30 Years Ago: 1987 Elimination Final

[Demonland 73,280]

 

[pineapple dee 2,892]

That game was unbelievable. Watching it was like an out of body experience for a dees fan. North had no chance to win that. Was it Viney who kicked that first goal with a miracle snap ?? When that sailed through, I thought "we've got this". So many players to love watching in the red and blue !!! Where do you start ??

[Jibroni 5,035]

Yes it was Viney who kick the first goal, one of the best team efforts of all time.

[rjay 25,212]

One of my favourite days at the footy...

[Beetle 4,692]

I was there with my Dad as an 11 year old, as well as the following week against Sydney.

I've never experienced an atmosphere at a Melbourne game like either of those games since.

The groundswell of support for us was unforgettable. The Melbourne chant around the G was spine tingling.

[Sir Why You Little 37,244]

The old Smokers Stand was rocking that day. 

24 year old had a big weekend and a big couple of weeks actually!!!

[DemonDave 1,096]

Oh thats my YouTube upload! I put all the other games i had lying around up as well to help get through another summer.  Check out the rest of the channel

[Pennant St Dee 13,327]

Will never forget that day. Turned up as a nervous 15 year old after years of being down trodden and my god were my expectations exceeded.

The Tigers talk about their roar. Be tough to beat the roar of the Red and Blue army that day

[praha 11,246]

Aaaaaaand now I'm depressed.

[hemingway 7,633]

Memorable, unforgettable, just sheer bliss. 

Never forget Sean Wight that day playing the game of his life. Probably will never be any Demon defender that will match that performance. Not only his pack marking and dash but sheer acts of desperation time and again. 

And who can forget the Dee supporters in the Northern Stand rising as one when Northey took Robbie off in the last Q to rest him for the Swans game. 

What a day and match.

it was like all our Christmases had come at once and all those years of misery had been expunged in one afternoon. Walking on air thru Yarra Park at the end of the game. 

[JAG007 164]

I was on the Gold Coast the weekend of the last home and away round in 87 listening to the finish to the round and the miraculous top 5 finish for the DEES.

The friends I was away with were happy to drive back to Melbourne a day early so I could go the first elimination final.

They dropped me at the ground at about 2.15pm and I thought I had missed the start (never been to a final before so thought start was 2.10pm)

Got to my seat and was blown away by the way the DEES absolutely destroyed the Roos, especially as we had lost twice to them during the year.

I was on such a high I walked home all the way to West Brunswick from the G.

Oh what memories.

[tiers 2,865]

I had been at our previous final (1964 GF) so was thrilled to be there again.

Sat in top deck of the Northern Stand with wife and children  who had been properly brought up. Fondest highlight was at about the 11 minute mark of the first quarter when Robbie flew above the pack and took a mark near the goal square. A wag (original meaning of the word) at the back yelled out (paraphrased):

"Robbie's taken a mark. That's all I want to see. Can go home now". After the campaign to give Robbie one last chance to play in a final, this was the moment of the game and of the year. Everything else was secondary, even a 118 point victory. In that moment, it was all about Robbie.

Some observations:

Sad to see Robbie, Jimmy and Sean - all gone now but never forgotten.

Shaun Smith (32) and Alastair Clarkson (57) for North.

Goal umpires in white coats who did not need replays to decide. Field umpires in white also who made quick decisions on frees and ball ups. Did not allow the game to stall or become bogged down with ugly scrums. As soon as the ball was contested in a tackle, ball up with a bounce.

Players did not need 30 sec to start their run up when shooting for goal - minimal delays to the game.

Ball movement slower but still recognisable with today's need for speed. No switching and balls were kicked to contests. Overall, the game was more open and as good as, if not better than, the modern game as an attraction. No chains of multiple easy possessions and no ugly contests.

Go dees.

[praha 11,246]

1 hour ago, JAG007 said:

 

I was on such a high I walked home all the way to West Brunswick from the G.

Oh what memories.

Standard Saturday night for me even during the off season...

[Bobby McKenzie 2,401]

3 hours ago, tiers said:

I had been at our previous final (1964 GF) so was thrilled to be there again.

Sat in top deck of the Northern Stand with wife and children  who had been properly brought up. Fondest highlight was at about the 11 minute mark of the first quarter when Robbie flew above the pack and took a mark near the goal square. A wag (original meaning of the word) at the back yelled out (paraphrased):

"Robbie's taken a mark. That's all I want to see. Can go home now". After the campaign to give Robbie one last chance to play in a final, this was the moment of the game and of the year. Everything else was secondary, even a 118 point victory. In that moment, it was all about Robbie.

Some observations:

Sad to see Robbie, Jimmy and Sean - all gone now but never forgotten.

Shaun Smith (32) and Alastair Clarkson (57) for North.

Goal umpires in white coats who did not need replays to decide. Field umpires in white also who made quick decisions on frees and ball ups. Did not allow the game to stall or become bogged down with ugly scrums. As soon as the ball was contested in a tackle, ball up with a bounce.

Players did not need 30 sec to start their run up when shooting for goal - minimal delays to the game.

Ball movement slower but still recognisable with today's need for speed. No switching and balls were kicked to contests. Overall, the game was more open and as good as, if not better than, the modern game as an attraction. No chains of multiple easy possessions and no ugly contests.

Go dees.

And the umps paid push in the back those days. Now you can mow a player down from behind without penalty. What wonderful memories and against North Melbourne!  I wonder if Simon Goodwin should show this video to his players before North Melbourne games.

[MT64 1,144]

Sitting in the smoker's stand I have never heard such barracking as before. All the "tut tut tut" and "go dee's" went out the door for aggressive cheering. Loved it.

[Sir Why You Little 37,244]

13 hours ago, DemonDave said:

Oh thats my YouTube upload! I put all the other games i had lying around up as well to help get through another summer.  Check out the rest of the channel

Hey Dave, those 2 Demon Highlights Uploads you have on your channel

87-90 & 90-91 I have the original tapes at home that i edited up! Did i lend them to you years ago?

i can't remember, but i must have. 

No problems by the way, i was planning to upload them myself, now i don't have to!!

[Bobby McKenzie 2,401]

9 hours ago, JAG007 said:

I was on the Gold Coast the weekend of the last home and away round in 87 listening to the finish to the round and the miraculous top 5 finish for the DEES.

The friends I was away with were happy to drive back to Melbourne a day early so I could go the first elimination final.

They dropped me at the ground at about 2.15pm and I thought I had missed the start (never been to a final before so thought start was 2.10pm)

Got to my seat and was blown away by the way the DEES absolutely destroyed the Roos, especially as we had lost twice to them during the year.

I was on such a high I walked home all the way to West Brunswick from the G.

Oh what memories.

Lost to them TWICE during the year and then thrashed them in a final eh? Hopefully, we can one day come back and beat the Kangaroos in a GRAND FINAL. That would be perfect revenge I reckon.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Bobby McKenzie

[Zoiikgarden 134]

I was there with my three children and a friend of theirs who went for North - a great day for us but not for him.  A day I will never forget - I want a repeat of that!!

[At Least I Saw a Flag 5,305]

I was there too.

And the next week v Swans.

And the week after that (face palm).

[Wilson7 2,688]

17 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Hey Dave, those 2 Demon Highlights Uploads you have on your channel

87-90 & 90-91 I have the original tapes at home that i edited up! Did i lend them to you years ago?

i can't remember, but i must have. 

No problems by the way, i was planning to upload them myself, now i don't have to!!

Do you have a youtube channel SWYL ?

[Sir Why You Little 37,244]

1 minute ago, DavidNeitz9 said:

Do you have a youtube channel SWYL ?

Yes i do. But there is no football vids on there yet

[Demon Dynasty 17,110]

My happiest year following the Demons other than beating Hawthorn in a final later on (a can't recall the exact year and couldn't be bothered looking it up).  I even had my Tigers mate with me in the southern stand for the Hawks final (roof removed for Reno I seem to recall!) who was barracking for the Demons all the way.

It's a shame that this five your hiatus under Northery, then 93 / 94 under Balme, were our only really decent consecutive years of being up since 64 down at Demonland.

I recall going to training one night after work at the Junction early in 1995 and one of the trainers told me that the whole club felt they had missed a golden opportunity the previous year to win the big one.  Not saying I agree with that view just repeating what was passed on to me from someone involved with the FD at the time.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Rusty Nails

[DemonDave 1,096]

21 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Hey Dave, those 2 Demon Highlights Uploads you have on your channel

87-90 & 90-91 I have the original tapes at home that i edited up! Did i lend them to you years ago?

i can't remember, but i must have. 

No problems by the way, i was planning to upload them myself, now i don't have to!!

Yes indeed you did Sir! Hope you don't mind, I had forgotten I had them and uncovered them again by chance.

[Sir Why You Little 37,244]

7 minutes ago, DemonDave said:

Yes indeed you did Sir! Hope you don't mind, I had forgotten I had them and uncovered them again by chance.

Not a problem. They would have been from The St. Kilda Bowling Club night we had many years ago

[Guest]

On 08/09/2017 at 11:03 AM, Beetle said:

I was there with my Dad as an 11 year old, as well as the following week against Sydney.

I've never experienced an atmosphere at a Melbourne game like either of those games since.

The groundswell of support for us was unforgettable. The Melbourne chant around the G was spine tingling.

I have the same story Beetle. 

Never had an experience at the footy that matches those 2 games. 

Some great memories.