WEDNESDAY 18 September, 2019 marked the 20th anniversary of one of the competition’s most famous games.

The 1999 preliminary final.

For Carlton supporters, it needs no introduction. For Essendon supporters, it’s the same — but for completely different reasons.

Carlton Media has spoken to four of the main protagonists on that fateful day in 1999. In the lead-up to the Mercury Moments recap to come, here’s just some of what they had to say.

Starting off is the No.1 on the day: Stephen Silvagni.

When Stephen Silvagni got to the three-quarter time huddle, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

The Blues had toiled, fought hard and hadn’t given up against the much-fancied Bombers. The unbackable favourites led by only 11 points at the final change.

Granted, after Carlton took a 24-point lead into the main break, a dominant third quarter from Essendon had the latter in the driving seat.

Even still, with the Blues within two kicks of a Grand Final, there was silence. Silvagni changed all that with a speech which Senior Coach David Parkin would later describe as “the most emotional and appropriately-timed inspirational talk I've ever heard from a player”.

“We were probably in a prelim by default, in some ways. We didn’t have an outstanding season,” Silvagni said.

“I think the expectation of our supporters, and even our footy club, in a sense… [was that] in some ways, that was okay.

“‘Parko’ and Wayne Brittain had come down and we’re all standing there and it was quite. It was silent.”

“The only thing I can remember was saying ‘Look, they’ve fired their best shot. They’ve come at us and they’re 11 points in front: we’re two kicks away.’”

As fate would have it, the Blues were inspired in the final quarter, coming from the clouds to produce the most famous of victories by the narrowest of margins.

The game has gone down in folklore, and Silvagni had a big part to play: his three-quarter time speech proved just that.

However, not even the Full Back of the Century could envisage just how the next 30 minutes would play out.

Mercury Moments | 1999 Preliminary Final, presented by Mercury Hard Cider, is coming this Sunday night to Carlton Media.