2001 Ansett Australia Cup

The 2001 Ansett Australia Cup was contested by all sixteen clubs of the Australian Football League prior to the beginning of the 2001 AFL season. It ran for five weeks in February and March 2001. The competition took a round-robin format to provide all teams with at least 3 practice games to prepare for the 2001 regular season, with all clubs divided into four groups of four, and the group winners qualifying for the knockout semi finals. Group A comprised the defending premiers Essendon, Port Adelaide, Geelong and Sydney. Group B featured Kangaroos, Collingwood, West Coast and St Kilda. Group C featured Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Western Bulldogs and Adelaide while finally Group D comprised Hawthorn, Richmond, Fremantle and Melbourne.

2001 Ansett Australia Cup
AFL pre-season competition
Season2001
Teams16
WinnersPort Adelaide (1st title)
Matches played27
Michael Tuck MedallistAdam Kingsley (Port Adelaide)

In the group stages, the Brisbane Lions, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Kangaroos finished top of their respective groups and qualified for the semi-finals. Port Adelaide won Group A with 3 wins out of 3, qualifying ahead of Sydney and Geelong. The win over Geelong that secured Port Adelaide a place in the semi-finals was marred however by a serious broken leg suffered by key ruckman Brendon Lade. In Group B, Kangaroos won their place in the semi-finals after a 28-point win in the final group game against Collingwood. Group C was won by Brisbane Lions after they defeated Carlton by 13 points in the deciding game of the group. Group D was secured by Hawthorn after a 100-point thumping of Melbourne meant they qualified ahead of Richmond on percentage.

In the knockout semi-finals, Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide beat Hawthorn and Kangaroos respectively to qualify for the Grand Final. Port Adelaide trailed Kangaroos at three-quarter time but kicked the first 5 goals of the final term to secure a 16-point victory in front of their own fans at Football Park. In the other semi-final at Colonial Stadium, the Brisbane Lions kicked the final 4 goals of the game against Hawthorn to win by 15 points. The win by Brisbane Lions was significant. as it broke a finals hoodoo in Melbourne, and it set up the first grand final between two non-Victorian teams in VFL/AFL history.

Group stage

Group 1
Group 1
Friday, 16 February Geelong 4.10 (34) def. by Sydney 6.11 (47) Marrara Oval (crowd: 8,500)
Saturday, 17 February Port Adelaide 16.25 (121) def. Essendon 5.12 (42) Football Park (crowd: 19,498)
Friday, 23 February Port Adelaide 17.10 (112) def. Sydney 15.17 (107) Football Park (crowd: 15,709)
Friday, 23 February Essendon 12.18 (90) def. by Geelong 17.10 (112) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 22,829)
Saturday, 3 March Geelong 12.15 (87) def. by Port Adelaide 16.9 (105) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 4,474)
Saturday, 3 March Sydney 11.17 (83) def. Essendon 8.11 (59) Manuka Oval (crowd: 12,358)

Knockout Phase

Semi-finals
Semi-finals
Friday, 9 March (7:40 pm) Port Adelaide 15.12 (102) def. Kangaroos 13.8 (86) Football Park (crowd: 18,516)
Saturday, 10 March (7:40 pm) Brisbane Lions 14.10 (94) def. Hawthorn 12.7 (79) Colonial Stadium (crowd: 15,866)

Grand final
Grand Final
Saturday, 17 March (7:30 pm) Port Adelaide def. Brisbane Lions Football Park (crowd: 35,304) Report
1.3 (9)
9.5 (59)
15.6 (96)
 17.9 (111)		 Q1
Q2
Q3
 Final		 1.3 (9)
1.3 (9)
3.6 (24)
 3.8 (26)		 Umpires: Sheehan, Dore, Goldspink
Michael Tuck Medal: Adam Kingsley (Port Adelaide)
Television broadcast: Seven Network
Dew 4
C. Cornes 3
K. Cornes, Francis 2
Ackland, P. Burgoyne, J Francou, Guerra, Montgomery, Stevens 1		 Goals 2 Bradshaw
1 Power
Kingsley, Dew, P. Burgoyne, J Francou, Stevens, Primus Best Bradshaw, White, Pike
French (leg) Injuries Nil
Nil Reports C. Scott reported by field umpire Goldspink for striking C. Cornes during the final quarter

The Brisbane Lions (the eventual regular season premiers) were playing in its first grand final of any kind (since the merger with Fitzroy), while Port Adelaide were playing in their second pre-season grand final after going down to Hawthorn back in 1999. The Brisbane Lions were unhappy with the arrangements for the final, as they had to travel interstate for the 4th time in 5 games, while Port Adelaide played their 4th game at home.

In the final, Port Adelaide took out their first pre season title with a convincing 85-point thumping of the Brisbane Lions. After an even first 1/4, Port took control in the second term with an 8 goal to 0 blitz, during which Stuart Dew kicked 3 goals in 3 minutes, and comfortably held on to secure the first silverware the club had won since their 1997 entry into the AFL.

Knockout Chart
Semi-finals Grand Final
          
Port Adelaide 15 12 102
Kangaroos 13 8 86
Port Adelaide 17 9 111
Brisbane Lions 3 8 26
Brisbane Lions 14 10 94
Hawthorn 12 7 79

See also

References
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