Anyone remember 1987?

[daisycutter 29,613]

I cried after the Footscray match. Tears of joy!

ManDee, does that mean we can call you GirlyDee now?

[DEE fence 5,007]

It feels like yesterday....

It was yesterday, don't tell me different

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

It was a brilliant few weeks. Even being able to pick up the papers on a Friday morning and look at the selected side in finals format with all the heights, weights, games played and finals played (0) next to the players names was a huge thrill.

The amount of time I must have wasted working out average heights and weights and match-ups and then secondary match-ups and doing my own rankings of players on both sides. No matter how I finessed the numbers I couldn't see a Melbourne victory but win we did. The sum total of that team was far greater than the parts it was made of.

Gives me hope for the rest of this year

[Oneday 248]

I cried after the Footscray match. Tears of joy!

I have cried many times since, not tears of joy though!

[Webber 10,465]

Viney, Stretch, Lovett...... Hmmmm :-)

[Its Time for Another 4,209]

I've added the years on the list (or at least since debut) in the far right column next to the names of each Melbourne player there. Only Brian Wilson and Robbie Flower had more than 4 years experience. Not to mention Garry Lyon missing the finals series with injury in his second season. What a remarkable run with such a young team. That game still burns though.

I had forgotten that the team was so inexperienced. Northey was a great coach, who for some reason was never given the respect he should have by the Clubs he coached.

[Grapeviney 9,718]

They say the good players stand up in finals, well what about Robert Flower? Waited 14 years and 269 games to play in his first final and booted 5, following it up the next week with a bag of 4.

[Webber 10,465]

You'll always be undervalued if you come close but don't get the cigar. Cruel but true, and often taking the chockies on grand final day, or prelim final day comes down to luck and intangibles. The world loves winners. Not so much runners up or nearly men.

[Grand New Flag 3,227]

I was 17yo.

I use to go to the footy every week with my Grandfather. Never saw my Grandfather cry except twice in the course of 4 weeks in 1987. The first where tears of joy when we beat the dogs at Western Oval to make the finals. This is still my most memorable game, I will never forget it, never forget everyone glued to the Hawks v Geelong game in the last quarter and the crowd cheering on each of the Hawks comeback goals. 4 weeks later the tears were flowing again when our great man Jimmy ran over the mark and Buck's kick truly from 40 meters. He was not going to make the distance when the siren went and he was lining up a torp from 55.

Ironically it was a Buck's after the siren goal against Geelong that got us into the finals, as it was a Buck's goal after the siren that kicked us out.

I have watched the preliminary final replay dozens of times, I am still not sure how we managed to lose.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Grand New Flag

[binman 42,920]

We were behind the Melbourne goals for that Doggies game listening to the game from, I think, Kardinia Park (as it then was) as Hawthorn had to win for Melbourne to make the final five. Dunstall kicked a goal to put the Hawks in front with moments to go. There was a Huge roar at Western Oval and Robbie Flower, who was just in front of us, started walking off thinking the game had finished.

I remember attending training at the Junction Oval with what seemed like thousands. Northey was fantastic in encouraging the team to lap up the finals feeling and making us all feel part of the event.

I was travelling and across in Perth and came back for this game (and the chance of finals). How could i not? The doggies game was awesome. In my recollection the Hawks - Cats game (which was at Kardina Park - a fortress even then) finished after our game and there were thousands of dees fans still standing in groups after we won waiting for the Hawks game to finish. I was in a clump at the railway end. Lets not talk about the prelim.

[langers 2]

I was 17yo.

I use to go to the footy every week with my Grandfather. Never saw my Grandfather cry except twice in the course of 4 weeks in 1987. The first where tears of joy when we beat the dogs at Western Oval to make the finals. This is still my most memorable game, I will never forget it, never forget everyone glued to the Hawks v Geelong game in the last quarter and the crowd cheering on each of the Hawks comeback goals. 4 weeks later the tears were flowing again when our great man Jimmy ran over the mark and Buck's kick truly from 40 meters. He was not going to make the distance when the siren went and he was lining up a torp from 55.

Ironically it was a Buck's after the siren goal against Geelong that got us into the finals, as it was a Buck's goal after the siren that kicked us out.

I have watched the preliminary final replay dozens of times, I am still not sure how we managed to lose.

It was Jason Dunstall who kicked the goal to put the hawks ahead at the 29 minute mark of the last qtr, he kicked the last 2 goals of the game, not Gary Buckenara

[T-34 409]

My most memorable season of footy, remember going with my dad during the first half of the year and we both thought that this side was full of potential.

Didn't realize how quickly it would all come together and the feeling of making the finals for the first time in my 23 years on the planet.

The day at the Western Oval was truly memorable and remains one of the greatest in my time as a supporter of this club.

I remember saying to other Melbourne fans at the time that we should never allow the club to fall back to what it was during the 70's and early 80's.

Fast forward 20 years.......................

[beelzebub 23,364]

Looking back Id have to agree. As a 12yr old i was devistated seeing Buckanara kick that goal.

Now that moment is part of the AFL/VFL History.

that as literally the kick between us and the flag. Wed have won the week after.

I cant blame Jimma ( but how fn dumb...really )

I cant blame Eishold ...but how the feck could you miss miss 25m out on a 45 deg angle ??? I mean..I was going to mark that kick it was so bloody simple... I digress

Thing is theres probably half a dozen moments that turned that game.

I hate Dipper for that game...but that was Hawthorn and they wanted it more... there was a thuggery about them though...mercenary. I kinda wish we had had it

We let is slip...it was there for us to win...alas

[picket fence 17,151]

I still haven't forgotten probably the most worst miss in League History Simon Eishold ! abysmal effort!'

Regardless of any other result would have been King instead of being remembered for "That Miss"

Typical Ormond Amateur!

[beelzebub 23,364]

I still haven't forgotten probably the most worst miss in League History Simon Eishold ! abysmal effort!'

Regardless of any other result would have been King instead of being remembered for "That Miss"

Typical Ormond Amateur!

maybe I put him off...lol

he was in line with my position...I literally was waiting for the ball. All he had to do was a clean simple kick through the ball and Id have gladly taken a specky...hand-balled it back and it went that >>>>>>>>>>>>> way... Wasnt even fn close...gave a new meaning to shanking...lol ( didnt laugh then though ).

I cried that day...I wasnt alone

[Bitter but optimistic 22,239]

Yeah Yeah! I remember it also. We are remembering losing. Something at which we excell - fair dinkum, this reminiscence this stuff is one thing but let's start counting our wins and looking forward to a new era of success.

[beelzebub 23,364]

Yeah Yeah! I remember it also. We are remembering losing. Something at which we excell - fair dinkum, this reminiscence this stuff is one thing but let's start counting our wins and looking forward to a new era of success.

it was a day BBO...was nearly ours.. Its the closest Ive ever EVER felt to it ( the PC )

88 is a drunken memeory...well form halfway through the second qtr..lol

2000 ...wellllllllllllll

[Salems Lot 2,529]

Mum, my brother and I all went out to Western oval and stood behind the NE goal. We watched in exactly the same way as the rest of you multi tasking between all the relative games.

At the end when it became apparent that we were into the finals the crowd went crazy sweeping all of us towards the front of the terrace. My poor (very small) mum got dragged along, tripped over and wound up sitting on her behind. All of us were laughing and crying and generally leaping around like crazy people. It wasn't until the dust had settled that we realized that Mum had broken her ankle! It certainly made a good story at my wedding a month later when my very non footy in laws were asking why Mum was on crutches.

The rest of the finals series was like a dream/nightmare for me. The North Game was indeed the best game of footy I have ever seen our guys play with the Swans game not too far behind. The Preliminary Final left me like everyone else in tears. The lasting memory of those smug sc$%mbag Hawthorn supporters gloating at the end taught me to hate them more than any other club.

Let's hope that when our time comes around again we can take that next step.

Go Roosy but thanks Swooper!

[beelzebub 23,364]

dream/nightmare

this

[Grapeviney 9,718]

that as literally the kick between us and the flag. Wed have won the week after.

Nah, we would have been creamed in the GF, just as Hawthorn were.

Flower and Wilson would have missed with injury, and - like the Hawks - we left everything out on the field in the Prelim.

From memory, the '87 GF was a warm day, and Carlton were fresh after the week off.

[beelzebub 23,364]

Nah, we would have been creamed in the GF, just as Hawthorn were.

Flower and Wilson would have missed with injury, and - like the Hawks - we left everything out on the field in the Prelim.

From memory, the '87 GF was a warm day, and Carlton were fresh after the week off.

no we wouldnt...we would hav e taken that and kept going We owned Carlton

[pantaloons 2,019]

Nah, we would have been creamed in the GF, just as Hawthorn were.

Flower and Wilson would have missed with injury, and - like the Hawks - we left everything out on the field in the Prelim.

From memory, the '87 GF was a warm day, and Carlton were fresh after the week off.

I was 8 at the time but I was sitting right behind the Carlton team that day. They were licking their lips as the two teams smashed the stuffing out of each other.

[bush demon 2,039]

I was at the game at Western Oval and the three finals matches mentioned. I remember sitting down on the terraces v Footscray (yes... very little seating in the outer in those days) listening to someone else's tranny which was tuned in to the game at Geelong. When the siren sounded and we knew we had made the finals we jumped the fence and danced on Western Oval. The next two games at the G were heaven! We thrashed North and belted Sydney (during the year the Swans had scored two 200 point games in a row). We played a magnificent game v Hawks and had several opportunities to put them away in the last quarter... the rest is history. I remember being bitter about the 15 metre penalty and still maintain that it was the result of a pedantic-minded umpire who was never in step with the spirit of the game!

The Swans were in red-hot form coming into the game V Demons. The crowd was absolutely in raptures in the first two-finals, and Flower re-invented himself as a high-marking forward. Unfortunately we just lacked the self-belief to finish off the Hawks. We would have beaten Carlton.

[Demon3 2,541]

I had a family member that played, i was a young bloke who was mates with one of the head trainers young fella, we were in charge of listening to the radio and getting the scores of the hawks game.. we had to pass on the scores to the bloke in charge of the bench.. we hung out all day in the race..hanging onto every score out of the Hawthorn game.. the last qtr is a blur.. but a very fond memory.

it was amazing day.. for so many reasons.

[binman 42,920]

Nah, we would have been creamed in the GF, just as Hawthorn were.

Flower and Wilson would have missed with injury, and - like the Hawks - we left everything out on the field in the Prelim.

From memory, the '87 GF was a warm day, and Carlton were fresh after the week off.

I'm with you Grapeviney. I reckon Carlton would have smashed us. We played our GF