Your Favourite Collingwood Memory.

[magpies42]

66-33 Anzac Day soaked sitting at the top of the ponsford stand not caring one little bit because we just thrashed the more fancied Essendon. Mcgough won the Anzac Day medal that year

 

[South of the Yarra]

As good a story or post I’ve read on here.

Love your work.

We are family.

Thanks mate. So true. We are black and white family.

 

[South of the Yarra]

It would be easy to say the two flags.

But I’ll recount a slightly different story, more about what I knew would (might) happen.

1989 Collingwood (that’s us the Good Guys) v Melbourne (the bad guys) Round 6 at MCG.

That day I’m
I’m on the centre wing area near boundary and watched the game with intent.

As hard as Melbourne tried we repelled their attacks. We kicked away with great play in the second half.

I knew that afternoon that Leigh Matthews our coach would take us sooner than later to the promised land.

One and half years later TRIUMPH!

Just knew that all the heartache was over, or would be. Finally.

Love it. How good was it when things started to turn. Brilliant stuff.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Beating Richmond a couple weeks ago was up there

Bloody brilliant.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Mid 1980s i attended a Collingwood Hawthorn practice match in pouring rain, i think at vfl park. The weather was so bad that no police or security cared that a handful of supporters ( including me ) walked out to listen to the coach at 3 quarter time.
I remember thinking "how awesome is this" as Tony Shaw gave the players a blast and Ian McMullin stared at me for some reason.

Great memories. Would have been great to listen to.

 

[South of the Yarra]

My favorite Collingwood game was the very 1st time i got to see them play,It was at the Lakeside Oval way back in the early 1970's,Was very young i think i complained about Peter Bedford Hmzzz.

Love reading this stuff. I remember Lakeside Oval as a kid. Loved going to those grounds

 

[South of the Yarra]

Id have to agree. Right on par with winning the 2010 replay.

Damn that was a fun night on BigFooty, I was in tears of laughter.

One of the best nights ever

 

[South of the Yarra]

Phil Carmen ...

So brilliant and so much talent

 

[South of the Yarra]

At the stage when I knew we had 2010 in the bag.

Will never ever forget that feeling

 

[South of the Yarra]

Getting Luke Ball was fun.

Also when the realisation set in that Grundy was going to slide to us.

I recall a game against Geelong at the MCG, Dermie was playing for us and we won by 3 points (give or take). My brother and I belted out the song and then got to have a kick on the ground after the game.

The game we won by a goal against Brisbane at Etihad was pretty bonkers, featuring the greatest mark I think I’ve ever seen by Chris Tarrant.

The ANZAC Day game where McGough was everywhere and won the medal aged 17...

Brilliant memories mate. I remember most of those games. Unbelievable stuff.

 

[South of the Yarra]

I think it was the first ever Sunday (elimination) final against Fitzroy. We stormed home in the last quarter and Cloke took some big grabs in the goal square to seal it. McMullin kicked 5 after coming from out of nowhere. The back page of the paper the next day had a spot the ball type pic with a confused look on McMullins face and the headline ‘Ian who?’

Remember that game well. It was a beauty

 

[South of the Yarra]

What a magical-almost mystical experience!

I will carry it to my grave

 

[South of the Yarra]

End of the 1990 gf Darren Millane with the ball as the siren sounded, the relief and joy, magical

One of the best days of my life

 

[South of the Yarra]

I was diagnosed with bone cancer many years ago. One day when I was home, the phone rang and my wife answered, she held it to her chest and said "It's Tony Shaw-he wants to speak to you!"

Heart hammering I picked up the receiver and sure enough it was the Collingwood skipper. My good mate Leigh Carlson, a former Collingwood player had asked Tony to ring me as he knew how passionate I was about the Pies and what a boost it would give me as I struggled through my chemo and rehab. Tony was warm and concerned about my health and near the end of our conversation he said he'd like to have me as a guest at Victoria Park before our clash with Adelaide (1992). I said I was going back into hospital for more treatment but I was determined to leave on the Saturday morning and meet with Tony before the game. He told me he'd be waiting for me and my wife on the corner of Trennery Crescent in front of the ground maintenance man's house.

I was quite seedy on that Saturday morning but told the hospital staff I had to keep my appointment. Sure enough, Tony was there on the corner in his Collingwood slacks and blazer. Crowds of people were swarming about and we felt honoured to have Tony greet us warmly and lead us into the ground and under the grand stand. He introduced us to his wife and said we could come and watch the pre-match warm up in twenty minutes time. We chatted with Tony's wife for a while-she was very easy to talk to and then a trainer came over and said it was time to watch the warm up. We were ushered into a rather small area where the payers were bumping each other in pairs and then doing a series of quick hand passes- the were getting pumped up and I was surprised by how much it reminded me of my local suburban team's pre-match warm ups! Leigh Matthews stood there with his arms folded looking totally impassive and very intimidating.

Shawy wished us the best as we were led outside to sit with the player's wives and girlfriends on the wing. The game was a titanic struggle but sadly around halfway through the second term I became quite ill and had to tell Shaw's wife (whose name I have forgotten ) that I had to go but asked her to thank Tony for his kindness. As we drove home I was in a bad way but still listening to the game. We ended up getting over the line by five points. Tony rang me again when I was in hospital a few days before we played the Saints at VFL park in an elimination final (even though we finished in the top three!). I was walking up and down the hospital corridors attached to my drip and feeling as anxious as I always did when we were in a tight final. We lost by 8 points.

Years later a student brought in a copy of the Victoria Park book to school and told me he'd been at a signing with Tony Shaw and Tommy Hafey and when he told him it was for his teacher and gave him my name he remembered me and wrote in the inside cover:

To Mark how are you mate? Give me a call!

I did have his number so after taking a few deep breaths I rang and he answered the phone. We talked about the Pies and my health for about ten minutes. I feel honoured to have had those moments with a legend of our club.

Absolutely brilliant story mate. God I love reading this stuff.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Saintly, Leigh and his beautiful wife, Kerry (Kezza) have been our best friends for over 35 years. They are two special people. We caught up only a month ago. When Leigh was holding my grandson on his lap I bloody well broke down and cried. I saw the first moment we met as teachers at a primary school in my mind's eye and thought of the amazing journey we had been on since then and here he was holding my grandson. He has been a wonderful friend to my daughter too and they have a special connection. I adore the bloke. My health is fine now thanks. One day I'll tell you some amazing Collingwood stories I have experienced through my friendship with Leigh.

Leigh is one of the men who is responsible for me being the man I am today. Him and Kerry and the boys are one of the best families you could imagine. Leigh had more influence on me than any other person outside my family. I will never ever forget what he did for me.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Love it. How good was it when things started to turn. Brilliant stuff.

It was truly something.

 

[barrackers]

66-33 Anzac Day soaked sitting at the top of the ponsford stand not caring one little bit because we just thrashed the more fancied Essendon. Mcgough won the Anzac Day medal that year

I was so far back in the Ponsford that day I was actually sitting behind the scoreboard. It offered no protection from the rain though, but unlike the Essendon fans I was with I didn't care.

 

[jonbe54]

Love it mate. Such magical memories. The feeling of 1990 can never be explained. Unbelievable. I am proud to say I cried. Smells stick with me too. Still remember the smell of the hamburgers cooking behind the Sherrin Stand.

Yeah south smells hit you where you live.

I can remember getting home very late on the night of the '90 GF with my son asleep in my arms and a manic smile still plastered over my face.
After putting him to bed and sitting with the missus having a sip and a sup I went to my little cellar and pulled out a 25yo + bottle of Laphroaig, then slipped out onto the patio.

THAT is the smell I remember most powerfully - mellow and peaty, amber smoothness personified. I must have spent a couple of hours out there, toasting the Pies and my dad's shade who must have been causing absolute mayhem up there lol.

I still have another 6 bottles of that ambrosia - now nearly 50 years old - and almost got to crack a bottle this year.

 

[Horaceg]

Peter Daicos goal against West Coast, Brown, Millane, Daicos, I was directly behind him was up celebrating before he kicked it and the crowd came up when it went through. Still remember it like it was yesterday.

There are way too many but that one is the most vivid

 

[El cane]

I love finding myself in the photo from the very last game at Victoria Park.

Smashing the cats in the H&A game at the G in 2008! Just about everything went right that night.

The 2010 replay, the moment Heath Shaw ran down and smothered Riewoldt’s kick in the goal square! We all knew it would be a great day from then on!

 

[domus]

Leigh is one of the men who is responsible for me being the man I am today. Him and Kerry and the boys are one of the best families you could imagine. Leigh had more influence on me than any other person outside my family. I will never ever forget what he did for me.

That's amazing to hear, South of the Yarra! It doesn't surprise me. He is a man of such love, loyalty and integrity. His boys are two of the kindest gentlemen you'd ever wish to meet too. Kerry is simply a walking heart!

 

[The Royal Sampler]

LOL, Loyola. I might know more people in this thread than I thought...

 

[BringouttheGimp]

The celebration after the 2010 gf re.

At Kivotos on the blocks smashing plates on my head.. after about 20 scotch and cokes and tequila shots and that re. Mates going f hell re stop drinking have some water.. remember saying f off re what you think I am.. line em up re.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Are you a Former Loyola boy mate?

That I am. Good school, although as with many things, I didn’t appreciate the opportunity I had until after I left.

 

[South of the Yarra]

That I am. Good school, although as with many things, I didn’t appreciate the opportunity I had until after I left.

It was mate. I loved it there. We may be old school buddies Lol