One last time they made the pilgrimage, about 5000 or so of the faithful Hawks, to say a fond farewell to Glenferrie Oval last night.
One last time they remembered that there is no parking in the vicinity, and one last time they realised that the ground is - or has become - a cow paddock, all the grass having burned off over the summer.
One glance at the suburban oval would have been enough to convince them that the move to Waverley Park was necessary.
Hawthorn trained for the last time at its spiritual home, Glenferrie Oval, and then the modern-day gladiators made way for the broken-down veterans in a legends' game, played between the Hawks and the Mayblooms under the captaincy of John "the Rat" Platten and Chris "Chinny" Langford.
Only in Australian football could such an occasion be turned into a fund-raiser, for even yesterday a clique of angry fans was meeting president Jeff Kennett and demanding an extraordinary meeting to stop the sale of the adjacent social club.
But fans paid up to $12 to watch the old-timers sweat under a 30-degree sun, and listen to the unique commentary style of Dermott Brereton, who could not play because he is recuperating from knee surgery.
When Rayden Tallis gathered the ball at half-back on one occasion, Brereton observed that this was "just about where I stood on his head".
Platten, who scarcely changed off the ball in a decade as a rover in his heyday, actually trotted off to the bench for a spell in the contemporary way of midfielders.
Don Scott was listed to play but did not, admitting that he had discovered "a few brains". Scott, the rebel-rousing former president, is dead against the board's move. "The soul's been ripped out of the place," he said. "They've sold the social club and now they're moving from here. I believe there should be a presence here."
Michael Tuck was there, too, his body fat still wavering roughly between zero and that of a greyhound. When Tuck complained at quarter-time that he had not gathered a statistic, coach Peter Schwab - now there's another irony - instructed his players to find the former captain. "Wherever Tucky is, get it to him."
Andy Gowers twanged the first hamstring, and was helped around the boundary by Jason Dunstall. Coach David Parkin revealed the secret strategy employed, which amounted to this: 35s and over spread out; under-35s to the midfield.
Train drivers got into the spirit of things, honking their horns as they rattled past the ground.
The mood was festive, although there is some sadness, too. Parkin summed it up: "There are a lot of people, and I'm one of them, who've made an emotional investment in this place. But if we're going to survive for my children and their children we've got to make some difficult decisions. There'll be angst and disappointment.
"But I'd rather be viable somewhere than out of existence here. I understand why the decision had to be made."