The 2017 finals series will etched in my brain forever. I have vague recollections of 1980 but from the QF where I started believing to the noise of the PF and then every second of the GF made all of those 37 years worth suffering through
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Your Greatest Tiger memory ever…
- Thread starter Scoop
- Start date
Yeah, I'm just gonna say September 2017. A surreal month when the impossible kept happening and felt inevitable as it did.
Waiting several (3? 5? I Can't remember but time well-spent) hours in the drizzle in the MCC line with my Dad and brother and watching in awe at the queue growing behind us, all the way up to Wellington Parade, then snaking all the way back down the hill.
The booing of the Cats. I turned to Dad again in awe and said 'Listen to that!'
'Dusty, oh Dusty, that is classic Dusty!' (one of Bruce's best calls) (But also Shedda's and Vlastuin's goals)
The crowd roar at the 3/4 time siren. 75,000 Tigerheads bellowing, 'Not this time, Scats. We've got you!'
Chimp's goal. Chimp's entire game, manhandling and beating up any Pussy who dared get in front of him.
The roar after Lambo's goal in the prelim
Chimp again
Danny Rioli's sweet right boot
Dusty grabbing the game by the nuts late in the 3rd and early in the last.
Turning in the last minutes to see my brother (we hadn't been able to sit together) at the end of my row, standing arm-in-arm with him as the Tiges kicked the door down into the GF.
Getting my GF ticket and guarding it like it was a million in cash. It was hours after I picked it up before I got home and I kept patting my pocket to ensure it was still there. I put it in a drawer and must have checked it half a dozen times a day.
The scarcely believable feeling of going to the MCG on grand final day with the Tiges playing
The Killers playing 'Forgotten Years'
Houli's goal. We've settled and we're in it
The second quarter grind and the feeling of getting on top. Shedda at clearance, Houli relentless, Dusty too good. Jack's goal - I was level with the goal line and knew it was home straight away.
The premiership quarter, a glorious, crashing wave of Tiger. Momentum, a dam burst. Jack Graham never looked like missing. Neither did Grigga, and when he handballed over the top to Lambo I thought, 'we're going to win'. Then Tex kicked a goal but Graham got it straight back, and I thought, 'we're going to win!' George's snap and I knew, 'WE'RE GOING TO WIN!!!'
At 3/4 time a friend sitting a few rows in front of me turned around, tears of anxiety in her eyes. But I knew. It was over. 'Relax, Em. It's over. We're premiers, enjoy it.'
The last quarter, just drawing further and further away. I looked around the crowd, all around, made eye contact with every Tiger I could and pumped my fists. I called my brother with my dying phone - WE'RE PREMIERS!!!
After the match, buying the Mark Knight poster on the concourse outside the ground (ok, giving the girl in front of me $3 to get me one). Brandishing it as I walked around the G, high-fiving strangers. Crossed Punt Rd, poster still above my head, thrusting it at passing, tooting cars.
Phone about to die, trying to arrange to meet my cousin and uncle (Dad had gone home - long day for a 77-year-old especially considering his grand final tradition of swimming a k or 2 with my uncle in the morning). In my phone's last mortal breaths (never to work again) I finally got on to my cousin. Met him and my uncle at the Royal Tennis Club in Sherwood St, which I didn't even know existed. My cousin's cousin on the other side is a Scotch-educated commie and a member (and a Melbourne fan) and he opened the joint up for a private party of maybe 15 of us. We drank Moet and imbibed other goodies, watched the replay, hugged many times. Spoke to Dad, caught Ubers to Chin-Chin for a late supper and talked about family and how my late mum and our late aunt would have loved loved loved it. Home relatively early - maybe 1 - and chucked on the replay.
There'll never be another month like it.
Edit: Forgot the VFL grand final the day after the AFL prelim. Watching in standing room with Ezy and Snake, TOT, Tooheys, caesar, taz and Mr B (first time meeting any of them). Shai Bolton's first quarter of pure genius. A cracking game, shame Lenno missed from 58 after the bell but hell, it was only the warm-up anyway. No chance of getting ahead of ourselves after that. The 8 days from prelim to GF was like a carnival.
Waiting several (3? 5? I Can't remember but time well-spent) hours in the drizzle in the MCC line with my Dad and brother and watching in awe at the queue growing behind us, all the way up to Wellington Parade, then snaking all the way back down the hill.
The booing of the Cats. I turned to Dad again in awe and said 'Listen to that!'
'Dusty, oh Dusty, that is classic Dusty!' (one of Bruce's best calls) (But also Shedda's and Vlastuin's goals)
The crowd roar at the 3/4 time siren. 75,000 Tigerheads bellowing, 'Not this time, Scats. We've got you!'
Chimp's goal. Chimp's entire game, manhandling and beating up any Pussy who dared get in front of him.
The roar after Lambo's goal in the prelim
Chimp again
Danny Rioli's sweet right boot
Dusty grabbing the game by the nuts late in the 3rd and early in the last.
Turning in the last minutes to see my brother (we hadn't been able to sit together) at the end of my row, standing arm-in-arm with him as the Tiges kicked the door down into the GF.
Getting my GF ticket and guarding it like it was a million in cash. It was hours after I picked it up before I got home and I kept patting my pocket to ensure it was still there. I put it in a drawer and must have checked it half a dozen times a day.
The scarcely believable feeling of going to the MCG on grand final day with the Tiges playing
The Killers playing 'Forgotten Years'
Houli's goal. We've settled and we're in it
The second quarter grind and the feeling of getting on top. Shedda at clearance, Houli relentless, Dusty too good. Jack's goal - I was level with the goal line and knew it was home straight away.
The premiership quarter, a glorious, crashing wave of Tiger. Momentum, a dam burst. Jack Graham never looked like missing. Neither did Grigga, and when he handballed over the top to Lambo I thought, 'we're going to win'. Then Tex kicked a goal but Graham got it straight back, and I thought, 'we're going to win!' George's snap and I knew, 'WE'RE GOING TO WIN!!!'
At 3/4 time a friend sitting a few rows in front of me turned around, tears of anxiety in her eyes. But I knew. It was over. 'Relax, Em. It's over. We're premiers, enjoy it.'
The last quarter, just drawing further and further away. I looked around the crowd, all around, made eye contact with every Tiger I could and pumped my fists. I called my brother with my dying phone - WE'RE PREMIERS!!!
After the match, buying the Mark Knight poster on the concourse outside the ground (ok, giving the girl in front of me $3 to get me one). Brandishing it as I walked around the G, high-fiving strangers. Crossed Punt Rd, poster still above my head, thrusting it at passing, tooting cars.
Phone about to die, trying to arrange to meet my cousin and uncle (Dad had gone home - long day for a 77-year-old especially considering his grand final tradition of swimming a k or 2 with my uncle in the morning). In my phone's last mortal breaths (never to work again) I finally got on to my cousin. Met him and my uncle at the Royal Tennis Club in Sherwood St, which I didn't even know existed. My cousin's cousin on the other side is a Scotch-educated commie and a member (and a Melbourne fan) and he opened the joint up for a private party of maybe 15 of us. We drank Moet and imbibed other goodies, watched the replay, hugged many times. Spoke to Dad, caught Ubers to Chin-Chin for a late supper and talked about family and how my late mum and our late aunt would have loved loved loved it. Home relatively early - maybe 1 - and chucked on the replay.
There'll never be another month like it.
Edit: Forgot the VFL grand final the day after the AFL prelim. Watching in standing room with Ezy and Snake, TOT, Tooheys, caesar, taz and Mr B (first time meeting any of them). Shai Bolton's first quarter of pure genius. A cracking game, shame Lenno missed from 58 after the bell but hell, it was only the warm-up anyway. No chance of getting ahead of ourselves after that. The 8 days from prelim to GF was like a carnival.
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Dunno, was certainly different but it was special in that we could celebrate winning another Grand Final from about halftime onwards. Every goal was a party, a celebration, smiles everywhere. An hour of celebrating the inevitable Grand Final before the final siren. Marlion's first goal was the big cherry on the cake.
I say this all the time, and always get weird looks.
The birth of my daughter was one of the most stressful, exhausting, anxious, and terrifying days of my life. Who are the people out there enjoying it? I'm assuming it's not the mothers, so it must be the old school dads who spend the birth at the pub.
I was certain my wife was going to die three times, and nothing even went wrong. I just didn't realise there'd be that much blood. Then you get screamed at by a gooey goblin you suddenly have to protect and you have NFI whether putting on their first onesie is going to snap their arms, while your partner's still half conscious on a hospital bed. Best day of your life?
A better question would be whether the premiership was better than the day my daughter took her first steps.
I mean, yes.
But it's a closer consideration.
I could have said Jackmond and the Killers ....
But mine is about another club!!!
It was a darkish day on the G and Fitzroy were playing their last game in Melbourne. After the game finished (Tiges by heaps) The Fitzroy theme song was playing. Older couples were literally waltzing around the G and the rain came down in a final goodbye tribute to a great football club.
Remember it like yesterday...
But mine is about another club!!!
It was a darkish day on the G and Fitzroy were playing their last game in Melbourne. After the game finished (Tiges by heaps) The Fitzroy theme song was playing. Older couples were literally waltzing around the G and the rain came down in a final goodbye tribute to a great football club.
Remember it like yesterday...
Why is it a Tiger memory? Because we were there and we sang their song with them.
Magnificent.
I remember 2017 Grand Final night posting up on a table out the front at some Thai place opposite the Swan and ordering a plate of spring rolls every 45 minutes. You couldn’t just buy booze. It was me, Dad, my brother and a notorious ex Tigers ex missus who is a family friend and between beverages we ran into at least a dozen people we knew and just strangers who stood with us, would go in and buy a round of drinks and then move on. Had a elderly gentleman called Harry who had lost his family stop with us, ring them, tell them to come met him at the Thai place. He told them we was celebrating with “new friends.”
Harry got into deep Tiger conversations with my Dad. After ten minutes we looked over and they were laughing so hard over a Royce Hart game they both were at in the 70’s they were crying. The both agreed that Dusty is in the discussion with Royce. Harry‘s family turned up, had a few with us and left. We all hugged at the end, if we seem them again, we will meet as ”old friends“.
1980: Grand Final, final quarter, the game was over and it was time to enjoy, KB waltzed around Stan Magro, steadied and kicked an unbelievable goal from close to the boundary, his 7th. Grace, balance and skill, just football perfection. KB is right up there with the greatest.
1995: Flew back from the US to attend the finals, went to the Semi against Essendon with my brother, a Melbourne supporter. After Matthew Knights kicked the 3rd of his superb goals that day, my brother turned to me and said "That's 3 of the best goals anyone will ever see". The noise singing the song on the way to Richmond station and on the platform was deafening.
1995: Flew back from the US to attend the finals, went to the Semi against Essendon with my brother, a Melbourne supporter. After Matthew Knights kicked the 3rd of his superb goals that day, my brother turned to me and said "That's 3 of the best goals anyone will ever see". The noise singing the song on the way to Richmond station and on the platform was deafening.
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After a quick 5-min think, here are mine (i think)
1. Going to 2017 Grand FInal with brother and sister, watching the win, then kicking on at Swan Street until 3am.
2. Richmond beating Geelong in 2020 GF, watching from the couch. I really thought we were gone when 20 points down.
3. The wife surprising me on the morning of Rich v GWS prelim at the MCG. Woke me up, showed me the ticket and then drove me the 3 hours to the game. I had planned to watch from home.
Dropped me off, i was by myself, (never watched a game by myself previously i dont think) however had 99,000 RFC fans next to me. That first goal 30 seconds in will never be forgotten live (the roar), the party started shortly after.
4. Rich beating GWS in 2019 GF, watched from home with the 3 kids after a BBQ lunch and many beers.
5. Rich v Ess 1995 semi, another great day. I was 12. Remember coming home and we had a big party at our house that night.
just a mention to a Adelaide v Richmond game too. Think it was 2015 maybe on a cold night at AAMI Stadium.
A nice guy on here actually gave me a ticket for free a couple of days prior.
My wife and I drove 7 hours up and watched, i think we were up by about 12pts most of the match, but you could feel Crows were ready to pounce. I think they finally hit the front and got to about an 8 point lead with 5 mins to go and she seemed over. 3 Adelaide dickheads who were sitting behind me (approx 25 years old) started giving it to me, kicking my chair and abusing myself and Richmond players.
My wife was squeezing my hand as she knew i was ready to lose it.
Somehow we kicked 2 goals in the last 3 minutes to hit the front and win.
Siren sounded, I was pumped, i thought "Stuff it, im giving these guys a serve here"
I got up, turned around and the 3 of them like little girls were running to the aisle stairs to go home.
We hit the pubs after, The Elephant i think was the main one.
1. Going to 2017 Grand FInal with brother and sister, watching the win, then kicking on at Swan Street until 3am.
2. Richmond beating Geelong in 2020 GF, watching from the couch. I really thought we were gone when 20 points down.
3. The wife surprising me on the morning of Rich v GWS prelim at the MCG. Woke me up, showed me the ticket and then drove me the 3 hours to the game. I had planned to watch from home.
Dropped me off, i was by myself, (never watched a game by myself previously i dont think) however had 99,000 RFC fans next to me. That first goal 30 seconds in will never be forgotten live (the roar), the party started shortly after.
4. Rich beating GWS in 2019 GF, watched from home with the 3 kids after a BBQ lunch and many beers.
5. Rich v Ess 1995 semi, another great day. I was 12. Remember coming home and we had a big party at our house that night.
just a mention to a Adelaide v Richmond game too. Think it was 2015 maybe on a cold night at AAMI Stadium.
A nice guy on here actually gave me a ticket for free a couple of days prior.
My wife and I drove 7 hours up and watched, i think we were up by about 12pts most of the match, but you could feel Crows were ready to pounce. I think they finally hit the front and got to about an 8 point lead with 5 mins to go and she seemed over. 3 Adelaide dickheads who were sitting behind me (approx 25 years old) started giving it to me, kicking my chair and abusing myself and Richmond players.
My wife was squeezing my hand as she knew i was ready to lose it.
Somehow we kicked 2 goals in the last 3 minutes to hit the front and win.
Siren sounded, I was pumped, i thought "Stuff it, im giving these guys a serve here"
I got up, turned around and the 3 of them like little girls were running to the aisle stairs to go home.
We hit the pubs after, The Elephant i think was the main one.
What a great thread.
We were at the "Dusty Dusty Dusty" game at Homebush beating the Swans to get in the finals in the last round of 2014 and I remember thinking after the Port final demolition the week after that at least I had that as a cherished memory. I fully believed we were cursed never to win another GF and even a final win seemed a million miles away.
So, along with a lot of you, that made the 2017 GF the miracle day. My parents, wife and sister drive down from Bathurst on the Saturday morning. We'd missed out on tickets and just wanted to be in Melbourne on the day in case the unthinkable happened (Also the last live game we'd seen was the St Kilda flogging that year and I fully believed I could curse the roll on we had by turning up). We set up in a random pub in Fitzroy, the upbeat atmosphere (and a few hastily downed pints) really took the edge off the nerves. I spent the game absolutely frozen / nerve wracked watching the screen. Mates started texting me late in the 3rd quarter but I would not entertain the thought we could win it til Dan Butlers banana in the last. The shot of Peggy and the Gale brothers mirrored my own realisation it was happening. Absolute euphoria. Dad had said in 2016 he was sorry for handing Tiger fanship to me as a kid. That day we drunkenly hugged as the siren went and I thanked him for it.
The pub, and indeed the entire city went off. We hot footed it to Swans Street and took in the world's happiest riot down there. On the way my sister passed what she thought was a Tiger fan in a wheelchair and screamed "UP THE TIGERS" as we passed him. He yelled "F@!K THE TIGERS" in response. She had mistaken his Crows scarf for a Tigers one. It was well known celebrity / actor Quentin (R.I.P.). My sister and I looked at each other, suppressed our laughter til poor Quentin was out of earshot then just died laughing. What the hell was even happening?!? What a day.
We were at the "Dusty Dusty Dusty" game at Homebush beating the Swans to get in the finals in the last round of 2014 and I remember thinking after the Port final demolition the week after that at least I had that as a cherished memory. I fully believed we were cursed never to win another GF and even a final win seemed a million miles away.
So, along with a lot of you, that made the 2017 GF the miracle day. My parents, wife and sister drive down from Bathurst on the Saturday morning. We'd missed out on tickets and just wanted to be in Melbourne on the day in case the unthinkable happened (Also the last live game we'd seen was the St Kilda flogging that year and I fully believed I could curse the roll on we had by turning up). We set up in a random pub in Fitzroy, the upbeat atmosphere (and a few hastily downed pints) really took the edge off the nerves. I spent the game absolutely frozen / nerve wracked watching the screen. Mates started texting me late in the 3rd quarter but I would not entertain the thought we could win it til Dan Butlers banana in the last. The shot of Peggy and the Gale brothers mirrored my own realisation it was happening. Absolute euphoria. Dad had said in 2016 he was sorry for handing Tiger fanship to me as a kid. That day we drunkenly hugged as the siren went and I thanked him for it.
The pub, and indeed the entire city went off. We hot footed it to Swans Street and took in the world's happiest riot down there. On the way my sister passed what she thought was a Tiger fan in a wheelchair and screamed "UP THE TIGERS" as we passed him. He yelled "F@!K THE TIGERS" in response. She had mistaken his Crows scarf for a Tigers one. It was well known celebrity / actor Quentin (R.I.P.). My sister and I looked at each other, suppressed our laughter til poor Quentin was out of earshot then just died laughing. What the hell was even happening?!? What a day.
Great thread and I've enjoyed reading everyone's memories. I'm not sure whether this is my greatest Tigers memory, but it is certainly one that popped into my head when I started reading this thread.
The day Royce belted Vin Waite at Princess Park and got reported for I think the only time in his career. Waite was as dirty as anyone who played the game, and usually tried to kill Royce anytime Richmond and Carlton played, although the way the crowd reacted you would have thought he was a Saint.
Can't remember but I think Royce might have got a week or two?
The day Royce belted Vin Waite at Princess Park and got reported for I think the only time in his career. Waite was as dirty as anyone who played the game, and usually tried to kill Royce anytime Richmond and Carlton played, although the way the crowd reacted you would have thought he was a Saint.
Can't remember but I think Royce might have got a week or two?
I have watched this game many many times. More times than any other of the finals of this great era. It's just utterly orgasmic.
1995 final v Bombers. Win aside I got into an argument with a Bombers supporting priest after Scott Turner took a few scalps!!
The day Jack Riewoldt kicked ten against the Eagles.
Went from ”we might have a good one here” to “how good will this bloke end up?”
Seeing players breakout is a great thing to witness. And it never stops happening.
Reckon Baker did a bit of that Saturday night as a mid.
Went from ”we might have a good one here” to “how good will this bloke end up?”
Seeing players breakout is a great thing to witness. And it never stops happening.
Reckon Baker did a bit of that Saturday night as a mid.
Waiting outside Punt Rd Oval as a kid and getting to go for a run with the players. Weightman, Bartlett and Cloke ran over the old bridge with me, and then up Brunton Ave until we hit the Punt Rd intersection. From there I got a "thanks for the run kid but we've gotta go and catch up with the others now. We'll see you around!" I got a few pats on the head and was left way behind in a very short amount of time.
Yep, I proceeded to walk home with a huge smile on my face.
Then there were the Sunday lunches with the Bourke's
Yep, I proceeded to walk home with a huge smile on my face.
Then there were the Sunday lunches with the Bourke's
That game came on the same weekend that Glen McFarlane wrote an article rating the top 10 chances for the Coleman for the year and he had not included Reiwoldt. I know GF and still remind him of his footy and journalistic nous (he is actually a ripping fella).
I'd tried to get on Jack for the Coleman not long before that game and Sportsbet didn't even have him in the market.
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