Essendon v Adelaide...Remember When

[Anton Grbac]

1993 Preliminary Final Half Time: Adelaide 12.12.84
Essendon 6. 6.42

Sitting in the top deck of the Olympic Stand havin' watched the Bombers totally outplayed in the first half. Anderson running amok, Rehn's 'scyscraper' and Modra on top of a young Dustin Fletcher. For some reason, i remember being fairly confident. Mrs. Wally of the time calling me a fool for believing "if we can get the first two after half time we'll win the game"

Who could ever forget the second half of that game. Longy's explosive bursts out of the middle, six of the best from Boris and Seany Denham's shutting down of Tony McGuinness. Olarenshaw(!)'s and Calthorpe(!!)'s constant running and O'Donnell's and Thompson's (the consumate "captain's game") coolness under pressure.

The noise of the crowd when Mercuri goaled to pull the margin back to 16 points in the 3rd remains...to this day...the loudest roar i've ever experienced at the footy (watch the tape and listen to it). Jarman's miss from point blank in the middle of our run really knocked the stuffing out of the Crows. It was then i knew we would win it. Not forgettin' "young" Timmy's goal in the last which put the match beyond doubt.

Yep, the '93 Prelim. Final remains one of the greatest days i've had at the footy. Mrs.Wally of the time never doubted my 'football wisdom' after that day. Shame she left
Aaah well...what can ya do?

Hard to belive that was 8 years ago. Who else was there?

where's wally?

 

[gPhonque]

I was there. Don't remember much, but funnily enough, i do remember being confident we'd win. I remember sitting there at half time saying "we can still win this, we can still win this..."

Maybe we're both confusing confidence with wishfull thinking.

Oh well. Gotta get a copy of that game. I still haven't seen it since the day.

 

[BigStork]

I wasn't at the game, but I remember all work in our garden stopped about half way through the third quarter as we leaned on our shovels and began to listen intently to the radio coverage through our crackly old transistor.

The grass remained uncut, the landscaping unfinished, as night fell that evening and we rushed inside to catch the replay.

A great day, and what stands out in my memory from the replay on the TV that night was Longy's complete control of the centre square. He dashed out of there at will and of course went on to win the Norm Smith Medal a week later. This was a make or break season for Longy as earlier on that year he had been suspended two or three times and was really in danger of losing the plot. He bounced back in the best possible way with those inforgettable finals performances.

He must like playing against Adelaide - remember his six goals in the second half of last years clash against the Crows?

 

[Dave]

Yeah I was there though I wasn't all that confident at half time. When we got back to within 28 pts I thought we were a chance, and when Mercuri kicked his goal I knew we'd win (you're right about the roar too, though Leon's Bakers blind turn & goal to put us in front in '84 would give it a run). Jarman missing his goal was just another "highlight". Big mouth, big head, bad kick.
Boris' goal from the boundary in the last, G O'D's goal to put us in front, Watson miss from the goal sqaure and then the sealer. Walked out hoarse. Went home & watched it again at Mum & Dads & then at my place. Yep, just about the best day. It was also the first final I'd seen us win since the 85 GF. I'd been to every loss since and missed every win. My boss told me at half time he was yelling out for me to p1ss off home!

Personal highlight was seeing the w***er sitting next to me disappear before the end after hanging sh1t on us all day. Turned up the next week (we were in the same seats) and spent all day barracking for Carlton. Said before the game when it was announced that Kickett was out "No Kickett, no confidence". I said "yeah, no f@rking Adelaide either" and we didn't hear from him again. The best bit was seeing his missus tell him to get stuffed when he wanted to leave early again. We gave him heaps. W@nker.

Got to work on Monday and my boss told me about the barbie he'd had at hsi place. When we hit the front he said everyone went nuts and all their kids just stopped dead thinking they were in trouble until they realised what was up. P1ssed myself laughing!

 

[walshy1993]

i was there, sitting behind the players race in the afl members
i was only about 12 at the time, but the emotion when the boys walked up the race is something i will remember for ever

someone i know worked at the club at the time, and was sitting in the coaches box
and have told me the story of sheeds in the second half time and time again

as soon as he walked into the box after half time, he said "we are gonna win this one"

sheeds knew it, he knew the boys would get
"ok, focus, how are we going to get the next goal"

he was so focused and the goals kept coming

one funny story- at half time, the adelaide football club began making grand finalist tshirts so they could sell them outside they ground, they had 50,000 printed which all had to be destroyed

 

[M29]

Originally posted by walshy1993

one funny story- at half time, the adelaide football club began making grand finalist tshirts so they could sell them outside they ground, they had 50,000 printed which all had to be destroyed

The 4 teams that are in the pre-lims all have a few thousand grand final t shirts printed straight after the game the losing 2 are destroyed.

Also the 2 Grand Final teams do this as well. I know this becuase I got one that was on sale for $2 after 1990 complete with a cartoon of Timmy holding the 1990 cup.
Oh well, the 1993 $20 version made up for it!

 

[walshy1993]

Originally posted by M29


The 4 teams that are in the pre-lims all have a few thousand grand final t shirts printed straight after the game the losing 2 are destroyed.

Also the 2 Grand Final teams do this as well. I know this becuase I got one that was on sale for $2 after 1990 complete with a cartoon of Timmy holding the 1990 cup.
Oh well, the 1993 $20 version made up for it!

yeah i know that but at half time of the prelim the adelaide football club made their own to sell not only at the g but also at a venue in adelaide where they had big screens set up for all their supporters
50,000 tshirts in total

 

[ant]

Well, I remember the day vividly, just about the worst day in football I've ever had. At half time I didn't think we were certainties to win but obviously I was confident. Jars' miss was the killer one, the young Bombers went rampant and then Timmy kicked the sealer.

I've never been more shattered by a loss, I even cried, something I don't normally do. I'm starting to get a tear right now just thinking about it..........

 

[mantis]

I was at the Leopold Hotel in Perth watching it on the big screen.
Tony Buhagiar owns the pub, so he had a footy function on & there were quite a few Crows supporters & the west aussies that always barrack for an interstate club when they are playing a Vic club.
At half time & at the start of the third qtr they were all singing the Crows song & bragging how they had the game sewn up.
Surprise surprise how an hour later when we were going to start getting stuck into them, they had either left, or taken off their Crows gear so they wouldn't have to cop the slagging we were going to inflict.

 

[Jars458]

I had the best piss at half time in that Game (a 6 stubby piss). Thought we were certainties for the GF

Rehn's miss after taking that Mark, Jarman's miss and Rodney Maynard's complete incompetence cost us the game

I cried afterwards too. Not ashamed to admit that.

In hindsight though, it taught us a valuable lesson, about never giving up and always playing to the end.

Then came the 97 prelim final and we showed we had learnt that lesson - much to the chagrin of Doggies fans.

Considering 93 was our frist finals series and we had to play three games in a row away from home, to get within 11 poitns was a good result.

Of course given the half time score, it is also the worst result in our histroy. If that makes sense.

Of course now, the Crows have the best finals record of any club in the Vfl/AFL % wise.

We have won eight and lost three from eleven finals.


Significantly, 6 of those wins came inter-state. 5 in Melbourne and one in Sydney.

We have never beated Essendon in Melbourne. We even lost the last game of 97 by four points when we kicked the first 5 goals.


There is always a first time though, so look out Bombers fans, don't be too confident this week.



McLeod is due for a blinder!!

 

[windyhill]

thouroughly pissed off at half time,went and had a punt,lost a quick $100.00 now,very un~happy....heard the crowd..BEWICK,bang,sprinted back to my spot in standing room,johnny barnes was there drunk as a skunk,his wife had just given birth,he had come straight from the hospital.
absolutely beserk in standing room,gave it to the crow fans good and proper,magical day,kick to kick with barnes after.."hey barnsey,go visit your missus and kid"....."hey mate,get me another beer"

 

[Dan26]

Yep, I was there. You're right, Mercuri's goal was one of the loudest roar's I have ever heard. I was confident "fate" would, see us in the GF. Surely, the Crows, in only their 3rd season weren't going to make it. I knew we had it when Boris slotted one from the boundary in front of the Southern Stand early in the last quarter.

A great day, and the best part was, that when we won I KNEW we were going to win the Grand Final. I can't explain why I KNEW, but I had a hunch that the irresistable momentum we gathered in the second half of the PF would carry us through the big day the next week.

Did anyone else get that feeling when the siren sounded to send the Crows home? That feeling of immense confidence, that we were going to win the Grand Final?

 

[walshy1993]

Originally posted by Dan25

Did anyone else get that feeling when the siren sounded to send the Crows home? That feeling of immense confidence, that we were going to win the Grand Final?

i distinctly remember saying to a mate before the semi final before westcoast, that if we win this one we will go onto win the flag

 

[Anton Grbac]

Originally posted by Dan25
A great day, and the best part was, that when we won I KNEW we were going to win the Grand Final. I can't explain why I KNEW, but I had a hunch that the irresistable momentum we gathered in the second half of the PF would carry us through the big day the next week.

Did anyone else get that feeling when the siren sounded to send the Crows home? That feeling of immense confidence, that we were going to win the Grand Final?

Yeah, i felt the same Dan.
Considering our performance against the Baggers in the Qaulifying Final loss without Bomber, Misiti, Hird , Fletcher.
I was always confident we'd get 'em if we got another crack at 'em.

Of course, seein' Mark Athorn (anyone remember him?) line up on Longy at the start of the GF only enhanced that confidence!

where's wally?

 

[walshy1993]

Originally posted by Wally



Of course, seein' Mark Athorn (anyone remember him?) line up on Longy at the start of the GF only enhanced that confidence!

where's wally?

thats got to be one of the biggest insults in football history, mark athorn on michael long in the biggest game of the year
reminds me a bit of what lloydy said to nicholson before the 2000 grannie "your playing on me in a grand final? You've got to be kidding"

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by walshy1993
i distinctly remember saying to a mate before the semi final before westcoast, that if we win this one we will go onto win the flag

Great minds! I said whovever won that game would win the flag. Though at half time PF I was wondering if I'd been just a little too ****y.

 

[The Dutchman!]

What a great read guys - much appreciated. Miss the old days.