The greatest match I have ever seen

[Dan26]

West Coast vs Carlton at Subiaco in Round 21 1995

The single greatest match I have seen.

You know as an Essendon supporter, I HATE both teams, so when I say this was the greatest match, I really do mean it.

This was an era where West Coast lost 1 or 2 home matches a year, but when they did, they were not at their best. When they were at their best, they NEVER lost at home. On this day, they were at their best, and they lost by a point.

The standard, and skilll level was something yet to be matched

 

[Eagle_Fan]

Mmmmm, I remember that game. It was the night I almost became the youngest person ever to have a footy-induced heart attack! SOS played up forward didn't he, and kicked a bundle?

Good sight better than tonights game hey?

Thank God it's only pre-season!

Why do you hate West Coast? I like Essendon.

 

[samsgal]

the 95 game was a day game i went and when we won that game said to the person i went with we will win the flag.

the night game was in 97 when sos kicked 6 and we won by 7 points.

my fav is a tie between the 95 game v wc and the 99 prelim final

 

[Eagle_Fan]

Yeah, sorry, wrong game. Was the 95 one where Mainwaring had the chance to win after the final siren? We always seem to lose to you guys by small margins, so the games are kind of a blur...
One of my fave games was the final against Carlton at Subi in '96!
But you cant go past WC vs WB in '98 for a spectacular game. 8 goals down at qtr time, then kept WB goaless til half time. Great comeback.
Rounds 4 and 7 last year were pretty good too.

 

[Grendel]

Okay I remember watching the (WC/Blues) game on tv and it was a great match. But I can honestly say that the rnd 6 Hawks vs Cats at Princes Park leaves it for dead.
Anyone who was at that game would probably agree with me.
Just an awesome AWESOME game of footy.

 

[Dan26]

That round 6 match in 1989 was unbelievable.

Geelong kicked the highest ever losing score

171-163

unbelievable !!

But, the 1995 WCE v Carl game was the greatest match I have ever seen

Defence makes a match too, you know. In terms of skill level from BOTH sides, and BOTH teams playing a full 4 quarters of footy, you can't go past Round 21 1995.

In Round 6 1989, I couldn't say that BOTH teams played a full 4 quarters.

 

[Dan26]

As an Essendon supporter, I will argue till my face is blue that the mighty Bombers have been involved in more memorable matches than any other team.

Even if we have been on the losing end of some heartbreaking defeats in some of those.

Essendon's victory over North in 1999 was one of the greatest matches ever played ! (Carey kicking 10)

Remember the Anzac Day draw in 1995.

Or the Bombers two, one point finals losses in 1996. Even the one-point preliminary final loss in 1999.

Or how about 1993, where Ablett kicked 14. Or the 1993 Preliminary final against Adelaide.

Or the 1993 match against WestCoast, where Salmon kicked a late goal and we won by 2 points, and Sheedy waved his jacket.

Or the sight of 86,000 jackets waving in 1996 when we beat West Coast. Has there ever been THAT may people barracking for just ONE team in the history of football.

Or Essendon one point wins over Carlton in 1994, and 1998. Or Essendon 6 point win against Carlton late in 1998, where Silvagni ****ed up a kick, and let us win by a goal !!

Or the 1993 Qualifying final. One of the greatest games of all tme, where the Blues beat the Bombers by two points.

Call me biased, but in the 1990's I will argue without a shadow of a doubt, that the Bombers have been involved in more dramatic, and memorbale encounters than any other team.

Doea anyone seriously come close ?

 

[Mr Ripper]

Eagle Fan, the Mainwaring game was 1993 and Dan24, you're quite right, the Dons seem to have had their fair whack of top-notch matches over the last several years, certainly many more than any other side.

As for the best game I've seen; recently it would be the Dons/Roos game from '99 and going back a bit further in time, I'd say the 1981 First Semi Final (even though I still fume over the result - flamin' Ross Brewer).

 

[Dan26]

Oh yeah !

1st semi-final 1981.

Coll 133 to Fitzroy 132

A magnificent game

Nothing beats Carl vs WCE in 1995 for me though. Matter of opinion, I know, but I ask everyone here to hire it out from Australian Football video.I'm an Essendon fan and I have got it, so that says something !!!!

 

[Eagle_Fan]

So just what happened in the '95 WC v Carlton game? I know I was there, but can't for the life of me remember it! Repressed memory perhaps?

I'd agree that Essendon do seem to be involved in the most dramatic/exciting games, but most of them involve such small margins! You could read many things into that, what do you think?

I've never seen it, but I gather the '89 GF was pretty good? What about the '94 final where McGuane was running into an open goal as the siren went, and we won by 2 points?

Also in '94, the semi between Geelong and North, that put the cats into the GF. Ablett taking a mark in front of Mick Martyn in the goal square with seconds to go? Great stuff.

Exciting finals are just so much better than H & A games, simply because of the implications of losing.

 

[Grendel]

Dan, My best mate is an Essendon supporter and I quite often go to bomber games with him, (besides the Royal hotel always makes for pleasent after match entertainment heehe)
so for a Hawk man I am probably one of the few that has a soft spot for the bombers.
I will agree that they have been involoved in many close games in the 90's. For some reason Collingwood (to ones i have seen live at the game) always seem to give you trouble. In particular Sav for god knows what reason. An outstanding game I recall was the dons/cats centenary game. Tuesady night? cant quite recall but seeing gellong surge ahed early in the third quarter and then for Bewick to go BESERKERS after missing I dont know how many games with the knee reco. Whoo some game.
But just a qucik comment,re the 89 round6. Defence isnt needed in games like that one. FOr sheer breathtaking quality it was unforgettable. Bucky five gaols in the 1st quater then going off the ground for virtually the rest of the game,excell (WHO??) kicking 9.dipper being stiched by Ablett then coming back at him in the 2nd half.Hocking feroucios at anything and anyone, the the freak Morrissey coming on and doing an ablett/daicos cameo.
To top it of geelong were coming back agian when the siren went.
Man it was a game.

 

[Pessimistic]

Bombers in '96

Much was made of how they missed the GF by a point but they were also one goal from oblivion in the qualifying round.

The reason? Hawthorn went down by a late goal to top-placed Sydney. Had Hawthorn won, the Dons would have been eliminated as the second lowest placed loser. They lost by one point to Brisbane. It just goes to show the closeness of the final system that was.

Incidentally this sunday's ansett cup game might be a good one. Hawthorn need to win by a few goals to qualify but I personally hope for a good game, a narrow win (so essendon can play the SF, giving Hawthorn some rest. Above all I hope for no injuries.

Should be a big crowd (the AC game in 98 had about 35,000 I think - and a 10 goal win to essendon) I'm looking forward to it as the newly inspired Hawks need a real test rather than the insipid effort by the Eagles

 

[Dan26]

Yeah that 1989 round 6 game between the Hawks and the Cats was something else. I would still say, that for pure quality, and intesity, 1995 Round 21 was the best. There were no record scores kicked (I think the score was 102-101), but what a game it was.

That Hawks-Cats game in 1989 was betteer than the GF.

I said before that Essendon have been in more memorable matches in the 1990's than any other team, and I listed a few matches. There are heaps more !!!

How could I forget the centenary match agaisnt the Cats in front of 75,000, with Bewick of all people kicking 9.

Or the draw in front of 76,000 against Richmond on a Friday night in 1995.

Or the 1992 match against Melbourne, where we were 47 points down DURING the last quarter, and won by a point.

Essendon has also been in memorbale losses. 1992 against Hawthorn, they lost by 160 points (216-56). That was memorable for all the wrong reason,if you are an Essendon fan.

And one of the great matches. Late in 1990 against Collingwood at Waverley. A Full house, televised LIVE INTO VICTORIA. A magnificent game, and Essendon win by a goal !

1994. 75,000 versus Geelong, and the Bombers overcome a 30 point deficit to win by about two goals.

Round 1 1997, Essendon vs Carlton. 82,000 people watch the Bombers (yet agin), beat Carlton narrowly (WE ALWAYS BEAT THEM NARROWLY, EXCEPT IN FINALS). Greg Williams get reported for shoving the umpire. Essendon win by 7 points in a memorable game.

I hope we play in the Blues in the Ansett Cup GF.

Unlike you, pessimstic, I want to win every premiership that is available. There are 3 trophys to win :

The pre-season, the McClelland (for finishing top), and the cup for winning the GF in September.

The last one is given all the recognition, even though top spot is harder to acheive, but I want to win any premiership. That's what you play football for at a professional level. Winning......

 

[colley31]

It is so hard to pinpoint the greatest game of football that you have seen. I like games when the great comeback happens, and in this category, I would have to say the 1984 GF when Essendon came back from the dead at three quarter time to beat Hawthorn, was one of my most memorable games.

 

[Crows Fan]

Being a Crows fan, of course I would choose a Crows game as the best ever - that would have to be the 1997 Prelim. Final against those doggies. Being 24 points down with 10 minutes to go and winning by 2 points is something that I will never forget - fantastic. Another GREAT game that I remember did not involve the Crows - it was the ANZAC DAY clash in 1995 when there was a draw - top game of footy and a bloody good advertisement for what has to be the worlds greatest game.

 

[Pessimistic]

I was there too and the final part of the Doggies v Crows 1997 final was absolutely fantastic. Jarman's performance was the best individual passage of play I witnessed (I was sitting in the pocket he was leading to)

I do have to disagree about the rest of the game. It could very nearly have been the worst ever. There were a lot of neutral fans like me and those that hadn't left were chatting or yawning, as the game slowed to a trot.

I remember the Doggies started well and the Crows slowly. But as the third and fourth quarter rolled on it was like the Crows had lulled the Doggies into complacency. This was illustrated by the maggot Libba going into raptures and jumping into soemones arms after kicking a point. Then Bam ! Jarman to FF and the rest is history. A pity the saints didn't study the game more closely, as the same thing happened to them in the GF the week after.

I'm a Hawthorn fan and there was always a sense that something would happen whenever Jarman got the ball. In fact in that game I would say that if the Crows had got Hudson, and the Doggies Jarman, the result would easily be the other way round.

I also remember the 1993 finals and would never underestimate the Crows, if they qualify for the finals.

 

[RON BASSET]

The best game I have ever seen was the Essendon V North Melbourne game in 1999, round 16 I think. It had everything, mainly high scoring. If someone who had never seen our game before saw that they would fall in love with it.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Spot on, Ron.

That match had almost everything - Free-flowing, high scoring, two gun forwards on fire at either end and a bit of aggro.

The only thing lacking was a thriller diller grandstand finish.

 

[tom_gamble]

well, after reading about all these great matches, i feel i have to contribute as well.
my fav game of all time was the 1994 preliminary final between the maggies and my team, the eagles. we won by 2 points and boy was i HAPPY!!!!!!

 

[The Dutchman]

All time Essendon classic was getting out of jail at Optus (Princes Park) in 81 against the blues. We've been really unlucky against them - beat them twice that year and yet they won the flag. Beat them twice last year and they won the flag. Also lost a couple of GF's to them in past by a point I think (40's and 60's).

1984 last quarter avalanche (Leon Baker blind turn) was fantastic - I think we'd kicked about 3 goals 21 by 3 qtr time - does that count as "choking"?

But the 89 GF and home & away games btn Geelong and Hawthorn were unbelievable - how unlucky were Geelong to come up against the 89 Hawks, 92&94 Eagles and the 95 Blues? Poor Bastards. They would have murdered both Collingwood and Essendon in 90 if they'd got it together then....

 

[Dan26]

So, with so many new members to bigfooty what are the greatest games of all time ?

Round 21 1995 Call v WCE stands out for me.

S, does that 1994 state of orgin match at Football park, betwen the Vics and S.A. South Australia won by two points in a game of football that produced a skill level, that is unsurpassed in any game I have seen.

 

[CJH]

Yes, the West Coast / Carlton game was an absolute cracker, certainly one of the best of the decade.

Other standouts:

• Adelaide vs West Coast at Football Park - must have been around the same time. It was played at night (twilight?) in perfect conditions. The pressure from both sides was relentless and in a highly skilled encounter, Adelaide got up by a few points after kicking only 8 goals for the entire match (against West Coast's 7).
• I can't go past the Richmond / Essendon semi final in 1995. Gone at half time but ground back to win. It is fair to say that this was Richmond's biggest win since 1982.
• Richmond / Carlton in round 22 1997. Gave away a 7 goal head start at Optus Oval, then clawed back to pip them by 2 points just before the siren, denying them a finals place. On the way home, I had to rng the missus (Fighting Fury) and ask her to make sure she taped the replay. Watching Ian Robertson afterwards wanting to kill Kouta for missing the last goal was not one of the finer pieces of unbiased sports journalism.

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This is a hallucination and these faces are in a dream. A computer generated environment; a fantasy island you can do anything and not have to face the consequences.

 

[AlfAndrews]

Collingwood-Essendon, ANZAC DAY, 1995.

If ONLY Buckley had gone for goal instead of passing to Sav when he had possession with only seconds to go. Even a point would have been enough.

Sav's greatest game.

And I remember Cockatoo-Collins taking one of the greatest marks I've ever seen in the last quarter.

I remember the crowd going ballistic all day. Then the dead silence at the end.

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**floreat pica**

 

[Hawkforce.]

The Anzac Day games have often been close, generating a false sense of excitement, but the quality of football has rarely been high.

Geelong/Hawthorn 1989 for me, with Carl/WC close behind.

For pure excitement 1993 prelim 3rd Quarter, and 1999 final quarter between the Hawks and the Cats.

That last may come as a surprise, but there were all of 4 or 5 bounces/throw ins and only a few goals ie: no stoppages in play. Rex Hunt and Anthony Hudson were hoarse by the end of that call.

 

[RICE80SF]

Yeah I was there too Alf. That was truly eerie at the end, a huge let down for both supporters. Like a loss really even though you end up with two points.

I remember when Buckley was running through the centre it was deafening, not a soul sitting down, not even in the members I don't think.

These big games are starting to be the Grand finals for the people, went to the GF this year and enjoyable as it was

, it didn't have half the atmosphere as Anzac Day '95. Too many corporates and dicks who won tickets on a radio show.

Cheers