#2 - 1990

[think positive]

1990 was special. I too had lived through the heartbreak of losing Grand Finals in the 70's and 80's so on the day I was waiting for the Essendon comeback.

It was only with a couple of minutes to go when Matthews made his way from the coaches box to ground level that I allowed myself to realise, we had actually won it. Such a feeling of elation but mostly relief.

ditto! Harmes was my first live, then 2 more. we were cheers squad members!

1990 my sister got us seats from work for all the finals, the GF at 4 times face value, but still dirt cheap compared to now! and as you said, it was when Matthews walked down to the ground pumping his arms, we looked at each other and said oh **** we are going to win! and then we howled! went to vic park when the players went down the run, what a damn night it was! got home at about 3am, and still to this day the best day of my life!!

Jezza, how does it compare?


This one was special for me because 2010 we were at the draw, but watched he replay at the ESPN sports centre in downtown disney, LA! not the same. 2011 ended in tears, as did 2018!

The relief that junior got to see a win live was damn huge, and You coming down to join us, and juniors friends was the icing on the cake! Im still livin the dream now! It still feels so damn good!!!

different, but damn awesome!!

ithink we treasure it more, because the gap has been hard. the brissy $650k years still piss me off, roccas goal, and then 2018 we were robbed again, no doubt in my mind.

2 min to go and I was like, oh **** no not again! I dont think i have ever been so relieved in my life as when that final siren went!! I think my heart is still recovering!!

[Philthypie]

^^^^
Stui, you have nailed my feelings of the 2 days perfectly. 1990 pure relief, and 2023 pure enjoyment. It was a big night at Pie Park after the walk down Hoddle St. Total pandemonium! in 1990. Such a shame there is really nowhere to go anymore.

[Harrysz]

3 Premierships in 65 years is hardly enough. Since 1989 it's been 3 premierships in 34 years. Still not enough. The special thing about 1990 was that it was "drought-breaking".

[Boot]

For those who saw 1990, how does it compare to last year in terms of atmosphere and the overall celebrations ?

Nothing will ever outdo the sense of relief and release of joy at the siren of the 1990 Grand Final after 32 years of drought and heartbreaking losses. The celebration was even bigger and went for longer than any VFL/AFL premiership in my living memory. It was fantastic.
However the game was relatively safely in Collingwoods hands by half way through the last quarter, even though most Collingwood fans were to scared to admit it
2023 was a nail-biting game all the way through the game and after 2018 I think every Collingwood fan was nervous about Collingwood's record in close Grand Finals. So to actually be in front at the final siren was a joyous moment to finally win a close grand final and the standard of the game was a lot more appreciated when watching replays when you knew the final score. The wave of relief and joy that swept over the MCG as the final siren blew was phenomenal and the joy of watching the style of Collingwood play since McRae took over as coach seemed to make winning the premiership even better.

[Harrysz]

It's interesting how not many mention our flag in 2010. I can only assume that drawing the Grand Final and having to go to a replay took the gloss off it for some people.

[Pies4shaw]

^ That draw was bewildering and it's hard to contemplate how close we were to losing the actually unlosable against an opponent with 3 good footballers. Ccollingwood was a 10 goal better team than St Kilda at the MCG in 2010 - this is what we did to them in round 16, without Travis Cloke: https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2 ... 00717.html

[Boot]

Yes that Draw was a classic Collingwood choke in a Grand Final.
If not for a lucky bounce to have the ball elude Stevie Milne in the dying moments of that game it so easily would have gone down as yet another Collingwood disaster in a Grand Final.
However, for once the footy gods were in Collingwood's corner and it was a much better and true to form result the next weekend. I think close Grand Finals remain in the memory of fans due to the drama associated with them and luckily the 2010 replay was all Collingwood's from about half way through the first quarter, although I didn't relax at all till Harry Lumumber there was nailed his goal in the last quarter.

[Jezza]

It's interesting how not many mention our flag in 2010. I can only assume that drawing the Grand Final and having to go to a replay took the gloss off it for some people.

2010 was the first premiership I saw in my lifetime, so that will always mean something to me.

However, it is true that having to come back and win the replay took the gloss off slightly, plus we had the coaching handover issues lingering in the background which didn't help us in subsequent years.

[ANNODAM]

It was a great day for those of us who suffered long & hard at witnessing all those losses, some of them were so, so close…

So glad I was old enough to enjoy the party at VIC Park afterwards.

[Piesnchess]

Yeh, as a fellow Pies Vet, I was a young boy at the Royal show in 1964 GF day, and I recall hearing bloody Deees winning on some guys transistor radio. Thus, started the Colliewobbles for me. 1966, one point, 1970, ultimate heartbreak, and all the other shithouse close GF losses. 1990, I was shit scared of big hulking Paul Salmon, such a big bastard, he towered over Kelly and Christian, booted first 2 goals, and i thought, here we damn go. But we nullified the big prick, got on top, an bolted away, Pants Millane tossing the ball at siren time, was the ultimate. I was far more relieved than happy, no more sick Colliweobbles jokes. I actually celebrated 2010 more, and last year, went off my tits, wonderful memory.

[ANNODAM]

I had exactly the same thought process when Salmon took those early marks & goals.

Something at the qtr time brawl though told me we were on that day.