Who could forget the last time the Cats played a final in South Australia?
It was 20 years ago, and Geelong, under the coaching of Gary Ayres, had finished second on the ladder, only to be beaten by seventh-placed North Melbourne in a qualifying final the week before.
The old final eight system certainly didn't benefit the Cats, as they were made to travel to Adelaide for a sudden-death semi-final at Football Park in week two, despite having finished higher on the ladder than the Malcolm Blight-coached Crows.
Geelong started well, opening a 20-point lead at quarter-time, before Adelaide hit back and snared a seven-point half-time lead.
It was during the third quarter, with the Cats eight points up, that the game's controversial moment took place.
Glenn Kilpatrick sent a long kick inside Geelong's 50m arc, then Leigh Colbert ran with the flight and appeared to take a brilliant mark.
Indeed, Channel 7 special comments man Gerard Healy described the grab as "one of the best marks we’ve seen for the season".
Yet the controlling umpire refused to pay the mark. Instead, he crossed his arms and called for a ball-up, denying Colbert a shot at goal.
The Cats subsequently lost the game by eight points and were knocked out of the premiership race.
The Crows, in contrast, made the most of their luck and went on to win the 1997 flag.
A couple of days after the game, the AFL's umpiring department confirmed that the decision was a mistake.
In the years since, the decision has often been voted among the worst umpiring decisions in the history of the game.
Was it a mark?
Watch the video at the top of the page and decide for yourself.
1997 SEMI-FINAL AT FOOTBALL PARK, ADELAIDE
ADELAIDE 1.2 7.6 7.8 11.10 (76)
GEELONG 4.4 6.5 8.10 9.14 (68)
GOALS
Adelaide: Bond 3, Robran 2, Jarman, Koster, McLeod, Rehn, Sampson, Vardy
Geelong: Pickering 3, Colbert 2, Burns, Hocking, Snell, Steinfort
