Absolutely fantastic night last night to be a Dees fan.
I've never liked Tigers supporters and watching them blow their rockets when Griffin took two great marks and than what ensued truly made my weekend.

Onto the topic, did anyone at the game find it a little odd that the pre match service was done so early?

7.20 I believe it started for a game time of 7.50.
The ceremony was completed and I felt the amazing atmosphere and the passion an ANZAC service creates was completely lost when following it, it went into the warm ups.

Watching the Coll vs Ess game, I see they did it the way I presumed most would be done, warm up first than into ceremony and national anthem and afterwards straight into the game itself.

Not a huge gripe, just wondered if anyone had found that a little odd?

Go Dees.

To your first sentence, Arrow, I add "and to be there to experience it!" and wholeheartedly agree.

TBH I didn't even notice the warm-up - I guess I was left pondering on what I'd experienced: the great job the Rising Suns did; the solemnity of the progress of the Light Horse and the flame around the ground (including the applause from the MCC 'pavilion' followed by ours at the northern end goals); RDB's profile on the big screen after he lit the flame - one can barely imagine his thoughts; the bugler (particularly having read the Age article on the Dawn Service bugler) and the silence. It gets to me.

For next year - surely it will be locked in (and next year it will still be a fixture-friendly Saturday night and presumably OUR home game) - it would be great to dispense with the ground announcer's strident and unnecessary filling. It would also further enhance the mood if more of the lighting could be turned off, within safety limits, and ditto the ruble of chatting from behind the scenes during the silence.

T

Side note: The teams stood still for quite a while. What does this do to them? I trust it didn't contribute to Kent's injury?

Second side note: Back to Hells Bells next week - looking forward to it. How could we get them just to put a bit of a pause between the last toll and GOF chiming(!) in?

To your first sentence, Arrow, I add "and to be there to experience it!" and wholeheartedly agree.

TBH I didn't even notice the warm-up - I guess I was left pondering on what I'd experienced: the great job the Rising Suns did; the solemnity of the progress of the Light Horse and the flame around the ground (including the applause from the MCC 'pavilion' followed by ours at the northern end goals); RDB's profile on the big screen after he lit the flame - one can barely imagine his thoughts; the bugler (particularly having read the Age article on the Dawn Service bugler) and the silence. It gets to me.

For next year - surely it will be locked in (and next year it will still be a fixture-friendly Saturday night and presumably OUR home game) - it would be great to dispense with the ground announcer's strident and unnecessary filling. It would also further enhance the mood if more of the lighting could be turned off, within safety limits, and ditto the ruble of chatting from behind the scenes during the silence.

T

Side note: The teams stood still for quite a while. What does this do to them? I trust it didn't contribute to Kent's injury?

Second side note: Back to Hells Bells next week - looking forward to it. How could we get them just to put a bit of a pause between the last toll and GOF chiming(!) in?

I share your thoughts. The stadium lights detracted from the 'light up the G' lights. Also thought all the football stuff on the scoreboard screens should be cleared so the Light horse man and the ceremonial things are clearly visible.

To echo Whispering Jack's post in another thread would love to see the Tex Perkins and Eric Boyle songs and videos feature next year.

A lot of dignity in the ceremony last night.

I thought it was fantastic. I didn't even realise that the players had come out and were lined up. I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful horse and flame. I was not distracted by anything including the lights. I really hope this becomes a permanent fixture. I thought it was done really well.

thought it was great very glad i was there

and the doubled up for the dawn service.... was special

Edited April 25, 201510 yr by Unleash Hell

Anyone know if there is anywhere you can watch what was shown on TV?

Was there also and was fantastic, but would love to see how it looked from the other perspective.

I believe they probably timed it that way so that it gave the lights maximum amount of time to power up fully.

I felt the pre-match ceremonies were excellent. The flame, the horse, Barassi lighting the cauldron, it was just all really tasteful.

The only downside was the idiot than had his/her phone go off during the last post, and then the next idiot that had his/her phone go off during the minute silence. Seriously, first thing I did when it went into the official parts to the ceremony was put my phone on silent. I would've thought it would be obvious. And to let it ring out was even worse.

That was my only gripe to an otherwise perfect evening.

Yeah I think a few Melb and Rich supporters need a lesson in the proper behaviour.

A lot of hats left on..

And from my seat in the MCC bottom level I could hear a lot of noise from the bars. Would be nice if they stopped serving at say 7:00 and made sure the bars were quiet for the official ceremony.

The ceremony itself was very good.