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I took my nearly 74-year-old grandfather to the grand final on Saturday, it being my first ever grand final and his first since 1951 - the year John Coleman was suspended and Essendon lost the grand final to Geelong.
We had a terrible position in the standing room area of M10 - unable to see the screens, the time clocks or anything above the top of the goalpost padding.
We were standing on a slope that left our legs like jelly and rendered them almost totally ineffective (they are only just recovering today).
But once THE MOMENT - 5.16pm, Saturday, September 24, 2005 - finally arrived after 72 years and we both finally saw the flag come home for the first (hopefully not the last by a long way) time in our lives.
We both started crying uncontrollably and continued for more than hour.
I have since teared up every time I have read, heard or seen mention of the fact - and am doing so right now - it is just the greatest feeling someone can have.
Singing the song and cheering until we were hoarse after the game (I still am), was just amazing, as was walking around the ground afterwards in the dark, just soaking it all up.
And then something happened which just topped the whole thing off.
Walking past Gate 3, on our way to Punt Road Oval at about 7.15pm, two hours after the siren, Richard Colless came out of the ground and interrupted a mobile phone call to approach us, thank us personally for keeping the faith and staying true to the red and white, shaking my grandfather's hand and then giving me a big hug - having something like that happen was simply unbelievable - it just doesn't get any better than this.
The fact that the Premiership Cup is finally where it belongs is something that still hasn't sunk in and probably won't until the flag is unfurled at the SCG at the first home game next year.
Once and for all, it's been an amazing ride and there's not much more to say than . . .
CHEER CHEER THE RED AND THE WHITE
HONOUR THE NAME BY DAY AND BY NIGHT
LIFT THAT NOBLE BANNER HIGH
SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER FROM THE SKY
WHETHER THE ODDS BE GREAT OR BE SMALL
SWANS WILL GO IN AND WIN OVERALL
WHILE HER LOYAL SONS ARE MARCHING
ONWARDS TO VICTORY
For the final word, look below the line.
We had a terrible position in the standing room area of M10 - unable to see the screens, the time clocks or anything above the top of the goalpost padding.
We were standing on a slope that left our legs like jelly and rendered them almost totally ineffective (they are only just recovering today).
But once THE MOMENT - 5.16pm, Saturday, September 24, 2005 - finally arrived after 72 years and we both finally saw the flag come home for the first (hopefully not the last by a long way) time in our lives.
We both started crying uncontrollably and continued for more than hour.
I have since teared up every time I have read, heard or seen mention of the fact - and am doing so right now - it is just the greatest feeling someone can have.
Singing the song and cheering until we were hoarse after the game (I still am), was just amazing, as was walking around the ground afterwards in the dark, just soaking it all up.
And then something happened which just topped the whole thing off.
Walking past Gate 3, on our way to Punt Road Oval at about 7.15pm, two hours after the siren, Richard Colless came out of the ground and interrupted a mobile phone call to approach us, thank us personally for keeping the faith and staying true to the red and white, shaking my grandfather's hand and then giving me a big hug - having something like that happen was simply unbelievable - it just doesn't get any better than this.
The fact that the Premiership Cup is finally where it belongs is something that still hasn't sunk in and probably won't until the flag is unfurled at the SCG at the first home game next year.
Once and for all, it's been an amazing ride and there's not much more to say than . . .
CHEER CHEER THE RED AND THE WHITE
HONOUR THE NAME BY DAY AND BY NIGHT
LIFT THAT NOBLE BANNER HIGH
SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER FROM THE SKY
WHETHER THE ODDS BE GREAT OR BE SMALL
SWANS WILL GO IN AND WIN OVERALL
WHILE HER LOYAL SONS ARE MARCHING
ONWARDS TO VICTORY
For the final word, look below the line.
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