Where were you?

Watching Grand Final Flash backs today I became a little nostalgic..lol.

So just wondering...

Where were you when your respective AFL side were playing in a grand final (win or lose)?

For me 97/98 Adelaide Crows grandfinal days blend into one and were much the same.
And I'm not sure if we went overboard - but as I write this maybe we did

Also as I write this - I'm not 'story writer' or 'journalist' so hopefully doesn't read too bland

We invited family over for a barbeque.
Covered the front fence with blue, red and yellow streamers.
Face painted the kids.
We all wore the appropriate club colours.
I remember my neice even making a blue, red, yellow cake - cake icing and all

I remember lots of eating and yelling at the telly.

But what I remember the most of the day is when the final sirens went.
Our phone ran hot with friends and family from all over the country ringing us.
I also remember bundling the then 'little kids' into the family car and driving around the suburbs,
Flages, scarves and streamers hanging out of the windows.
People out everywhere standing on footpaths cheering and displaying their own flags etc.

Was quite an awesome time.

1997 - was at my best mates place. Watched the game, ecstatic at the win. Side note, best mate moved overseas just after the 1998 GF, and the first game he's seen since he left was the last quarter of last weeks match!

1998 - A mate, his sister and I went to the Shed, Got the O-Bahn into town (was my first trip on the O-Bahn) and then a bus out to West Lakes. At half time, my mate was the only one who believed we could still win. The trip home was one of the longest trips home, but it was sensational!

Home.

As Richmond has not won a flag since 1980 and I was born in 1984...

...does that answer your question?

spell_check wrote:Home.

x2 for both 97/98

spell_check wrote:Home.

Were you doing stats and that from watching the game.

I was working for the 1998 GF.

Was a casual at one of the libraries in the hills. Thankfully the storeroom was right behind the front counter so I just wheeled the TV in there into the doorway and stood their watching it.

One of the biddies I was working with wasn't happy but I thought stuff her, GF's don't happen every day! I reckon only about 3 people came in all arvo anyway, was absolutely dead.

Got home for the second half thankfully!

MightyEagles wrote:x2 for both 97/98

x 3. I'm really not the best of company when watching footy.

As a Carlton supporter the first grand final I attended was the 1970 VFL final between the Blues and Collingwood (I had just turned 16).

The game was famous for two reasons, the come back by Carlton from 42 points behind at half time to win the game and the record crowd of 121,626 at the MCG, which today does not resemble what it was. The noise of this massive crowd was deafening and something that will never be heard again because of the downsizing of the ground capacity.

I was also fortunate to go to the 1979 GF, again seeing my blue boys knock of the perenial GF losers collingwood.

1961 - Didn't know a lot about it.

1971 - At the Adelaide Oval watching the SANFL GF between North and Port. Watched the replay when I got home.

1976 - At Football Park watching Sturt v Port and keeping an eye on the 1/4 x 1/4 score updates on the scoreboard.

1978 - At Football Park. Just heard my Hawks had won, then watched Norwood's incredible last quarter comeback against Sturt. Got the double that year

1983 - Watching at a mate's place. A lot of people around to watch the match, we were the only two hoping the Hawks would win. The party became rather quiet last in the 2nd quarter

1986 - At the MCG watching the Hawks thump Carlton. Always a pleasure. That night I was having dinner at a restaurant and telling my friend all about the game and how good the Hawks were, The guy at the next table butted in and said, "I was just wondering who Hawthorn were playing today". I said "Carlton". He said "Thank you, I just wondered if you knew, all you've talked about is Hawthorn!". I recognised the guy, it was Ken James from Skippy who I found out later is an avid Carlton supporter. He'd obviously had a bad day.

1988 - At the MCG, was there at 9am and watched a young Wayne Carey play in the U19s GF. It was a long build up with at least 90% of the crowd supporting Melbourne. They were selling these infernal red plastic pitchforks with very sharp points, and I was getting prodded with them before the game. I said nothing until the game started, then off I went, cheering loudly each time the Hawks did something well. About halfway through the 2nd quarter, Brereton had kicked a checkside goal, then Dipper booted one on the run to give us a 7 goal lead. I turned to a guy who had been giving me crap before the game and I said, "Bad luck mate, the Dees did well just to make the GF". He snapped and said, "Bullshit, we're going to win it". I calmly pointed to the scoreboard and said, "Mate, we've already got 9 goals on the board, which is more than you will kick for the entire match!!". Sweet revenge

1989 - At the MCG watching the greatest GF I've ever seen, and one of the best matches. Ablett booting 9, Brereton's display of raw courage, Dipper leaving the ground after the match with a punctured lung, the game had everything. Totally relieved when the final siren rang, Geelong were coming at us hard, and the Hawks had nothing left.

1991 - At Waverley Park. A very satisfying win over the Eagles by 53 points, especially after we'd been beaten by them soundly earlier in the season, and their number 1 cheer leader Denis Cometti had made the comment the Hawks weren't in the same league as the Eagles

2008 - At home alone watching on TV. Another very satisfying victory when most judges didn't rate us a chance. I'd actually received a text message from the wife of one of the Hawks coaching panel just before the game telling me all the coaches were supremely confident of victory.