It was 20 years ago today ...

[Sir Why You Little 34,627]

1987 is now 20 years old. The year we broke the drought for Robbie Flower. ok we stumbled at the end and i am not going to mention Waverly again, but lets re-live those great memories of storming into the 5 Yes it was a 5 back then!!!! I knew Melbourne supporters who didn't want to make the finals. September scared 'em!!!! Me i couldn't wait to soak up the vibe & crowds, Those first 2 weeks at the G were Heaven, So was Round 22 at the Western oval

John Northey was a fine coach

Re-Live the past, Who was there???? Who was listening to kardinia park result on the tranny whilst at the western oval (Remember the Roar)!!!

20 years ago Who remembers it like last month???

[Jarka 767]

Sometimes being a Melbourne supporter is depressing, you have to cling onto thoughts like this to feel good about the team. Hell, our last two GF appearances have been nothing short of embarrasing.

[Old Man Rivers 326]

Sometimes being a Melbourne supporter is depressing, you have to cling onto thoughts like this to feel good about the team. Hell, our last two GF appearances have been nothing short of embarrasing.

Chill out Jarka it hasnt all been doom & gloom.

And yes WYL those 1st two finals where amazing & something I will never forget either.

First time ever in my lifetime I'd seen the Dee's in September.

One R. Flower = 2 total mind blowing September performances.

Hang in there Jarka, you just never know whats around the corner

Go Dee's!!!

[Demon Head 250]

1987 is now 20 years old. The year we broke the drought for Robbie Flower. ok we stumbled at the end and i am not going to mention Waverly again, but lets re-live those great memories of storming into the 5 Yes it was a 5 back then!!!! I knew Melbourne supporters who didn't want to make the finals. September scared 'em!!!! Me i couldn't wait to soak up the vibe & crowds, Those first 2 weeks at the G were Heaven, So was Round 22 at the Western oval

John Northey was a fine coach

Re-Live the past, Who was there???? Who was listening to kardinia park result on the tranny whilst at the western oval (Remember the Roar)!!!

20 years ago Who remembers it like last month???

Not quite "20 years ago today" because it just doesn't feel like September at the moment although I do get your drift. We haven't been as bad the last 20 years as we were for the 20 previous yeasr but enough's enough.

And yes, I was at the Western Oval that day and yes, I was listening to the Hawthorn v Geelong game and I'll forever be grateful for what Jason Dunstall did for us that day.

I also remember being at Victoria Park more than 30 years ago now and will never forget how the scum cheered when the news came through that the Bulldogs and Blues had drawn and we were deprived of a finals' spot.

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,621]

The great times of '87 were in September(minus the injured Lyon), but it all started in March when we won the pre-season Cup(GO BAILS!!!), beating Essendon against the odds.

A lot of our confidence in the big games came from thsat Pre-season GF win. We had team spirit that we haven't been able to replicate to that degree.

We'd have won the premiership if Jimmy hadn't given away the 15m.penalty.

In 1988 we beat Carlton THREE times, including in a cut-throat final.

Do not extrapolate from this that I think we should go flat out in the NAB Cup, unless, as Danners said, we sort of..."accidently" find ourselves in the late rounds, then the extra million starts to smell good. I don't think this is impossible , given our depth.

[kryton 0]

Isn't that when Sergeant Pepper began to play?

[Demonland 65,729]

Isn't that when Sergeant Pepper began to play?

And the Demons have been a bit like the Sarge ever since as they keep going in and out of style .

[DemonDave 1,078]

Aah now you're taking me back! Standing in dirt in the outer, right near the ludicrously hard-to-get-into coaches box perched high on the Doug Hawkins wing. Standing on tip-toes to see everything, wondering what happened to Dollars after he got stretchered off.

The roar when news came through on all the Panasonic transistors. THe sheer pandemonium and celebrations when the siren went.

Probably also keeping track of 'G vs H' and "J vs K" score updates on the Western Oval scoreboard for completists sake too...

Happy Days!

[Demon15 0]

Aaah now you're taking me back! Standing in dirt in the outer, right near the ludicrously hard-to-get-into coaches box perched high on the Doug Hawkins wing. Standing on tip-toes to see everything, wondering what happened to Dollars after he got stretchered off.

The roar when news came through on all the Panasonic transistors. THe sheer pandemonium and celebrations when the siren went.

Probably also keeping track of 'G vs H' and "J vs K" score updates on the Western Oval scoreboard for completists sake too...

Happy Days!

The 20 goal win the following week and Flower's standing ovation wasn't bad either.

[dazzledavey36 48,938]

i wasn't even alive <_<

[discworld demon 0]

I was at that match with my two very young daughters. We stood on the outer wing looking at Hawkins and Stretch battling it out all day.

Other highlights included G. Lyon and his broken leg. S. Newport replacing Lyon and resurrecting his career in the process.

R. Flower magnificent in the forward pocket (especially in the last part of the last quarter) and the good natured rivalry between Footscray and Melbourne supporters.

The constant chants of "Come on doggies" had both of my girls somewhat perplexed: they kept asking to see the doggies, not the football .

However the most intriguing aspect of the days proceedings was the drama of the Geelong/Hawthorn match down the highway.

What was the scenario? If I remember correctly, Hawthorn had to win for Melbourne to make the finals.

At 3/4 time Geelong was in front but, a Melbourne official raced out to our 3/4 time huddle and told our players that Hawthorn was in front thus giving them even more hope and spurring them on to a big finish.

There were so many trannies tuned into that match that when Hawthorn did win (and with still a couple of minutes to go in our match) a huge roar went up from the crowd. I remember at the time a Melbourne player had the ball - possibly Newport - thought the siren must have gone, our game had ended and threw the ball up in the air in premature celebration. Luckily it was not retrieved by a Footscray player because (I think) the scores were still pretty close.

So we won and a good percentage of the crowd, red and blue scarves being waved about, made it to their cars and then had to remember how to get home from the western suburbs.

And my now grown up daughters still remember that match with fondness. And yes they still follow the Dees!

[melbournefc 18]

1987 is now 20 years old. The year we broke the drought for Robbie Flower. ok we stumbled at the end and i am not going to mention Waverly again, but lets re-live those great memories of storming into the 5 Yes it was a 5 back then!!!! I knew Melbourne supporters who didn't want to make the finals. September scared 'em!!!! Me i couldn't wait to soak up the vibe & crowds, Those first 2 weeks at the G were Heaven, So was Round 22 at the Western oval

John Northey was a fine coach

Re-Live the past, Who was there???? Who was listening to kardinia park result on the tranny whilst at the western oval (Remember the Roar)!!!

20 years ago Who remembers it like last month???

I was about 9 years old and didnt make it to the game....the tranny was the next best thing. Brilliant!

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Great post. Quite a lot of enjotment there for a guy who was only 7 at the time and knew about as much abot footballs as his own balls.

Thanks for painting the picture.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Sometimes being a Melbourne supporter is depressing, you have to cling onto thoughts like this to feel good about the team. Hell, our last two GF appearances have been nothing short of embarrasing.

Yes sure. But we have indeed been unlucky facing two of the best GF sides in the last 25 years. Hawks in 1988 and the Bombers in 2000 were as good as they get and we were always the rank underdogs going in to those games.

[Sir Why You Little 34,627]

i watched the old vhs of the Round 22 game coupla weeks back (The second half off "The Winners")!! Brilliant theatre- 2007 Go Demons

[Viney_12 1]

I was born on the 23rd September 1988, my dad only came to visit my mum to see me and then he went home to watch the grand final. O what a shocker

[Viney_12 1]

87-91 were decent years, i wish i was older

[demonfanjezza 1]

I was only 2 years old at the time- so i dont remeber anything, thanks guys for bringing those memories alive to us who where very young at the time

[Sir Why You Little 34,627]

I was only 2 years old at the time- so i dont remeber anything, thanks guys for bringing those memories alive to us who where very young at the time

Hey to all you guys who were too young to remember the Northey years try and hunt down some of the mentioned games from "Name a game" or whatever it is now. Although '87 was the year the ABC covered the footy as there was a dispute with 7 and i know that a lot of those tapes do not exist anymore as i have already enquired numerous times-The club may have some copies '87-91 were good years

[Ricky Jackson 0]

The highs and lows of 1987...

Highs

1)VFL Round 22 (Do i need to explain)

2) U2 released The Joshua Tree.... (classic)

3) The Comedy Company (hilarious....very dated humour though)

4) Pat Cash wins Wimbledon

VFL Round 22 (Do i need to explain)

Lows

1) Jim Stynes (do I have to explain)

2) Andy Warhol died (genious)

3) Oliver Stone beating David Lynch and Woody Allen at Oscars.

4) Carlton

[Sir Why You Little 34,627]

The highs and lows of 1987...

Highs

1)VFL Round 22 (Do i need to explain)

2) U2 released The Joshua Tree.... (classic)

3) The Comedy Company (hilarious....very dated humour though)

4) Pat Cash wins Wimbledon

VFL Round 22 (Do i need to explain)

Lows

1) Jim Stynes (do I have to explain)

2) Andy Warhol died (genious)

3) Oliver Stone beating David Lynch and Woody Allen at Oscars.

4) Carlton

Great Reply Ricky (A Most underrated rover and very handy goalsneak)Jackson No 45 in those great Northey years) Ollie Stone wasn't that bad-he has always been bagged unfairly i believe-but i agree on all other points

I will add 1 to the high's

5) Melbourne returned to wearing the Dark Blue Jumper

[Tim 2,872]

"Melbourne returned to wearing the Dark Blue Jumper" - absolutely!

Also: round 1 of finals (118 pt win over North in our first final in 23 years), round 2 of finals (60 odd pt win over Swans, showing Gerard Healy that while he said he left us so he could play finals, if he'd stayed he could have played in WINNING finals...)

[Sir Why You Little 34,627]

"Melbourne returned to wearing the Dark Blue Jumper" - absolutely!

Also: round 1 of finals (118 pt win over North in our first final in 23 years), round 2 of finals (60 odd pt win over Swans, showing Gerard Healy that while he said he left us so he could play finals, if he'd stayed he could have played in WINNING finals...)

I will always remember sugar and Gerard walking off the ground arm in arm together thinking the same thing. "Gerard you missed out"!