Match Summary
It was an exciting Grand Final, and despite St Kilda leading by 13 points at half time, Adelaide won by 5 goals, kicking 8 goals in the final quarter. Adelaide became the first team to win four consecutive finals to claim a premiership.
Andrew McLeod won his first Norm Smith Medal for being judged the best player afield. Shane Ellen, typically a defensive player for the Crows, provided a cameo at full-forward in place of Modra with five goals, while Darren Jarman booted a Grand Final record of five in the last quarter, taking him to six for the match and sealling the game. Other influential Crows players included Shaun Rehn, Kane Johnson, David Pittman, Troy Bond and Ben Hart.
St Kilda's Austinn Jones kicked the goal of the match, or what could have been goal of the year. In an effort reminiscent of Phil Manassa in the replayed 1977 Grand Final, Jones ran almost the full length of the ground and kicked the goal from the boundary. Saints forward Barry Hall, who kicked three goals, played in a premiership winning team for the Sydney Swans in 2005.
Adelaide went on to win its second consecutive premiership the following year, whilst St Kilda had to wait until 2009 for another shot at the premiership, but again were denied by Geelong in what was one of the closest Grand Finals in recent history.
Read more about this topic: 1997 AFL Grand Final
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