Observations from a 1996 game

[YvonneH]

I watched round 6, 1996 against Essendon recently and a couple of things stood out.
- If not for the cheer squads at either end of the ground you wouldn't know which game you were watching as there was not many in the crowd wearing club colours from either club apart from the odd scarf and cap. When you go to games today there is a sea of red and white.
- Some of the signs in the crowd using players names were great i.e. I honestly LUFF you, and The KELLY gang. I know we have had other good signs as well in We've got the GOODES, SCHNEIDER man etc, but can anyone think of others? Richmond have Jumping Jack Flash (for Riewoldt) otherwise we could have used that the our Jack's x 2. Surprised KICKETT to me or LOCKETT in the forward 50 didn't get a run.
- Does anyone remember the cheer squad member that had the swan on a stick? A few years ago someone told me that somebody stole his swan and he later had a heart attack. Hope that isn't true
- I should know the answer to this but is Stefan Carey any relation to Wayne?

[GongSwan]

Stefan not related to Wayne

[Primmy]

Swan on stick man has passed away, but not because someone stole his swan - which did happen.

You have just reminded me of one of my favourite games. First one I ever bought. North Melbourne V Swans at......not sure.....and there was plenty of redandwhite in the crowd. I think we had worked out something was in the air. Plugger actually smiled. Roosy was directing traffic. Shannon Grant had shaved his head and looked awful. Stuey had long hair (not a good look). Kickett had a runin with some of the players - I don't like to think what it was based around, but I suspect I know, we all do. Dunks DEMOLISHED Carey. It was a good good game.

[Plugger46]

Plugger and Shannon Grant played fantastic last quarters to drag us back into it.

[Plugger46]

Swan on stick man has passed away, but not because someone stole his swan - which did happen.

You have just reminded me of one of my favourite games. First one I ever bought. North Melbourne V Swans at......not sure.....and there was plenty of redandwhite in the crowd. I think we had worked out something was in the air. Plugger actually smiled. Roosy was directing traffic. Shannon Grant had shaved his head and looked awful. Stuey had long hair (not a good look). Kickett had a runin with some of the players - I don't like to think what it was based around, but I suspect I know, we all do. Dunks DEMOLISHED Carey. It was a good good game.

R11 1996 at Princes Park. Sensational day at the footy.

Roos' 300th and somehow didn't poll a Brownlow vote. Kelly, Luff, Maxfield and Kickett all great. Lockett with 9 after half time and 10 for the day.

[liz]

R11 1996 at Princes Park. Sensational day at the footy.

Roos' 300th and somehow didn't poll a Brownlow vote. Kelly, Luff, Maxfield and Kickett all great. Lockett with 9 after half time and 10 for the day.

I remember that game well. I watched on TV and we were so outclassed in the first quarter it was painful. Then the lads came out after quarter time and just blew the Roos away.

[Melbournehammer]

best game i ever saw kelly play. he was outstanding

[spiffy-dude]

1996 to me seems like a turning point for the AFL. To me its the season that the code fully went national. Look at the massive changes in the years after 1996 both on field with new tactics, new stats, skills going to another level, fitness and off field with the way footy departments are run and the marketing of the code. Before 1996 it still had a very melbourne feel to it. If you want evidence watch "year of the dogs" and it just seems weird that a footy club was still being run like a 1960s club when at that stage professionalism and full time players were a regular thing.

In 1997 onwards things changed a lot.

[liz]

best game i ever saw kelly play. he was outstanding

My recollections of that game are more of a general team domination than any specific player. But he was so outstanding in a loss to the Eagles a few weeks earlier at the WACA that Malthouse (who was coaching the Eagles then) suggested Kelly was deserving of all six Brownlow votes. (From memory he did get two or three.)

I also remember Kelly being outstanding in a rip-roaring game against Carlton (like the NM game, at Princes Oval) in which the Swans just snuck over the line. I think that might have been later on in 1996, but it could have been in one of the following two seasons.

Edit: I've just looked up our results for 1996, and I think the Carlton game I am recalling was that year, judging by the results. It was just a couple of weeks after the North Melbourne game at the same venue, and the week before the sell-out game at the SCG, billed as a shoot-out between GA senior and Plugger.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/tg-sydney-swans?year=1996

[Plugger46]

My recollections of that game are more of a general team domination than any specific player. But he was so outstanding in a loss to the Eagles a few weeks earlier at the WACA that Malthouse (who was coaching the Eagles then) suggested Kelly was deserving of all six Brownlow votes. (From memory he did get two or three.)

I also remember Kelly being outstanding in a rip-roaring game against Carlton (like the NM game, at Princes Oval) in which the Swans just snuck over the line. I think that might have been later on in 1996, but it could have been in one of the following two seasons.

Edit: I've just looked up our results for 1996, and I think the Carlton game I am recalling was that year, judging by the results. It was just a couple of weeks after the North Melbourne game at the same venue, and the week before the sell-out game at the SCG, billed as a shoot-out between GA senior and Plugger.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/t...wans?year=1996

I remember that game at the WACA well. He was phenomenal and definitely close to his best ever game. We were on a bit of a roll and the Eagles had obviously been a good side for a while. We went with them for 3 quarters but they gave us a hiding in the last qtr - Peter Matera and Jason Ball took to us from memory.

The Carlton game at Princes Park is still the best Swans H&A game I've seen. There never seemed to be a dull moment as the lead changed all day and Kelly and Kouta put on a show (Kouta probably would've got the 3 if Carlton had won). Plugger was well held and O'Brien played a blinder. They'd won something like 25 in a row at the ground and we put an end to it. Probably the day we stamped ourselves as a genuine contender. Great memories.

[Triple B]

The Carlton game at Princes Park is still the best Swans H&A game I've seen. There never seemed to be a dull moment as the lead changed all day and Kelly and Kouta put on a show (Kouta probably would've got the 3 if Carlton had won).....

I agree, was a brilliant game to be at and rub it into the Blues fans who thought they were unbeatable at home.
It was certainly the Kelly v Kouta show, both were brilliant and I eagerly awaited the Brownlow votes a few months later.
1 vote Kouta
2 votes Kell
3 votes Fraser Brown
WTF???? Rarely surprised at the umps votes, but gee that was a strange one....

[Doctor J.]

I remember that game at the WACA well. He was phenomenal and definitely close to his best ever game. We were on a bit of a roll and the Eagles had obviously been a good side for a while. We went with them for 3 quarters but they gave us a hiding in the last qtr - Peter Matera and Jason Ball took to us from memory.

The Carlton game at Princes Park is still the best Swans H&A game I've seen. There never seemed to be a dull moment as the lead changed all day and Kelly and Kouta put on a show (Kouta probably would've got the 3 if Carlton had won). Plugger was well held and O'Brien played a blinder. They'd won something like 25 in a row at the ground and we put an end to it. Probably the day we stamped ourselves as a genuine contender. Great memories.

I agree, was a brilliant game to be at and rub it into the Blues fans who thought they were unbeatable at home.
It was certainly the Kelly v Kouta show, both were brilliant and I eagerly awaited the Brownlow votes a few months later.
1 vote Kouta
2 votes Kell
3 votes Fraser Brown
WTF???? Rarely surprised at the umps votes, but gee that was a strange one....

This was the game security had to come to our aid inside the Carlton Social Club. Singing Cheer Cheer the Red & the White... inside the social club was always going to make the natives a tad upset, but so worth it.

[i'm-uninformed2]

- I should know the answer to this but is Stefan Carey any relation to Wayne?

Stefan came from FAR better stock. He also provided far more entertainment value on the field, though how much he intended was debatable.

[Plugger46]

I agree, was a brilliant game to be at and rub it into the Blues fans who thought they were unbeatable at home.
It was certainly the Kelly v Kouta show, both were brilliant and I eagerly awaited the Brownlow votes a few months later.
1 vote Kouta
2 votes Kell
3 votes Fraser Brown
WTF???? Rarely surprised at the umps votes, but gee that was a strange one....

Well there you go, just assumed Kelly had got the 3 and Kouta 2.

I can remember Brown kicking a couple of nice (and crucial at the time) goals but they were at a different game.

[Primmy]

R11 1996 at Princes Park. Sensational day at the footy.

Roos' 300th and somehow didn't poll a Brownlow vote. Kelly, Luff, Maxfield and Kickett all great. Lockett with 9 after half time and 10 for the day.

and I didn't mention Kell......shame on me. Ta for that.