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Vikings Make it Two in a Row
If there was ever any doubt about the viability of representative contests between the likes of the Danish Australian Football League and the British Australian Rules Football League, they were swept away forever by a scintillating thriller of a match between the two in London three weeks ago.
Previous contests between the two favoured the British immensely, but they surely didn’t count on clashing with a fiercely determined Vikings side hell bent on winning overseas for the first time.
The game had all of the positive aspects of Australian football, and none of the negative. It was fast, tough, unrelenting, while at the same time never degenerating into any hint of spite or unnecessary physicality. It was Aussie Rules at its best.
The British won the toss and took first use of a blustery five-goal wind. It was probably their failure to use it in this first term that ultimately cost them the game. Around the ground, the Denmark/Sweden team dominated such that they trailed by only five points at the first break with the wind to come.
The Viking ascendancy continued and with the aid of the breeze, they were able to show it on the scoreboard. Full forward, Hans Hervèn, in particular, took two sensational marks in the goal square and converted them both. One, an overhead, off-balance, wrong-footed gem with only one bite was undoubtedly the mark of the match.
The poms went into the half time huddle a bit shocked. Sources close to it revealed later that their coach made a point (rather colourfully) of how they had not trained for two or three months to be beaten, and that four goals could be wiped off in ten minutes.
That may be so, but not in this third quarter that was to follow. It was a gritty, no-holds-barred, quarter of football that was reminiscent of the corresponding one in the 1994 DAFL Grand Final. In that one, only three goals were scored - in this one, there were to be none!
A goalless quarter is not necessarily an indication of a dull game, on the contrary, this was stirring stuff. Dennis Klindt showed a new ball-getting angle to his game missing until now, and Jørgen Nielsen was superb in controlling a defence which refused the Brits a solitary goal with their second and last crack with the breeze. Miko Keto also seemed to have it on a string at times, while Morten Grønhøj defied his lack of experience to hold several strong marks across half back.
The goal drought meant that the Vikings would take a 22-point lead into the final stanza with the wind - surely an impregnable position in this low scoring game. The Lions had only scrounged together three goals in three quarters thus far - they couldn’t boot four into the wind in one quarter and keep the Vikings goalless, could they? - could they?
Well, this epic had one last twist - Great Britain were going to give it their best shot. Agreed, the wind had died down a bit, but the lead should have sufficed anyway.
Two goals to the Lions in the opening ten minutes brought the game sparkling back to life. Denmark/Sweden were in front by only ten points and fading fast, and the Brits were running all over them, particularly Paul Geddis whose sensational last term almost single-handedly snatched the game.
There were three popular theories on the Vikings’ lapse. One was simply a lack of fitness compared to the Brits, another was that they went on the defensive too early - a common error. The third was that they are unaccustomed to close matches in DAFL. It was probably a combination of all three.
Nevertheless, they were hanging on. Joacim Aulin was letting little past him at centre half back, and when Anker Nielsen was infringed with a high tackle thirty metres out on a slight angle, the crowd held its collective breath.
It was a moment of the highest drama. This least-experienced player on the team probably would kick the goal in his sleep in the first quarter of a club match. But under these circumstances, the kick was a shocker, fortunately even worse than any British defender apparently had expected - as it sailed through, a metre above the ground, untouched.
A few disputed that last word, but the goal umpire (who was British) called it correctly, and is to be congratulated for a courageous decision.
Still the match was not over. The Lions surged forward again and goaled. And during all this, they had managed enough behinds to put them even one goal closer. But the siren sounded with Denmark/Sweden clinging to a five point lead.
The emotion from the Viking players and supporters was enormous. Coach, Ben Howard, (who has played AFL football) was heard to say that it was the most exciting moment in his involvement in football - ever. Mick Sitch cried (surprise, surprise - truth be known he was in tears by quarter time).
All in all, it was a tremendous win and boost for footy in Denmark and Sweden. Every player was superb - so those mentionned in the BEST below performed well above and beyond the call. One of the Denmark/Sweden co-captains, Dennis Klindt, was unanimously voted best afield from amongst the players of both teams.
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