Universal Love Most Exciting/Happiest Time as a Geelong Supporter

[Gavin Excell]

Born there as well.
As may have described in this thread or elsewhere- can't recall- but our school, St Joeys, organised a visit by the Holy Trinity one afternoon, to teach us grade 3 and 4 kids some basics of footy.
Bobby Davis, Polly Farmer, and Billy Goggin. 1965- Bobby's last year as coach; the Big Cat Polly was hugely impressive in stature and his demeanour. Billy's stab passes were my highlight.
IMPOSSIBLE to not follow Geelong as a kid living in Geelong.
Plus we could walk to KP in 10 minutes from home.

In late 70s Kevin Higgins was our school principal
Played over 100 games before joining Fitzroy

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Easy...watching the champ to the left play every week.

Same hear MacSradbroke:.... nothing else comes even close than having the great fortune of watching Gazza Snr play footy LIVE every game with exception of interstate games but even then I got to see couple..... a freak of nature was Snr, an out and out superstar! and if you gave me a choice between Geelong winning 'one flag' or see Gary Ablett Snr 'play every game in his career', I'd choose to see Gazza play without hesitation.... he simply was that good to watch.

 

[Vdubs]

Same hear MacSradbroke:.... nothing else comes even close than having the great fortune of watching Gazza Snr play footy LIVE every game with exception of interstate games but even then I got to see couple..... a freak of nature was Snr, an out and out superstar! and if you gave me a choice between Geelong winning 'one flag' or see Gary Ablett Snr 'play every game in his career', I'd choose to see Gazza play without hesitation.... he simply was that good to watch.

I’ve heard Diesel say he wasn’t fit to tie Senior’s boot laces. Great praise.

 

[GlenMiddlemissed]

Same hear MacSradbroke:.... nothing else comes even close than having the great fortune of watching Gazza Snr play footy LIVE every game with exception of interstate games but even then I got to see couple..... a freak of nature was Snr, an out and out superstar! and if you gave me a choice between Geelong winning 'one flag' or see Gary Ablett Snr 'play every game in his career', I'd choose to see Gazza play without hesitation.... he simply was that good to watch.

You and I must have passed each other many times, GG, as I too saw every game he played in Victoria. Games at Geelong involved a 4 hour plus return drive from north country Vic, Melbourne based games were a long train ride. Did you go the reserves game at Princes Park when he made his mid-season comeback - there were over 10,000 people there at a reserves game just to see him, such was his crowd pulling power.

For the younger Bigfooty fans who missed the show (and Youtube highlights really don't do him justice), I will try to describe him in terms of current day players:
Gary Ablett Snr = Danger for his power and speed and attack on the ball, plus his marking (but much better), to this you would add a couple of Dempsey shoulder sitters, some Cameron snaps for goal and a healthy dose of Tom Stewart marking at his best. Then you would take the longest kick in the team (Holmes? Danger?) and add 10 to 20 m extra distance. And a couple of yesterday's Stewart hip and shoulder per game for good measure. He really didn't like opposition defenders! Everything he did was exciting, some was brutal and much of it was simply breathtaking. We were lucky to be there.

 

[thegerman]

Seeing the 07 GF just gave everyone a sense of a weight lifted off.

Though you have to laugh at the thinking at the time, most of us watching thought there was a real risk of Port coming back. Lolz

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Not a GF for me... But the collingwoof prelim final for me in 07..... Was my first ever prelim final growing up.. Almost loat my hair out of nerves.. And when that siren went... The ecstacy was all thru me.

Cant say anything has felt the sane since

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Not a GF for me... But the collingwoof prelim final for me in 07..... Was my first ever prelim final growing up.. Almost loat my hair out of nerves.. And when that siren went... The ecstacy was all thru me.

Cant say anything has felt the sane since

So many tops sides over the journey have had close prelims, much more-so than grand finals. Prelims can get very nervy no matter how good a side you are.