Every angle tells a story…
Recent news surrounding the poor stadium deals clubs receive remind us of how lucky we are to be the only Victorian club to enjoy a true home ground advantage. From a supporter’s point of view, this is a boon: whether it’s a patch of concrete on the terrace, a blue (or white) plastic seat in the Brownlow, a wooden set of slats in the Doug Wade (with a pylon obstructing your view), a glass-enclosed view from the Popescu Room (aka ‘The fish tank’), the local and variable points of view of KP define who we are and how we see the game – or not if you happen to sit in the new Hickey stand during sunset.
In the mid 80′s I recall sneaking through a fence at the bottom of the Old Jack Jenning’s stand. Geelong was playing Richmond and Gaz was, as was his way with the Tigers, on fire. I pushed my way through the long coats to secure a great view in the ‘Jenning’s pocket’, just to watch the fast-twitch fibres of the great man carry him on an express lead toward me. As the ball arrived Gaz launched himself in the air and, instead of using two hands, he threw just one out. We watched the ball hit his fingertips and roll down his arm to his chest. The crowd erupted, in the manner that you’d expect when Gary performed that sort of act. In that split second I looked back and saw one old Jenning’s gentleman grab his mate by the head and kiss him on the cheek. I’ll never forget it!
As a precursor to this weekends game against the ‘roos at KP, check out the way the ground used to be…there seemed to be a lot of hill and plenty of squinting amongst spectators on the eastern wing. Some things never change…
Can you remember where you have stood (or sat) watching the great games that now make up your memory and infuse your stories? If so, let us know… Whichever view you have enjoyed watching the blue and white hoops will no doubt influence and reflect what you hold dearly. Wherever it may be and whoever it may be with, we salute you!
As an aside, now that the past-players’ stand has been swept away with tide of development, can we rightly call it the past-past-players’ stand?
Kindest Regards,
Your sentimental friends at The Terrace
Tags: alex popescu room, doug wade stand, ford stand, gary ablett, jack jenning's stand, north melbourne, past-players' stand, reg hickey stand, the terrace, The Vegie Patch
1. Steady on guys … that ‘old Jennings man’ may well have been me!
2. My most memorable??? …. undoubtedly sitting inside the white pickets at the G – with 100,000 others OUTSIDE them – on the last Saturday in September at both of the 1951 and the 1952 grand finals. My Dad was the club doctor for the great Flanagan, Davis, Sharp, Middlemiss, Turner (Leo), Goninon, Pianto, Smith (and others) era. I was 6 and 7 in those years and though I remember little about the game, I remember sitting inside the pickets, proud as a flea, in my blue and white hoops with ’6′ on my back (Peter Pianto) … and we creamed them!
In that same 1952 season, mid-year, I was spotty and in bed with the measles- on my birthday. Who should arrvie but Bobby D (Woofer), a brand new footy in hand and holding a footy boot with craggy stops!
He took hold of the boot and ripped it across the leather of the shiny Sherrin, leaving one torn stop-mark on its new hide then gave me the footy with a ‘Happy Birthday, Johnny’ … a moment never forgotten.
At training every Tuesday and Thursday night and at every Saturday game for YEARS thereafter when I went with Dad to each training session and game, I never once – not EVER – turned my back towards Bob again. I alway chose to be directly ‘en face’ to him … at ALL COSTS … why???
I had a PP ’6′ on my back, not a BD ’4′, and I didnt ever want Bob to find that out – not after that ‘footy’ present!
It was the 1994 Prelim Final, Geelong vs North. I was living in Abbotsford, about 15 minutes from the MCG. My younger brother was in town from Assumption in Kilmore. At about 1.45 we decided we’d go to the game.
We walked to the ground and up to gates, sold out. Not a ticket to be had.
We thought we’re here now, might as well go the scalper route. We stood outside, huddled around our outsstretched hands counting our cash.
57… 57.50… 58… 59… 59.20… 59.30… $59.30? Even if there were tickets available we wouldn’t have been able to afford them. No scalper was going to sell them for less that the face value… or would they?
No, they wouldn’t.
The siren sounded inside and the rain started falling outside. Our heroes, these 2 sad, dejected Cats fans couldn’t see a way forward, only back, home through the rain to watch the replay.
Then, trumpets and a choral refrain. A shot of light and angels decended from heaven. Angels with track suit tops where their wings should have been, caps where their halo’s belonged and tickets instead of swords. The heaven they decended from was not from on high, but the curtain raiser inside. Geelong Falcons vs whoeverthefuck. It didn’t matter. This pair of saviours wanted to sell their tickets and we were the first people they ran into.
$40 each they said. We’ve only got $60 I said. We can get $40 they said. The game’s started my brother said. They walked a little way and conferred. We were cool, aloof, and desperate. They came back, alright $30 it is. We transferred the handful of church plate money and took off fast, mostly to see the game, but a bit because we were 70 cents short.
Made it in, got seated. No beers, no pies, no money, and only a slightly better view. The tickets were restricted viewing. We had a awesome view of the goals, we were right in front of them. We could see all the way up the ground, almost to the centre square. Almost. Had a blistering view of Carey marking everything damn thing that came his way.
In the end, it didn’t matter. It was the game we shouldn’t have seen. Sold out, not enough money for tickets anyway and the rain. Then fate intervened. Got us in the ground, in those restricted view seats… except those crappy seats put us 10 metres… in perfect position… from the goal… where Gazza took a one handed mark… on the siren… over Mick Martyn… and kicked the Cats into the Grand Final.