I can't remember whether it was the North or Sydney game but i recall sitting in the then Southern Stand as an 11 year old with the Melbourne chant going around the entire ground. It was spine tingling. We smashed both of them in that finals series.

Was just 13 at the time, and can still remember listening to the end of the bulldogs game on 3LO, then we smashed, absolutely smashed North and then the swans two weeks running. It was unbelievable momentum. Anyone ever wonder about how much confidence plays a role have a look at those games. To go to my first ever finals game, and win 158-40 was stunning.

To watch Eishold miss, flower not kicked to in the goal square and stynes run across the mark was about the saddest memory I have. Carlton would have smashed us the week after......but still.

I remember being at some sort of BBQ, or gathering, at the lake at Shepparton.I dont remember much, except the uncontrollable swearing coming out of my mouth when bukkanara got the 15m, then kicked the goal.

I remember many people there, but cant remember any faces. All I recall, is that the BBQ ended soon after, as all of the women feared for their lives. Actually, I think the men did also.

I twisted off like i have never done before, or after.

1987 is a day that will go down in infamy...........

I can't remember whether it was the North or Sydney game but i recall sitting in the then Southern Stand as an 11 year old with the Melbourne chant going around the entire ground. It was spine tingling. We smashed both of them in that finals series.

I was at both games, (Sydney & North) my hair stands on end now just thinking about the feeling and the chanting..............DAMN THAT WAS GOOD!

I WANT MORE!

What about the games leading into round 22? Everyone's been banging on about the Bulldogs and finals games, but lets talk about how we got to that position.

After losing to St Kilda by 46 points at Waverley to go 7-10, we went on to win the remaining 5 games:

We beat Brisbane by 54 points at the MCG

We beat Richmond by 19 points, after trailing earlier

We beat Collingwood by 55 points at Vic park!

We beat West Coast by 61 points on a Friday night at the G.

Can those who remember, please talk about the above games.

What about the games leading into round 22? Everyone's been banging on about the Bulldogs and finals games, but lets talk about how we got to that position.

After losing to St Kilda by 46 points at Waverley to go 7-10, we went on to win the remaining 5 games:

We beat Brisbane by 54 points at the MCG

We beat Richmond by 19 points, after trailing earlier

We beat Collingwood by 55 points at Vic park!

We beat West Coast by 61 points on a Friday night at the G.

Can those who remember, please talk about the above games.

The only thing from those games I remember was Rod Grinter delivering a humongous coat hanger swipe on a Richmond forward that nearly took his head off. After the following melee, Richmond fell apart.

Edited May 28, 201510 yr by america de cali

When the siren went after the bulldogs game, then the Hawks got over the cats - from the walk from the ground to train for next week until the bounce of the ball for our first final in 23 years I had this sense of euphoria that I have only sensed twice since ( birth of my two children). That may sound ridiculous to some but that's how I felt.

On the flip side - we have all had moments that have devastated us, personal tragedies etc. Again this may sound ridiculous to some - but my feelings after the preliminary final loss to Hawthorn and my feelings for weeks after are right up there with the worst I have experienced.

The logical side of me says that it is belittling to compare these trivial high and lows of football to important highs and lows like births and deaths etc but unfortunately this emotional reaction is something I had no control over and I can only feel what I felt !

The only thing from those games I remember was Rod Grinter delivering a humongous coat hanger swipe on a Richmond forward that nearly took his head off. After the following melee, Richmond fell apart.

Was that the Terry Wallace coat hangar?

Was that the Terry Wallace coat hangar?

No, that was when Wallace was playing for the Bulldogs. Could have been the following season.

The last five minutes of the Footscray game are on youtube. The 4.40 mark is when Hawthorn hit the front. Even now it's electrifying.

Thanks for that bananas. Brought tears to my eyes to hear that roar and the jubilation of the players and supporters. What excitement it was! ironically, Hawthorn got us in the finals and then pushed us out. But who could ever forget the way we thrashed North and then Sydney. May we see these days again and SOON!

Noticed lots of punching,tapping and slapping the ball to advantage back then.

Kicks off the ground too.

Now they hold it in at all times.

Would like to see more of these things but Roos likes a stoppage.

I take it 1987 was the peak of your youth Biff. Was a good time to be a young demon supporter. Optimism was high.

I was 8 years old in 1987 and I remember sights and sounds before that day which when I look back was almost like an initiation into becoming a Melbourne supporter. The red seats, the unique smell of the bowels of the Olympic stand, the kid I used to play kick to kick with at the top of the stairs (underneath the cameraman..i think his name was Ryan. His family sat a couple rows in front of ours) before the MCC official would boot us to the bottom of the stairs to play kick to kick outside the change rooms. Hocko down the front with the double handed "Melbourne" chant and his famous Hocko's demons 45 hoodie. Hanging over the thick concrete over the race trying not to slip stretching as far as I could just to brush the shoulder of any player I could get to but was always trying for Robbie. Barry King talking to my dad on the door before we went up the stairs, sitting with Dads mate Bob most games.

It was the best...I loved every second of it.

Prelim Final day my whole family ventured off to VFL Park yet I was omitted due to the flu. So there I was in my nanas kitchen, in my PJ's thinking "I could be going to my first grand final next week!"

I remember listening to the game in my grandmothers kitchen and in that last quarter the commentators almost sighing in disbelief in the goals we missed. Then when Bucks marked the ball I heard the siren over the radio..."I was screaming to my nana (God rest her soul) "the sirens gone...the sirens gone!!"

Then the 15 meter penalty occurred and the noise through the radio was a cacophony of siren, crowd and commentators all trying to get over the top of each other. The goal sails through and I started to cry. All I kept saying to my grandmother was "but the siren went...the siren went nana!" and I was crushed. Even at 8 years old I knew how far we had come and close we were.

About 2 hours later my parents came to pick me up and it was like someone had died in the family. We had that game…we had it!!! We had it in our grasp and we lost it!!

My parents didn’t say anything as we got in the car and went home.

I’ve watched the full game only once about 5 years ago and whilst Jimmy will be forever remembered for running over the mark, we had so many other opportunities to win that game by about 3 goals. I’ve never blamed Jimmy and I never will, we were a team that had all the momentum but not the nerve to ice the game, we didn’t have finals experience.

I’m 36 now and I hope one day we can reach the promised land so I can tell my 8 year old self that the siren has gone and we won and nearly 30 years of heartache and pain will be replaced by pure joy and celebration.

Just to bump my earlier post..

http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/37656-tales-from-better-times/

Last half vs Footscray - https://youtu.be/zP3NCTvshwU

2nd and 3rd qtrs against North - https://youtu.be/mQohWq4nstk

2nd and 3rd qtrs against Sydney - https://youtu.be/TJd1vee5tAo

here's hoping that it can all come again..

Jones getting better and better in the number 2 guernsey is getting eerie - let's hope he does haven't to wait as long to play in a(nother) final..

...and there goes my productivity on a Friday afternoon

Edited May 29, 201510 yr by joshuasan

I was 8 years old in 1987 and I remember sights and sounds before that day which when I look back was almost like an initiation into becoming a Melbourne supporter. The red seats, the unique smell of the bowels of the Olympic stand, the kid I used to play kick to kick with at the top of the stairs (underneath the cameraman..i think his name was Ryan. His family sat a couple rows in front of ours) before the MCC official would boot us to the bottom of the stairs to play kick to kick outside the change rooms. Hocko down the front with the double handed "Melbourne" chant and his famous Hocko's demons 45 hoodie. Hanging over the thick concrete over the race trying not to slip stretching as far as I could just to brush the shoulder of any player I could get to but was always trying for Robbie. Barry King talking to my dad on the door before we went up the stairs, sitting with Dads mate Bob most games.

It was the best...I loved every second of it.

Prelim Final day my whole family ventured off to VFL Park yet I was omitted due to the flu. So there I was in my nanas kitchen, in my PJ's thinking "I could be going to my first grand final next week!"

I remember listening to the game in my grandmothers kitchen and in that last quarter the commentators almost sighing in disbelief in the goals we missed. Then when Bucks marked the ball I heard the siren over the radio..."I was screaming to my nana (God rest her soul) "the sirens gone...the sirens gone!!"

Then the 15 meter penalty occurred and the noise through the radio was a cacophony of siren, crowd and commentators all trying to get over the top of each other. The goal sails through and I started to cry. All I kept saying to my grandmother was "but the siren went...the siren went nana!" and I was crushed. Even at 8 years old I knew how far we had come and close we were.

About 2 hours later my parents came to pick me up and it was like someone had died in the family. We had that game…we had it!!! We had it in our grasp and we lost it!!

My parents didn’t say anything as we got in the car and went home.

I’ve watched the full game only once about 5 years ago and whilst Jimmy will be forever remembered for running over the mark, we had so many other opportunities to win that game by about 3 goals. I’ve never blamed Jimmy and I never will, we were a team that had all the momentum but not the nerve to ice the game, we didn’t have finals experience.

I’m 36 now and I hope one day we can reach the promised land so I can tell my 8 year old self that the siren has gone and we won and nearly 30 years of heartache and pain will be replaced by pure joy and celebration.

Love your story 13th flag is coming. The cruel part was the fact that if the bloody umps had heard the siren Buckenara would have had to take his set shot from 50 metres out. Could have been a difficult shot from tired legs and a heavy ball. Also Jimmy would not have had to worry about picking up any forward near the goal and thus no15 metre penalty would have happened. Water under the bridge now but still sad, so sad .

I was there at the Elimination Final against North right up the top of the old Southern Stand.I remember being happy to see Robbie win a final.Melbourne was the team with the momentum during that finals series,if we had won the Prelim. we would have gone on to win the flag that year.The Hawks have been my most disliked team ever since that day.I also seem to remember the Demons doing well during the night series on Tuesday nights at VFL Park that year.Besides the 15 meter penalty it was the best year to be Melbourne supporter,good times that I hope we will get to experience again soon with Jones winning a final like Robbie did.

Thanks for that bananas. Brought tears to my eyes to hear that roar and the jubilation of the players and supporters. What excitement it was! ironically, Hawthorn got us in the finals and then pushed us out. But who could ever forget the way we thrashed North and then Sydney. May we see these days again and SOON!

One bit that jumped out to me was "Viney to Stretch". Hope we hear much more of that over the coming years!

Great year, I often watch videos of that season to feel better.

On DVD I have

1987 Panasonic cup Bad copy, from VHS

R7 ag Coll Same

R10 ag Ess Same

R16 ag Geel Same

Elim Final ag NTh Good name a game

semi ag SYDNEY Same.

All wins and great days.

Just to bump my earlier post..

http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/37656-tales-from-better-times/

Last half vs Footscray - https://youtu.be/zP3NCTvshwU

2nd and 3rd qtrs against North - https://youtu.be/mQohWq4nstk

2nd and 3rd qtrs against Sydney - https://youtu.be/TJd1vee5tAo

here's hoping that it can all come again..

Jones getting better and better in the number 2 guernsey is getting eerie - let's hope he does haven't to wait as long to play in a(nother) final..

...and there goes my productivity on a Friday afternoon

loved watching gerard healy get the raspberry from the crowd

The only thing from those games I remember was Rod Grinter delivering a humongous coat hanger swipe on a Richmond forward that nearly took his head off. After the following melee, Richmond fell apart.

saying Rod Grinter delivered a coat hanger doesn't really narrow it down.

loved watching gerard healy get the raspberry from the crowd

Was it the Sydney or North final where Robbie took a wonderful hanger in the 4th Quarter on the members wing and then was taken off to rest up for the following week ?

Sobbed like a baby while watching the Tony Charlton footy show in 1965. Basically the entire show was devoted to the Norm Smith sacking. Sobbed like a baby after the 1987 prelim. Difference was, I was only 8 in 1965. Those of you good at 'rithmetic can work the rest out for yourselves. Maybe the stubbies I had in '87 allowed the tears to flow more freely.

Edited May 29, 201510 yr by iv'a worn smith

Momma mia. Watched the Footscray and North Melbourne replays and can't get over how friggin good the Demons were. The stand out players were Sean Wight, Brett Lovett, Warren Dean, Graeme Yeats, Steven Stretch and Captain Spalding. There were so many first rate 'second' honchos: Newport, Hughes, Stynes as a raw sapling, Williams, Koop, Viney as an apprentice, I've forgotten just how good they were and how well they played as a team. Northey was a good coach.

The last five minutes of the Footscray game

. The 4.40 mark is when Hawthorn hit the front. Even now it's electrifying.

How good was it hearing "Viney to Stretch" and "Lovett"

But seeing the departed trio, Stynes, Wight and Flower did bring a bit of a tear to my eye.

Edited May 29, 201510 yr by monoccular

Momma mia. Watched the Footscray and North Melbourne replays and can't get over how friggin good the Demons were. The stand out players were Sean Wight, Brett Lovett, Warren Dean, Graeme Yeats, Steven Stretch and Captain Spalding. There were so many first rate 'second' honchos: Newport, Hughes, Stynes as a raw sapling, Williams, Koop, Viney as an apprentice, I've forgotten just how good they were and how well they played as a team. Northey was a good coach.

Northey certainly got the very best out of the team as a whole. Great days.