Today marks 9 years to the day since the 2009 grand final. I know it might be difficult for some to talk about it, it is for me but where was everyone on the day?, At the game? or somewhere else. Share your stories.
You need to be a member of 1Eyed Eel to add comments!
Replies
Couldn't get tickets so I was at home watching on TV. Wolfmother were playing Joker and the Thief before the game and to this day whenever I hear that song it reminds me of that game. Actually it wasn't as painful as 2001 as I didn't really expect Parra to win, but the fact Melbourne were done for cap cheating makes it hard to take. Especially since they blatantly took our half back, who played against us in that game!
At the game. The noise when EG jnr scored was amazing. When Fui gave us a chance after scoring his dynamic try I was hoping for a miracle. When Hayne let the ball bounce and Inglis scored I was a shattered soul.
Saw the great Luke Kelly, Billy Rogers and Jake McMullen play in the U20s - Melb coached by BA. Some big name players actually played in this game, none of which have played for Parra. Inc. Widdop, Bromwich, Proctor, McLean, Fifita and Woods
Wolfmother was part of the entertainment - they went OK. There was some other band not sure who - Irish mob?
The Script was the halftime show. That was on the heels of their first major, worldwide tour.
, I was at a dance party at The Sydney Superdome ( ACER arena or whatever it’s called these days ) called Utopia , off my chops on liquid MDMA , the real stuff not that cleaning fluid GBH crap the night before . I remember walking out in the morning and they were setting up next door for the GF and saying to my Bulldogs fanatic mate “ that’s where The mighty Eels are going to put an end to our drought and shut you the fuck up about us not winning a comp for so long “ , well didn’t he smash me later that day about that comment .
Just to add a memorable momemt from that day , at the time I was driving a Schmick as tunnel rammed VH SLE Commodore with all the gear . When I’d parked the car the night before even though it had a black widow car alarm , I took the rotor button out of the distributor for extra safe measure and put it in my pocket . The next morning when we returned to the car ( I wasn’t drinking and drug driving wasn’t even a thing ) , the bastard wouldn’t start . I pooped the bonnet , played around with anything I thought might’ve been the problem and then gave up and called my NRMA roadside assistance .
After waiting an hour for them to turn up , old mate had a bit of a look around and realised there was no spark , nek minute he looks at me with a blank and condescending look obviously knowing I was a little fried , and asked me in the exact words “ hey Einstein, you wouldn’t have a rotor button for this thing anywhere would ya ?”
Its talked about to this day anytime one of the mates is bringing up old times . I’m actually more upset I don’t have that car anymore than I am about the GF .
*** edit , I just read the title properly and realised your asking about 2009 and not 2001 , fuck maybe that shitt left some lasting damage ***
2009 we were having a spit in a mates backyard . I knew we’d lose , and after the game we were having boxing matches which ended up as wresting matches until I broke my mates collarbone and ended up with him at casualty ward at Bulli Hospital.
I was there on the day, was absolutely shattering, never watched the replay, even had bad dreams about it.
I went with a mate who wasn't really into rugby league he was more into football and I wore my Parramatta shirt, I had random strangers walk past saying "Go Parramatta" etc or "Fuck Melbourne", nobody said anything anti Parramatta in the Sydney CBD, Town Hall station etc.
We got out to Parramatta and the cars had already started circling the cbd, honking their horns, flags out the window etc, (It was about 3-4 hours before kick off). We got to the leagues club and it was nearly full already, we stayed for 2-3 hours but the lines for lager were dead long so we made the decision to leave, as we left the security guard said "Are you sure you want to leave because we are locking the door soon, this place is at capacity and you won't be let back in".
On the way back as we walked through Parramatta the cars were still honking, doinf laps, then we saw this one lad walking down Church Street with a Melbourne shirt on, some of the cars stopped in the middle of the road and a few lads got out, surrounded him, started pushing him etc, we kept walking but I am guessing he got threatened or bashed who knows.
So we walked up to PJ Gallaghers which was busy but not ram packed, they had all the screens on the game, streamers everywhere and they had Kilkenny pints for $5, which was dead cheap.
I remember the pre game entertainment, Living End, Wolfmother, whenever I hear those songs even now I think of the game. By the start of the game, the pub was ram packed.
That ends Part 1 of the story.
I remember the halftime entertainment was the script and they were booed by the heavily pro Parramatta crowd. In the second half, when Grothe scored the noise was defeaning and on the telly you could just see 90% of the ground as a sea of blue and gold flags etc. Then when Inglis scored that try, things got silent, real silent.
Then when Reddy scored, it was loud but not as loud as when Grothe scored. When Moi Moi scored I've never heard a louder noise in any pub before or since then, there were people swinging off the sound system attached to the ceiling, people throwing full pints in the air, it was pandemonium, at that stage it was 22-16 and we were coming home strong.
We all know what happens next, Slater drops the ball after being hit in a crunching tackle by moi moi, 20 metres out from Melbourne's line, penalty Melbourne.... Inglis kicks the field goal and they win 23-16. When it could of finished 22-22 at full time, who knows.
I remember there were grown men crying in the pub, we stayed for 2-3 hours after that, people came in from the game, tears streaming down their face, I remember how shattered Hindmarsh was on the telly.
Then when we left the pub, the cars were still honking and going around only this time they were not Parramatta fans, it was fans of other clubs, I got abused walking back to the station.
I took off my jersey because the abuse was getting pretty bad, the train on the way back was pretty quiet, my mate who I was with started chatting up these girls sat near us, I wasn't really interested in talking to anyone or doing anything. He tried telling me it was only a game but as I tried telling him it was more than a game.
I got a message the next day from him saying he ended up hooking up with one of the lasses but I was never going to go anywhere or do anything after that.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next