| Competition: | afl |
| Year: | 2005 |
| Date: | 2–24 September 2005 |
| Teams: | 8 |
| Count: | 4 |
| Mpcount: | 1 |
| Matches: | 9 |
| Attendance: | 480064 |
| Highattend: | 91,828 Grand Final, vs. ) |
| Prevseason: | 2004 |
| Nextseason: | 2006 |
| Runners-Up: | (4th grand final) |
The Australian Football League's 2005 finals series began on the weekend of 2 September 2005 and ended with the 109th AFL Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 24 September 2005. The Sydney Swans defeated West Coast, breaking their record 72-year drought between premierships. The top eight teams on the home and away rounds (regular season) ladder qualify for the Finals Series.
Separated only by percentage Adelaide (minor premier) and West Coast topped the ladder (W-L: 17–5), trailed by third placed Sydney (15–7). The matchups for the first round of finals were only set after all matches of the final home-and-away game had been completed.
See main article: AFL final eight system.
The system is a final eight system. This system is different from the McIntyre final eight system, which was previously used by the AFL, and was used by the National Rugby League until 2012.
The top four teams in the eight receive what is popularly known as the "double chance" when they play in week-one qualifying finals; this means that if a top-four team loses in the first week, it still has a chance to redeem itself by getting a chance to play in a semi-final the next week against the winner of an elimination final. The bottom four of the eight are forced to play what are called elimination finals, in which only the winners survive and move on to week two to play the losers of the qualifying finals.
In the second week, the winners of the qualifying finals receive a bye to the third week, while the losers of those qualifying finals must play the winners of the elimination finals for a chance to play the qualifying finals winners. Home-ground advantage goes to the team with the higher seed.
In the third week, the winners of the semi-finals from week two play the winners of the qualifying finals in the first week, with the latter receiving home-ground advantage. The winners of those matches move on to the Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, where the new premier will be crowned.
The favourites for the 2005 Grand Final were Adelaide, St Kilda, Sydney and West Coast.
8TeamBracket-PagePlayoff|RD2-RD3-cross=y|team-width=150 Explained (AFL.com.au)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3 | 3.5 | 5.7 | 8.9 | 8.9 (57) | ||
| (4) St Kilda | 1.0 | 6.3 | 9.3 | 10.5 | 10.5 (65) | |
| St Kilda won by 8 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | StK | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 186 | 214 | |
| Marks | 73 | 102 | |
| Handballs | 113 | 129 | |
| Tackles | 61 | 61 | |
| Hitouts | 47 | 22 | |
| Frees | 14 | 17 |
| Date | Saturday, 3 September 2005 7PM ACST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (Ade) | 4: K McGregor 1: R Shirley, G Johncock, S Welsh, S Goodwin | |
| Goals (StK) | 3: R Harvey 2: N Riewoldt, J Gwilt 1: L Ball, J Blake, S Milne | |
| Best | Ade: Rutten, Bassett, Goodwin, McGregor, Edwards, McLeod, Johncock StK: Harvey, Dal Santo, Hayes, Jones Fisher, Ball, Peckett | |
| Injuries | None | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | AAMI Stadium, Adelaide, SA | |
| Attendance | 48,768 | |
| Umpires | Michael Vozzo, Stephen McBurney, Shaun Ryan |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (2) West Coast | 4.1 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 10.9 | 10.9 (69) | |
| 3.1 | 5.2 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 10.5 (65) | ||
| West Coast won by 4 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | Syd | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 181 | 180 | |
| Marks | 62 | 63 | |
| Handballs | 110 | 101 | |
| Tackles | 46 | 52 | |
| Hitouts | 45 | 42 | |
| Free Kicks | 21 | 14 |
| Date | Friday, 2 September 2005 6:30PM AWST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (WCE) | 2: M Gardiner, A Hunter, A Sampi 1: A Hansen, D Kerr, T Stenglein, M Seaby | |
| Goals (Syd) | 3: N Davis, M O'Loughlin 2: B Hall 1: R O'Keefe, A Schneider | |
| Best | WCE: Kerr, Judd, Cousins, Hunter, Nicoski, Wirrpanda Syd: Kirk, Davis, C Bolton, Buchanan, Goodes, O'Loughlin, Kennelly, Williams | |
| Injuries | WCE: P Matera (hip) Syd: Williams (ankle) | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | Subiaco Oval, Perth, WA | |
| Attendance | 43,302 | |
| Umpires | Scott McLaren, Derek Woodcock, Shane McInerney |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 | 7.7 | 10.9 | 11.11 | 11.11 (77) | ||
| (8) Port Adelaide | 6.1 | 12.3 | 20.6 | 26.8 | 26.8 (164) | |
| Port Adelaide won by 87 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | PA | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 166 | 223 | |
| Marks | 69 | 126 | |
| Handballs | 87 | 128 | |
| Tackles | 46 | 31 | |
| Hitouts | 28 | 40 | |
| Frees | 16 | 15 |
| Date | Sunday, 4 September 2005 2:30PM AEST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (Kan) | 3: C Jones 2: N Thompson, S Rocca 1: L Picoane, B Rawlings, D Wells, L Harding | |
| Goals (PA) | 4: B Lade, W Tredrea, J Mahoney 3: M Pettigrew 2: A Kingsley, D Brogan 1: M Bishop, C Cornes, S Dew, B Montgomery, D Pearce, S Salopek, G Wanganeen | |
| Best | Kan: Sinclair, Jones, Wells, Harris PA: Tredrea, Kingsley, Lade, Pettigrew, Mahoney, Montgomery, C. Cornes | |
| Injuries | None | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | Telstra Dome, Melbourne, VIC | |
| Attendance | 25,195 | |
| Umpires | Hayden Kennedy, Brett Allen, Scott Jeffery |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (6) Geelong | 5.4 | 12.5 | 16.8 | 18.8 | 18.8 (116) | |
| 2.3 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 9.7 | 9.7 (61) | ||
| Geelong won by 55 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | Melb | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 242 | 162 | |
| Marks | 136 | 79 | |
| Handballs | 111 | 106 | |
| Tackles | 41 | 54 | |
| Hitouts | 31 | 27 | |
| Frees | 19 | 21 |
| Date | Saturday, 3 September 2005 2:30PM AEST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (Geel) | 3: G Ablett, J Kelly 2: C Ling, A Mackie, C Mooney, H Playfair 1: N Ablett, S Johnson, K Kingsley, K Tenace | |
| Goals (Melb) | 4: R Robertson 2: P Wheatley 1: A Davey, B Holland, A Yze | |
| Best | Geel: Mooney, Milburn, Corey, Bartel, Ling, Rooke, G. Ablett Melb: Carroll, Brown, Moloney, Robertson | |
| Injuries | Geel: None Melb: White (face), Rigoni (concussion), Johnstone (ankle), Wheatley (adductor), McDonald (calf) | |
| Reports | Geel: Johnson for rough conduct against Holland | |
| Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, VIC | |
| Attendance | 65,018 | |
| Umpires | Justin Schmitt, Stuart Wenn, Darren Goldspink |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Adelaide | 3.4 | 4.7 | 12.9 | 18.15 | 18.15 (123) | |
| 2.1 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 5.10 | 5.10 (40) | ||
| Adelaide won by 83 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | PA | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 188 | 161 | |
| Marks | 105 | 80 | |
| Handballs | 118 | 117 | |
| Tackles | 48 | 43 | |
| Hitouts | 32 | 30 | |
| Frees | 17 | 20 |
| Date | Saturday, 10 September 2005 7PM ACST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (Ade) | 4: S Welsh 3: S Goodwin, I Perrie 2: K McGregor 1: T Edwards, T Hentschel, A McLoed, M Ricciuto, B Rutten, R Shirley | |
| Goals (PA) | 1: S Burgoyne, J Mahoney, D Pearce, M Pettigrew, G Wanganeen | |
| Best | Ade: Edwards, Goodwin, Ricciuto, Clarke, Rutten, Bassett, Burton, McLeod PA: C. Cornes, K. Cornes, Montgomery, Wakelin | |
| Injuries | Ade: Johncock (calf), Biglands, Shirley (head knock) PA: Wilson (hamstring) | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | AAMI Stadium, Adelaide, SA | |
| Attendance | 50,521 | |
| Umpires | Michael Vozzo, Brett Allen, Scott McLaren |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (3) Sydney | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.12 | 7.14 | 7.14 (56) | |
| 2.6 | 5.8 | 6.11 | 7.11 | 7.11 (53) | ||
| Sydney won by 3 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | Geel | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 155 | 177 | |
| Marks | 50 | 79 | |
| Handballs | 111 | 93 | |
| Tackles | 66 | 83 | |
| Hitouts | 66 | 22 | |
| Frees | 16 | 17 |
| Date | Friday, 9 September 2005 8PM AEST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (Syd) | 4: N Davis 2: M O'Loughlin 1: R O'Keefe | |
| Goals (Geel) | 2: S Johnson 1: C Gardiner, J Kelly, H Playfair, J Rooke, D Johnson | |
| Best | Syd: Davis, Crouch, Kirk, Buchanan, Bolton Geel: Kelly, Scarlett, Johnson, Ling, Corey, Sanderson | |
| Injuries | Syd: Williams (thigh) Geel: King (hamstring) | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, NSW | |
| Attendance | 39,079 | |
| Umpires | Stuart Wenn, Shaun Ryan, Darren Goldspink |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 5.5 | 9.7 | 9.11 | 9.11 (65) | ||
| (3) Sydney | 5.1 | 6.3 | 8.6 | 15.6 | 15.6 (96) | |
| Sydney won by 31 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | Syd | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 157 | 196 | |
| Marks | 65 | 91 | |
| Handballs | 98 | 76 | |
| Tackles | 64 | 73 | |
| Hitouts | 42 | 37 | |
| Frees | 19 | 11 |
| Date | Friday, 16 September 2005 8PM AEST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (StK) | 4: F Gehrig 2: N Riewoldt 1: L Montagna, N Dal Santo, L Hayes | |
| Goals (Syd) | 4: B Hall 3: A Schneider 2: M O'Loughlin, P Williams, R O'Keefe 1: N Davis, A Buchanan | |
| Best | StK: Dal Santo, Harvey, Hudghton, Jones Gehrig, Baker, Montagna Syd: O'Keefe, Hall, C. Bolton, J. Bolton, Schneider, Kennelly, Ablett, Crouch, | |
| Injuries | None | |
| Reports | Syd: Hall for striking Maguire | |
| Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, VIC | |
| Attendance | 73,344 | |
| Metropolitan Free To Air TV audience | 1.811 million | |
| Umpires | Michael Vozzo, Scott McLaren, Darren Goldspink |
The Swans' win reversed two heavy losses to the Saints within the past twelve months, the latter of which proved to be a major turning point in their 2005 season.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (2) West Coast | 2.2 | 6.5 | 11.8 | 14.9 | 14.9 (93) | |
| 2.2 | 5.4 | 6.6 | 11.11 | 11.11 (77) | ||
| West Coast won by 16 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Team Stats | Ade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 204 | 184 | |
| Marks | 91 | 82 | |
| Handballs | 142 | 127 | |
| Tackles | 52 | 50 | |
| Hitouts | 36 | 31 | |
| Frees | 15 | 8 |
| Date | Saturday, 17 September 2005 1PM AWST | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals (WCE) | 3: A Hansen, D Chick 2: A Embley 1: M Gardiner, A Sampi, B Cousins, A Selwood, A Hunter, M Seaby | |
| Goals (Ade) | 3: K McGregor 2: T Hentschel, S Welsh 1: T Edwards, B Burton, I Perrie, S Goodwin | |
| Best | WCE: Kerr, Hunter, Wirrpunda, Embley, Judd, Chick, Selwood, Stenglein Ade: Edwards, Goodwin, Clarke, Burton, McGregor, Perrie | |
| Injuries | WCE: Braun (leg) Ade: Johncock (calf) | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | Subiaco Oval, Perth, WA | |
| Attendance | 43,009 | |
| Metropolitan Free To Air TV audience | 1.490 million | |
| Umpires | Stephen McBurney, Brett Allen, Shaun Ryan |
See main article: 2005 AFL Grand Final.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (3) Sydney | 3.0 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 8.10 | 8.10 (58) | |
| 2.4 | 2.7 | 5.9 | 7.12 | 7.12 (54) | ||
| Sydney won by 4 | G.B | G.B | G.B | G.B | Final |
| Date | Saturday, 24 September 2005, 2:35pm AEST | |
|---|---|---|
| Coin Toss Winner | Sydney | |
| Goals (Syd) | 2: B Hall 1: D Jolly, A Schneider, M O'Loughlin, T Kennelly, A Goodes, A Buchanan | |
| Goals (WCE) | 2: A Hunter 1: M Nicoski, D Cox, A Embley, A Hansen, B Cousins | |
| Best | Syd: Roberts-Thomson, Goodes, Buchanan, Kennelly, Fosdike, Kirk WCE: Judd, Wirrpunda, Cousins, Cox, Fletcher | |
| Norm Smith Medal | C Judd (WCE) | |
| Injuries | Syd: Ball (cut head), C Bolton (nose), Crouch (ankle) WCE: Kerr (ankle), Gardiner (cut head) | |
| Reports | None | |
| Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, VIC | |
| Attendance | 91,898 | |
| Umpires | Scott McLaren, Brett Allen, Darren Goldspink | |
| Metropolitan Free To Air TV audience | 3.386 million |