SO FAR, SO WHAT?

There is a magazine in today's Age: Melbourne FC 150th Year Anniversary, 1858 to 2008. It is a bumper edition celebration of the history, heroes and future of the Demons.

Gary Marchant's
Top 5 Memories So Far:
1. Making a last quarter comeback as the underdog in the qualifying final against Carlton in 2000 and winning by nine points to advance to a semi final against Brisbane.

Gary might need to run his memories by a good subby. Me, for instance. Melbourne did indeed beat Carlton in the 2000 qualifying final, but they advanced to the preliminary final against North Melbourne.

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CRAPPY ANNIVERSARY, BABY #

Got you on my mind:

Sesquicentenaries

• Australian Rules Football: 1858 to 2008
• Melbourne Football Club: 1858 to 2008
• Melbourne Grammar School (my old school): 1858 to 2008

Centenaries

• Richmond Football Club: 1908 to 2008
• Rugby League: 1908 to 2008
• Victorian Football League/Australian Football League: 1897 to 1996.

No, your eyes don't deceive you; that last one is not a pismrint. In 1996 the AFL wanted to cram Fitzroy into their centenary celebrations at the same time they were cramming the Roys into a merger with Brisbane. Yes, technically it was the 100th year. But with every subsequent public anniversary, the AFL's celebration of their 100th birthday one year early looks more and more stupid.

Comments

[pat]

15 minutes till the end of the cricket season.

Yes, I know the Blues are taking on the Mexicans at the SCG (but we all know the Blues will crush them), but at 17:30 its over for me.

Sierra Oscar Sierra goes the cry from Belmore. This is the moment, this is the year. Leave not one stone on stone at Telstra this evening, otherwise consigned to Sisyphus fate we men of Cumberland are, yet again, as the eons roll on an on and on. Go the Eels!

[pat]

F*ucken typical. 6 f*ucken nil. The worlds revolve like ancient women gathering fuel in vacant lots. You F^cken c^nts Eels! gO the EEls.

[pat]

14 c^nting nil. When does the cricket start again. Upset! Upset! Who's the idiot that doesn't realise the Eels are the slowest starters since Claudius took over the Empire? F^ck me! GO THE EeLS!

[pat]

Just. Hold. The. Ball. Parra.

[pat]

20-nil halff&ckingtime.

Well. I knew it. I've been telling everyone all week that the Dogs are the upset. Why? Cause the team is good. The Eels are notorious slow starters. The Dogs are notorious responders to adversity. Will the Dogs make the 8? No. Will the Eels make the 8? Yes.

But this game?! For f*cks sake come on!!! Leyton Hewitt Style

[Tony]

Lleyton's yesterday, hero. He's gawn. Just like Eelamatta.

[Tony]

18-20.

Don't thank me; just send money.

[Adam 1.0]

My top 5 (1989-onwards, when I was old enough to give a phuck)

1. The Carlton game. An unbelievable comeback after we'd copped almost 10 goals to none in the last quarter against them a couple of months earlier. What boring cvnts call a "life affirming moment"

2. Winning in Geelong by a point in 2005 to keep our finals hopes alive. If I hadn't been forced to work the next week I'm sure the Footscray game would have ranked equal with this.

3. Round 22, 1998. Destroying the hopes and dreams of an entire stadium full of Richmond fans who had come hoping that one win would put them into the finals.

4. Allen Jakovich running riot against North and kicking 11.7 in a domination of Mick Martyn so severe that if it was the only game you ever watched you'd wonder which played 300 games and which played 50.

5. Pulvering Richmond by 120 odd points in 1993 (94?). Jakovich and Lovell 8 goals each and a bird shat on my hand at 3/4 time.

And the bottom 5?

1. The merger fiasco. Thanks to the biggest stack in history and rules specifically designed to cheat people out of their votes. Thus we're forever remembered as the only team to vote ourselves out of existence when it should never have happened.

2. The day (1993?) where we led by 40 at 3/4 time against Essendon, kicked the first goal of the last and proceeded to lose by a point.

3. The second game I ever went to when North beat us by 130 points and Longmire kicked 14.

4. Round 22, 2007. The most embarassing win ever as Carlton roll over and die like Ebola victims.

5. The 2004 EF when we lost to Essendon. If we'd won that and got back in form we could have gone all the way.

I wasn't at the 2002 Adelaide EF or the 1996 R22 game against Hawthorn but I'm sure both of these would get a massive run.

[pat]

Parra 28 - Bulldogs 20. Come on PARRA! Parra are the best! Come on PARRA! Parra are the best!

ParrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrA clap clap clap
ParrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrA clap clap clap
ParrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrA clap clap clap

Parra - smash the Storm!!!!

[Tony]

Adding to your Top 5, which are all very good.

1. Wet Toast at Subi in 1998.

2. Western Oval Round 22, 1987.

3. Wet Toast at Subi in 1989.

4. Carlton in the 1994 qualifying final.

5. Collingwood in the 1988 first semi.

6. Carlton in the 1988 preliminary final.

7. Collingwood at Vic Park in 1992.

8. Freo at the MCG last round of 1997.

At the bottom:

1. Losing to the Dogs at Optus in minus 50 degrees in 1999.

2. Hawthorn at Waverley in 1999.

3. Norf at the MCG in 1996; Carey kicked 11.

4. Sowf at the MCG in 1997.

5. Bullies at the MCG in 1997. Umpire sacked himself afterwards.

6. Too many to mention.

[Storm]

*rubbing hands in anticipation*

[Francis Xavier Holden]

I sleep better knowing someone,like you,is monitoring the big things.

[pat]

Re. AFL, my one and ONLY memory that I care to repeat is the '96 final against Essendon when Lockett kicked a behind to win the game on full time.

My wife who was near full term at the time had Bourbon and Coke sprayed/dumped on her from the top decks of the Noble stand and my old man tripped and fell over the fence as the crowd (me included) swarmed the ground to swamp Lockett. Wooohooo.

Oh yeah, and Paul Kelly missing from 20 metres right in front minutes out from half time in the Grand Final.

[RT]

Great Top 5's but my take:

Western Oval '87, Rd 22, August 29th. Tin shed a'rocking when Dunstall marked, then goaled. Flower plays finals.

Carlton game '00. Gary Marchant must be a phucking tool.

Waverley '88, Elim Final vs Toast. Williams handball to Lyon. Superb snap at any time, Lyon's best year. Murray Wrensted where are you now, I'd like to shake your hand.

Waverley '88, Prelim vs Carltank. Duuuuursma on Kernahan worth the price of admission.

MCG '94, Semi Final vs Dogs (or it might have been Carltank). Schwarz grabbing it from a throw in, couple of bounces, goal. Easy.

Bottom 5:

Last seconds of the '87 Prelim. No other supporters have been thru that.

Missing the finals in '76. Centre line of Flower, Wells, Alves. Carltank draws with Dogs. Dogs go in.

Schwarz doing his knee in '95 pre-season. Only Demons supporters know how good he would've been, rather than very servicable later on, very ordinary on the punt and very unservicable as a commentator. Apparently the second time he did a knee in a game against the Swans (Dunkley standing over him to protect him from other players) was equally numbing.

Dogs game in '97. Stynes free on Darcy the icing = broken remote control.

Freo game in '02. Ellis and Nietz fumbling and bumbling, Farmer sealing after the siren (after kicking the 2nd last goal - which was a point). Broken wine glass.

[Adam 1.0]

"1. Losing to the Dogs at Optus in minus 50 degrees in 1999."

All I remember about that day is a Dogs fan walked up to me and demanding I take my MFC jumper off somewhere down the wing. I said no and walked off waiting for the clout across the back of the head but it never came.

Nick Carter kicked a goal too. There's a rare event for you.

The week before that when we beat Essendon would probably rank somewhere near my top 10 if I did a proper dissection. It was probably the most entertaining game of footy I've ever seen, and had the classic moment where Farmer took the mark (en route to 6 goals) and stuck it in his opponent's face.

Later in the week I might have to sit down, go through the AFL Tables website from 1989 to today and come up with a definitive list of my favourite games.

[Big Ramifications]

That photo of Dyer was (is?) The Footy Show logo.

To those of you who think that was bleeding obvious: go chew on a rock.

[teejay]

The Richmond FC centenary of 1908 - 2008 is 100 years of competing in the VFL/AFL.

The club was founded in February 1885 at the Royal Hotel.

[Tony]

Typical of the Tigers to start at a strippers pub.