"Did that really happen?" moments at the footy

[The Swert]

A few come to mind...

MCG scoreboard fire in 1999.

Essendon's first quarter vs Gold Coast in 2011.

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

I think Jude Bolton just might have him covered

Wow, just wow. That is unbelievab;e

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Matt Carr gets a free kick while kicking a point and the umpire asks (the opposition?) if they want to take the point or have another shot.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

I once saw an umpire allow a marking contest to happen without awarding a free kick.

 

[NarklesHelmet]

The strangest thing I have seen, and that I rarely, if ever hear getting mentioned, is when I saw Plugger uproot a pointpost at Moorabin against Collingwood in 1987.

Even though I was 8 at the time, it was the first game I ever saw the Saints win live (I know, pretty tragic but that was the Saints in the 80's ). Plugger was absolutely on fire and booted about 10 goals from memory including a ridiculous torp off one step from inside the centre square that went through post high. It was as dominant performance as I have seen by a player and we won the game easily.

Anyway, his big frame banged into the base of the point post in front of the grandstand that I was sitting in and the post uprooted completely! It was seriously bizarre. No one knew what to do, the umpires were completely confused. Eventually, two poor old waterboys had to hold the thing up for the rest of the quarter so play could continue.

Really strange thing to see live and I always shake my head when I remember the thud of Plugger uprooting the post and the strange sight of a couple of old blokes having to hold the point post so the game could continue. It was way better than Lethal breaking the post but I pretty much never hear it mentioned.

 

[Engimal]

Harvey's 3 goals in 3 minutes at 34 years of age.

 

[Cleavy]

the Plugga pig

 

[Rohan25]

Leigh Brown goal in the 2010 prelim. Just a ridiculous bounce.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Stewie Dew's cameo in the 2008 GF was pretty hard to believe.

 

[NarniMagic]

Last quarter of tight game at Waverley in 1997 or 1998, some random Hawthorn player had shot at goal from 65m. Nobody was in the goal square. The ball was bouncing low and fast for what appeared to be a certain goal. The goal umpire "assumed the position", straddling the goal line, one foot either side, knees bent, chest out, arms out straight by his side, making sure that if an invisble fairy touched the ball on the line, he would be in perfect position to notice.

The problem was he took his eye off the ball. Too busy assuming the position. The ball veered slightly off it's straight course and bounced into his right knee, inside the field of play. He stood up straight and looked forlornly towards the nearest field umpire. They conferred. Hawthorn players rushed in, screaming WTF! It's a goal! That was going through!

The goal umpire signalled touched, one behind

I screamed "But YOU touched it, you douchebag!!"

Fuming, I sat down and thought, "Did that really happen?"
I hadn't seen it before and i haven't seen it since.

God I would love to see a video of that!

 

[Blues177]

From the sensational seventies DVD- Bernie Quinlan playing for Footscray in 1973, jumping behind the goalpost and still marking the ball with both arms wrapped around the goalpost.

 

[cowboy18]

This livened up one of those quiet Sunday afternoons.

 

[Braddock]

In the same vein (vane?) as the Jude Bolton and Russel Robertson goals, I present this ridiculous goal from Leigh Brown in the 2010 prelim vs Geelong. Fair to say I knew it was our night the moment this happened.



The thing that gets me every time is the second bounce. Lonergan's change in pace from casual jog to flat out sprint is pretty good too.

 

[pablo668]

This Derek Kickett goal from the WAFL in 1987. I've no idea how he kicks it.

2:30 mark



Then follows it up with an awesome mark where he takes the ride on one player, and comes down on another.



Was pretty head-shaking at the time. Can't believe the kick.

Will also second Riewoldt's mark. Still the best I've seen.

The Kickett highlights remind me of a game at that ground about a year after that one.
It was a cold, windy day with patchy rain down at East Freo oval. Both teams were playing pretty dour and unexciting footy all day (Claremont vs East Freo again).
Claremont was 10-15 points down all day and was not looking like they'd be able to bridge the gap and it was getting late in the game.
An East Freo player was kicking out from the square after yet another point kicked by Claremont. He was standing there trying to choose a target when a player for Claremont, Peter Thorne, called for the ball (he was about 20m out, slight angle) and the East Freo player....in a moment of complete brain fadery, kicked it straight to him.
Thorne marked it and went on to kick a goal.
The crowd made a lot of noise at this, especially the Claremont people as it was probably the most interesting thing we'd seen all day. Not to manton we laughed our asses off.

It seemed to wake up the Tigers too as they went on from there to turn the game around and win by.....around 20 points from memory.

Have to admit I feel a bit sorry for that full back, it's the kind of ****-up I'd do on the field.

 

[mcuzzy]

round 21. matthew rogers in 2000 vs sydney, he had a decent game and kicked 3 goals. then with about a minute left and he's 25-40 metres out, needs to kick it to seal a win and all the richmond fans were cheering, we knew we'd won the game. he kicks it about 10 metres short and off target, sydney race up the field and either get a point or a goal and they win by 1 point. i never really liked matthew rogers after that day

 

[Ghossein]

 

[millsy29gopies]

The Leigh Brown bounce, the 2010 draw, the Tom Hawkins after the siren and the Saints/Freo game at Launceston on 2006 all spring to mind for me.

 

[KGBeast]

I remember watching Andy Gowers hit Todd Ridley in the eye in the pocket at Waverley in 93 right in front of the umpire. The ump told Ridley to get up and be a man! I miss those days.....

 

[MF]

Peter Carey's mark was hilarious and was definitely a what the eff moment.

That's the one that came to mind when I saw this thread title. I remember seeing it happen and being dumfounded for about 5 seconds, then laughing my arse off when I realised he'd done it by mistake.

 

[ioppolo]

Sirengate for mine - a once in a lifetime event that one.

 

[Bluelegs]

Sirengate for mine - a once in a lifetime event that one.

Similar thing could've happened again this year if the Gold Coast got up over Freo in that last minute.

 

[Rors]

A few come to mind...

MCG scoreboard fire in 1999.

LOL @ this... I was at this game... i was also at the game at Waverley when the lights went out.... Both awesome examples of "WTF is happening here?!?!"

 

[Death]

Cool thread. How 'bout Carey's mark? That is, Peter Carey.

 

[tasmanlvr]

A few come to mind for me...

-Round 1, this year, up against the Lions, the third quarter was the most dumbfounded I was left at a game. 186 included (also a WTF moment just sitting there at half time... though it quickly turned to anger when myself and the cheer squad were abusing Bailey)
-Round 10 this year, beating Essendon - a WTF moment simply because we won a game, even more so because Essendon were 8-1 and flying. Great night.
-As mentioned, Robbo's goal which took that right angled turn, was up above it on the third level, couldn't believe it
-2002 Semi Final, when we were 40 points down at quarter time, four goals up at three quarter time then managed to lose. One of the best games I've been to but also one of the best examples of 'WTF' games
-Watching TV, Round 16, 2001, asking for the score for the Essendon game and North were 58 points up! Struggled to believe that
-Watching Karmichael Hunt's goal on TV against the Tigers. Again, struggled to believe it