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[Elsternwick Pierre]

I notice the new front page on the website with the clocks.

Looking at the games mentioned I realize that I was at three of those (not the most important one, alas). The prelim against Melbourne in 1961 was my birthday (my 16th ). What a present that was. My folks had decorated the house in red white and blue streamers and balloons. Mum said she doesn't know what she'd have done if Footscray lost. They’d’ve had to scurry around to take them all down again before I got home.

I was at the Grand Final the next week as well. I’m glad that wasn’t my birthday. Memory plays tricks: I’ve recently seen a DVD of the game (thanks to Rufus) and I recall it as a disaster. I was wrong, it was close for most of the game, only in the last quarter that Hawthorn really became dominant (thanks to Brendan Edwards. Damn it, I remember he was best a-field and my recollection wasn’t wrong).

That got me to thinking. Is there anyone out there who was at all four of these games? If you are out there and reading this I guess you’re going to be at least as old as I, and maybe even more so. Let’s hear from you.

[Caveman]

Alas I can only claim one of those games mentioned on the clocks- the last one in 1998. Next season (2008) will be the 10th Anniversary of that defeat- the last time we were just the one win away from playing in a Grand Final. At half time I realised that we were not going to win, at three quarter time that feeling was confirmed. A long ten years of hard labour- well that is what it seems.