a crowd of 100,021 spectators. Dustin Martin who also won the Brownlow medal in the same year became the first player in history to top off the year with also the Norm Smith Medal as the best player on the ground in the Grand Final.

Norm Smith Medallist – Dustin Martin

2017 AFL Grand Final Team Matchups

Adelaide Crows

B: 29 Rory Laird 15 Kyle Hartigan 6 Jake Lever
HB: 11 Paul Seedsman 12 Daniel Talia 16 Luke Brown
C: 14 David Mackay 9 Rory Sloane 21 Rory Atkins
HF: 23 Charlie Cameron 4 Josh Jenkins 18 Eddie Betts
F: 27 Tom Lynch 13 Taylor Walker 26 Richard Douglas
Foll: 24 Sam Jacobs 2 Brad Crouch 44 Matt Crouch
Int: 3 Riley Knight 8 Jake Kelly 20 Hugh Greenwood 22 Andy Otten
Coach: Don Pyke

Richmond Tigers

B: 5 Brandon Ellis 18 Alex Rance 2 Dylan Grimes
HB: 14 Bachar Houli 12 David Astbury 1 Nick Vlastuin
C: 33 Kamdyn McIntosh 9 Trent Cotchin 21 Jacob Townsend
HF: 23 Kane Lambert 4 Dustin Martin 22 Josh Caddy
F: 40 Dan Butler 8 Jack Riewoldt 17 Daniel Rioli
Foll: 25 Toby Nankervis 3 Dion Prestia 6 Shaun Grigg
Int: 10 Shane Edwards 34 Jack Graham 35 Nathan Broad 16 Jason Castagna
Coach: Damien Hardwick