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GRAND FINAL 2013

My predictive story for this year's event.

When the hysteria had died down over the Swans 116 point drubbing of Fremantle the week before, I made sure to secure the best tickets I could for the big dance. However, nothing could have surprised me more than running into newly appointed AFL Chief Molly Meldrum at the MCG gates. His offer to join him in the corporate box was gratefully received. Apparently the big wigs had shunned the event in protest at his recent appointment, leaving only Molly, Roosy, myself and the visiting New York Jets cheerleaders to share the canapes.

Hawthorn, who had continued their unbeaten season with a nail biting one point win over the Giants 7 days earlier, were first to take to the hallowed turf. Their banner said it all "Win the spoils and share the load, we'd be stuffed without Trent Croad". And they had every reason to be confident! Buddy had just finished runner-up to Sam Reid in the Coleman. Andrew Demetriou had slammed the Swans playing style as being too flashy. And Jeff Kennett had begun the 2013 premiership season with the inspiring quote "never again will we lose to those swans."

Sydney too, had reason to believe. The Jetta-Kennedy-Jack three-way Brownlow tie was unprecedented. Mitchell's Rising Star Award had the competition abuzz. And Gary Rohan, written off by many at the season's commencement, had stunned fans and critics alike with 33 goals in 6 games, including a match-winning eleven goal haul against the Crows in week one. And let's not forget the Swans' 303-4 shellacking of an understrength Essendon in round ten - it's hard to see that record ever being broken.

As expected, the first quarter was a dour, defence-first affair. Scoreless it remained until the 31 minute mark, when Lewis Jetta, hemmed deep in defence, handballed to himself and took off. Pursued by a hapless Cyril Rioli, Jetta weaved this way and that, and finished eight bounces later with a goal from the boundary. So amazing was the goal, it inspired one fan, presumably addled by halucinagenics, to jump the fence and run naked at the pint sized Sydney superstar. The box's delight at this comedic episode was only soured later when we realised it was Molly.

The Hawks came out a revitalised outfit in the second quarter. Goals to Franklin, Rioli and Breust had the Swans on the back foot, and when a 50 metre penalty was awarded against Mike Pyke for being unaccountably awesome, Hale pushed the lead out to 21 points. Cue Jude Bolton.

Tracking a Jed Lamb bomb deep into the forward line, the Swans champ pulled down what many have described as mark of the century. The photograph of him fully extended, sitting high on the shoulders of three Hawks would dominate back pages the following day. It was a Hannebury-like moment that inspired his team to six unanswered goals, and remains a fitting finale to the Sydney great's career.

Half time score ... Swans 48 ... Hawks 34.

God only knows what Clarko said to his team at half time, but the effect was immediate. The Hawk's third quarter effort was astonishing, with nine straight goals, and an 18-1 penalty count helping them to a 88-48 three quarter time lead. It was an advantage Roosy assured me was unassailable, even to the never-say-die redbirds. But as I turned to make an early exit, I heard the roar of the Swans cheer squad below, and watched Sam Reid's super mark and goal replayed on the big screen. Hawks by 34 - dare I dream?

The unfolding events remain a blur. The Kennedy snap from traffic. Rohan's goal from 75. Mitch Morton's curling ripper from the pocket. And Tom Mitchell's super tackle as Buddy waltzed into an open goal. All I know is that the swannies were back within a point with nineteen seconds left on the clock.

Trapped deep in defence, only the most optimistic of supporters could have imagined the razor sharp movement that followed, which seamlessly moved the ball up field. Mummy, to Kennedy, to ROK. The kick up the line. The Pyke mark. The handball over the top to Jetta. The one-two with Lukey Parker. The centred kick to big Sam. And that moment of suspended disbelief as Reid emerged from the pack, ball in hand, just as the siren sounded.

The goal. The pandemonium in the box. The song. Many have called it the greatest game ever played. Me. I'm just glad I was there.
 

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Prelim final:
Wander out of the aquarium in Busan, Sth Korea. Spot an Outback Steakhouse across the road - seriously consider abandoning my family and the tour bus for a chance to watch the game. Reality kicks in and am reduced to listening to internet radio on the 2hr bus trip to Gyeongju. JETTA!!!! nearly runs us into a ditch. Finish the game in the lobby of the hotel, in full Swans outfit to the bemusement of the locals. GF planning starts now.

Grand final pre game:
9pm Friday - Incheon airport, Seoul.
Seoul - Sydney via Korean Air, 9000km
Sydney International - Domestic via car, 5km
Sydney - Melbourne via Jetstar, 1000km
Tullamarine - CBD via Skybus, 30km
CBD to Richmond via train, 10km
Richmond to MCG on foot. 1km
1pm Saturday in my seat behind the goals at the non scoring end.

Paul Kelly tells me the clock on the silo reads 11 degrees, which feels about right.

Purchase a new Swans flag - v. important, as flag purchased in 2005 was not so lucky in 2006. Clearly supposed to buy a new flag each time.

The match:
Q1 - Malceski's goal look liked it was weaving in and out of the posts, then Hawks get started. This could be a long day.​
Q2 - what a turnaround. Hawks fans silent, Swans fans pleased but not counting chickens. No-one watching the entertainment.​
Q3 - Kennedy hits the post, my psychic brother points out that is the end of our streak. Hawthorn's turn and now we all get to watch the Buddy show stealing freaky shots from 60m.​
Q4 - We're still in it, even after Hale's snap and umps against us. Hannebery!, Jack!, Goodes!!!!!!!, Malceski!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 50 seconds to celebrate before the siren which is a new experience.​

After match: Brother suggests some place in Brunswick St and insists not too far to walk. Finally get there and a most merry time had by all. Drive back to Sydney the following day in my parent's car. There's not much conversation as we've no voices left, and too busy reading the articles in all the papers and checking in on bigfooty. Did you all know we had 10% more salary cap than everyone else? ;)
 
great thread.

I woke up at 6 am grand final day and flew from tassie to melbourne (on a plane), i was going alone.

Arrived in melbourne ran to the sky bus beat a few hawks fans to the bus, thought it was a sign (they were outnumbering me on the flight telling me i was wasting my time)

Arrived in town, couldnt figure out which train or whatever would get me to the mcg, not used to such complicated things in launceston, so i thought stuff it i will walk from southern cross to the mcg, which was good for the nerves and great to see other red and white out and about.

I walked along and as i saw the mcg come into sight i honestly couldnt believe i was actually going to a grand final to see the swans, it seemed so far fetched. I got there so early, mcc had a line up and few others mingling, i wondered around, fellow swans say hello, and acknowledge you its cool, hawks fans look down or make a bitchy joke or whatever.

I established where i needed to get my ticket and decided to que, i was worried id somehow of mis organised it and end up not being able to see the game, but got the ticket, got some food, watched some radio people, lined up to get in, wondered why the gates opened so late. I raced in i was up the top, in the very back bloody row of the great southern stand, but to be honest it was fine good view, got squishy when everyone turned up, but surrounded by swans. I didnt want to go to the toilet though as i ccouldnt get out easily.

I watched the various pre match crap without taking it in much, took pics, it seemed crazy that i was actually there. Then I got a text saying mumford was in doubt, i thought it was bullshit and was trying to verify it, i spent most of the pre match worried until the teams were confirmed.

The teams run out, the anthem, the roar the bounce we were away.

Then quarter time and i thought geez this will be ugly. I felt flat, but that second quarter was magical, i was pumped and everyone rushed off at the half time siren, i could finally pee, swans fans near me were all up and about, hawks fans were flat, we had this surely.


The rest of the game just was crazy hawthorn came back and i thought in the last quarter we were gone, i even started to plan if i would just leave as soon as the siren went, silly stuff, cos how often do u see a premiership cup presented, but i hate hawthorn why watch them happy. But then the magic started so many plays stand out. Even just little things, like LRT taking a mark deep in the backline for some reason stands out. Pykes ruckwork.

Then obvious things like hannebrry. Jacks goal, goodesy goal and thinking can we hang on.


Its a toss up which moment was best, Malceskis goal or the siren. The way the boys celebrated that goal i thought we had it, they wouldnt do that if there was time left, it was so awesome. I guess in 2007 geelong fans soaked up a whole second half of that feeling, and we got what 90 seconds of real time perhaps of stoppage and play knowing we were premiers, knowing when they siren goes you are going to be the champs. Watching the other team try to show they are busting their gut, but knowing its useless.

Then the siren goes and i just remember going off my nut celebrating with everyone around me, singing the song over and over, talking and hugging complete strangers. It was awesome, every player getting their medal you feel like giving a special cheer to one, then a better one to the next, then a few even more so like jude, lrt, goodsey, okeefe etc now they have 2 medals.

Oh yeah also the relief of a swan winning the norm smith.

Then watching the song on the screen, then the concert then seeing the players, then yeah it was so magical
 
A few photos I took on the day

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Pre-GF
After finally realising a few days before hand that I couldn't make it to the 'G (I am not missing the next one) I organised to have a BBQ etc back to my home-town in north-western Vic.

Left Adelaide after work Friday night for the drive home and re-read Kennellys Auto Biography in anticipation (read the 2005 section twice). Couldn't sleep all night. Remeber just laying there going over and over the match ups and reasons why we were going to win (trying to get rid of any negative thoughts was hard though).

GF day
Was laying in bed awake from about 4am. Got up at 6am and had about 4 coffees while reading all the papers etc.

I headed to a Dan Murphys to load up and I went crazy and bought only craft beer and expensive wine etc. Spent about $350 on my drinks for the day easy. Was physically shaking, pale white, naucious kinda nervous on the drive to the BBQ. Got to my best mates place a couple of hours before the game started and helped him set up a projector he'd stolen from work for the day along with a sh*tload of red&white. His father (the biggest Swans fan I know apart from myself) showed up and the party started. These lads were the guys I went to the Adelaide final with and man can I tell you, we were all as nervous as I have ever seen.

I won't go into details about each quarter. However the moments that instantly come to mind throughout the game for me is Goodesys goal. Hanners ridiculously courageous mark. Jetta getting crunched but getting the tap out to Hanners. Jacks goal.

It was late in the game, we were on the come back, some of us couldn't watch and had to walk around the corner for the last couple of minutes. I stood there praying to my non-existant god and half way through composing my sentence to said god MAL MAL MAL!!! I literally fell to the floor. We'd done it. After composing myself I got up and joined in the hugging and high fiving and singing....

That was one of the best days of my life. Here's hoping for many more like that.

Bring on 2013. CHEER CHEER!!!
**PS: Thanks for the thread, and great reads everyone.
:thumbsu:
 
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Wow, some great stories. I can't remember too much of it as it's still a bit of a blur.

I guess my journey started back in week 1 of the finals here in Adelaide. I wasn't overly confident given our poor record against the Crows but to come through in the manner that we did was sensational. I caught the Footy Express bus home and it was so quiet on the bus. All the Crows supporters were quite nice on the journey home though.

Prelim Final against the Pies: Again, I wasn't confident. Even more so given the cards were falling our way following the emotions running through the Pies camp. I was getting very nervous when they got a bit of a run on at the end of the 3rd and then into the 4th. But we increased the intensity and came through with the goods. At about the 25th min mark, I booked my bus trip over to Melbourne.

All Grand Final week I was on the look out for tickets. I initially got two tickets in the top deck. It wasn't until late Thursday arvo that I scored two tickets on ground level (M9) about 9 rows back from the fence.

I left for Melbourne on the bus at 8.30pm Friday night and arrived at about 6.30am Saturday morning. I slept surprisingly well. The first thing I did was walk from Southern Cross Station to the MCG to soak it all up. Just seeing the MCC queue got the hairs on the neck standing up.

After that, I caught up with my friend who I was taking to the game. We went out for brunch and made our way to the ground around midday.

I just remember watching the countdown clock wishing for the game to start. It was strange because at the same time, I didn't want the day to end.

To the game itself. I thought the Hawks would get a jump on us in the first quarter and they did. But they didn't put us away.

The second was some of the best I have seen the Swans play all year. That transition from the back 50 right down the middle (Johnson --> Mal --> Hanners --> ROK --> Reid --> goal) was just sublime. Followed by Morton's 2 goals.

I expected the Hawks to hit back hard in the 3rd and they didn't disappoint. The noise from the crowd after Buddy kicked that go from well outside 50 was deafening!

Two early goals to the Hawks in the last had me nervous and expecting the worst. But the Swans fought back hard and the Goodes goal was all class from an injured champion. The Hawks had their opportunities to hit the lead as the ball was locked in their forward 50 for several minutes towards the end of the match. Then the Jetta mark, which I thought he would kick, followed by the Mal goal. Absolutely went nuts and I have no idea who I hugged. The same at the final siren!

After the match, I went out for tea and then had the long bus trip home.

Excellent day! Right up their with my 2005 experience.
 
5 years ago exactly today!

Great to read the stories in this thread again.

Is it just me or does anyone else think the competition has changed since then. Maybe because we used to be everyone's second team, not any more though. Ha!
 
5 years ago exactly today!

Great to read the stories in this thread again.

Is it just me or does anyone else think the competition has changed since then. Maybe because we used to be everyone's second team, not any more though. Ha!


The cola backlash sort of started then

Then we got tippett really started it, how can the premiers add a player

Then buddy/ then goodes becoming hated basically

The media changed in regards to sydney, always felt like 05 was ok.but we were there to just be good not successful
 
12 was the best day of my life
14 was embarrassing to be a swans fan
16 was when I saw a changing of the game and the game let down by the AFL


Agree with that
'Id add

96- almost didnt matter, could even still watch that to half time and be happyish
05- now that was ******* surreal, almost didnt believe it, its a scrappy game
06- should of won at least we fought back , hall and jolly cost us
 

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