Nostalgia series - and finals in the time of coronavirus...

[The bulldog tragician]

Four years ago a quite staggering number of us were there in the stands to see our team make history in the most thrilling (and Bulldogs-esque) way possible.

I will never forget the drive up there, scarves out all the windows, Bulldogs supporters seemingly everywhere in Sydney. The roar when we ran out. The moments we seemed down for the count, until an incredible passage of play where we just willed the ball forward and Clay Smith delivered the most desperate, ferocious bump to create a goal for Daniel. The epic last quarter where unlike all those many many Bulldogs teams who'd tried and failed, this group found something extra, again and again.

In contrast I just got an email from the club about finals tickets for next Saturday. No need to queue up, get anxious about where we'll be seated, make preparations with friends and families to catch up pre-game. No way to really be involved, hope that our chant will make a difference, that we can urge the boys to victory. Sitting in our lounge rooms, listening to moronic commentators, unable to be with our team. This virus sucks, big time.

Much though I hope and want our team to take us on another ride this year, it can't and won't be the same watching through a TV screen.

Here's my blog from that happiest of days, called of course: Why not us?

http://www.bulldogtragician.com/the-...log/why-not-us

[bornadog]

One of the best days at the footy ever.

I arrived in Sydney with my mate at 9.30am and we threw our bags into the hotel room. My mate said, what shall we do now, and I responded with, let's go down to the rocks and harbour area. When we got there it was a sea of RWB. Ran into a couple of woofers and just enjoyed talking about our chances.

Decided to make our way to the ground after lunch and on the change over of trains ran into another friend with his son, so we hung out together. Boy was it difficult to get a beer outside the ground, just rubbish organisation. We decided to go into the ground and see if we could grab one there. Whilst chatting on the terrace, Mitch Wallis stopped by and had a quick chat.

Finally when the boys ran on to the ground, the roar of the crowd was incredible, and the boos for GWS drowned out their supporters.

The last 5 minutes of the game, I have never been so tense in my life, my legs were in knots.

The rest is history, but what an amazing feeling when the siren went.

[1eyedog]

Great day / night. Maccas Goulburn was absolutely rocking. I went on the Doggies bus from WB as I had every intention of getting stuck into the Western Sydney lifestyle. The ride home was memorable I think.

[comrade]

After a few too many nervous pre-match beers, I spotted Craig Lambert at the packed pub outside the ground and kept yelling at him rather loudly ‘where’s Lachie’s stash?’ following his involvement in Whitfield’s recent illicit drug issue.

My behaviour only got more repugnant (if you were a GWS supporter) as the night went on.

Good times.

[Happy Days]

I had to do the close at the bar I was working at, and managed to avoid spoilers for the entire shift until knockoff at 1:30am, in spite of one drunk guy in particular who would not shut up about the best game of footy he'd ever seen. Finished watching at 4am, half-delirious but mostly a blubbering mess.

[Twodogs]

After a few too many nervous pre-match beers, I spotted Craig Lambert at the packed pub outside the ground and kept yelling at him rather loudly ‘where’s Lachie’s stash?’ following his involvement in Whitfield’s recent illicit drug issue.

My behaviour only got more repugnant (if you were a GWS supporter) as the night went on.

Good times.

Did he end up telling you where it was?

[josie]

Was also in WB bus - mine was The Roughy Express. Great to see all the scarves hanging out of car windows and thumbs up & horn toots too. All anticipating and hoping and nervous smiles and chats with lovely bulldog supporters, then as BAD said just tense energy and then total utter exhilaration. Never see so many folks cry with happiness and sheer delight. And the amount of hugs and waves and high fives and shouts with RWB strangers on way back to bus - no social distancing then....

Did not get a wink of sleep on way home and then rocked up to watch us win VFL final at Docklands. What a weekend. Burned into my memory.

Love Comrades story. Still staggered at how weak AFL were about that.

GWS full of top draft talent - but we were the more gritty and better “team”. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve watched that match or the highlights. Still not tired if it yet. The last qtr is as good as it gets regarding gripping sport.

[Eastdog]

Would have to be the best game I have watched from my couch at home. Twodogs was at home for that game as well

[jeemak]

Some of that bloody hay fever you experienced in Sydney just got me as I was reading that.

[comrade]

Footy peaked that night.

[Eastdog]

Was also in WB bus - mine was The Roughy Express. Great to see all the scarves hanging out of car windows and thumbs up & horn toots too. All anticipating and hoping and nervous smiles and chats with lovely bulldog supporters, then as BAD said just tense energy and then total utter exhilaration. Never see so many folks cry with happiness and sheer delight. And the amount of hugs and waves and high fives and shouts with RWB strangers on way back to bus - no social distancing then....

Did not get a wink of sleep on way home and then rocked up to watch us win VFL final at Docklands. What a weekend. Burned into my memory.

Love Comrades story. Still staggered at how weak AFL were about that.

GWS full of top draft talent - but we were the more gritty and better “team”. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve watched that match or the highlights. Still not tired if it yet. The last qtr is as good as it gets regarding gripping sport.

I went to the VFL GF at Docklands the next day as well. Great day there also just knowing that we were playing in a GF. Many Dogs fans I recall that day were beaming.

[bornadog]

then rocked up to watch us win VFL final at Docklands.

My mate had Medallion Club tickets for VFL GF

Sunday morning 4 of us were sitting at the airport gate chatting about the game, the GF etc when suddenly we looked up and there was no one there. Qantas announced a gate change and we didn't hear it and missed the plane.

Finally got home to watch the last quarter on TV.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Will never, ever forget this night. I watched at home. The whole day I was an absolute nervous wreck. I kept trying to convince myself it didn't matter if we lost. This wasn't quite our time, blah blah blah. I knew deep down that it would kill me to see us lose yet another prelim.

When the giants gained momentum and kicked 14pts clear in the last quarter, I resigned myself to a 9th prelim loss in a row. "Oh well" I thought. "Next year we'll be ready". Then we came back. Then came the JJ to Bont goal. At that point I started to believe this could happen. But this was also mixed in with those scary thoughts of our heartbreaking prelim losses. Again, I was too afraid to believe we could do it.

The leadup to the Macrae goal was nail biting. It was an absolute 12 point goal. The ball could have gone into either 50. I happened to see at the corner of the TV, Macrae take a gamble and continue his forward progress into our 50. Then Libba miraculously got the ball and with a kick only he could pull off, perfectly spotted Jack. I felt this kick had the game riding on it. I knew Jack wasn't an excellent kick for goal. I couldn't watch. I walked out of the living room and into the kitchen and just listened. When the I heard the roar I nearly dropped to my knees. The rest of the game from that point onwards I was an absolute mess. It felt like I was running on pure adrenaline. Hope and excitement of finally making the big dance but at the same time the aboslute fear of another heartbreaking loss.

When we were 5pts up and the ball got sent inside their 50, I could have died. What an effort from Wood and what a clearing kick from Roberts. That final peice of play I screamed at the TV for Boyd to dish off to Stringer. It was at that point that I knew we had it. My tone changed from fear and dread to the most joy I've experienced. I was expecting Jake to have a ping but when he squared up to Dickson I became a blubbering mess.

The next day I felt like I had run a marathon. Nope I had simply spent 3hrs on the couch watching the bulldogs in a prelim. Still was on a high though.

The feeling this night beat that of a week later.

[comrade]

I spent the last 5 minutes screaming at my cousin at the game 'how much longer' as he scrambled to get the live stream up on the AFL app to check the time. It felt like he said 'about 5 minutes' for at least an hour.

[bornadog]

I spent the last 5 minutes screaming at my cousin at the game 'how much longer' as he scrambled to get the live stream up on the AFL app to check the time. It felt like he said 'about 5 minutes' for at least an hour.

I had texts coming through from a mate back in Melbourne, every 1 minute for the last 5 and my legs were getting tighter and tighter. I thought we were going to throw away another prelim.

When the ball was kicked backwards that last minute, (was it clay?) the women next to me was screaming why, why. I said then we have this in the bag they are wasting some time.

When Stringer kicked that ball to Dickson, and the ball was sailing through the air, I have never heard a roar like it.