Four teams – Brisbane Bears, Collingwood, Melbourne and Adelaide - headed into the final round of the 1995 AFL season tied on points and vying for the last remaining spot in the finals series.
The Bears, riding a wave of momentum as they looked to reach their first-ever finals series, faced Melbourne to kick off Round 22 on a Friday night at the Gabba. Victory wouldn’t assure finals footy for the Bears, given Collingwood had a marginally better percentage and played a lower opponent in Sydney later that round.
A tight encounter unfolded at the Gabba in front of 11, 842 raucous fans, with the Lions in front at every change but only holding onto a two-point lead heading into the final quarter.
Michael Voss starred for the Bears in the final quarter and kicked a crucial goal that effectively sealed victory for the home side. Voss ended up with 28 disposals and three goals, while names like Merrett, McRae, Hart, Akermanis, Lappin and Ashcroft also found themselves on the scoresheet.
The final score of 110-89 didn’t quite reflect the closeness of the match with both teams very evenly matched on the stat sheet. The Bears did make 29 more tackles than the Demons, showing the pressure and intensity they brought to the game.
Despite the loss, Demons' fans will have fond memories of Shaun Smith’s ‘Mark of the Century’ over his teammate Garry Lyon.
The Bears had to wait a couple of days to find out if they would make the finals, and when Sydney upset Collingwood at the SCG they could finally breathe a sigh of relief as their spot was confirmed.
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