My expedition to the Roos match.

[Greg J]

Sorry I am a little late with this one. I also note that I only seem to have lengthy posts after a win.

The problem with Colonial games is that nobody knows where to go before the game (or after the game). So after I had picked up my neice (a North supporter) from the train from Bendigo, and met up with Deano, we just headed to the stadium. Meaning we were inside and wandering around at about 12 o'clock.

Eventually we found the bar on the second level where we were to meet up with a work colleague who is in the North Supporters club (he is from England and just picked a team, unfortunately Newcastle is one of Sunderland's arch rivals so he could not barrack for the Pies).

Well this bar was behind the Bourke street goals and we were early enough to get a prime position, so we camped their for the whole day. No seat, but excellent view of the action that was about to unfold. It was absolutely packed with North supporters, as it is their Social club's Colonial bar.

The first quarter saw the feral North supporters give Buckley such a barrage of abuse (goal hungry, playing for the brownlow etc.) that the security guards shut the window on them (to protect the delicate ears of the Medallion club). While Deano and I did not put up with it quietly (I kept yelling that I loved him), there was little to cheer about on the field. Harvey seemed to giving Willow a pasting. By the second goal I was calling for MM to make the Willow move, Willow to Hawthorn, Chick to West Coast, and Gehrig to the Pies. But we got better as the quarter progressed, Buckley at one stage got into a push and shove match with the entire Roos forward line. Geez Carey is a tosser, after not enticing a free kick from Buckely he went over to Richo and tried to get a reaction from him. Richo handled it superbly. Gave back exactly what he got, no overreaction, no free kick given.

The second quarter was a lot better. They were kicking towards us. We even hit the front. In the bar, the North supporters are given the first taste of the "We're Black, We're White ..." song.

Third quarter was tough. They got back in front, but we hit back. The atmosphere in the bar is growing. A few other Pies supporters are starting to get vocal with Deano and I. Deano goes to give them another chorus of "We're Black, We're White ..." but I stop him. We were still behind.

In the fourth quarter, the outnumbered Pie supporters in the bar get ever more estatic. By the time we catch up, it is high fives all round, and the occasional chorus of "We're Black, We're White ...". By the end, Deano and I, are at full volume singing, "HELLO! HELLO! Its good to be BACK! Its good to be back!" repeated ad infinitum. Those North supporters who harassed Buckley in the first quarter had to put up with us screaming "BROWNLOW, BROWNLOW" every time he touched the door.

By this stage my 16 old neice, got less interested in the game, and went and got herself a coke, my work mate is staring forlornly out the window at the game, and the security guards are lining up behind Deano and I. But we were amusing rather than abusing and it turned out they were there more to protect us from the feral North supporters, who were decidely quieter.

The siren finally went, we launched into club song, then sang it again as the North supporters rapidly disappeared to be replaced by jubiliant Pie fans. My work mate disappeared before the club song, but my neice was stuck until we put her on the 5:30 train.
Deano and I amused ourselves by carrying on with the people streaming past the window on the way out of the ground. Waving to the Pies supporters, jeering the North supporters, and seeing as someone had told us that Port had beat Carlton, we screamed "Go Port" and tried to sing the Power song, when some dweeb in a Carlton beanie went past.

Finally it was time to go, the bridge back to Spencer street was nigh on empty. The only people on it included some Pie supporters walking back to the ground. Hang on, one of them is wearing a hard hat. It was Joffa! And Emma too. So we all jubiliantly embrace in the middle of the bridge, have a brief chat, and then go our separate ways.

Deano and I put my neice on the train and head to the (pink) pub on King street (between Bourke and La Trobe) and from there off to St Kilda for some dinner. We should have thought of the Social club. There is bugger all to do after a Sunday Colonial game, the Casino would not let us in last time.

Missed work on Monday!

CARN THE PIES.

[JBJ]

Greg J,
Really enjoyed reading your post...
But you should have come back to the Social Club after the game....we had a ball!!!

[Spidergirl]

N E 1 else noticed that teams who play at the SCG then play at Colonial the next week go much the same as they did the week before at the SCG??? so like say we play at SCG this week and loose then we play Colonial the next week and loose that too. Well i noticed this pattern was pretty common this year must be cause the grounds are very similar in size or something.

#8 RoCkS
Go RiCkY!