I've been thinking about starting a thread like this for quite a while, but have only now finally got around to it. Everyone on this board is obviously a die-hard fan and while there will undoubtedly be some moments that come up in everyone's lists, I think there could be some really interesting entries, particularly from those posters who have been following the Swans for far longer than I have (which is over 20 years now - YIKES!).
So let us all know your top 10 Swans memories and give a bit of a story/reason why it makes your list. Here's mine:
#1 - Grand Final, 2012 vs Hawthorn - The first and only grand final I've ever been to and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. We flew down a couple of days early and took in the parade and soaked up the atmosphere of a whole city against the red & white. Breakfast at the Vic Markets and then finally making our way to the G for an absolute classic, having a birds eye view of the Malceski sealer. Brilliant stuff.
#2 - Semi-Final, 2005 vs Geelong - This very nearly came out as #1, but you can't really go past a GF experience. The game was essentially over at three-quarter time and dead and buried after Geelong's first goal of the quarter, but after Nick Davis kicked two goals, the crowd absolutely came alive and after his third, there as no-one in our bay sitting down. We were right up the back of the bay behind the goals at the Randwick end and had to stand on our seats to get a good view and when the miracle of all miracles actually happened, the place ERUPTED. I've never heard a crowd that loud or seen as many grown men crying and hugging random strangers.
#3 - Round 18, 2015 vs Adelaide - Even thinking back to this day makes my eyes get a little watery. The way the Sydney fans rallied around an absolute champion of the sport when he was being attacked from all sides was just a thrill to be a part of. Some things transcend the sporting field and the applause at the 7 minute mark of the 3rd quarter was spine-chilling. Also, having the perfect view behind Jetta's goal to start the game was pretty special too.
#4 - Round 10, 1999 vs Collingwood - This was back in the day where you could get tickets to the game at local train stations. Tickets went on sale at 11am though, so I had to skip out of maths class, sprint to the train station, jump the gates because the ticketing system wasn't working there, catch the train 3 stops away and then finally get the tickets, returning to school to find that my mates dogged me and didn't pack up my stuff so I had to front up to my maths teacher (a renowned bastard). I kept the handful of grass I swiped from right where Plugger kicked his 1300th in a bag stuck on my wall for years after.
#5 - Grand Final, 2005 vs West Coast - Does this need any explaining? I managed to get my hands on a ticket, but had to pass because I was booked in to look at wedding reception venues in the Hunter Valley and was already in trouble with my fiance for "not caring enough" about the plans. Watching it on TV knowing I could've been there was a bittersweet experience.
#6 - Round 19, 2014 vs Essendon - I honestly don't remember this game at all except for the fact that I got to play a game of AFL 9s at half-time instead of the Auskick kids. Managed to kick a goal in front of 30,000 people and I wore a go-pro on my head the whole time for proof: .
#7 - Round 22, 2012 vs Hawthorn - Even though we lost this one in a nailbiter thanks to a rubbish call from the umpire NOT to award a 50m penalty against Shaun Burgoyne (which made me lose my voice for the next day), this was the moment when I knew we were going to win the flag.
#8 - Round 12, 2006 vs Collingwood - This was also another loss, but it's only memorable because it was part of my bucks night. Everyone was bored by half-time, so one of my fairly drunk mates decided to announce to everyone around us that I was about to get married every time a goal was scored. It started just standing on the seats and shouting out to the people around us, then running out to the aisle, then ended up with us standing on the fence behind the goals announcing it to the whole bay with security trying to pull us down.
#9 - Preliminary Final, 2012 vs Collingwood - The Lewis Jetta goal when it became obvious we were gonna break the Magpie at ANZ hoodoo and head to the granny. That slingshot gameplan was incredible when it came off.
#10 - Round 15, 1999 vs Melbourne - My first Swans match on the hallowed turf of the MCG was against the Demons (who weren't completely rubbish at that point in time). One of my mates is a diehard Melbourne supporter, so we caught the train down for the weekend and saw three games at the G (hearing the Richmond song at the end of their win was also pretty awesome), culminating in a win for the Bloods. My mate got pretty sick of me waking him up constantly on the ridiculously boring train ride home with "Cheer cheer the red and the white ...", but my discman had run out of batteries and I had nothing else to do.
OK. Your turn.
So let us all know your top 10 Swans memories and give a bit of a story/reason why it makes your list. Here's mine:
#1 - Grand Final, 2012 vs Hawthorn - The first and only grand final I've ever been to and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. We flew down a couple of days early and took in the parade and soaked up the atmosphere of a whole city against the red & white. Breakfast at the Vic Markets and then finally making our way to the G for an absolute classic, having a birds eye view of the Malceski sealer. Brilliant stuff.
#2 - Semi-Final, 2005 vs Geelong - This very nearly came out as #1, but you can't really go past a GF experience. The game was essentially over at three-quarter time and dead and buried after Geelong's first goal of the quarter, but after Nick Davis kicked two goals, the crowd absolutely came alive and after his third, there as no-one in our bay sitting down. We were right up the back of the bay behind the goals at the Randwick end and had to stand on our seats to get a good view and when the miracle of all miracles actually happened, the place ERUPTED. I've never heard a crowd that loud or seen as many grown men crying and hugging random strangers.
#3 - Round 18, 2015 vs Adelaide - Even thinking back to this day makes my eyes get a little watery. The way the Sydney fans rallied around an absolute champion of the sport when he was being attacked from all sides was just a thrill to be a part of. Some things transcend the sporting field and the applause at the 7 minute mark of the 3rd quarter was spine-chilling. Also, having the perfect view behind Jetta's goal to start the game was pretty special too.
#4 - Round 10, 1999 vs Collingwood - This was back in the day where you could get tickets to the game at local train stations. Tickets went on sale at 11am though, so I had to skip out of maths class, sprint to the train station, jump the gates because the ticketing system wasn't working there, catch the train 3 stops away and then finally get the tickets, returning to school to find that my mates dogged me and didn't pack up my stuff so I had to front up to my maths teacher (a renowned bastard). I kept the handful of grass I swiped from right where Plugger kicked his 1300th in a bag stuck on my wall for years after.
#5 - Grand Final, 2005 vs West Coast - Does this need any explaining? I managed to get my hands on a ticket, but had to pass because I was booked in to look at wedding reception venues in the Hunter Valley and was already in trouble with my fiance for "not caring enough" about the plans. Watching it on TV knowing I could've been there was a bittersweet experience.
#6 - Round 19, 2014 vs Essendon - I honestly don't remember this game at all except for the fact that I got to play a game of AFL 9s at half-time instead of the Auskick kids. Managed to kick a goal in front of 30,000 people and I wore a go-pro on my head the whole time for proof: .
#7 - Round 22, 2012 vs Hawthorn - Even though we lost this one in a nailbiter thanks to a rubbish call from the umpire NOT to award a 50m penalty against Shaun Burgoyne (which made me lose my voice for the next day), this was the moment when I knew we were going to win the flag.
#8 - Round 12, 2006 vs Collingwood - This was also another loss, but it's only memorable because it was part of my bucks night. Everyone was bored by half-time, so one of my fairly drunk mates decided to announce to everyone around us that I was about to get married every time a goal was scored. It started just standing on the seats and shouting out to the people around us, then running out to the aisle, then ended up with us standing on the fence behind the goals announcing it to the whole bay with security trying to pull us down.
#9 - Preliminary Final, 2012 vs Collingwood - The Lewis Jetta goal when it became obvious we were gonna break the Magpie at ANZ hoodoo and head to the granny. That slingshot gameplan was incredible when it came off.
#10 - Round 15, 1999 vs Melbourne - My first Swans match on the hallowed turf of the MCG was against the Demons (who weren't completely rubbish at that point in time). One of my mates is a diehard Melbourne supporter, so we caught the train down for the weekend and saw three games at the G (hearing the Richmond song at the end of their win was also pretty awesome), culminating in a win for the Bloods. My mate got pretty sick of me waking him up constantly on the ridiculously boring train ride home with "Cheer cheer the red and the white ...", but my discman had run out of batteries and I had nothing else to do.
OK. Your turn.