Random things you miss about going to the footy

May 27, 2006
40,561
78,438
This is the location section. 🤗
AFL Club
Melbourne
I've always enjoyed, on the rare occasion Melbourne is granted a night game (so two times total), walking into the stadium, grabbing a coffee, and then just looking over the playing grass - preferably when it's raining. There's something about the drizzle in front of the stadium lights specifically that I miss, but I'm not entirely sure how to articulate it.

It's sort of like the feeling I had last year before a game - pessimistic curiosity - except at night, at the stadium, with a coffee. 🥳

Let's hope we can get back to the footy in 2021. If you're so inclined, what things have you missed?
 
Feb 15, 2015
31,552
70,823
South Yarra
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Mt Buller Demons
Meat Pie. They don't taste the same at home

Also for night games, bunking off work early to settle in at the Mt. View Hotel roof bar for a few pints, walk to the G, watch Melbourne. After a win too the walk to the station, go home, beers and immediately watch the replay etc

TBH I miss watching footy in the company of strangers. When I'm at home and we're terrible I lose it and get depressed. Surrounded by people the social pressure to not fall apart publicly in a massive and embarrassing tantrum actually helps me deal with losses better. At home I can keep my rage at peak levels for days
 
I miss watching the pie wrappers floating around in the air when people in the top tiers don't hold onto them.

I sit up the third level a lot, I miss looking up at the roof and seeing the little bridge that people use to get up onto the roof and all the walkways up there. I always wonder how people don't fall off.
 

Ando727

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 12, 2009
6,720
14,221
Hobart
AFL Club
Melbourne
Meat Pie. They don't taste the same at home

Also for night games, bunking off work early to settle in at the Mt. View Hotel roof bar for a few pints, walk to the G, watch Melbourne. After a win too the walk to the station, go home, beers and immediately watch the replay etc

TBH I miss watching footy in the company of strangers. When I'm at home and we're terrible I lose it and get depressed. Surrounded by people the social pressure to not fall apart publicly in a massive and embarrassing tantrum actually helps me deal with losses better. At home I can keep my rage at peak levels for days
Me too! I always coped better with a loss when I went to a game. At home, I'll be ropable if we lose a close one.
 

mrmonkey

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 3, 2010
11,923
12,209
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Miss the train ride in a full carriage of people wearing their colours.

Don't miss the train ride home when we lose as much.
I remember in 07 we lost a close game to port Adelaide I was filthy because the winning goal came from rodan running 20 metres no bounces, got tackled and threw the ball to his team mate who scored. However hopping on the train seeing Richmond supporters who had got belted by Geelong by 157 points (they eased off after half time) just down the line, certainly made me feel better, would have been glorious sight had we won.
 
the train ride in to the footy with the wife and kids is always fun. If not driving in listening to the pre match talk is always good as long as it isn't triple M

Grabbing a schnitzel and coleslaw roll on the way up to level 2 to have a few beers in the Lindsay Hassett room is always fun
 
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Apr 12, 2014
30,331
52,239
AFL Club
Melbourne
the train ride in to the footy with the wife and kids is always fun. If not driving in listening to the pre match talk is always good as long as it isn't triple M

Grabbing a schnitzel and coleslaw roll on the way up to level 2 to have a few beer in the Lindsay Hassett room is always fun

Isn't so much related to actually attending games but one of my little pleasures in life is listening to a good neutral game on the radio whilst driving (Can't listen to MFC in the car I'll drive off the road in anger). There is just something about a good call on the radio that TV can't match for me.
 
Feb 15, 2015
31,552
70,823
South Yarra
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Mt Buller Demons
Isn't so much related to actually attending games but one of my little pleasures in life is listening to a good neutral game on the radio whilst driving (Can't listen to MFC in the car I'll drive off the road in anger). There is just something about a good call on the radio that TV can't match for me.
Agree totally with this. I’m a passenger in this scenario rather than driver because I don’t know how, but it’s totally true
 

Jamurp

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 26, 2011
8,001
11,161
AFL Club
Melbourne
Meat Pie. They don't taste the same at home

Also for night games, bunking off work early to settle in at the Mt. View Hotel roof bar for a few pints, walk to the G, watch Melbourne. After a win too the walk to the station, go home, beers and immediately watch the replay etc

TBH I miss watching footy in the company of strangers. When I'm at home and we're terrible I lose it and get depressed. Surrounded by people the social pressure to not fall apart publicly in a massive and embarrassing tantrum actually helps me deal with losses better. At home I can keep my rage at peak levels for days
I moved down the street from the Mt View in Richmond in late 2019, was looking forward to walking to the G to watch the dees, then covid happened, safe to say I'm bloody excited for the footy this year, day game excitement and actually attending the game is like nothing else.
 
Isn't so much related to actually attending games but one of my little pleasures in life is listening to a good neutral game on the radio whilst driving (Can't listen to MFC in the car I'll drive off the road in anger). There is just something about a good call on the radio that TV can't match for me.
Yeah listening to a non Melbourne game on the radio is always good on a drive

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk
 
Feb 15, 2015
31,552
70,823
South Yarra
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Mt Buller Demons
I moved down the street from the Mt View in Richmond in late 2019, was looking forward to walking to the G to watch the dees, then covid happened, safe to say I'm bloody excited for the footy this year, day game excitement and actually attending the game is like nothing else.
Was a s**t time for a pandemic for you. I too moved within walking distance of the G and was totally looking forward to it. Got replaced by me walking to the G, in mask, circling it shut down and silent in some weird futuristic dystopian world, then walking home.

Probably a bad sign of how lame my life is, but in 2018 when we played 2 finals at the G against Cats then Hawks - I bunked off work early both times to get a nice spot to have beers at Mt View, watching the place fill up with people in both teams colours, and then walking with the sun going down in perfect weather to go and watch those games. A genuine stand out of life happiness. It was just so good
 

Topkent

Confirmed ITK Drafting King
Aug 29, 2010
61,046
84,953
Canada
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Winnipeg Jets
Isn't so much related to actually attending games but one of my little pleasures in life is listening to a good neutral game on the radio whilst driving (Can't listen to MFC in the car I'll drive off the road in anger). There is just something about a good call on the radio that TV can't match for me.

I actually miss the days of Rex Hunt commentating, I loved the ease which he could weave nicknames into the play whilst keeping his level of excitement. Something to be said for imagining how the play went down with the commentary as opposed to seeing it.
 

mrmonkey

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 3, 2010
11,923
12,209
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Isn't so much related to actually attending games but one of my little pleasures in life is listening to a good neutral game on the radio whilst driving (Can't listen to MFC in the car I'll drive off the road in anger). There is just something about a good call on the radio that TV can't match for me.
Yep and radio there's no real nonsense they just call the game. The other thing about listening to the radio is when there's a comeback always sounds better on the radio.
 

Jamurp

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 26, 2011
8,001
11,161
AFL Club
Melbourne
Was a sh*t time for a pandemic for you. I too moved within walking distance of the G and was totally looking forward to it. Got replaced by me walking to the G, in mask, circling it shut down and silent in some weird futuristic dystopian world, then walking home.

Probably a bad sign of how lame my life is, but in 2018 when we played 2 finals at the G against Cats then Hawks - I bunked off work early both times to get a nice spot to have beers at Mt View, watching the place fill up with people in both teams colours, and then walking with the sun going down in perfect weather to go and watch those games. A genuine stand out of life happiness. It was just so good
I remember walking to the G last year and looking through the gap in the entrance to see Hawthorn and Brisbane players running around in front of an empty stadium, so incredibly lame haha.

Will make sure to really savour our Round 1 clash in a few weeks time, here’s hoping the dees can get a win for all us here too.
 
Was a sh*t time for a pandemic for you. I too moved within walking distance of the G and was totally looking forward to it. Got replaced by me walking to the G, in mask, circling it shut down and silent in some weird futuristic dystopian world, then walking home.

Probably a bad sign of how lame my life is, but in 2018 when we played 2 finals at the G against Cats then Hawks - I bunked off work early both times to get a nice spot to have beers at Mt View, watching the place fill up with people in both teams colours, and then walking with the sun going down in perfect weather to go and watch those games. A genuine stand out of life happiness. It was just so good

For the Cats match I went straight from uni to the G arriving around 3pm. MCC line was already thousands strong. For the Hawks match I went with a mate who wasn't MCC and couldn't secure a guest pass. So settled for a GA ticket surrounded by Hawks supporters. Probably had even more fun that night.
 
For the Cats match I went straight from uni to the G arriving around 3pm. MCC line was already thousands strong. For the Hawks match I went with a mate who wasn't MCC and couldn't secure a guest pass. So settled for a GA ticket surrounded by Hawks supporters. Probably had even more fun that night.
Flew down from Canberra for the Hawks game. Had the whole day in Melbourne pretty much just wandering around excitedly waiting for the game. I think that buzz you get walking in with a big crowd is something special, even in 2019 when we were pox and I went it was fun to just be a part of that.
I'm generally like PG and better behaved at the ground, though went to our Carlton game in '19 and was fuming all through the last.
 
Being able to listen to the commentary live whilst watching the football easily without having to search for an AM/FM radio. Like having one ear on the radio and one to chat. The apps are always way behind.

Any solutions?

Also, feeling forced to make reasonable unbiased observations on the game so you don't look like a complete one eyed, uneducated knob. At home watching however...
 
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mrmonkey

Brownlow Medallist
Dec 3, 2010
11,923
12,209
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Being able to listen to the commentary live whilst watching the football without having to find an AM/FM radio. Like having one ear on the radio and one to chat. The apps are always way behind.

Any solutions?

Also, feeling forced to make reasonable unbiased observations on the game so you don't look like a complete one eyed, uneducated knob. At home watching however...
Yeah the apps are ridiculous, my dad likes to listen while watching to had a good little radio but not sure what happen to it. You're right about looking like a one eyed supporter often the radio explains it as it happens where you wouldn't know live.
 

jhong

Old man yelling at clouds
Apr 18, 2011
7,794
6,654
Wonthaggi
AFL Club
Melbourne
The things i miss will never return , like getting to game early to watch the U 19's and reserves to see how the youngsters were progressing . Coming in on a train across the Yarra river and smelling the Tomato Soup at the Heinz factory . This should not be read as a "things were better back then" . I sure as hell don't miss us being putrid season after season . It will be good to see the team back at the "G"
 

The Dr

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 20, 2007
7,099
8,067
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Was a sh*t time for a pandemic for you. I too moved within walking distance of the G and was totally looking forward to it. Got replaced by me walking to the G, in mask, circling it shut down and silent in some weird futuristic dystopian world, then walking home.

Probably a bad sign of how lame my life is, but in 2018 when we played 2 finals at the G against Cats then Hawks - I bunked off work early both times to get a nice spot to have beers at Mt View, watching the place fill up with people in both teams colours, and then walking with the sun going down in perfect weather to go and watch those games. A genuine stand out of life happiness. It was just so good

100% this ... and to think a lot of fans get to experience this most years when it's happened once in 15 years for our mob. Won't even mention the extreme emptiness of not experiencing a flag in my lifetime.
 

Meds

Club Legend
Nov 12, 2008
1,662
4,023
Melbourne
AFL Club
Melbourne
Being able to listen to the commentary live whilst watching the football easily without having to search for an AM/FM radio. Like having one ear on the radio and one to chat. The apps are always way behind.

Any solutions?

Also, feeling forced to make reasonable unbiased observations on the game so you don't look like a complete one eyed, uneducated knob. At home watching however...
My 2nd mobile phone was a Nokia 6110 or 6610 or something like that. It had a built-in FM radio tuner. Can't understand why they stopped this - so much better than streaming
 
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