Opinion Five Best & Worst Moments as a Carlton Fan

[Robbo's my hero]

I’ll need to do this decade by decade. Could take some time!

 

[Dominator68]

In no particular order

Best.

1. Listening to 1999 GF call on the car radio
2. 1995 GF
3. Kouta in his prime
4. Flogging Richmond in 2013
5. Dominator in those early 80s finals

Worst
1. SOS touching Michael Long's goal in the 1993 GF
2. Being at the 1999 GF and seeing Shannon Grant tear us a new one.
3. The Pagan fiasco. Mick Martyn, Digby Morell etc
4. AFL corruption. Greg Williams suspension. Salary cap penalty. Fixturing.
5. Kouta doing his knee

 

[thylacine60]

WORST MOMENTS.
1. 1973 GF.
2. Blight game.
3. Daniher game.
4. Crosswell leaving
5. Jezza leaving

BEST MOMENTS.
1. Eight Premierships.
2. Jezza's mark.
3. Walkers Mark.
4. Chris Judd Brownlow.
5. Greg Williams Brownlow.

High and low from one game againts the Pies.

Low. Magro knocks out Jezza.
High. We were well down and came back to stick it right up them.

 

[thylacine60]

ripping thread - takes me places I love and hate - I love/hate you for that Cripptonite ............

 

[gbatman]

Best
1995 GF, 1999 Prelim, 2013 Final win, Getting Judd, Finally having the full club rebuild we needed to have.

Worst
Salary cap breach and punishment, Kouta's knee in the 2000 season (we were a chance with Kouta that year), Losing Kennedy, Going through the full club rebuild we needed to have, a whole heap of stuff...

 

[BlueView]

In no particular order

Best.

1. Listening to 1999 GF call on the car radio
2. 1995 GF
3. Kouta in his prime
4. Flogging Richmond in 2013
5. Dominator in those early 80s finals

Worst
1. SOS touching Michael Long's goal in the 1993 GF
2. Being at the 1999 GF and seeing Shannon Grant tear us a new one.
3. The Pagan fiasco. Mick Martyn, Digby Morell etc
4. AFL corruption. Greg Williams suspension. Salary cap penalty. Fixturing.
5. Kouta doing his knee

Remember listening to it as well with my brother at the Charles Weston in Brunswick, those were the days where the pubs around there were usually able to tap into a broadcast and happy to serve minors a beer, but we were shit out of luck and couldn’t get it on the telly. Remember the siren going and going bananas with the publican who was also mad Carlton

Best:

1. 1999 Prelim Old enough to appreciate it

2. 1995 All I knew were good times minus 1993

3. First and only game at Waverley seeing Harry’s goal against Adelaide.
(And being in shock and awe that they had Pizza Hut at Waverley)

4. The Ratten resurgence

5. Back half of 2019 under Teague


Worst:

1. Vlad doing his best to incinerate the club

2. 1993

3. Malthouse era

4. Sticks putting it out of bounce on the full after the siren against *

5. 2018

 

[Beast__Mode]

Best

1. 99 Prelim - nothing will ever beat this. * assholes waiting for GF tickets as we were walking in, hanging shit on us. Glorious afternoon at the football.

2. Watching Kouta in person every week in 2000 - Don’t think I’ll ever see football played at that level so consistently again.

3. 2013 Elim - Judd goal the perfect punctuation of a magnificent crowd and atmosphere.

4. refusing to lose to the Eagles Rd 22 1995. That was the win that defined that team as an all time great unit

5. the warm glow of knowing the next day there’ll be a screen shot of a despondent Eddy every time Carlton beats Collingwood, Judd wins a Brownlow

Worst

1. Salary Cap - final exclamation point of chronic mismanagement of our club married with a clear vindictiveness from AFL house

2. mid 00s - remember one day I went with Dad and a mate to see Freo vs Carlton at the G. Cold, wet. Five minutes in we were three goals down and we walked out and went to the pub. The club had ducked the life out of us

3. Milburn - ugliest incident I’ve personally seen at a game. I genuinely thought the crowd was going to jump the fence that day.

4. 2018/19 - because I really liked Bolton but it just wasn’t working. First time since the mid 00s I never looked at the schedule when making plans on the weekend. I’d given up.

5. Rd 20, 2000- who knows what would have happened if Kouta doesn’t wreck his knee. I think we‘re gunning for 18 now, personally.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Best H&A

1. Jezzas first game as c/c at Vikky Park in ‘78. We were utterly on our knees, Ian Stewart had gone, Serge had enough, Walls had quit, Percy was fat, so Jezza played the kids.......rest is history.

2. Percys first game as coach in 1980. After the summer from hell, we utterly donkey walloped the Pies on their own dung heap. Johnston went total bunta......nailed 7.

3. Kernahan Rd 22 1987.

4. 2004 v the Cows at Footy Park. By quarter time was off for the outside smoking bars and appalling West End swill. An hour later Fev kicked one to the moon!!

5. The last game at Footy Park v Port in 2013.

 

[Blues177]

Best - in order

1, 1979 grand final.
Jesaulenko was my first favourite Carlton player when I was a kid so i was delighted that he eventually became a premiership coach. Amazing game, I felt very nervous in the last few minutes and i was ecstatic when the final siren sounded. Jezza was carried into the rooms during the last quarter when he got injured and it was a memorable moment when the overjoyed players ran to him when he was carried back to the ground after the game ended. 1979 was a good year, only 3 losses and no slump.

2. The other 5 premierships that I can remember.

3. 1999 prelim final.
Essendon was undefeated since mid July and on fire. We finished 6th on the ladder after the H&A season and had little chance of winning that prelim. Great last quarter and Kouta was magnificient. I attended the game and will never forget the crowd noise and ecstatic blues fans celebrating.

4. 1978 round 7 - Victoria Park V Collingwood.
We just missed the final 5 in 1977 and started 1978 poorly. New coach Ian Stewart quit early in the season and Serg Silvagni took over as caretaker coach.
We lost 5 of our first 6 games and finally Jesaulenko was appointed captain/ coach. Jezza had an immediate impact and in his first game as coach we beat Collingwood at Victoria Park in a hard fought game. That game signalled the re-birth of the blues as a power. We started winning regularly again, made the first semi final that year and then Jezza led us to a flag in '79.

5. 2013 elimination final
Tigers led by about 5 goals at half time and we stormed home. We got there after the AFL booted Essendon out of the finals but we also had to beat Port Adel in the final H&A game in Adelaide which we did, by 1 point!

Worst

1. Salary Cap breaches and subsequent penalties.
Horrible time. Made front page news and set us back for many years.

2. Losing grand finals

3. Jesaulenko leaving
We won the 1979 premiership but Jezza departed in February 1980 after he supported president George Harris who was voted out in that unfortunate political turmoil. It all appeared senseless to supporters at the time.

4. 1976 preliminary final v North Melb
We finished the H&A season on top. Leading up to the finals we achieved 9 straight wins and a draw including thrashing the other top teams Hawthorn and North Melb (at Arden St) during that time. We were highly skilled and the best side but bombed out of the finals in straight sets. In the prelim we had many chances in the last few minutes to score a goal but missed. Lost by 1 point and it was my most dissapointing loss as a kid. We did an 'Essendon 1999'.

5. 1994 first semi final v Geelong
Eliminated from the finals by Geelong at Waverley even though Bairstow, Couch and Garry Hocking were late outs. Late in the season it looked like we were the only real threat to West Coast after we thrashed them at Princes Park but we went out in straight sets in the finals v's the dees and cats.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Yep, ‘79 was church.

113k blind drunk people, split near on 50/50.......these weren’t theatre going footy fans.

Never, ever heard noise like that.

5 minutes before half time, we were done, then we rattle off 5 in 5 to snare the lead.

3rd quarter, Percy goals, Michael Young sails one to the Punt Road End...... thought we were home.

Last quarter, Wearmouth, Phil Carlson fire up.....then Harmes.

Then bloody Butch Edwards waddles through for a left foot wobbler.

Did not hear hear siren personally, but Bruce Doull put up his 12 foot wingspan in celebration.

and that was that.

 

[TerryWallet]

Yep, ‘79 was church.

113k blind drunk people, split near on 50/50.......these weren’t theatre going footy fans.

Never, ever heard noise like that.

5 minutes before half time, we were done, then we rattle off 5 in 5 to snare the lead.

3rd quarter, Percy goals, Michael Young sails one to the Punt Road End...... thought we were home.

Last quarter, Wearmouth, Phil Carlson fire up.....then Harmes.

Then bloody Butch Edwards waddles through for a left foot wobbler.

Did not hear hear siren personally, but Bruce Doull put up his 12 foot wingspan in celebration.

and that was that.

Unlike you to overlook the clutch winning moment Stig. When the Pies were well on top and B.O.G at the time Russell Ohlsen somehow wandered into Trevor Keogh's path...and somehow hit the deck......and somehow was seeing 3 footballs for the rest of the game and died right out of the game as Johnno and Bucks and Harmes and others hit the accelerator.

 

[thylacine60]

 

[GapInIkonPark]

Best
1. 1999 PF - Kouta and a good handful of players played their best or most memorable game that day. Close win against the odds v *.

2. 1979 GF - I was too young to appreciate it really but such drama and Blues on top in a close one.

3. Teague caretaker coach period 2019 - from the second half of the first match against Lions we were competitive against everyone (except in my heart of hearts West Coast and Tigers but no shame how we played).

4. A few special H&A wins or moments ...

Round 11 2004 v Crows Fevola goal to win about 2:15 left on clock ...

http://www.blueseum.org/Round+11,+2004

Round 14 1993 v West Coast (Stephen Oliver)

Round 14, 1993 | Blueseum - History of the Carlton Football Club

Blueseum: History of the Carlton Football Club

www.blueseum.org

3 amigos v St Kilda on a Monday night

Bosustow mark and goal

Whitnall 8 goals v Western Bulldogs (round 17 1998)

v Freo 2019 without Cripps with the Casboult handball, Fisher tap on and Murphy goal ... JSOS on Fyfe ...

Carlton v GWS round 12 1997

5. Other premierships ... 1981, 1982, 1987 and 1995

Special mention - club turnaround late 2015 with the Trigg 10 point plan which was headed up with ‘No quick fixes’.


Worst
EQ 1. Salary cap and aftermath, Pagan years - supporters devoid of hope as we were smashed by penalties then smashed on the field, and we looked to hope in Martyn, Morell, Hartford, Bowyer, ... Scotland was good though ...

EQ 1. Malthouse - club just went south rapidly then the 100 point thrashings in 2015 around the ‘milestone‘ were hard to watch. Lost a procession of players Laidler, Waite, Betts, Garlett, Robinson ...

3. Disappointment as Ratten era fizzled out with loss to Suns late in 2012.

4. Poor drafting and recruiting for several years pre-SOS and then sacking SOS because we could not resolve a conflict of interest (or sort out egos).

5. Eq. 1993 GF, 1999 GF, kicking just 1 goal late against Footscray at Western Oval (Arceri), and our loss this year to North where we ‘did not turn up to play’ ...

and there was one day Robbie Muir of St Kilda was wildly angry at Princes Park, and the Milburn thing, losing in SOS 300th rankles too ...

 

[footyfan1978]

Five Worst Moments as a Carlton Fan.

1979 summer finding out the great Alex Jesaulenko had left the club after he captain-coached us to a premiership. As a kid, that shock was unbelievable. It made no sense to me at time.

1987 season started off relatively promising and Peter Motley looked exciting after injury hampered first year. I came back from a game from Western Oval excited for season ahead. Within weeks Peter Motley was in a horrendous car accident back from training which Paul Meldrum also involved in another car behind but less seriously injured. But Motley life was at stake. The shock of that is hard to re-create in words three decades later. It went on at first just hoping it was not as bad as initial reports. then you find he is in a coma and may never come out again or every chance could die. That effect on people at club including players was really emotional drawn out months that you hoped was just a nightmare and would wake up to finding Motley was alright. The emotion of season was not about joy even though a premiership was the end of the season result. It turned out the best of a horror emotional ride by Motley coming out of a coma and attending grand final in a wheel chair but the sadness of knowing he would never fully recover physically was just being digested.If we could give up the premiership and have Peter Motley fully recovered physically none of us would think twice. The fact that three decades later Peter still lives and smiles can make this period look less bleak to live through but as a memory it was one of worst emotional experiences following our sport in it's time. We are blessed it was not like the Phil Hughes story where that poor soul lost his life.

1989 first time I experienced us going really shit and missing the finals.
1 win from opening 9 games or something like that . Beaten by Bad News Bears on our own homeground. Full on shame at that point. Coach had lost the players and there was no way back. This was my twelfth season of following Carlton and first time we not only did not make the top five but we were genuinely a bad side and I was not used to seeing some shit performance so many weeks in a row.

1994 finals series. Out in straight sets and just did not understand how we blew up our season when a few weeks beforehand we were flying and looking very likely to go all the way. To be out in week two was a massive shock like never felt before or since.

Start of new century and losing pick one and two virtually day before the draft and more draft picks in next two years ( it started a cascading effect of our worst period in club history, getting in debt, losing our homeground, having Denis Pagan and later Mick Mallhouse as coach which only made us worse)

Five best moments later which will be far more fun to think about.

 

[footyfan1978]

Five Best moments will start with my first favourite moment was first season I followed us. Take yourself back to first time you consciously started following the game as a kid. This was the head space I was in. Previous September I'd watched the 77 grand final draw and replay and was mesmerised as a kid by the charisma of super coach Ron Barassi. North Melbourne won the premiership and were the number one team to me. They were the trendsetters as I tasted my first experience following our unique Aussie game.

So 1978 season starts and for some reason I just started tuning into the radio every Saturday as a kid to hear how my own team went. First game, we lose by 13 goals....Imagine that as a kid, this is your introduction of following your team. Some of you guys that only followed us in the 2000's can relate as bad results rather than good has been your main experience. So I'm one game in my first impression of my own team is not good or fun. Fast forward to six rounds in, we got one narrow win against another shit side, the coach has been sacked and the captain has left to Fitzroy in season,.this is not fun experience.. Look at ladder on tv and newspaper and we are way down near the bottom and some weeks on the bottom. Meanwhile, last year premiers with supercoach Barassi are top of ladder and undefeated. I am going for the right team ? They look another world away of pure brilliance and we utter struggle for even respect. Club turmoil with coach sacked leads to veteran champion Alex Jesaulenko now both captain on field and coach on field.....Everything is new to me. I'm learning our own players most by radio and one or two games on big Replay which usually is the other side beating us....So first game as captain-coach Jezza leads my new childhood love of Carlton to a unexpected win over Collingwood. It's wonderful but still it only moves us up ladder a few spots and Collingwood only middle of ladder anyway.

So school holidays arrive and my parents take us to Adelaide to stay with auntie and cousins for two weeks. We beat Fitzroy narrowly in low scoring game but they only one spot above us so it is good but you look at ladder and it still showing North, the reigning premiers undefeated on top of ladder. In Adelaide it is hard to follow my team. There is only AM radio and naturally local stations broadcast their league games each Saturday and I'm stopped from my two month habit of following my own team on radio. So I'm virtually out of touch and might see finals scores from Victoria on their news/sport section on evening news. I worry the fantastic North will beat us bad as that is who we are playing back in Melbourne........ Amazingly their tv after showing local game brief highlights show the final scores for that Saturday's VFL round 9....

Carlton. yes Carlton, my own team that was near bottom a few weeks ago has beaten the reigning premiers by 58 points....
As a kid in my wildest dreams could I not believe my own team has thrashed the reigning premiers lead by supercoach Barassi...
Round 9

Home team	Home team score	Away team	Away team score	Venue	Crowd	Date
Geelong	16.13 (109)	South Melbourne	14.11 (95)	Kardinia Park	21,603	27 May 1978
Fitzroy	13.14 (92)	Footscray	18.9 (117)	Junction Oval	11,903	27 May 1978
Collingwood	12.20 (92)	Richmond	10.16 (76)	Victoria Park	28,651	27 May 1978
Carlton	18.9 (117)	North Melbourne	8.11 (59)	Princes Park	30,976	27 May 1978
St Kilda	8.9 (57)	Hawthorn	13.19 (97)	Moorabbin Oval	25,293	27 May 1978
Essendon	15.12 (102)	Melbourne	8.12 (60)	VFL Park	28,231	27 May 1978

Was one of those unbelievable moments of the thrill as a little kid. It was magical in feeling of first real excitement and sheer joy of following my team. Such an unexpected turn around of my team. Could not believe my eyes. Think I saw a bit if a replay on The Winners of something over the weekend but North seemed so supreme as a kid that to not only beat them but thrash them was such a shock and thrill in one. For next few hours I was on cloud nine as a kid and mesmerised each round how we had been climbing ladder from bottom to now a chance to even dream to make the final five. As it is the first real precious memory of being so surprised and thrilled at same time it remains of my favourite memories of all as a Carlton fan as it lead me to believe all things are possible. Indeed as the next 18 months would show this was indeed right...








1979 grand final win was like the ending chapters of the magical ride from such a poor start to season before to within 18 months watching my first ever premiership of my team, live on tv.

1981 grand final is number three for sure. Beating the Colliwobbles again after being 21 points down time on of third quarter I will never forget.

1982 grand final win against the arch rival of Tigers. They had beaten us two weeks before when Dominator was suspended. By this time he had become my favourite Carlton player so to get my favourite player back for the grand final and unleash on them in opening minutes to give us the edge was super exciting. Was a quality grand final as Tigers came back but we sealed it in final quarter and back to back flags I experienced for first time.

1983 home and away games late in season against Hawks. Just about the most enjoyable home and away game I remember going to. At the homeground against co-tenant and we were sluggish in first half of season but in last few rounds we showed our best was still best in league. Premiership was not to be the fairy tale end to season due to suspensions but this ride in round 20 or thereabouts always make me remember it as "as good as it gets " for a day out to the footy without it being a final.

 

[What else we can do]

1.1995 GF Harry recieving the winners medal.
2. 1987 GF 8 year old celebrating with friends kick to to kick on the street.
3. 1999 prelim hugging Dad after the siren even though his a Richmond supporter.
4. 1995 prelim booing pagan when his face was on the MCG scoreboard.
5. 2011 elim final great day for the massive Blues crowd awsome.

Worst
1.pumped by collingwood 2002.
2. 2009 final Bris Lions still not over it.
3. 2010 Swans final same as 2.
4. 2011 semi same as 3.
5. Round 20 2000 walking to the G with 60,000 Blues fans to see us beat the Bombers until Kouta and Bradley got injured massive let down.

 

[BeijingBlue]

Best
'68 GF when Brent Crosswell starred and I was a Blue for life!
'72 GF - my first live game of AFL/VFL. They were awesome.
'79 GF - Wayne Harmes
'87 - GF the one we were not supposed to win
'99 Prelim - the magic of it all
Sadly not that much to celebrate these last 20 years...
Worst
'93 GF - still have nightmares seeing Long run us ragged
John Elliot
Brown Paper Bags
Those 100 point floggings
Malthouse

 

[Bearded Carpenter]

Best in no particular order.

Getting pissed with Ronnie Delulio.
Buying memberships for me mates kids who don't barrack for us.
Eating a kebab with Ronnie Delulio.
Calling me * mate not by his name, but cheat every time I speak to him.
Falling over pissed, looking up seeing Ronnie Delulio laughing at me.

Worst moment by far was losing to those ****ing drug **** cheating **** eating mother ****ers.

 

[Jimmy84]

Worst
1. Salary Cap Incident
2. Mick Malthouse era and the damage done to the club
3. Fev being traded (I still blame Judd as a key cause to it)
4. Lack of supporters at Simpsons 300th game. We had 45K or so members and a crowd of 21K mixed supporters at the game. Considered that a huge disrespect to the guy.
5. 1999 GF, after what we did the week before to go down like that was utterly disappointing

Best
1. Listening to the 1999 prelim final with brother on the radio
2. Sacking of Malthouse
3. 2016 come from behind victory against Port Adelaide in Simpsons 250th. A few players came back on the field injured and toughed it out in the last quater to beat the Power and chair off Simmo.
4. 1995 GF win, first as a kid seen on TV
5. 2013 final win against Richmond.

 

[Styxx]

Best

1. 99 Prelim.
2. 2013 elimination final
3. 95 Flag
4. The amount of times we beat West coast by 1 point when they were a powerhouse in the mid 90's (95, 96 and 93 i think as well)
5. Meeting Stephen Kernahan when I was 8.


Worst
1. 99 Grand final. Was there.
2. The fallout from the salary cap saga.
3. Digby ****ing Morrell
4. The poor management of the club by either incompetence or selfishness (Ian Collins/those who hired Malthouse etc)
5. Cain Ackland -"professional footballer"

 

[chuncey]

I've obviously been around much longer than most on this thread:

BEST-

1. 1970 Grand Final
2. 1968 Grand Final
3. 1972 Grand Final
4. 1979 Grand Final
5. 1982 Grand Final

Honorary mentions - 1981 Grand Final, 1987 Grand Final, 1995 Grand Final (and, yes I was at all 8). 1999 Preliminary Final.

Worst -

1. 1962 Grand Final (my first)
2. 1993 Grand Final
3. 1973 Grand Final
4. 1986 Grand Final
5. 1999 Grand Final

Dis-honorary mention - 1969 Grand Final

 

[David Sylvian]

Best: Kouta one handed
The Fever in full flight
95
Any victory over *
Buzz/Hunter

Worst: Kouta doing a knee
Losing to WC without Kreuz and gibbs
Salary Cap penalties
Multiple Wooden Spoons
Malthouse/Losing to *

PS everyone gets a like for this thread, memories maketh the supporter

 

[thylacine60]

I've obviously been around much longer than most on this thread:

BEST-

1. 1970 Grand Final
2. 1968 Grand Final
3. 1972 Grand Final
4. 1979 Grand Final
5. 1982 Grand Final

Honorary mentions - 1981 Grand Final, 1987 Grand Final, 1995 Grand Final (and, yes I was at all 8). 1999 Preliminary Final.

Worst -

1. 1962 Grand Final (my first)
2. 1993 Grand Final
3. 1973 Grand Final
4. 1986 Grand Final
5. 1999 Grand Final

Dis-honorary mention - 1969 Grand Final

Who the **** is this legend?

 

[thylacine60]

Best: Kouta one handed
The Fever in full flight
95
Any victory over *
Buzz/Hunter

Worst: Kouta doing a knee
Losing to WC without Kreuz and gibbs
Salary Cap penalties
Multiple Wooden Spoons
Malthouse/Losing to *

PS everyone gets a like for this thread, memories maketh the supporter

Think Waite was missing against WC as well.

 

[esoteric]

was there - liddle the new milburn.........

Henceforth to be referred to as “Lilburn”...