It’s taken 11 years, but Brendan Fevola finally has the apology he wanted.
In late August, 2008, Hawthorn's Buddy Franklin broke a decade-long drought for AFL sharpshooters with his second goal of a blowout against Carlton, his 100th for the season and the first man since 1998 to bring up triple digits.
Fevola was on the losing effort of the 159-81 season-ending game – but could have salvaged something from the loss by bringing up his own 100-goal milestone.
It would have been the first time in AFL history that two players had brought up the milestone in the same game.
But the Hawks weren’t having it.
“Buddy had kicked his 100th earlier in the night and the night was all about Buddy,” 2008 premiership winner Campbell Brown told SEN Breakfast on Friday morning.
Fevola began the night on 92 and, as Buddy was notching up his 100-goal milestone, Fevola was trying to make a run.
It didn’t look good: four shots for two behinds, one out on the full and one shank that didn’t make the centre square.
Then, in the second half, the big man caught fire.
Watch all of Buddy and Fev's shots on goal below
(NOTE: 2008 celebrity Brendan Fraser getting interviewed on the boundary line at the 9:00 mark. Wild times)
The Hawks were having none of it, flooding the backline to keep Fevola stranded on seven goals for the match and 99 for the season.
“We didn’t need Fev ruining the parade so [Hawks coach Alistair Clarkson] Clarko, we were up by 10 goals, Fev was one off and we dropped a couple of men back into the hole.
“For the last eight- or nine-minutes Carlton were trying to get the ball to him and we wanted none of it.
“Fev was just saying ‘give me a goal boys, you’ve won, seriously’.
“In hindsight I would have loved for him to have kicked his 100th.
“How many times will two players on the one night kick their 100th? We’ll never see it again.
“In the moment, in the competitive moment, we were like nah, he’s not doing this. I’m sorry Fev.”
Buddy finished with 4.5 for the game and 102 for the regular season.
Fevola finished with 7.3.
Ouch.
