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i remember i was only about 9 years old or something.
this is how i remember it.....
i remember we got done by the bombers a few weeks before the prelim by about 76 points, they absolutely killed us. Also, we got killed in the first final against brisbane up there by 70 odd points. so we weren't the greatest side going around, just a solid side, nothing more.
I remember it was a nice sunny day, and i was sitting on level 2 in the forward pocket down the punt road end. We started the game really well, the first half actually. And i was quite suprised because i thought we were going to get killed, so did everybody else. I remember Essendon* fans lining up to buy grand final tickets a couple of days before we played them in the prelim. NO ONE, i repeat, NO ONE gave us a chance really in the football world. Essendon* was the best team that year, they had recently demolished us, and we had also been killed by brisbane, and they were expected to beat us easily and win the grand final.
Anyways at half time our boys got clapped off the ground and you could just feel something special. It wasn't one of those lucky first quarters where the underdog team is in front but you know it won't last long, everyone could kind of feel that this was a special day and as i said at half time the boys came off the ground together to applause of the carlton fans and there was a real buzz in the air and amongst the team.
The third quarter was much different, Essendon* probably switched their heads on a bit during the break and realised they couldn't breaze through the game like they expected, and that they would have to work a bit harder. They came out and just kicked a big quarter, with lloyd kicking a couple etc. Anyways i think they were about 3 goals up at three quarter time and had great momentum. It was crucial we kick the first goal of the last quarter to keep in touch, but unfortunately steven allesio goaled, and either it put them 4 goals up or 3, i cant remember exactly how much they were up by at 3qtr time. At the time of that goal, some people began to kind of feel it was gone, and usually for most teams it would mean you were gone as the momentum was absolutely huge for Essendon* and they were seen as the premiers and us just a team they had demolished before standing in their way as a little obstacle to a grand final for them.
But all of a sudden things started to change and lappin goaled, and fraser brown with a great snap.
kouta was running rampant taking i think 9 marks in the final quarter and he was easily best on ground. He kicked 2 goals from memory also in the last quarter from big marks. I remember one of them ratten kicked it long from outside 50 to like the square and there was a pack of like 6 players and kouta in the middle and the ball somehow came out in his hands, freak of a mark. Then the next minute you would see him takin a one handed saving mark in defence, he was EVERYWHERE. aaron hamill also goaled from long range, and then with only a few minutes to go whitnall, as a youngster marks about 55m out on the boundary. You could see his eyes on the big screen darting around looking for someone to pass to and he didn't look confident at all, almost like the incident where motlop didnt want to take the kick, whitnall just didn't look confident. But then that changed in a split second, and he put his head down and looked the most confident man in the world. It was just one of those memorable important impact goals in finals that you will always remember. And it wa s a huge kick and the crowd errupted and we were in front!!!!!!!
Then i remember with about just more than a minute remaining mercuri gathering the ball about 10-15m out right in front of goal. He sprayed it, and he grabbed his face and the look on his eyes was just like he knew he had lost a spot in the grand final. The atmosphere was electric, and it had been all game, it was just generally a great game of footy, but the atmosphere was unbelievable as both sides and supporters knew there was no more than a minute to go basically. I remember bradley kicked it out long, and i thought he shouldv just looked short and hit someone on the chest to waist time. And that guy barry young or whatever marked for them about 55-60m out. Then i remember the moment i looked down and saw lloyd etc all there and young kicked it long. I thought this is hit, i just thought somehow they were going to take a big pack mark. An absolutely huge pack of players went up for the ball and carlton fists were flying everywhere to try and punch the ball clear. The ball landed in dean rice's arms, who had had a great game, and as he pumped it out of defence i thought here we go, but then my heart sunk again as wallis marked with fletcher next to him well clear of any blue player. He couldv kicked it long straight away, or handballed it to fletcher who wouldv basically bombed it to the square where they couldv tried to get a point, but he tried to be the hero.
It was almost like time went in slow motion and i remember seeing him try to evade fraser brown and brown just laying a mammoth tackle. In these days, they wouldv called it a free because dog basically rode his back into the ground. The moment that tackle happened i knew we had won the game. THe crowd was going crazy and it was just like an action movie. Murphy swooped on the ball and beat another bomber in misiti i think to the ball and burst through the pack and everyone knew we had won as he passed it to ratten. It was the best feeling in the world cos i knew the siren wasn't far away. Ratten then passed it back to murph and the time wasting begun. The moment the siren went, was one of the happiest moments in my life. My dad lifted me into the air and chucked me into the air and i actually cried. I looked around and there were just blokes crying from both teams. It was an unbelievable moment. I remember flashes, like cameras it seemed to be, when the siren went everywhere. And just the noise of the crowd was deafening.
My dad used to work for carlton and has a fairly good connection there so we went down to the rooms almost straight away but unfortunately missed them singing the club song. I had a good chat to aaron hamill, who was then my favourite player (hate him now), and he had a big swollen lip i remember but he had a beaming smile from cheek to cheek. Everyone in the rooms was just ecstatic and so happy, you could sense it in the players.
Of course people from other clubs don't understand how major that game was. Yeh we lost the grand final, probably because our players busted their arses off just to beat Essendon* and were too exhausted. Basically, we didn't deserve to be in the grand final anyway from our home and away year, Essendon* should have been there and we were the team that stopped them. We were the team that basically stopped them winning a premiership, which would have seen them won 99 flag and 2000, taking their tally to 17 flags. But it wouldv been really nice to have taken the opportunity and beaten kangas to get our 17th, because grand final play offs are so rare. But we stopped Essendon* from winning and we were described as a 'B' grade outfit by parkin. We were the team that didn't necesarily have the most skill, but the most heart and determination. Not every ending is fairytale like, and so we lost the granny. But no one feels as sorry about losing that grand final because they know we really didnt deserve to be there from our season, and we basically stopped Essendon* winning the flag anyways. That match was what football was about, and must surely be ranked in the list of best matches ever. Imagine if it was a grand final, that would have been like a dream.
I was too young to fully experience the 95 experience. So therefore the 99 prelim is the most memorable and best carlton experience iv had. We will be in prelims and grand finals again one day, and i just cant wait to experience that feeling again. COME ON BLUE BOYS. It is gonna b all the more sweeter the longer we wait to get back up the top, its going to be a great feeling. I love the carlton football club to death and remembering moments like the 99 prelim and 95 grand final and 70 grand final etc etc is just inspiration and a fact that we will be back up the top one day dont worry.
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