When Longmire and Mooney came to blows as they fought for a spot in North Melbourne’s Grand Final side

Back in 1999, John Longmire and Cameron Mooney were embroiled in an almighty ongoing battle for a spot in Denis Pagan’s North Melbourne side.

As finals approached in that season, there was a spot to fill for either seasoned goal-kicking veteran Longmire or skinny teenager Mooney.

Mooney, who had been drafted in 1996, only debuted at AFL level during the ‘99 campaign and was only half a dozen or so games into his career when finals were on the horizon.

Longmire was on the other side of his playing days with the Kangaroos, fighting tooth and nail to force his way into the team with his form waning and having not played since Round 18.

The man affectionately known as ‘Horse’, who stepped away from his 14-year coaching tenure with the Sydney Swans on Tuesday, had missed the 1996 premiership with a knee injury and was determined to play in the finals.

As that one day in September approached, Pagan pitted the pair against each other. And it came to blows.

“Denis made us get into the ring and he's like, ‘Come on, get into each other’,” Mooney explained on SEN Breakfast.

“So he's riling up Horse and I've put one on his nose and I've just watched the eyes roll back into the head and I've backed up really quickly, I thought, ‘Oh my, I'm in some trouble here’.

“So as I backed up, my foot has fallen out of the ring, it was on a platform, so I've gone down onto one knee and I'm thinking, ‘Great, the fight's over, he’s not going to hit me’.

“(Then) bang, bang, bang on top of the head. I've come out with concussion.

“Absolutely smashed me on top of the head because he was just so angry that I put one on his nose.”

Watch Mooney described it all below:

In the end, both Longmire and Mooney would play on that fateful day against Carlton in September 1999 as the Roos claimed their second flag in four seasons.

Jason McCartney was suspended in the Preliminary Final win over Brisbane which opened up a spot for Mooney who had been omitted after the Qualifying Final victory against Port Adelaide.

For the record, Longmire contributed just three handballs and five hit-outs in that Grand Final, which was coincidentally his 200th and final game in the AFL. Mooney, in his just his 11th Roos outing, did not touch the ball.

Both got the premiership medal they were after.