Opinion Most memorable experiences (good & bad) at VFL/AFL grounds

[Rankin_1925]

I made the trek out to Spotless Stadium last week for the game against GWS and I can see that as the passage of time dulls the memory bank, it will become one of the least memorable games I have been to. Spotless is a great boutique stadium and I can see it being a fantastic place to watch football when GWS are a top 8 side and 25,000 punters are packed into the place. However, on a cold, wintry night with the Cats against a bottom four opposition, surrounded by less than 8,000 people and a few crickets, I think I can safely say that it's two hours of my life that I won't be getting back (>5 hours if I have to include the schlep out there and back on public transport).

With plenty of time to kill and not much to do as my iPhone had run out of battery, the train ride home had me thinking about some of the more memorable experiences I have had at VFL/AFL grounds over the years. My first memory was heading out to Waverley as a 5yo in 1983 to see the Cats do battle against Richmond. It was a miserable day - cold, wet and windy and after being up by 22 points at three-quarter time, the Tiges kicked four goals straight in the last quarter to beat us by a solitary point in a low scoring game.

Some of my other memorable experiences, in no particular order, include:

* Heading down the Noble Street hill early on game day to get a spot on the rotting wooden benches in the outer at Kardinia Park. Being there early meant you also saw the reserves play and I remember a young, up and coming Ben Graham launching a massive torpedo from a kick in that landed on the AFL signage on the Moorabool St wing (1992 if I remember correctly).
* Seeing G. Ablett Sr take the Mark of the Century whilst sitting on Gary Pert's head at the MCG.
* The shootout between P. Salmon at one end and G. Ablett at the other end, in 1993 at the MCG.
* The semi-final at the SCG in 2005 when Nick Davis scored a goal out of mid air to bury us with only a few seconds left. There were less than 40,000 people at the ground that night, but the roar they made when he kicked that goal was like nothing I had heard before.
* The 2009 and 2011 Grand Finals. Despite living over the other side of the world, I was determined to see the Cats win a Premiership. Flying in the day before, the jet lag was quickly forgotten as the Cats got up in two memorable Grand Finals against the Saints and the Pies. Although the celebrations were tempered somewhat as both times I had to jump on an early flight back to the US the next morning.

With the bye this week and not as many things to talk about, what are your most memorable experiences at AFL/VFL grounds?

 

[rocker_oz33]

Was at the G went gazza snr kicked 14 v the Bombers was great beening at the game.Back in those days i did'nt get to the G much.But Really hated the train ride back to Spencer street bombers flogs were giving me the shites.Yelling stuff like get a full back,how many played on gazza again?

 

[Partridge]

Was at the G went gazza snr kicked 14 v the Bombers was great beening at the game.Back in those days i did'nt get to the G much.But Really hated the train ride back to Spencer street bombers flogs were giving me the shites.Yelling stuff like get a full back,how many played on gazza again?

I've never found any loss enjoyable or memorable and can't see that changing now.

 

[vinum coupe]

I actually enjoyed that loss. We only went to watch gazza.

 

[manboob]

I was there too! Hanging on the fence as Ablett and Salmon dobbed 24 between them.

 

[Hood007]

The day we kicked 37 goals against Melbourne in 2011 at KP.
The crowd was buzzing pretty much all day but especially in that last quarter when we were chasing the record.

 

[vinum coupe]

same
Can you remember if the reserves match beforehand was played, and if so, did Essendon win?

I know you are asking boob.
But reserves game?

I was at the tunnel until 6.
Woke up at 2.

lol

So no idea.

 

[Magnus McFysh]

Not having been to many games (the tyranny of distance)... Seen a few wins at the SCG and ANZ (Brad Ottens mark 20 feet in front of me) but the most memorable was coming back from 28 points down 10 minutes into the final quarter in 2002 (had been to a matinee performance of the Hollow Crown by the Royal Shakespeare Company (Sir Derek Jacobi Dame Dianna Rigg etc) excellent early dinner in the Spanish Quarter and then out to the game) we didn't look likely all night until it just clicked into place and we came storming home. It's all in the context I suppose.

Worst experience is split between bl**dy Nick Davis and kicking 11 straight behinds to start the game before being thumped by more than a hundred while wearing an abomination of a Carlton imitation away jumper. Dress like Carlton, play like Carlton ('98 I think it was).

Much prefer to remember the 2002 game though. That one was special.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Never saw Geelong win at Victoria Park v Collingwood - even though i went to plenty of games there

Never saw Geelong win at Princess Park v Carlton

Saw 1 Geelong win only v Hawthorn at Princess Park - 91 top win - saw plenty of losses - one shocker that comes to mind was 79 - Geelong was goaless to time on in the 2nd QTR - and Hawthorn had about 14 goals on the board - Bryan Cousins ( Bens Father) kicked Geelongs only goal for the half - that guy had good skills - and would walk a game in today

Never saw Geelong beat Hawthorn at the old Glenferrie Oval - went there a couple of times - Sardine Can - mud heap - god their supporters were parochial out there - Glenferrie Railway Station - feuuck - i wouldnt wear a Geelong beanie there

Saw a couple of top Geelong wins out at Essendon ( Windy Hill) - 80 and 88 - and also plenty of losses - that ground particularly in 60s was a graveyard for Geelong- one shocker i can remember is when Geoff Blethyn ( the guy with the glasses) kicked about 10 - the other thing i can remember about the Essendon ground -is the Bluestone rock

Saw a couple of Geelong wins and losses against Fitzroy - when their home ground was the Junction Oval - thought that was a pretty good ground - because it never seemed to be muddy - looked to be sand based - and drained well

Saw quite a few wins at the Western Oval - even when Geelong wernt much good - however when Footscray were hopeless ( most of the 60s) thats when they were hard to beat - against top sides - Richmond and Carlton had shiit records out there . One game i will never forget out there - was in 1968 - went as a kid - Geelong (1st or 2nd) Footscray (last and reigning Wooden Spooner)- howling wind - blowing to the Geelong Rd goals - Cats lost by about 15 goals - played like Freo did against the Saints

 

[speedybundy]

I've had some great and horrible memories at Simonds. Matt Egan's missed goal after the siren in 05/06, West Coasts comeback (can remember N.Ablett kicking a goal late in that term to put us back in front, crowd went nuts), Nathan Abletts debut (everyone was so excited), Matthew Scarlett kicking a goal on F. Gehrig in 2004 then jogging back to a standing ovation, our near loss to Brisbane in 03 that gave hope (then our win in 04), that freezing day against Freo in 04, Ben Graham's torp against top of the ladder Port in 03, there's been many. For those of you who haven't guessed I got my membership in 03, so lots of my best memories are from that 03-06 period

Might just be because it was so recent, but to me last years Qualifying Final was an unbelievable, potentially once in a lifetime experience. When we got that free out of the middle at the start the noise was about the loudest I've heard it at Simonds, in other patches it was dead silent, in others the Fremantle supporters sounded like they outnumbered us. A bizarre game but a memorable one.

 

[rocker_oz33]

Mark blake kicking those goals crowd went sick pretty funny momment.

 

[Copernicus]

The day we kicked 37 goals against Melbourne in 2011 at KP.
The crowd was buzzing pretty much all day but especially in that last quarter when we were chasing the record.

I was there for that game. First game in probably eight years, and the only game I've been to since I left the country.

Must say I wasn't expecting that and I had an absolute ball.

Was also there for Gaz's Mark of the Century. Still remember the sound of banging seats ringing out around the Southern Stand as everyone stood as one while he climbed into the air.

 

[Partridge]

For me it's always 1989. Two chunks, the run of games from probably the Round 6 Hawthorn loss to Ablett's suspension against Melbourne; then the finals series. Not just because for the first time in a decade (ever in my viewing experience) we had a team strong enough to win most weeks, but we had the best player I've ever seen hitting unearthly peaks. Even just the 5 week patch starting after the Round 5 Fitzroy loss:

- Round 6 v Hawthorn: 28 disposals, 5 marks, 3 goals 2 behinds
- Round 7 v St.Kilda: 25 disposals, 4 marks, 4 goals 4 behinds
- Round 8 v Brisbane: 23 disposals, 3 marks, 3 goals 4 behinds*
- Round 9 v Richmond: 30 disposals, 14 marks, 14 goals 2 behinds
- Round 10 v Collingwood: 28 disposals, 13 marks, 7 goals 4 behinds

Then his form in the finals went up to a seemingly impossible higher standard.

(* - curious how our memories work; I was at all of these games, and can still remember aspects of the other 4. I have no recollection of this game whatsoever).

 

[SJ]

Only time I watched Geelong play a game for premiership points at Princes Park was in Round 2 2004 (I have seen a couple of preseason games there, and also the final ever Carlton v Melbourne game in 2005 too).

Coming off the hype-filled narrow loss to St Kilda in the preseason grand final, and then getting spanked by them two weeks later in Round 1, the Cats were expected to bounce back against the Blues. I had moved to Melbourne (Parkville) only a few weeks before and for the first time, I could walk to the footy from Carlton instead of Newtown! But Carlton ran right over Geelong, I was so frustrated I left half way into the third quarter. I still have the Optus Oval pass out. It was the first and only time I have left before the siren, I'll never do it again.

Also Tenace kicked a goal with his first kick. Was all downhill after that.

 

[speedybundy]

Only time I watched Geelong play a game for premiership points at Princes Park was in Round 2 2004 (I have seen a couple of preseason games there, and also the final ever Carlton v Melbourne game in 2005 too).

Coming off the hype-filled narrow loss to St Kilda in the preseason grand final, and then getting spanked by them two weeks later in Round 1, the Cats were expected to bounce back against the Blues. I had moved to Melbourne (Parkville) only a few weeks before and for the first time, I could walk to the footy from Carlton instead of Newtown! But Carlton ran right over Geelong, I was so frustrated I left half way into the third quarter. I still have the Optus Oval pass out. It was the first and only time I have left before the siren, I'll never do it again.

Also Tenace kicked a goal with his first kick. Was all downhill after that.

Remember watching the Sunday afternoon game on 9 and waiting for "if you don't want to know the scores from Optus Oval, look away now" to come followed by 'do you see what I see'. I was so disappointed

Kane Tenace, back in 2004 it looked like him and Kelly would be our best mids out of that batch including Ablett and Bartel. Kelly I remember did his knee at Subiaco, Tenace I think would've been a solid (if not standout) player if he hadn't had injury issues between 05-07.

 

[SJ]

Remember watching the Sunday afternoon game on 9 and waiting for "if you don't want to know the scores from Optus Oval, look away now" to come followed by 'do you see what I see'. I was so disappointed

Kane Tenace, back in 2004 it looked like him and Kelly would be our best mids out of that batch including Ablett and Bartel. Kelly I remember did his knee at Subiaco, Tenace I think would've been a solid (if not standout) player if he hadn't had injury issues between 05-07.

Nope, one of the biggest butchers of the footy I've ever seen.

 

[Sttew]

- 1972, I think. Cats, sitting 2nd last, defeated Collingwood at Kardinia Park, sitting 1st or 2nd, by the slenderest margin. Hundreds of Cats fans congregated near the race after the win to sing the song and chant. I was a kid but learnt just how beautiful it is for Geelong to beat the Pies.
- 1980 - Cats smashed North Melbourne at Kardinia Park in driving rain, with captain and back pocketer, Ian Nankervis evading what seemed like the entire North side to slot through an inspirational goal.
- 1989 PF - the 170 point turnaround! Ablett, Brownless and Stoneham, with 15 goals between them, turned on a forward-fest reversing a 76 point QF loss into a 94 point smashing. I came away wondering whether Ablett could play a more dominant finals game....
- 1989 - Hawks down by 49 points at half time defeated Geelong at Princes Park - 171 v 163 in a classic shoot-out. It wasn't Ablett who kicked the goals that day, but hitherto virtually unknown forward, Gavin Exell who kicked 9 goals.
- 2009 - Cats v Demons at MCG. A "nothing" match, but I will never forget GAJ kicking the first goal within 3 - 4 seconds. The ball was palmed to him and he just took off. Sadly he went off with a muscle strain shortly afterwards.

I could go on. I won't mention the obvious ones. My all time favorite memory of recent times is Hawkins after the siren goal against the Hawks. The look on his face was priceless.

 

[vinum coupe]

- 1980 - Cats smashed North Melbourne at Kardinia Park in driving rain, with captain and back pocketer, Ian Nankervis evading what seemed like the entire North side to slot through an inspirational goal.
.

Always wondered what year that was.
We took our neighbour who was my age to the game that day.
We sat a few rows back on the outer wing. It was frigging cold.

And my dad had to take the neighbour home at 1/2 time because he was so wet and frozen. Pussy.
We never took him again

 

[Cyclone Larry]

Princes Park 2001 - the Milburn incident. I was sitting in the John Elliot Stand which is on the same side as the benches. I've never seen a crowd baying for blood as much as that day, spot fire fights everywhere and security just watching.

 

[Partridge]

Princes Park 2001 - the Milburn incident. I was sitting in the John Elliot Stand which is on the same side as the benches. I've never seen a crowd baying for blood as much as that day, spot fire fights everywhere and security just watching.

I was there too. I regard it as possibly the most overrated crowd reaction I've ever heard legends grow from. I didn't see any fights; not one. I went with a Carlton supporter - I was standing alone among Carlton supporters - and didn't feel remotely unsafe.

But hey, it's better to perpetuate the myth that there was some kind of riot. There wasn't.

 

[Sttew]

Always wondered what year that was.
We took our neighbour who was my age to the game that day.
We sat a few rows back on the outer wing. It was frigging cold.

And my dad had to take the neighbour home at 1/2 time because he was so wet and frozen. Pussy.
We never took him again

Barrassi came out after the game and declared "Geelong is a really good team". What else could he say, but I was impressed, coming from the great man!

 

[Sttew]

I was there too. I regard it as possibly the most overrated crowd reaction I've ever heard legends grow from. I didn't see any fights; not one. I went with a Carlton supporter - I was standing alone among Carlton supporters - and didn't feel remotely unsafe.

But hey, it's better to perpetuate the myth that there was some kind of riot. There wasn't.

What made matters worse was the treacherous behavior of Justin Murphy who refused to walk off with his "team mates" after the game. A dog act by Murphy.

 

[Rankin_1925]

I was there too. I regard it as possibly the most overrated crowd reaction I've ever heard legends grow from. I didn't see any fights; not one. I went with a Carlton supporter - I was standing alone among Carlton supporters - and didn't feel remotely unsafe.

But hey, it's better to perpetuate the myth that there was some kind of riot. There wasn't.

Might have been a different story if you were wearing a Geelong guernsey with #39 on the back.

 

[Commando]

2008 GF
2009 GF

12 months is a long time in football....

 

[Sttew]

2008 GF
2009 GF

12 months is a long time in football....

I still ask myself who was the hero in the 09 GF? Scarlett for his deft toe-poke that ultimately resulted in THE goal, or Chapman for slotting THE goal. Scarlett for me as it broke a tension filled deadlock and looked so good.