10 years ago today...

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joffaboy
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Post: # 464979Post joffaboy »

Couldn't get a ticket. Made my family go down to he relos on the Bellarine, watched it at home, turned off at 1 second after the siren, and went to a Multiplex and watched Men in Black with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones.

Wanted to be by myself and didn't want anyone ringing me.

I then blamed Rod and started to organise a ticket to unseat him 10 years later.

I am Greg Westaway.

HWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAAHAHA.


Lance or James??

There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in <redacted>. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a <redacted>investigation followed by <redacted> witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for <redacted>and on me leads me to where I am today – finished with this nonsense. (Oops just got a spontaneous errection <unredacted>)
Q5
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Post: # 465099Post Q5 »

Funny, I was thinking that exact thing on my way home from work this evening - what was I doing this time 10 years ago... I was living in Sydney at the time and about 4pm on the Thursday, got a call from my uncle at work simply saying 'pack your overnight bag...' Man, I cannot tell you how excited I was! I barged into my boss' office and said 'I'm taking tomorrow off, and sorry, but no is not an option'. All of my workmates, both past and present, know how crazy I am about the Saints! My boss was excited for me (still made me stay until 8pm though to get work done that I wasn't going to be able to do on the Friday!)

My uncle picked me up about 7am, and we spent the whole day driving to Melbourne. Listened to Triple J - Francis Leach worked there at the time I think - if not him, another mad Saints fan! They talked about the granny all day - my uncle and I were so hyped!

We were lucky - another uncle worked for a company that regularly got tickets - we'd missed out on those, but a business acquaintance knew his whole family were Saints supporters, so offered his AFL members tickets for the game. When uncle J rang uncle M and offered him these tix, he said yes on the spot. Anyway, we had to get to the MCG early on GF day to get good seats. It was worth it! Strangely, the pre-game hype I hate watching on TV, but when you're there, it is SOOOO much better! Sadly, from the moment I had woken up that morning I had a gut feeling we weren't going to win. It would have been fantastic to win... Gotta say, been to a few grand finals since, but the day is completely different when YOUR team is in it! (Since I came to my senses in 1999 and moved back to Melbourne, have been going to the footy with uncle J ever since!)

Needless to say, the drive back to Sydney was very loooooong... When I got to work on the Monday, colleagues were too afraid to speak to me! (I seem to carry that reputation everywhere I go...) Anyway...

Looking at this year's GF, it is kind of eerily similar - Vic team who haven't won in ages, vs a SA team... Go Cats!


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Oh When the Saints
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Post: # 465127Post Oh When the Saints »

Terrific (and sad) thread.

I was 8 at the time, and went with my father and uncle. 1997 was the first year I really started following the Saints, and I think I'd been to about 10 matches at Waverley that year.

I hadn't been able to go to the Prelim (Dad got home at 4am!) but was pretty excited about the Grand Final and with the optimism of youth I believed we were going to win.

The day is a bit of a blur ... I remember getting to the G about 11am - we had great seats, level one about ten rows back on centre wing. Remember vaguely the pre-game entertainment, and the roar when the siren sounded to start the match.

My next memory is hearing the siren sound and the Crows song start blaring out. I was shattered, as were my father and uncle. We walked back to Richmond station, and could hear the Adelaide song playing over and over again.

For months and months afterwards I couldn't bear that song. It was like a death march, or the song that was played at your parent's funeral. Awful.


The worst thing was all the hope built up in the week before - all the long-suffering supporters who had painted their cars/houses etc. ... we were living down Moorabbin way at the time, and Saints stuff was everywhere.


Naturally I thought we'd win the flag in '98 ... how could we not, with a young Aussie, Lappin, Joel Smith, improvement from Heatley, Maxie, Thommo and the Wakelins ... we were certainties.


Gawd. Can't believe it was a decade ago.


They should only play AFL games now when it's raining. Slow games of footy are so much better to watch.
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Post: # 465132Post Cirra »

I used to go to the footy every week with my dad....it was our thing.

This particular year though, I was 20 yrs old living on a budget and couldn't afford to be a social club member. So, I stood in-line at Moorabin for hours jst to get me dad a ticket for the GF.

I was so upset that I wasn't going to be there I ended up watching the whole thing from home on my own.

To be honest, the whole game is a blur. I can harldy remember any of it, and I have never watched it again. Never, ever will. The same is to be said abou the 2004 Prelim. I have never ever rewatched that game and I never ever will.

My dad told me he remembered after Barry Hall kicked those three goals the sainst supporters around him (in the forward pocket) were dancing in the ailes (sp?). He was sure they had it won. Then..... :cry:

What an awful day.

I always said to myself that they didn't win because I wasn't there and that all I want is for us to win a GF and for me to be there.

Hope it's not too much to ask.


"When we get back on November 5 and walk through that door, we're getting on a bus together and we're going down the road to a premiership. You're either on the bus or you get run over," Roo at the B&F 2007

In 2012, I'm still on the bus.
Q5
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Post: # 465139Post Q5 »

Gotta admit, taped the game and have NEVER been able to watch it back either. Still haven't taped over it though...


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Post: # 465148Post linz »

I went with a rather more well endowed mate (in a pecuniary sense only).
We were situated in a private box on the wing, with the finger foods free grog etc etc. IF ONLY WE HAD WON !! I'D STILL BE CELEBRATING.

I remember seeing Jim Stynes at Half-time & told him I wish he was playing with us. (Spider & Vidovic were missing). He said he wished he was too.

And then after we lost, I remember walking over the railway bridge with Crow supporters yelling taunts from the stands.

I reckon there are similarities with this year.


I once spent a year in Adelaide, I think it was on a Sunday.
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Post: # 465154Post farquhar »

I was in Spain and couldn't get to watch the game. Saw a video of the match in December in London. Watched it about 10 times to figure out what happened, who moved where, who was on who, totally dissected the entire match into all of its phases.

Darren Jarman was the single difference between the teams. In the first quarter he missed a shot at goal, and this was his only mistake for the match. He held the defence together when Adelaide were under seige in the first half and the Crows had to save the game.

When the game had to be won, he went forward and put on an exhibition.

And he did it all again the following year.

Footnote: Sandy Roberts uses the expression "shows courage" on three separate occasions during the match.


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hellorocky
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Post: # 465183Post hellorocky »

I was there but not saying how old :lol:

Didn't go to the prelim, thought that if we lost I'd be sad and if we won would need to organise time off work etc following week. Was about 3rd in line at the local T/M on the Sunday, a young fellow offered to keep a few spots (for a fee) overnite. Went back Monday morning and snagged 2 from a block of 8. Husband and I OK, could take youngest as under 3 but 5 yo missed out (now 15 he still says that his sister has to miss the next GF cause she got to go last time).

Hoped and prayed, wished, wanted and dreamed for the fairy tale ending. Nicky travelled back to WA briefly as his father was dying. It was Nicky's birthday on the Thursday. We drove to Melb on the Friday morning, clearly remember the morning radio news, Nicky's Dad had passed away, I had a dreadful feeling deep down. Arrived at our hotel and it was just like landing in a crow's nest. Fair dinkum, posters, flags, scarves all over this bl00dy place we had to stay at for 2 nights.

Went to the game, babe in arms fell asleep at 1/2 time so I was pretty much restricted until after the game. Can't remember much of the game but remember feeling so sad for the players and Nicky at the end. Don't even remember leaving after or going back to the crows nest.

Organised to meet a few others back at Moorabbin that night. We had a couple of kids with us and once inside the venue, we were told only adults could go upstairs to where the players were. 'There's some pretty upset adults up there, it might not be good to take the kids up'. So, we left, hard to believe 10 years ago, almost to the hour

I watched the replay 1 year ago. I hate the Crows :evil:


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saint patrick
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Post: # 465192Post saint patrick »

Bad Flashback....

Portsea Dining in Night at Army School of Health on Friday night before[wife worked there]Free grog...singing "oh when the saints with about 30 people on the bus home...Massive Hangover ...watched the game at home but went for a walk during the 3rd quarter when it became too much...Spooky thing is that I walked past a Jarman sign in Blairgowrie[Jarmam St]. off Melbourne road and thought "oh shyte!thats a bad omem!!!" That and crows flying overhead singing""F*** .F***" :shock:

Came back and flicked on the radio[3aw] with great trepidation in the shed and was shattered to hear the crows theme song[still puts a chilldown my spine!!] and immediately went into shock,anger the whole shooting match...


Lay on the bed and felt like someone had died...Went into a state of depression..never have and never will watch a replay of the game...have never really recovered pychologicallyand still walk away from tight finishes..a legacy of being tormented to breaking point on that fateful day.

St.Kilda FC ...I love you and hate you for what you have turned me into...but oneday you will reward all of us long suffering supporters with mercy and ecstasy[the natural variety!!]...and win a frigging flag for all of us...amen :roll: :x
Last edited by saint patrick on Fri 28 Sep 2007 4:33pm, edited 5 times in total.


Never take a backward step even to gain momentum.....

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"We have beauty in our captain and we have a true leader in our coach. Our time will come"
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Post: # 465213Post Sun Ra »

Hmmmm ......very bad memories.......got a lend of a friend's MCC membership to get in and headed straight for standing room in the old Southern Stand, on the 50 at the Punt Road end. Met up with some other mad Saints supporters I knew, by accident and some really crazy guy who hitched over from Perth for the game who kept us entertained with George Young at Subiaco tales pre-game.
I had seen Winmar's old man's death late in GF week as a pretty BAD omen, but had blocked it out of my brain and was quietly confident. Was worried about the ruck. During the Advance Australia Fair the players linked arms and I remember thinking they looked sad, like they were at a funeral or something. Didn't think much more of that, had a few scoobs to calm myself on the way to the game, so wrote it off on that....
As other posters have said, first half was just OK with Hall's 3 goals in 5 minutes inflating the scoreline somewhat. Still confident at half time but wary.
Didn't see the Jarman thing and the rest coming. Thought they played way better against North in the Prelim, but they just fell away and the Crows just killed us. Left with around 5 minutes to go. Walked to Richmond Station and got a train that just sat there to wait for the crowd and somehow the crowd included lots of happy bloody Crows fans to keep me company back to Bentleigh. Oh well, I was in a world of my own by then, a very, very dark world. Hmmmm.....


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Post: # 465263Post Milan Faletic »

Yer I was there. We queued up for tickets and were no 291 in the queue(from memory). Saw the journos gathering near us because they knew that the ticket would be sold out after 300. I remember the cameras. I was on 3AW with Steve Price that day as "The Luckiest Saints Fan". I was given a 3AW footy and tickets to a big screen event at Punt Road. I said to Steve that I'll take the footy but give the tickets to someone else. The irony was that while I was in the queue, I managed to get through to Ticketmaster on the mobile phone and got tickets so I didn't need to queue up.

The day of the game was as most Saints fans have said, the best day day and the worst day of my life. I was looking at the scoreboard clock every 5 minutes. It felt like the clock was going backwards before the game. I will never forget the National Anthem. Was this real?

We were getting slaughtered early and Pecks was struggling with the kick outs. Then we started to get going and Barry was firing. Half time was very scary because we were two quarters from that Premiership.

Then we fell to pieces and even though the scoreboard showed we were still in it, it just didn't feel like it. But then Barry had a ping right at the end of the third quarter and from our angle it look good but the goal umpire called it a behind. Huge call.

That was it. I remember putiing my head in my hand at the 22 minute mark of the last quarter and sobbing like a baby. I was 32 at the time.

Walking home, I remember the rain and some Crows supporters singing the song on the pedestrian overpass. All I was thinking was-You don't know the pain that we have gone through to get here. You haven't earned this flag. It's not fair.

I went to the Nottinghill pub for dinner and remember the locals laughing at my pain. I then went home and curled up in the foetal position while Beverly Hills Cop was being shown on Ch 7. I fell asleep and woke up flat as a tack.

Then I dared to turn on the TV and saw that people were gathering at Moorabbin for the "wake". I rang a friend and after a chat we decided that we needed to do something so we went to Moorabbin. Probably the best decision we ever made because we shared both the disappointment and gratitude for the success.

It was hard to not win the flag but I could see how much harder it was for the players and the coach. It put things in to perspective.


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Post: # 465270Post thequarry »

I'd been to every match in Melbourne that year bar Rounds 3 and 6, so it was very odd watching it on TV, and also knowing I, as a member, actually quite easily could have had a ticket. It was planned that I wouldn't go because I was so young (9 - what!? I still regret their decision) - my dad, grandpa aunty and uncle were the ones that went.

We had all our family friends over the day, and I woke up that morning to find mum and the other mums had put red white and black streamers and balloons and posters all over the house.

I remember the build-up during the week - the red, white and black over Moorabbin town hall and painted and decorated houses and cars.

When Aussie kicked the goal I was thinking that if something like that was going to happen, this is our day. By three-quarter time I was teary and proceeded to tear down the streamers when Jarman got them further in front; I stormed off to my room crying. But going to Moorabbin with my friend helped a lot.

Dad called after the game on his way home, and I had NEVER heard him so silent - he didn't actually have anything to say, I think he just wanted to know how I was.

We had a great party with our family friends that night though, but I started crying again the next morning when I started reading the paper.

Oddly, I remember specifically thinking after the Prelim Final that we might not get to this point for another 7 or 8 years - not sure why I picked those numbers - but as it turns out, '04 and '05 are the closest we've been since.

I taped the game and I tried watching it for the first time only a few weeks ago, but only made it to Aussie's goal. I can't imagine a point in time where I'm over it.


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Post: # 465366Post Dis Believer »

I remember me, my brother and our wives going to a BBQ (funny that I can't remember where exactly) and feling great at the halfway mark. Thought we were in it up to our necks and just needed to have a strong 3rd quarter.

Then the girls announced at half time we were supposed to be moving on to anorther BBQ. I hit the roof, and we went anyway because it was only 5 minutes away. The crowd at the second gig was lame, and not a lot of real footy people. There seemed to be a lot of neutral females that started getting very vocal in their support of the Crows as the game started slipping away from us, and they seemed delirious at the end. I had to walk away before I contemplated hitting a female for the first time, then I broke down and cried in the front garden by myself. My brother came and joined me, but weasn't so upset as he was angry at the Crows bandwagoners. I was 31.

I have tried to watch the game again since, but can't go past 3/4 time. I concur with someone elses comment, it seemed unfair that a team that hadn't done the sufferance had got their hand on our cup.


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Post: # 465367Post wolfpup »

the week prior to the grand final my voice was recovering after the preliminary final, i dont think i was ever as excited by a game when the siren went and i knew that we made it to the grand final. i was over the moon.

i couldn't get grand final tickets but i managed to get one 9.30am from a contact of my sister's from (dare i say it) carlton and scored a free ticket!!!
wooo, hooo, so wearing red white and black, off i went to the GF. it was a dream come true!

i caught a tram from flinders and swanston and it was freaking FULL of adelaide supporters, i think i was the only saints supporter in there.
the entire tram broke out into song "we are the pride of sth australia, etc, etc" bunch of w@nkers

anyways, the ticket i had put me amongst all this corporate crowd of mostly neutrals with a smattering of adelaide supporters here and there.

it was a bit like a dream to there to be honest and loved the game even until the 3rd quarter. my highlights were aussies goal and hall's purple patch in the second quarter. i thought that the adelaide supporters sounded louder than us and to be honest the team seemed a bit flat?

in the final quarter adelaide kicked away, i think we were down by 18 points or something but i really believed we were still in it. the moment i knew that we wouldn't win was when keogh marked the ball and passed it to sierakowski, i think he was 45 metres out or something. my line of vision was right behing that ball and he missed (?), or didn't make the distance (i dont remember). I knew at that point we had lost, jarman went nuts after that, and i headed home around 10 minutes later.

i walked home in bit of a daze (to port melb) from the MCG.


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Post: # 465427Post Baldock Rules »

Was in Hospital after having my knee[ACL] done.

All I can say is the Pethidine helped and my knee still twinges when I hear the crows song :roll:


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Post: # 465439Post B W and R all over »

Also can't remember much.
But do remember before going to bed saying to my brother "Tomorrow could be the greatest day of our lives."

Rest is a blur, but I'll never forget afterwards walking to the station in tears and just outside Punt Rd oval a bloke in Adelaide face paint comes straight in my face and shouts at the top of his voice "CARNA CROWS".

I was only 14 at the time but to this day it is still one of my greatest regrets that I didn't punch him in the face right then and there. I know I would have instantly had dozens of strangers jumping in to help me out.


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Post: # 465518Post HarveysDeciple »

I was nearly 12..
We caught the supporters bus down from gippy, the big 58 seater coach packed to the rafters.
This old bloke left his wallet on the bus he was so nervous.

Being young and ignorant the prospect of losing honestly never occured to me...
Which meant it hit harder when that second half unfolded.
We went back to Moorabbin that night, a band was playing and they cooked a BBQ or something.
Was just so flat, We have had the game on tape ever since.....cant bring myself to watch it, but for some bizarre reason I wont tape over it either.


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saint patrick
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Post: # 465609Post saint patrick »

Wonder if anyone from Geelong has a similar horror story tommorrow... :shock:

There will be some serious grief at the Cattery if Port upsets the Cats .. :?

Think there are some interesting paralels ...we weren't as dominant as the cats and had some notable absentees[Everitt,Smith and Vidovic] but were still raging favourites and Port like the crows have the luxory of being the underdog.Sometimes an advantage in Grand finals as history has shown us!Will be fascinating to observe 8-)


Never take a backward step even to gain momentum.....

'It's OK to have the capabilities and abilities, but you've got to get it done." Terry Daniher 05

"We have beauty in our captain and we have a true leader in our coach. Our time will come"
Thinline.Post 09 Grand final.
saintspremiers
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Post: # 839810Post saintspremiers »

saint patrick wrote:Wonder if anyone from Geelong has a similar horror story tommorrow... :shock:

There will be some serious grief at the Cattery if Port upsets the Cats .. :?

Think there are some interesting paralels ...we weren't as dominant as the cats and had some notable absentees[Everitt,Smith and Vidovic] but were still raging favourites and Port like the crows have the luxory of being the underdog.Sometimes an advantage in Grand finals as history has shown us!Will be fascinating to observe 8-)
Three years on, two flags....

Put this post in a time capsule!


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Post: # 839815Post cowboy18 »

Bump of the year SP. :shock:

Interesting to see what we wrote 2 years ago. My feelings remain the same - so I'm wary of any "It's coming soon" vibe.

But I think it is.


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Post: # 839847Post Thinline »

Rodger Fox's post!

Penny's fro everywhere are dropping at a rate of knots all at once!


"The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break in the game. Every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when we add up all those inches that's gonna make the f***in' difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying!'
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Post: # 839854Post cowboy18 »

my les foote wrote:I went with my mum and I cried.

I was 34.
Just noticed this - that was my effort this year. Except I'm 43.


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Post: # 839864Post Enrico_Misso »

71, 97, 09
Three daggers in the heart.


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They can even WATCH LIVE FOOTY!
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Post: # 839878Post Bernard Shakey »

Enrico_Misso wrote:71, 97, 09
Three daggers in the heart.
You're dead!


Old enough to repaint, but young enough to sell
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Post: # 839978Post Verdun66 »

1965 wasn't flash either. I was turning 9 that week, and listened on the radio. Cried big time. Later watching the replay I noticed Big Carl crying buckets after the siren. Not a new thing.

I watched the 97 game in London. We lived just near Buckingham Palace then, and Diana had died a few weeks before. There was a very odd atmosphere in London then. The flowers were still around, and so a Saints loss added to a very strange time.


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