My favourite Bomber memory? Easily the 1995 Semi.
Although I was hopeful coming into the Essendon game, that hope was not based on realism and logic. The week before, Richmond were beaten by a North side showing their finals class, and the Bombers had accounted for the prior year's premiers West Coast. In truth I was wanting an honorable defeat to build on for next year.
My Richmond friends and I were AFL members, and had decided to go to the game with some Essendon supporters. Before the game we decided to have a few at the Cricketer's Arms on Punt Road (having some female friends in attendance ruled out the Royal). It was easy to tell that our Essendon friends were confident before the game.
Once we got to the ‘G, we decided to sat around 15 rows back from the fence. My memories of the first half? By quarter time we were lucky to be as close as we were (1 point difference) Essendon outplayed us, and they missed a few easy shots, we were lucky to be that close. Did Richmond kick a couple just before ¼ time?
For Richmond, the second quarter was a disaster. We were totally outplayed and looked out of our depth. Essendon oozed class sand polish, and we looked like the team that had a lucky season, that was now playing outside its level. My Essendon “friends” were now typical Bomber supporters who only say something when their team is winning. And boy, were they giving it to us! There was now place to hide for us Tiger supporters, except in the solace of our beer.
The only shining light in the first half was the performance of Matthew Knights.
The start of the 3rd quarter, and Northey decided to roll the dice, and change things around. Most notable was the move of Scotty Turner to CHF. It made sense, because Benny Gale was having a nightmare of a finals series.
Ten minutes into the third quarter and Essendon were not gaining further advantage, nor were Richmond catching up., Scotty Turner was everywhere, busting his gut. From the corner of my eye, I saw that someone had flattened Grenvold. Was it Scotty, was it Boofa Maxfield? It was hard to tell because the ball and players had moved on. Grenvold was hurt. And I thought “At least we’re making a fight of it and our presence felt.”
A few minutes later, and I think Richmond had cut the deficit by a goal, when on the AFL members’ wing, right in front of me, in the most legal way, Scotty flattened Gary O’Donnell with a most righteous shirt front. I heard it, Essendon supporters groaned and Tiger supporters cheered. Almost immediately, the bounce returned to the Tiger run. The Bombers were rattled. Then from a Tiger perspective you had the laughable situation of O’Donnell being carried off on a stretcher, and as soon as he crossed the boundary, got off like he was getting out of bed and walk to the bench.
For the rest of the quarter there was wave after wave of Tiger attacks. My Essendon friends were shaken and silent. Richmond gained the lead and as soon as that goal was kicked, my most vocal of Essendon friends stood up, flicked his membership on to the ground, and screamed “This is *smile*.” I smiled. I knew we had ‘em.
Richmond kicked out to a lead of greater than a goal. Just before the 3 quarter time siren, Essendon got one back, and the difference at 3 quarter time was one point. But the dynamics of the game had changed. Richmond were in front, and looked the more confident. The roar at 3 qtr time was unbelievable; the foundations of the ‘G were shaking.
The last quarter was a tussle, but a tussle that Richmond controlled. They say bad kicking is bad football, and if it were another team, we probably would have been punished. But Essendon were a shell of a team we saw in the second quarter. My Bomber friends were silent the whole quarter
The siren to end the game sounded. Northey stepped out of the coaches’ box to wave his jacket. Richmond supporters cheered, and some cried with joy. It had been a while since we had won a final. The theme song was sung, and I believe that that was the loudest I ever heard the theme song. I don’t remember who was given best on ground, maybe Knighter, but all of my Richmond friends agreed it was Scotty Turner – he had been the game changer with his two goals (one Ablettesque from the boundary) and his shirt front.
The vocal Essendon friend that threw his membership? He vowed never to buy another Bomber membership again. He held true to his word until 2000, when the Bombers reigned supreme.
But that day was Richmond’s day, and my fondest Richmond memory.
).....and a young Lloyd was giving everybody a taste of what was to come, with some of his acting/diving skills being practiced, especially when he took a mark, and Greg Dear came in to hold him up...and Lloyd went down like a sack of....