The Greatest Game Ever?

[SoggyBoy]

Was the Essendon v Kangaroos game the greatest game ever?

It's definitely the best game I have ever been to, and I'm a Kangas man. I just can't imagine there's been many (if any) better games of Aussie Rules ever played.

Full credit to Essendon for the most unlikely of comebacks, however it disappoints me that the media is focussing solely on the comeback and NOT the fact that at the end of the day we had a game where 52 goals were kicked, and only a 2 goal winner in the end.

I reckon the Kangas deserve HEAPS of credit for the way they played (just like Geelong got the week before after only going down by 2 goals), but it's unlikely to happen.

Of course, I wish to take nothing away from Essendon, because they definitely had to earn this win and did it, but they got to 19pts up in the final quarter and the Roos showed great spirit to claw it back to a goal.

Whilst North cannot afford to lose games after our poor start to the year (particularly after being 69pts up), I am incredibly proud of the way they fought it out today, especially without 3 of it's best players in Carey, Stevens and Martyn.

Well Essendon for a sensational win (I still HATE them )

Well done Kangas for a sensational effort that could have easily resulted in an unlikely win.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Yeah, grouse game of footy! Seventh highest scoring VFL-AFL game of all time (sorry interstaters); Kangas kicked the second highest losing score ever; biggest ever deficit turned around...

The players from both sides were just superb. Skill and courage abounded in seemingly every contest.

Shame about those maggots though.

Just as an aside, some fellers behind me had brought along a German visitor to see his first ever game of Australian Football...I hope he doesn't expect every game to be as good as that one!

 

[Cats2001!]

Originally posted by SoggyBoy


I reckon the Kangas deserve HEAPS of credit for the way they played (just like Geelong got the week before after only going down by 2 goals), but it's unlikely to happen.

Well, you have to remember that you threw away a 10 goal + lead, and thats nothing to really brag about.

Nevertheless, you kicked 12 goals against the bombers in a quarter and kicked 140 odd points againts them - not many teams have done that, so I agree that you deserve some credit, North!

 

[The Hitman]

Surely the 1989 Grand Final is the greatest game (well in my opinion anyway).

Everyone knows what happened, so no need to go to details, but for pure inspiration, that has to be it for me.

 

[PiesPremiers]

no.

essendon collingwood, the first anzac day clash, the draw.

that was the best game i have ever seen.

that would take some beating i'd imagine!

 

[Dan26]

Ripper, I had a German visitor behind me too. Were you in P18, by any chance? I was probably sitting three seats away from you, and you didn't even know it!!

 

[SoggyBoy]

Re: Re: The Greatest Game Ever?

Originally posted by Cats2001!


Well, you have to remember that you threw away a 10 goal + lead, and thats nothing to really brag about.

I hear what you're saying, but do not agree at all. Only against lesser sides do you "throw away" 10+ goal leads.

Essendon had to earn their win today, and they did.

Let's not forget that at one stage in our second quarter, we had 5 of our starting 18 off the feild...Carey, Stevens, McKernan, Martyn & Grant. (6 if you include Abraham)

It's not hard to see whay they were able to get back into the game. That's a lot of experience and quality to replace.

Taking nothing away from Essendon though.

 

[Dan26]

The three best games of footy I have BEEN to (as opposed to having seen on TV) are (in order):

1. Ess vs Roos 2001
2. Ess vs Roos 1999
3. Ess vs Coll 1995, Anzac day.

The Ess-Coll Anzac day match was played in front of 94,825 which added to the atmposphere and mystique, but in terms of a pure footballng spectacle, both the 1999, and 2001 Dons-Roos matches overshadow it. Similarly, the 1989, GF, whilst a great game, is praised, because it was a Grand Final. Those two teams played an even better game that very year in Round 6, when Hawthorn beat the Cats 171-163. Because the Grand Final is the most important game of the year, the greatness of it, tends to get exaggerated (no denying it was a great game though)

For those that were wondering, the 2 best games I have ever seen (including watching on TV) are:

1. West Coast vs Carlton, Subiaco Rd 21 1995
2. S.A vs Victoria at FP in 1994. S.A won by two points (it was the match where Ablett kicked that goal over his head)

Today's match was simply amazing. Ripper will be happy with it, no doubt, given that he thinks our game is going downhill. Trust the Bombers to put on a classic Just joking!

 

[bulldogs1]

Damn, I missed even the replay. My cat's gonna pay for this. Good effort Kangaroos, great win Bombers!

 

[mantis]

The greatest game I have ever been to is the 84 grand final, but this game miight surpass it, won't know until I see the game.
Can anyone give me the phone no. or email address for Name a Game so I can buy the video of the game.

 

[Dan26]

Mantis

1800 035 665

 

[Mr Ripper]

Yeah P18, Dan. Right on the aisle adjacent to P17. Third row.

 

[Dan26]

You were one metre to the left of me, and 2 rows in front. You probably would have heard me "cheering" in the second half.

Ironically, I met my first bigfooty person today, despite not being aware of the presence of mr Ripper only one metre away from me. That being Spidergirl, who I met for a 10 second chat at three-quarter time. Isn't that nice!

 

[eastaugh36]

Originally posted by Dan25
The three best games of footy I have BEEN to (as opposed to having seen on TV) are (in order):

1. Ess vs Roos 2001
2. Ess vs Roos 1999
3. Ess vs Coll 1995, Anzac day.

The Ess-Coll Anzac day match was played in front of 94,825 which added to the atmposphere and mystique, but in terms of a pure footballng spectacle, both the 1999, and 2001 Dons-Roos matches overshadow it. Similarly, the 1989, GF, whilst a great game, is praised, because it was a Grand Final. Those two teams played an even better game that very year in Round 6, when Hawthorn beat the Cats 171-163. Because the Grand Final is the most important game of the year, the greatness of it, tends to get exaggerated (no denying it was a great game though)

For those that were wondering, the 2 best games I have ever seen (including watching on TV) are:

1. West Coast vs Carlton, Subiaco Rd 21 1995
2. S.A vs Victoria at FP in 1994. S.A won by two points (it was the match where Ablett kicked that goal over his head)

Today's match was simply amazing. Ripper will be happy with it, no doubt, given that he thinks our game is going downhill. Trust the Bombers to put on a classic Just joking!

yeah that sa v vic game was great, at one stage it was labelled the best game ever, i was there for it too, and have it on tape as the croweaters got up. you beauty !

 

[The Hitman]

Also up there - The round 22 merger match between Melbourne and Hawthorn. Anyone that was there would remember the raw emotion that was around that ground, and the result and the chants and everything. It got Hawthorn into the finals, when at the time, every match could have been our last.

 

[Uncle Steve]

Without doubt - the best game I've seen is the 1973 SANFL Grand Final. I have only seen it on grainy black-and-white video, but this does not mask the spectacle at all. The game had everything. Both sides having periods of ascendancy, both teams giving 100%. North looking beaten for all money but coming back hard and hitting the front into time-on in the final term. Then Rex Voigt jamming the ball onto his boot deep in the forward pocket, and Cornesey sailing for THAT mark and subsequent winning goal. The tension in the match was fantastic. I've never seen another match where 2 sides gave 100% for the whole game as Glenelg and North did in that game. Poor Bob Hammond, who turned in a lion-hearted effort from full-bak for the Roosters, sat down and cried in the goal square on the final siren. Bob Tregenza had filled in the ruck for the Bays when Kerry Hamilton was injured early and he played the game of his life - allegedly was sick in the rooms after the match and missed much of the celebration.

Perhaps the saddest thing about the cultural invasion of the Victorian league into the other states is that this game, and many others like it, will slowly be supplanted by the VFL's history. Many superb games of absolutely top-notch footy will not be remembered by future generations - but South Aussie kids will grow up learning all about Jock McHale, John Coleman and the like. I'm not saying that these gentlemen were not fine footballers - just that the SANFL games have their place in the history of the sport as much as any past VFL match.

 

[gPhonque]

originally posted by Uncle Steve


Perhaps the saddest thing about the cultural invasion of the Victorian league into the other states is
that this game, and many others like it, will slowly be supplanted by the VFL's history. Many superb
games of absolutely top-notch footy will not be remembered by future generations - but South
Aussie kids will grow up learning all about Jock McHale, John Coleman and the like. I'm not saying
that these gentlemen were not fine footballers - just that the SANFL games have their place in the
history of the sport as much as any past VFL match.

Well said.

And you even said it without sounding like a whinging South Australian.

 

[Yianni]

German Visitor

Hey Ripper and Dan25, I might have been sitting right near you as well (I'm just not sure where P17 is). I was in the AFL members, and I had a German (I think) guy sitting on my left as well. He told me it was his first game of football and he had a new Bombers scarf and a child sitting to his left.

Is this the same guy you guys saw (seems like it was, either that or someone decided to bring a busload of Germans in!)

 

[Dan26]

I'm sure we were all sitting around this German guy. He must have been pretty impressed. 3rd deck, in front of the superboxes, Yianni

 

[red+black]

Originally posted by mantis
Can anyone give me the phone no. or email address for Name a Game so I can buy the video of the game.

check out http://www.veg.com.au/afl/index.asp for the official stuff. how good would it be on dvd?

my only worry (and i intend to buy it) is that on the replay, dougie sure did giggle a lot as each goal was scored - rather annoying.

he wouldn't be educated, would he?

 

[Grendel]

Awesome game today, fantastic and the old cliche 'didnt deserve to have a loser' definitely applys.

All the best games ive been to have of course involved Hawthorn wins (funny that) but a couple of non-Hawks games that stood out were the Dons/Cats centenary clash where Boris went berko in his first game back from a knee reco. The Dons/Blues prelim from 99 Kouta was breathtaking (well a few Dons fans looked like they couldnt breathe anyways)!

But yea, i reckon anyone who would have been at todays game would surely have felt as though they were a part of footy history unfolding before their eyes. Will be talked about for a long long time to come.

 

[Mobbs]

"I'm sorry, Sir, but the only seats still available are in the Bigfooty Members area".

"Das is nicht gut, ya?"

"That's ri... err, no, NO ... they are the very best seats, you'll be very privileged, and only a few dollars more than the general admission."

"Danke schoen, Herr Ticketek...y ticketeky oi oi oi, ticketeky ticketeky oi oi oi." {fades}

"Hey boss, when is my guilt management course coming up again?"

 

[GOALden Hawk]

I think that will be in the top 2 or 3 games of all time without a doubt, the only contenders I can think of would be the "merger" match of 1996, had Dunstall kicking 10, including his 100th, Neitz kicked 8 I think, Hawthon won by a point to make the finals. But the real reason was the passion and intensity of the crowd, I don't think I've ever seen a game where the supporters were as fired up as that.

The 1989 Hawthorn-Geelong match at Princes Park was an even better game than the Grand Final that year, but people forget about it. That's a game definitely worth buying on DVD/Video - Ablett has something like 14 kicks by quarter time, Ayres dominates in the centre, The Freak James Morrissey kicks 5 goals in the 2nd half, and Dermie flattens Mark Yeats, the incident that resulted in the GF hit.

But yesterday's game may just top it all!

 

[Pessimistic]

Originally posted by Mr Ripper
Yeah P18, Dan. Right on the aisle adjacent to P17. Third row.

Go on, Mr Ripper - tell us what dan's like at the footy - far more interesting than what happend in the game I think

 

[Pessimistic]

Originally posted by Grendel
Awesome game today, fantastic and the old cliche 'didnt deserve to have a loser' definitely applys.

All the best games ive been to have of course involved Hawthorn wins (funny that) but a couple of non-Hawks games that stood out were the Dons/Cats centenary clash where Boris went berko in his first game back from a knee reco. The Dons/Blues prelim from 99 Kouta was breathtaking (well a few Dons fans looked like they couldnt breathe anyways)!

But yea, i reckon anyone who would have been at todays game would surely have felt as though they were a part of footy history unfolding before their eyes. Will be talked about for a long long time to come.

Probably not up to yesterday's standard but the 'drawn' final between North and Hawthorn in 1994 was a ripper, even though the hawks lost. Only 40,000 fans but the atmosphere would have had the waverley critics re-assesing their view

In my opinion the bad raps on waverley were probably due to a lousy TV/Media area - which probably put them in a bad mode