The 1993 Semi-Final
This game set up the Essendon showdown in the Grand Final. I was there, sitting in the freezing stands as the wind whipped off the Dandenongs. (Why was it ALWAYS cold at Waverly?) What I remember of the game:
1. We won.
2. I was genuinely afraid of the Adelaide supporters after the match, and decided never to go to Adelaide. I relented eventually and found it a lovely place, where most of the people were friendly and had teeth, to my surprise.
3. Harry’s run. An aging, loping, dinosaur who, even as a spritely youth wasn’t what you’d call elegant, would, as the Blueseum tells us “take the handball, bounce, baulk his own shadow and roost a goal from 50 to bring the house down…”
1999 Preliminary Final
I’ve written about this one before. But really, can you write about it too much? The sweetest part is that we beat Essendon when we weren’t supposed to, in many ways. And the contrary side of me even likes the fact that it resulted in nothing but a grand final defeat. The knowledge that Essendon supporters carry around the burning feeling that they would almost certainly have toppled North the next week is enough. What I remember of that game:
1. We won.
2. It was the sweetest victory in at least 4 years.
3. We won.
2001 Elimination Final
We need to go back to 2001 when we last won a final. In this case, we gave Adelaide a right royal smashing to the tune of 68 points. It was so long ago that Ryan Houlihan is the only player in the side still playing for Carlton. Or even still playing at all. Braddles and Kouta dominated the midfield. SOS held the backline together. The footy record cost $3. In football terms, it was a generation ago.
What I remember about that game:
1. We won.
2. We wouldn’t win like that again for a loooooong time.
3. Its time to win like that again.
Go Baggers.
Which Carlton finals stick in your memory?
