Toast What are your memories of the 4 Premierships?

[franjon]

1975 I was way too drunk. Couldn't get tickets, and back then the cops didn't mind.
1977 The same but we should've beaten them the first time, were clearly the more talented side.
1996 After 95 and the loss to Carlton and the fact that they were building you could see that they were becoming a premiership side.
1999 I knew once Essendon were taken out of the equation it was ours. During that year we gave up a huge lead but still won by 6 goals. We were a better side than Carlton and I never really felt any doubts.

 

[Val Keating]

1975 I was way too drunk. Couldn't get tickets, and back then the cops didn't mind.
1977 The same but we should've beaten them the first time, were clearly the more talented side.
1996 After 95 and the loss to Carlton and the fact that they were building you could see that they were becoming a premiership side.
1999 I knew once Essendon were taken out of the equation it was ours. During that year we gave up a huge lead but still won by 6 goals. We were a better side than Carlton and I never really felt any doubts.

That 95 loss to Carlton was terrible. I was 13 with my 2 cousins, 12 & 15. I’ll never forget them singing the song early and how nasty their supporters were to us. Grown men having a go at us. I’ve hated them ever since. People forget how bad their supporters were because they’ve been shit for so long. I was wrapt they got done yesterday. They probably want to sack Voss again.

 

[Mute Point]

So many memories but a funny one that stays with me was in 96 back at Arden St after the match. I was pretty hammered but remember seeing a guy holding a beer and trying to navigate his way down the terraces & thinking to myself geez he's really struggling. Next thing he takes a tumble & ends up flat on his back. He's got grazes all along his arm. Go over & help him to his feet & ask him are you ok mate? His reply was "did you notice I didn't spill a drop?" He was the happiest bloke in Melbourne that night.

 

[franjon]

That 95 loss to Carlton was terrible. I was 13 with my 2 cousins, 12 & 15. I’ll never forget them singing the song early and how nasty their supporters were to us. Grown men having a go at us. I’ve hated them ever since. People forget how bad their supporters were because they’ve been s**t for so long. I was wrapt they got done yesterday. They probably want to sack Voss again.[/B]

Richmond and Essendon supporters in the 70's and 80's were worse. Home games against those teams and they would snipe at anyone, women, children, anyone. The definition of scum.

 

[Kangapirate]

I was in grade 6 in 1996, despite my whole family being mostly bluebaggers mixed in with Pies they decided to have a huge family bbq to celebrate my team being in the grand final, the whole day was a dream from start to finish, was absolutely glowing when I returned to school for the start of term 4, reckon I was the most popular kid in the school for a short time lol.

99 was more relief after 98, nobody seemed to rate the Blues, the prelim result was such a shock that the vibe was that we had it in the bag. You’d think you would be petrified after what happened in 98 but the Blues never felt like a threat leading into game and the match itself was comfortable enough.

 

[Ischenko]

Haha I remember queuing up at the Arts Centre and sleeping overnight in 1999 aged 15. Was easy to get tickets once all the Essendon supporters who’d had places in the queue since we’ll before the prelim left. Stayed there all night, kicking the footy with strangers and having a blast, some older bloke gave me and my mate a couple of cans. Got tickets shortly after 9am, top of the Southern Stand.The game itself was fairly underwhelming, although I was stoked to bum a couple of ciggies off North fans on the way in lol.

96 was 12 with my old man behind the goals at the ponsford end, don’t remember much except Dunkley missing the spoil as the ball bounced through. I knew he shouldn’t have been playing and remember a feeling of childlike justice. Footy gods.

My family and friends couldn’t get tickets to 98, probably a good thing.

 

[Twinkletoes]

I’m lucky to have been at all of our Grand Finals bar 1950, and all finals since 1974. My dad barracked for Fitzroy (mum North) and thankfully he would do whatever it takes to secure GF tickets for all of us regardless of who was playing. Any North were in would provide him with that little extra motivation to ensure I attended.

‘75 - sitting on those hideous wooden bench seats in The Southern Stand on the wing about 20 rows from the ground. I’ve said this before but the thing that stuck in my mind from that day was the tears and joy in the older supporters faces, and the streamers adorning every doorway of the house we went to the following day in Brunswick.

‘77 (both games) - the draw was the weirdest at the final siren. People with mouths agape wondering “wtf”. Both games we were Punt Rd end forward pocket in the Southern Stand. The win was sensational. A real celebration that I was old enough to enjoy far more than ‘75, albeit still only a 9yr old. I remember my aunt lifting me in the air after the siren before she planted the wettest and strongest smooch on my bloody lips. I was in raptures while disgusted. The sights and sounds were unreal.

‘96 - front row of section Q of the now Great Southern Stand, Punt Rd end forward flank. Went off my bloody nut from go to whoa. Headed to the function at the then Flinders Park tennis centre post game and had every player and coach sign the premiership dinner menu. Headed to Arden St later and wrote myself off, which I regret to this day.

‘99 - level N in the AFL Members with the corporate types. Knew we’d win and win we did. Had a huge night at the tennis centre followed by Arden St but this time I didn’t get beyond tipsy, and I’ll be forever glad about that. Wound up in Bobby McGee’s at some stage followed by The Tunnel with a few of the mates with the full clearance from the girlfriend who headed home post Arden St.

We walked tall and had all footy supporters full respect at that time, and it’s that feeling I cannot wait for my own kids to experience.

 

[Mr north man]

1975 I was way too drunk. Couldn't get tickets, and back then the cops didn't mind.
1977 The same but we should've beaten them the first time, were clearly the more talented side.
1996 After 95 and the loss to Carlton and the fact that they were building you could see that they were becoming a premiership side.
1999 I knew once Essendon were taken out of the equation it was ours. During that year we gave up a huge lead but still won by 6 goals. We were a better side than Carlton and I never really felt any doubts.

1999 was a great day watched the game with my father for the last time in Great Southern Stand as he passed away in early 2000.
Then what always got me watching the replay hearing Gerard Healey saying Carlton get 1 more goal and they will run over North even tho we were 6 goals in front 20 minutes into the 3rd term at the time.

 

[Gasometer]

That 95 loss to Carlton was terrible. I was 13 with my 2 cousins, 12 & 15. I’ll never forget them singing the song early and how nasty their supporters were to us. Grown men having a go at us. I’ve hated them ever since. People forget how bad their supporters were because they’ve been s**t for so long. I was wrapt they got done yesterday. They probably want to sack Voss again.

It’s amazing how we revisit this game over the years on here. I was late 20’s and still remember their disgusting behaviour.

It’s why the second quarter of Saturday night was pure schadenfreude… that explosive lead dwindle away goal by goal.

 

[Gasometer]

1999 was a great day watched the game with my father for the last time in Great Southern Stand as he passed away in early 2000.
Then what always got me watching the replay hearing Gerard Healey saying Carlton get 1 more goal and they will run over North even tho we were 6 goals in front 20 minutes into the 3rd term at the time.

His dislike is still clearly evident

 

[Roo096]

I have a bag filled with newspapers,magazines,books I collected during the years 96&99.Every now and then I blow the dust of the bag and dream again.