Ghosts of Grand Finals Past

Firstly, the wine

Now, while Merlot isn't my 'go-to' wine I admit it does get a bad rap. I blame the movie 'Sideways' (which is one of my favourites) due to the rant that the character Miles go on and finishes with his distain for Merlot. We went on a winery tour of Napa once and the guide told us that sales of Merlot dropped by 20-25% as a result of that movie. Truth is, it isn't a bad option when it comes to Red. It is generally quite easy drinking and if anything, sometimes it doesn't have enough body as a Shiraz, Cab or Tempranillo to keep you coming back. For me, Merlot is like an old acquaintance that you haven't seen for a while where the experience is always a pleasant one. Which leads me to the Parker 2018 Merlot from the Coonawarra. This was a birthday gift (hat tip again to Ashu for sending me this) and I was suitably impressed. While it didn't have the punch of a Shiraz, it did have enough body to let you know it was a solid Red. It also led me to think that perhaps Merlot and I needed to get back to more regular meetings...and it isn't as bad as Miles claims it to be.

2020 has brought many changes in our lives. Footy Grand Finals have not been immune to it's effects. I mean, who would have thought that the AFL Grand Final would be played out of Melbourne and at night???

Next weekend is Grand Final Weekend and it started me thinking. Grand Final weekend has always played a special part in my life; generally because it was around my birthday. In fact, I have a mate who decided many years ago that he would wish me happy birthday on the day of the NRL Grand Final; irrespective of the date. Suffice to say, he will wish me next Sunday.

It also led me to think about the many memories that I have that are associated with the Grand Finals; both NRL & AFL. Some are good, some not so good. Some are unforgettable.

My first Grand Final memory was in 1979 when St George played Canterbury in the NSWRL decider. Mum was a Canterbury supporter and this was before I supported the Dragons (yes there was a time that I supported another team…another story for another day). I distinctly remember being in Infants school and the teacher asking the class who was supporting who. I sided with the Dogs at the time and the class was overwhelmingly siding with the red & white. Never again.

I actually went to my first Grand Final in 1987 at the Sydney Cricket Ground; which was the last Grand Final played there. It was between Manly-Warringah and Canberra. Mum (God rest her soul), lined up at Roselands Ticketek to buy us tickets and we managed to get two in the Bradman Concourse which was fine…except the day turned out to be about 30 odd degrees – as it sometimes does in September. That and I lost the $20 that Mum gave me to get food and drinks during the day. Suffice to say, it was a long and hot day. I also learnt the rule that day that if your club was playing in any grade on Grand Final day you were entitled to wear club colours; a rule that I stand by even now.

I have been fortunate to attend a number of notable Grand Finals as well. I was invited by a mate to the 1991 Grand Final where Penrith won their first title at the Sydney Football Stadium. The other notable Grand Final that I attended was the ARL Grand Final of 1997; which also happened to be on my actual birthday. It was in a corporate box for work and I had actually given my ticket away twice to customers who wanted to go. On the Thursday before, the sales co-ordinator approached me and said “Look, I know you have given away your ticket for the Grand Final but another one has come free – do you want to go?”. By then I knew that karma was telling me I was supposed to be at that game which was a good thing as I managed to see Newcastle’s Darren Albert score in the dying minutes to beat Manly and take out the Knights' first premiership.

In those days (gee, I sound like an old man), the Grand Final in the NRL was at 3pm in the afternoon. As such, there were many gatherings for Grand Finals in my teenage/early twenties. There was a BBQ for the epic 1989 Grand Final and in 1993 which was a flow on from my 21st birthday party. It was a full house that day as there were some that stayed over from the night before while some who went home and came back.

Then there was 1995…

1995 was between Canterbury (I think that technically they were called the Sydney Bulldogs at the time) & Manly. Friends of mine were housesitting at a very nice house in the southern suburbs of Sydney and had invited friends for the Grand Final weekend. I had a work function on the Saturday night so I arrived fairly late that evening. The house was extremely quiet when I arrived and as I entered, I followed the muffled sounds of laughing coming from one of the rooms. As I entered the master bedroom, I saw all of those in attendance laughing and chatting on the bed – and we are talking around fifteen people. Not that much of a notable thing…until the next morning.

See, it was waterbed…and the next morning (Grand Final Day) all awoke to find that the mattress had sprung a leak. Which led to a question – what do you do about a leak in the waterbed of someone’s master bedroom of the house that you are housesitting?

Suffice to say, it led to many a discussion, many an idea. In the end, literally as the white flag was waved and the bladder was emptied once a decision was made that it couldn’t be saved. It was a pretty sobering sight seeing literally the shell of the bed in the cold light of day. But that wasn’t the end of the dramas.

See, to have a Grand Final BBQ you need to have two basic things; a working BBQ and a working TV. The BBQ was working fine enough but somehow during the previous evening’s festivities, someone made a change to the TV and come Sunday no picture could be seen – just a lot of snow. Like the waterbed, many theories were offered as to what the issue was and what the solution could be. One of those was that it was an issue with the aerial so the decision was made to send a few of us to climb on the roof to look at said aerial. To this very day, the look on my friends’ face as she came back from the shops, aware that the waterbed was gone and now seeing a number of blokes climbing on the roof to adjust the aerial is something that will stay with me forever. It was a mixture of one of a death stare mixed with a degree of tired resignation that the whole weekend had gone to hell in a handbasket. Suffice to say, we decided to make a hasty retreat off the roof.

In the end, someone suggested turning on a button inside the house which effectively boosted the aerial…just as the national anthem was being sung at the SFS. As they say, timing is everything and it made of one of the more memorable Grand Final days of my life.

Which leads me to a more personal history with Grand Finals and the appearances in the big dance of my club; the St George/St George-Illawarra Dragons. Let’s just say that the Dragons have not had a great run over my lifetime when they do get to the Grand Final; having won one Premiership since 1979.

1985 was a banner year for the big Red V making all three Grand Finals that day. Two things made that year memorable. Firstly, the Dragons won Under 23’s, Reserve Grade but lost the First Grade Grand Final to Canterbury 7-6. (Yes, it was a forward pass). The second was that the day before (on my actual birthday), my Aunt’s fiancé was lost after he was knocked overboard from his tinny in rough waters in Botany Bay while fishing. Both disturbing in their own way for a thirteen year old.

1992 & 1993 we played the Brisbane Broncos in back to back Grand Finals. 1992 we punched above our weight and just being there against what was most of the Queensland Origin side was a feat in itself. While I wasn’t at the game I ended up with my mate at St George Leagues Club to celebrate and congratulate our team for their achievement. If my memory serves me correctly, we ended up standing and singing on the auditorium stage next to Ricky Walford and Stan Grant.

1993 was a different story. We were a better team and were considered a real chance to beat the Broncos. It was also the day after my 21st birthday party so all at Bridge Street were keen to see the Dragons get up to continue the party mood. However when Jason Stevens broke his thumb in the first tackle, it was a sign of things to come. The Dragons were defeated convincingly. Some of the stayers who were still at my place joined me at the Leagues Club to a) have dinner at Sizzler (ahh Sizzler at the Leagues - again, another story for another time) and b) join in the commiserations at the auditorium. The mood was less buoyant than the year before and we bid a hasty retreat.

1996 was all set to be a bumper Grand Final weekend. Sydney was in the AFL decider against North Melbourne and the Dragons were set to play the Sea Eagles on the Sunday in the ARL Grand Final. As a result, the house at Bridge Street was decorated red & white to prepare for what could be dual premierships. As history goes, the Swans were overrun by a Kangaroos side led by Wayne Carey and the Dragons were defeated after yet another dud referring call when Matthew Ridge was not called tackled just before halftime and changed the momentum of the game. Nothing quite as sad as sitting in a fully decorated house after both your sides have lost a Grand Final!

Which leads us to 1999. It was the first season of the new St George-Illawarra Dragons joint venture and they were to play the Melbourne Storm at the first Grand Final at the new Olympic Stadium. That was also the year that I decided to do a three month jaunt to Europe and I happened to be in Austria when the Grand Final was on. At 7.30am on Sunday morning, I ventured out from where the Contiki tour was staying and found a phone booth where I proceeded to ring my mate who had friends over for a BBQ for score updates. At halftime, the Dragons were looking good.

After ringing my mate for a score update in the second half I found out that the Storm were coming back so I stayed on the line as he put his phone next to the speaker of the TV. I listened to the game from that small phone booth in Austria (days before streaming apps) and rode every break and tackle.

Then, the penalty try.

My mate picked up the phone at that time and I asked him whether it was a penalty try or not. The hesitation in his response said everything as I heard the decision…and the Premiership go to Melbourne. Not only was a bitter about the result but it also meant I had to pay up on a bet I made with the only Melbourne supporter on the tour (that is definitely also another story for another time).

St George Illawarra didn’t play in another Grand Final until 2010. This time though, I was there at ANZ Stadium along with my wife, my brother in law and my cousin who was a Roosters supporter. It was a rare twilight Grand Final and it was raining. The first half was gloomy from both a weather perspective and also from the state of the game as the Roosters led at halftime 8-4. In the second half, the heavens opened up and thankfully so did the Dragons attack. In bucketing rain the Dragons ended up winning 32-8. I will remember the celebrations and the joyous scenes at ANZ Stadium as the team did their lap of honour and then later at Kogarah Jubilee Oval when the team came back to celebrate their triumph with the assembled crowd and my brother in law got to touch the hand of God (aka Wayne Bennett).

That was ten years ago this year…and the Dragons haven’t made it to the big dance since.

Since 2006 or so, I have been a member of ANZ Stadium and as such, I have had the good fortune to be able to attend the NRL Grand Final most years since then. In addition to the Dragons Premiership in 2010, I remember (vaguely) being at one of Melbourne’s Premierships with my late mate ‘The King’. I say vaguely as we went beer for beer from the time we arrived which was from the time of the Reserve Grade Grand Final. I took a mate in 2014 to see South Sydney win their first Premiership since 1969 which was special as his Dad (who was a Rabbits supporter) passed away earlier that year and in tribute he was a Rabbitohs supporter for that day.

As for the AFL, being in Sydney the closest I ever got to the Grand Final was watching it on TV or in a pub; especially if the Sydney Swans were playing. However, last year I was fortunate that I was able to be at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to attend my first AFL Grand Final…and it was on my actual birthday!

I say fortunate for a number of reasons. One, I was in a hospitality suite for work as I had clients there. That and beforehand we were told that Australian Cricketer Nathan Lyon and his partner would be our guests in the box for the game. As most of you would know, being a massive cricket fan meant this was a big thing!

In your life, there are times that will stay in your memory bank forever because you just never picture them happening to you. The first that day came as I was serving myself some lunch and the greatest Australian off-spinner in Test history come up to me to say “Excuse me but would be ok if Mitchell Starc came and joined us in the box?”. It took all of my will power to play it cool and say “I don’t think that should be a problem. Let me check with our Marketing Manager”…which I did and he arranged it. The second was having all the guests in the box; including the aforementioned Nathan Lyon & Mitchell Starc sing me ‘Happy Birthday’ at halftime.

Next weekend will be very different for both codes. Richmond & Geelong will be playing at The Gabba (not the MCG) and ANZ Stadium won’t be at capacity for Melbourne v Penrith due to COVID restrictions. That and the traditional Grand Final get togethers; be at home or at pubs, clubs etc will be smaller and perhaps less raucous - who knows.

It will be different. That said though, I am sure that both games will provide memories that will last a lifetime; as Grand Finals have done in the past.

Oh and if you have a dog in the fight next week good luck!