Universal Love Your finals stories

[Chookaradley]

Been to a few finals from the late 90s onwards, but the standout for me was Chris Judd's goal in the 2013 elimination in the last quarter vs Richmond. The noise was was spine tingling. Ive never heard anything like it, and will never forget it.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

Not as lucky (or as old) as many of you.

Only been to 3 finals

99 Prelim. Absolutely incredible. Combination of being such an underdog and Kouta turning into a Greek God. Enjoyed that more than winning the 95 flag.

2011 elimination final. Absolute demolition of *. Glorious

2013 elimination final. I got there just before HT and we won by about 50 points in the time I was there.

Running at 100% right now.

Going to book tix to at least our first final. You're welcome

I went to all these ones too, plus a loss that I won't name.

99 - went with my dad (Carlton obvs) and my Essendon supporting bestie and her dad. They refused to get in the car with us afterwards and took the train home instead hehe

2011 - loved watching my man Eddie Betts go fully sick to bury the Bombers

2013 - best part was the Richmond supporters booking flights to Sydney during the first quarter HAHAHHAHAHAHHA

 

[ferrisb]

Funny story re 2013 EF

I booked expensive tickets for the match, but it was my wife's grandfather's 90th birthday lunch.

My wife and I were in charge of booking the venue. You know what? SUCH a coincidence.... I chose a restaurant in Richmond. Early sitting thanks...

I spent the whole first half refreshing on my phone. Didn't seem I was missing much.

I left the party the second it wasn't too rude and bolted to the G. I finally made it to my seat late in the 2nd, right after a Richmond 50m penalty and goal.

It was all one way traffic from that point. We won by about 50 points while I was there.

I was the lucky charm that drove the comeback. Pretty sure. I mean I am short enough to be a leprechaun...

Grandpa's 100th bday next month. It's a good omen.

 

[ferrisb]

Standing on beer cans 79 81 82 just to see the action, grew enough to see the rest.

Do you know where you can get said beer cans?

Asking for a friend...

 

[CaptainCharisma]

I've got a reasonable record for attending finals wins barring the 99 Grand Final.
5-1
99 Prelim, 99 GF, 00 Semi, 01 Elim, 11 Elim, 13 Elim.

Wasn't born in time for the glory years and was too young to fully appreciate 95 so hopefully it's the start of a new successful era for us younger supporters.


Favourite finals memories for me are the two big upsets I got to witness 99 Prelim - sitting in the old Olympic Stand having Carlton supporters yelling out 30 seconds left from watching on their screens in the corporate boxes behind us and Fraser's tackle.

13 Elimination - surrounded by Richmond nuffies who thought it was going to be a walk in the park until the second coming of Christ, Chris Judd decided to rip their hearts out in the second half playing on one leg.
Walking out of the G seeing the animals fighting with each other just topped the day off.

 

[I bleed Blue]

36 years old.

Only been to two finals. 100% win rate.


2011 where we smashed *. Was sitting not far behind the goals with two * supporting mates.

During the warm up a * supporter a few rows in front of me who was not paying attention was hit in the head by a footy from a shot at goal. Off to the sick bay he went and didn't return. Maybe a blessing in disguise for him so he didn't need to watch his team dismantled.


2013 - ear drums burst when Juddy ripped out Richmond's hearts

 

[NavySteel]

1989er. I watched Carlton play the ‘95 final as was absolutely scintillated.

Remember listening to the ‘99 final on the radio and pacing up and down the house (fun fact: I still do that now ).

Was heartbroken 2011 and watched the Duigan show with my mum in 2013 (who was never into football, but is now a mad baggers supporter late in life!).

I’m not sure where I’ll be watching our GF game this year from?

 

[btdg]

I was listening to the preliminary final live on the radio in '99 (I was in year 12 and studying at the time). My family (all Carlton supporters) were in the other room watching on TV - it was on an hour delay because that was how TV worked back then.

After the ending, I went back out to watch it again with them and sat there looking stonefaced for the entire last quarter. They genuinely thought we were going to lose right up until Fraser Brown's tackle, then suddenly Justin Murphy

Justin Murphy

Age

48

Ht

185cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.8

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.1

3star

No current season stats available

D

17.6

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

7.2

5star

T

1.6

4star

has the ball up on the wing and time is running out and the whole house is just looking at me stunned and going 'wait, we won? what on earth is going on...'.

It is still hard to convey how big that match was at the time. I still firmly believe it was the biggest game of AFL footy ever in terms of hype and drama. The 90s saw massive growth in the game and by '99 it was a national sport, but it was still in the era of monoculture, where there were far fewer entertainment options (and September was JUST footy - there was almost zero premier league, no NBA or NFL on FTA, certainly no womens sport etc), and everyone was following the same storylines and drama, and this had it all. The two biggest teams at the time, the two leading premiership winners: The level of trash-talk going in, with John Elliott at his absolute most obnoxious, Sheedy's star at its apex, combined with how dominant Essendon had been that year and the underdog story. It was huge...

 

[btdg]

The flipside to '99 for me was the 1988 preliminary final loss.

This was the complete opposite - I was just a little kid, by the way, and we were coming off two straight grand finals and the defending premiers. I'd been to my first ever match in person a few weeks before (the qualifying final vs Collingwood, which we won) and had really only just started to piece together what footy meant, but I was pretty much obsessed at that point.

Melbourne had lost 5 games in a row prior to finals, and only scraped into 5th by beating us in the last round. They then snuck past West Coast by 2,snuck past Collingwood, and we were heavy, heavy favourites - it just felt inevitable that we would go up against Hawthorn for a 3rd straight year and I don't reckon anyone gave them a chance. I certainly hadn't even contemplated losing - at that age, I don't think I understood that it was even possible...

That prelim was just a classic wheels off game. Melbourne started with a big wind and kicked ahead, and we came back to level at half time. Then in the third quarter they just starting dobbing ridiculous goals and got ahead again, and in the last we kicked 4.6. I remember us just blowing chances - Peter Sartori missed a bunch, while they just had everything go their way - a goal from a 50m penalty, and then the final straw was Ricky Jackson's 5th 'goal' which clearly hit the post to everyone but the umpire...

I was shattered by that one, and it didn't help that Hawthorn absolutely belted them the following week.

2000 prelim was an eerily similar story with Brad Green

Brad Green

Age

43

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

10.3

4star

HB

5.9

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.2

2star

K

5.8

3star

HB

1.4

2star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.4

5star

snuffing out our chances... we also had a horror loss to Melbourne in 1994 when we should have gone close to winning the flag. Funny that three of our worst finals losses in my lifetime all against Melbourne (the only other really bad one I can think of was the week after that '94 loss when we lost again to Geelong when they had half their team injured).

 

[Dunna Heartknee]

Do you know where you can get said beer cans?

Asking for a friend...

It's a bad era now to be vertically challenged looking for a boost the plastic cups just don't cut it, back in the day there used to be empty cans scattered everywhere that would help people with such problems.

 

[lukep_86]

Was a footy mad Grade 4 in 95, didn't get to go but remember going to the parade and obviously watching the game on the couch. Drove to Princes Park once we'd won and the area was going off! Wanted to wait for the players but my younger sister had enough and wanted to home. As soon as we got home, news flash of the players greeting the fans with the cup at Optus Oval. I'm still not over it

99 was great, the game wasn't live on TV (don't know why) but I couldn't help myself and went to another room to listen on the radio. Was jumping around like a lunatic when we won, tried to hide the result from the old man but that was hard with a grin from ear to ear.

Was there when we smashed the Bombers in 2011 and that was bloody amazing.

Was there again in 2013, still clearly remember the hush of the massive crowd just before the bounce. What a game that was..the roar when Juddy put the goal through and Duigan kicked the sealer is something I'll never forget.

We've had some rough years but our highs have been amazing!

 

[KennyHuntersBlues]

Every final including Grand Finals live from 76 -84 before moving away from Melbourne . Thanks to my Dad who was a social club member who never missed a Carlton game even practice matches, I know he would be loving this run looking down from the big princes park in the sky. Loved 79 was on the same side of the ground as Harmes desperate effort and could see what was unfolding. 82 the first quarter fights were right in front of me and Helen Damico, my first naked woman at age 15 oh boy wowee ! 81 2nd semi Bosustow smother and snap goal of the year and qualifying final destroyation of Hawthorn in the 3rd quarter our premiership quarter ! Also really enjoyed the 86 second semi at Waverley when Johnno, Fraser Murphy and Rhys Jones killed the Hawks

 

[BlueGum]

Was a footy mad Grade 4 in 95, didn't get to go but remember going to the parade and obviously watching the game on the couch. Drove to Princes Park once we'd won and the area was going off! Wanted to wait for the players but my younger sister had enough and wanted to home. As soon as we got home, news flash of the players greeting the fans with the cup at Optus Oval. I'm still not over it

99 was great, the game wasn't live on TV (don't know why) but I couldn't help myself and went to another room to listen on the radio. Was jumping around like a lunatic when we won, tried to hide the result from the old man but that was hard with a grin from ear to ear.

Was there when we smashed the Bombers in 2011 and that was bloody amazing.

Was there again in 2013, still clearly remember the hush of the massive crowd just before the bounce. What a game that was..the roar when Juddy put the goal through and Duigan kicked the sealer is something I'll never forget.

We've had some rough years but our highs have been amazing!

You drove to PP as a grade 4er?

 

[Robbo's my hero]

You drove to PP as a grade 4er?

Must be a farmer’s son.

 

[Arr0w]

You drove to PP as a grade 4er?

Tall for his age

 

[BlueGum]

Must be a farmer’s son.

No chance, traffic lights, traffic, lines on the road...

 

[DirtyLeeds]

Must be a farmer’s son.

Frawley drove his dad's Merc from Milbrook to the Bungaree Cop Shop to get his licence, the sergeant told him to drive down the road, do a 'U' turn and parallel park it out the front. By the time he did all that the copper had gone inside and filled out the necessary forms and was waiting for Danny. All the farmers son's had been driving around the farms and villages since they were 13, really just a formality.

 

[lukep_86]

You drove to PP as a grade 4er?

Yep, stolen car too. The streets of St Albans taught me well.

 

[BlueGum]

Frawley drove his dad's Merc from Milbrook to the Bungaree Cop Shop to get his licence, the sergeant told him to drive down the road, do a 'U' turn and parallel park it out the front. By the time he did all that the copper had gone inside and filled out the necessary forms and was waiting for Danny. All the farmers son's had been driving around the farms and villages since they were 13, really just a formality.

My Dads country coach was a cop. My father had special dispensation to drive to training unlicensed.

 

[LFTWNG11]

Had a big day out at the pub watching the 2013 elimination final.

Got so whipped up I booked my tickets to Sydney for the following week

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Oh, I have many finals stories dating back to the early 70's when I was a young buck. I'll share this one that should put a few smiles on Carlton supporters' faces.

My best mate back in 1979 was at Carlton, and organised grand final tix for his family and close friends. So here we were in the old Southern Stand wing in a Carlton stronghold, with our reserves players and their entourage sitting about 3 or 4 rows in front of us.

I remember seeing Michael Jez (our tough wiry wingman from WA) sitting there next to one of the scariest bloke's I've ever seen. Basically a much bigger version of himself compete with the tattoos (way before they were trendy) and these cold piercing eyes. Sitting on the other side of him was big Wow Jones.

So after the final siren had blown and we'd won the game, the Collingwood Army - aka drunken thugs - were leaving the ground in droves complete with their eskies, that they'd no doubt emptied during the course of the day (back in the days when you could take beers into the ground) - and looking for trouble. So of course they look across, see all of the Carlton players in the stand, and proceed to give them a tirade of foul mouthed abuse.

Next thing you see is Micky Jez jump up on his seat and yell "ok you ****ers, you want to have a crack. Me, my brother, and my mate against all of you ****ing pricks. Come on, who's first?!?"

You've never seen a group of blokes back down as quick as this mob

He may have only played a couple of games for the club, but for me Michael Jez is a bloody legend.

 

[Michael Jezz]

Oh, I have many finals stories dating back to the early 70's when I was a young buck. I'll share this one that should put a few smiles on Carlton supporters' faces.

My best mate back in 1979 was at Carlton, and organised grand final tix for his family and close friends. So here we were in the old Southern Stand wing in a Carlton stronghold, with our reserves players and their entourage sitting about 3 or 4 rows in front of us.

I remember seeing Michael Jez (our tough wiry wingman from WA) sitting there next to one of the scariest bloke's I've ever seen. Basically a much bigger version of himself compete with the tattoos (way before they were trendy) and these cold piercing eyes. Sitting on the other side of him was big Wow Jones.

So after the final siren had blown and we'd won the game, the Collingwood Army - aka drunken thugs - were leaving the ground in droves complete with their eskies, that they'd no doubt emptied during the course of the day (back in the days when you could take beers into the ground) - and looking for trouble. So of course they look across, see all of the Carlton players in the stand, and proceed to give them a tirade of foul mouthed abuse.

Next thing you see is Micky Jez jump up on his seat and yell "ok you ****ers, you want to have a crack. Me, my brother, and my mate against all of you ****ing pricks. Come on, who's first?!?"

You've never seen a group of blokes back down as quick as this mob

He may have only played a couple of games for the club, but for me Michael Jez is a bloody legend.

Thanks mate

 

[Red Bull]

79,81,82,87 live at the G
95 missed through injury (bitten at work the day before by a redback spider) and watched the game from Box Hill Hospital.
Memories of camping outside PP for tickets with my brother and other Navy Blue faithful.
Opposing coaches Percy Jones and Tony Jewell punching on at Waverley during the break in a final.
The heat of the day in 87.
Jezza being carried off in 79.
The impassable Bruce Doull.
The irrepressible Dominator.
The prodigy Buckley.
To our younger folk here who’ve only known hard times … buckle up … you’re time is coming !!

 

[The Bighouse]

The flipside to '99 for me was the 1988 preliminary final loss.

This was the complete opposite - I was just a little kid, by the way, and we were coming off two straight grand finals and the defending premiers. I'd been to my first ever match in person a few weeks before (the qualifying final vs Collingwood, which we won) and had really only just started to piece together what footy meant, but I was pretty much obsessed at that point.

Melbourne had lost 5 games in a row prior to finals, and only scraped into 5th by beating us in the last round. They then snuck past West Coast by 2,snuck past Collingwood, and we were heavy, heavy favourites - it just felt inevitable that we would go up against Hawthorn for a 3rd straight year and I don't reckon anyone gave them a chance. I certainly hadn't even contemplated losing - at that age, I don't think I understood that it was even possible...

That prelim was just a classic wheels off game. Melbourne started with a big wind and kicked ahead, and we came back to level at half time. Then in the third quarter they just starting dobbing ridiculous goals and got ahead again, and in the last we kicked 4.6. I remember us just blowing chances - Peter Sartori missed a bunch, while they just had everything go their way - a goal from a 50m penalty, and then the final straw was Ricky Jackson's 5th 'goal' which clearly hit the post to everyone but the umpire...

I was shattered by that one, and it didn't help that Hawthorn absolutely belted them the following week.

2000 prelim was an eerily similar story with Brad Green snuffing out our chances... we also had a horror loss to Melbourne in 1994 when we should have gone close to winning the flag. Funny that three of our worst finals losses in my lifetime all against Melbourne (the only other really bad one I can think of was the week after that '94 loss when we lost again to Geelong when they had half their team injured).

15m back in ‘88 I reckon (though would have seemed like 50m), certainly was in ‘87 against Jimbo.
Edit: 50-metre penalty introduced in 1988!

Aaron freakin’ Lord in ‘94.
Went to the WACA the day we lost to MFC (McGuane/Worsfold incident), numbed out in the members back when the pass got footy access.

 

[Earls Smother]

I barracked for Carlton because of dad. He was a pom, not a die-hard and didn't go to the footy much, only really Waverley games. Our success in '72 was only enjoyed on the radio in the backyard.

The parish priest was mad Carlton and took a car load of us after junior school footy in the morning, from 1974 onwards.

First final was 1975 second semi loss to North.

First live grand final was 1981. Clearest memory from that year (apart from the win) was from the Geel v Coll Qualifying final. I was only at that game because of the way they did the series tickets. Stan Magro right-hooked Terry Bright of Geelong after a clearing kick from defence. I saw it clear as day from behind the goals at the Punt road end, as I wasn't that fussed about following the ball. No camera footage meant Magro got to play the next week.

1995 I was on night shift. Couldn't sleep for obvious reasons, so breakfast was beer at the Cricketer's Arms. Didn't quite make it to work that night, or the Sunday night after spending the day at Princes Park. Times have changed, as a Hawks supporter in the same job did similiar in 2014, and was demoted and nearly sacked.