To Stealth Bomber

[Dan26]

I recall you saying that the only MCG game you had been to was an Essendon-Fremantle match.

I am actually quite impressed by your knowledge of the game and it's history, given that you ae from the USA. You seem to havge picked up the culture fantastically, even to the extent that you are aware of Essendon heartbreaking years in 1947-48! You seem to hafge picked up the differences and individual personalities and cultures that exist at each of the 16 clubs.

How did you find the game on Friday night between the Roos and the Bombers? Have you been to any other games?

 

[Stealth bomber]

Well, I have always had a passing interest in the sport itself, back to the mid-1980s when it was shown on cable. I did not barrack for any one club in particular because I wasn't familiar with who they all were yet. But I remember seeing Hawthorn a lot; you don't forget brown and yellow. Ironically, I may have even watched the 1984 or 85 Grand Final without knowing anything about Essendon at all.

I came into an internet relationship five years ago with an Australian. Her name's Tammy; she's from East Keilor. It was pretty much a fluke thing; I didn't really seek anybody out online. I just came across a woman with an amazing amount of common personality traits and interests. We enjoyed talking with each other so much that we couldn't get enough. This went on for two years and she decided she wanted to see me face to face. She came to the US first, we spent a month together and fell for each other hard. A year later, I came here for the first time (June-July 1999). That's when I got hooked all over again on footy.

Tammy's father Bryan is a Bomber supporter who goes back 50 years to his childhood; as a youngster he got to see John Coleman play and train at Windy Hill quite a lot, so much so that Coleman actually began to recognize him after awhile. Bryan's father was an even more fanatical supporter before him, so it goes back a couple of generations. Bryan was also neighbours with Ken Fraser for awhile, so they got to know one another.

When I came here the first time and stayed with Tammy and her family, I adopted Essendon as my club of choice and began to follow them. Shortly after that I got to go see a live match for the first time, which was the aforemention Freo game. A family friend and Carlton supporter was going to get us tickets to the Blues-Bomber game later that month but we couldn't go cause he ended up getting the flu

I followed much of the 2000 season from home in the states....we found a cable channel that was showing two edited matches a week. While that was all happening I started doing a lot of research on the rules and the history of the teams and clubs. Made my own premiership chart and studied it. I have a very good memory and have a knack for storing many, many statistics.

Anyway, events in my love life allowed me to come back here and stay on an extended holiday, which I am here on now until June.

The Kangaroos game was my second. I had an even better time this time around, the atmosphere was a bit more hostile and the electricity of it being round 1 was also there.

Gonna try to make it to Colonial this week for #3

 

[Dan26]

That's great to hear. My advice to you is to drop everything and attend the Blues-Bombers game in round 3. You'll love it.

 

[Anton Grbac]

Stealth,
Dan's right, yer mentioned the 'hostility' at Friday nights game. Ya gotta get to the Carlton game. Then you'll see real hostility between us and the Baggers supporters.
Nothin' compares to an Essendon/Carlton match.

where's wally?

 

[Stealth bomber]

The matches I wanted to see most were North, Carlton and Collingwood. And I would like to see one game at Colonial because I haven't been there yet. I might do that this week with Port Adelaide in town...figure the tickets might be easier to get than if it was another Vic club.

I'm here until June 4, which is just after round 10 I think. They play in Sydney and Brisbane once; the rest are in town so I have the chance to see up to 7 games. I would have bought a membership had I been able to stay the whole year, but it didn't seem worth doing for half a season.

Hopefully I'll be at Colonial this week. I think that all of us ought to get together at least once...wouldn't mind meeting up.

 

[Same Old's]

Steath Bomber,

You gotta get to the game against Port next week. We are raising our 2000 premiership flag at that game.

 

[Arch]

Originally posted by Wally:
Stealth,
Dan's right, yer mentioned the 'hostility' at Friday nights game. Ya gotta get to the Carlton game. Then you'll see real hostility between us and the Baggers supporters.
Nothin' compares to an Essendon/Carlton match.

where's wally?

My first MCG match ever- last years pre-lim, brilliant- even enjoyed sneering at Carlton fans (and vice versa) as you walk into the ground. The tension was amazing- winning even better.

------------------
BOMBERS 2001- THE HUNTERS. NOT THE HUNTED.

 

[Dan26]

Arch,

You're right about the tension before last years prelim. I have never felt as nervous before a match. You could cut the air with a knife.

 

[Same Old's]

Regarding last years preliminary final, I didn't really feel nervous.

To me, I felt more tension at the Round 20 Carlton match.

[This message has been edited by Same Old's (edited 03 April 2001).]

 

[Dan26]

Same Olds

Good point. The round 20 match crowd was bigger, and the build-up was bigger. The round 20 match had been built up for 8 weeks, and it was sold out 2 weeks in advance. The prelim couldn't do this.

Because the "hype" for round 20 was bigger, and the crowd was bigger, and the match was of a higher quality (in my opinion) you could argue that it as a bigger match than the prelim.

In real terms the prelim was bigger, because it decided the seaosn, but try tellign that to the 92,000 fans (plus the 30,000 that couldn't get tickets) who went to round 20!

It all basically comes basck to my belief that finals are overrated and the home and way season is where the champion team of the year is unofficially found.

 

[Malibu]

I don't usually post on other Club's boards (I personally consider it bad form most of the time), but I think it's great that you have such a passion for our great game.

Sorry my boys put on such a pisss poor effort last Friday night, I was waiting for round 1 for so long to see an exciting close match, but we just cannot compete against the might of the Bombers at the moment.

 

[walshy1993]

stealth ive got the feeling u may be able to get a membership for about 80-90 bucks which should get u into the essendon home games you are in melbourne for
which would be cheaper than paying at the gate each week and also add to essendons membership tally and give u something to take home
might be worth checking it out

cheers

 

[Stealth bomber]

Would that be a boundary line one? That one's only $50 but it doesn't include any match tickets. Then there's a "country" one which gives you 4 or 5 match tickets, but you have to live 100 km outside Melbourne. I guess another hemisphere would technically count as "country" wouldn't it?

I suppose I could have just paid $125 for a full bronze membership but it doesn't seem worth it if I'm leaving after round 10.

 

[walshy1993]

if you go to 5 home games it will cost you 100 bucks anyway

why not go to membership and have a ticket to keep at the end of the trip

 

[Same Old's]

Yes, Stealth Bomber, buy a membership and when you go back overseas give it to me. I might be able to some finals tickets with it.

 

[Stealth bomber]

I guess this is what confuses me....does a membership *include* the tickets or do you still have to pay $20 a game, plus the membership. I don't have any idea how this works...basically back home we call them "season tickets". Except there's nothing about voting rights or whatever.

Is this basically the equivalent of that?

Are seats generally better? Is it any easier to get into Colonial this way?

BTW, I am going tomorrow.