We were staying in a hotel right near the MCG and Saturday morning we got dressed in our Carlton gear like we always do for Carlton matches, me with a Carlton tattoo on each cheek and one on the back of each hand. I had a "Fab Fev" one and a "Magic Murphy" one. I also had lots of player badges pinned to my Captain Carlton cap.
This week was even more special as we also wore black tape on our left arms which was in honour of Richard Pratt, who was a Carlton President, player, sponsor, supporter and patron for over 60 years. He died during the week and lots of Carlton people and all our players were very sad about it. We really hoped the Blues would win because that's what Mr Pratt would have wanted.
With plenty of time before the match started we walked across to the 'G and bought a Footy Record and Daddy took a photo of Mum and me. We were both happy to be seeing our Blue Boys for the first time this year, and looked forward to a big game. It was yet again a beautiful day with sunshine and blue sky, just like it always seems to be when we come over to Melbourne for the footy, no matter what month it is.
When inside the ground, we met up with Mum's Carlton friend Adrian and his little daughter, Tahlia. Like me, Tahlia was dressed in Carlton gear. She reminded me a bit of my Carlton girlfriend Keeley, who we didn't see this trip. Tahlia has Andrew Walker's #1 on her back and I wore my new jumper with Marc Murphy's #3 on my back. At home I have another jumper with Juddy's #5 and my Auskick jumper has Fev's #25. I love so many players! This year I've retired Kouta's #43 as that footy jumper is too small for me now that I'm growing taller.
And then sitting right behind the goals we found Michelle, who we met here at the MCG last year. She asked me how many goals I thought Fev would kick, and I said "500". She laughed, and we both decided we wanted Fev to kick 10 and Buddy to kick none. Then Mum took a photo of us.
We also saw our friend Brenton with his son Tyler. He goes for the Hawks, and we planned on having a kick of the footy outside the MCG after the game. I was hoping he'd be the one sad by then and me happy after the Blues won - but Mum told us it might even be a draw so none of us would be too sad (little did we know how close she was to being right)!
Before we went upstairs to our seats on the second level in the Ponsford Stand, we went down to the boundary to see the Carlton players warm up. In this photo you can see Thornton, Juddy, Fev, Wiggins, Kreuzer, Houlihan, Murphy and Armfield. They all pair up and lean on each other to stretch out their legs.
I like seeing our two baldies, Judd and Murphy. I also love watching the players practising their goal kicking - Eddie Betts hardly missed any!
Then when the players left the ground to get ready for the match, it was time for us to go to our seats. We were sitting a little bit to the right of the goals, in the forward pocket. From up there we got a good view of the Carlton banner over the other side of the ground - a tribute to Richard Pratt - before the players ran out through it. When the Carlton song came on I cheered and cheered!
Then the game began. Carlton was kicking to the other end in the first quarter, so we had Buddy Franklin and Jarryd Roughead for the Hawks near us, the end where the Carlton cheer squad sits. Bower lined up on Buddy and Thornton was on Roughead. The four leading goal scorers for the whole AFL were on the MCG - Buddy and Roughie for them, and Eddie Betts and Fev for us. Would this be the Buddy and Fev show?
Juddy got the first free in the centre, and kicked it to Fev wide on the wing, but the Hawks got the ball. Kruezer did a huge punch to spoil, ball went to Thornton, then Simpson, who spun out of trouble and sent it down our end. But the Hawks got the ball and were quick to shoot it straight down their end for Roughead to take a strong mark and then get the first goal. Great tackling by Hawthorn made it hard for our players, but Wiggins was tough and got a fast handball out to Stevo, Carrazzo marked it, took a set shot from on the 50m line. We weren't sure he'd be able to get it from out there, but he did! Goal for us so now we're level. Aaron Joseph kicks the ball towards Stevo who sped up to meet it, did a fantastic super speedy handball in close to Fev who, way over on the boundary line, booted the ball across his body for a fantastic bouncing goal! We loved that one. Waite then took a lunging mark, Aaron Joseph did some good chasing of the ball over the boundary, and Nick Stevens showed some great skills. Jordan Russell mucked up the ball, but Bower on our backline was solid, and Houla handballed straight to the opposition but then smothered it back again to have another go. T-Bird got a free - yahoo! He played on quickly, Judd, Armfield, Simpson, were in there, Bentley took his first kick for our club and it just made it over a Hawk head to Carrots, handball to Scotland, weaving through traffic, GOAL! Three in a row for us. Next the ball's in the centre and lots of players fly up for it, Simpson gets hurt, Juddy has the ball, but Hawthorn's Mark WIlliams is on his own and running riot - who's on him?? Waite (who's playing loose) takes another mark in the backline, ball goes down our end where there's some good combining by lots of our players, Carrots has it, kicks towards goals, ball bounces, bounces, but right at the end it hits the post. That's the first point of the whole match, 17 minutes into the game. Roughead goes for a mark for them and drops the ball but the umpire pays it as a mark and he gets a free shot at goal - which he kicks - very lucky. Hoops does a great kick to Bentley, who drops the mark, Hawks have it, but the kick is smothered well by Hoops who makes a good effort to keep the ball, but eventually the Roughead marks and kicks a goal. Should Jamo be on him by now? They are 3 goals 0 (18) and we are 3 goals 1 (19). Come on Blues! Cloke can't mark, Hawks switch play and catch us off guard again (they're good at doing that), Waite takes yet another good saving mark, gets a 50m penalty, Gibbs kicks poorly into a Hawk, they bring it back down their end, but we stop it again in their forward 50. What a see-sawing match! Defence from both sides is doing well. We have plenty of chances but Campbell Brown for them marks and goals and they hit the front. And then they get another goal - Roughead is too strong for O'hAilpin this time. We turn the ball over again, Russell is outplayed but O'hAilpin does a brilliant smother, Cloke marks the ball, kicks it to Fev who is outmarked by Robert Campbell. Murphy gets a free, Bentley does a good kick to Fev who takes a great flying mark, and lines up for goal. The siren sounds and he takes his kick.......a goal now would be good.......but drats, it's only a point. Quarter time has us down by 10 points: 5 - 0 (30) to 3 - 2 (20). Same scoring shots, but as we seem to have done a lot this year, we're not accurate enough to be in front.
In the second quarter the Blues are kicking towards us and the ball hardly leaves our forward area. The ball goes straight to our end but Fev can't take the mark, Army lays a great tackle, the ball is out of our forward line but then straight back in again, Hoops lays a great tackle too, ball goes to the Hawks, but Waite marks again. Judd has the ball after a stoppage, handballs big across to Stevo who is on the run not far from the boundary and a long way from goal, lines up the goals - goal!! Well done, Stevo. We're only four points down. I do a high five with Mummy. Then it's absolutely fierce in the centre, great tackle by Kreuzer, Judd gets a kick, Hawks mark it. Scotland tackles, Juddy! He gets through lots of players, tackled, but gets the handball out to Eddie who was tackled - too high, around the neck? - no free paid - Hawks take the ball away, Stuart Dew kicks a goal for them. They still haven't kicked a point, 6 - 0 (36) to 4 - 2 (26). But soon after they blemish their scoreline with a point. Waite kicks in to Thornton who then has no one to kick to, so he kicks to a contest along the wing. Aaron Joseph roves the ball off the pack and runs like mad with it, bounces it, handballs over to Carrots, who kicks to Eddie, but it's well spoilt by a Hawk near our goals. We manage to keep it in our forward line, Stevo does a great kick over to Fev who takes a lunging mark on his knees, dead in front of goals on the 50m line. He lines up for a set shot and Mummy and I hold hands and say quietly to each other, "Go, Fev, Go, Fev"........but he gets a point. Stevo is excellent again on the boundary, Simpson turns it over, Hawks get it but again we defend well and keep the ball in our forward line. Another point to us, 6 - 1 (37) to 4 - 4 (28). More scoring shots, but losing. Buddy's in our forward line - his opponent Bower comes down too and takes a ripper mark! The ball's in our goal square, and the Hawks are obviously very aware that Eddie can be dangerous because three of their players keep him well away from the ball. The Hawks defend well. But then, so too do we. We get the ball but again the Hawks tackle hard. Stevo is brilliant today, gets the ball to Judd, great kick to Fev who takes the mark and has a set shot - goal this time, yippee! 6 - 1 (37) to 5 - 4 (34). We're catching up. Bryce Gibbs makes a good spoil and is then in again to mop up. Aaron Joseph is fantastic. The ball comes in high to our goal square, lots of players fly up, Hawks punch it through our goals for a point. Only two points in it now! We've had the ball in our forward 50 about 90% of this quarter but just can't capitalise. Setanta goes up for a mark but he's spoilt and he gives away a free for too high. Hawks are lucky to get the next goal, through our poor skills. Oh dear, 8 - 1 (49) to 5 - 5 (35). Bad kicking is bad football, alright. Kreuzer rucked and roved himself, kicked to Fev, lines up for a set shot - goal! Then it's back in our end again, Eddie tries to dribble the ball through while being pushed, looks like it goes through for a point but wait! Eddie gets the free kick! He takes his shot and goals! Only two points behind again. We deserve to hit the front after this quarter with such a good effort. Judd makes a great tackle and earns the free, kicks out wide to Stevo, great short kick to Carrots but he drops the mark. Not good! Stevo goes in to tackle, Simpson makes a courageous dive and earns a free. The ball's in our goal square, but the Hawks mark it. Buddy gives away a free to Gibbs, but once AGAIN we turn it over and the Hawks have a shot at goal. Phew, they miss. But then we make a mistake (again) and Roughead gets a goal. We are handing them this game! Murphy's in the centre, big kick to Cloke, Hawks have it again. Kade Simpson lays a great tackle, but then gets caught. Houlihan's there, though, and gets a really good handball out. The pressure from the Hawks is intense, Simpson tries a fancy handball but it doesn't come off, the Hawks get a free, and the siren goes to end the first half. 9 - 2 (56) to 7 - 5 (47). Still more scoring shots but losing. It's a fantastic game to watch though, and I'm sure the other nearly 70,000 supporters there agree. Tough, tight, and I can't take my eyes away from the game. I don't get bored like I used to sometimes when I was much younger!
At half time we meet a few friends at the bar and then rush to get back to our seats when the game restarts. The Hawks have a point before we get there, and then a goal just as we sit down. Joseph's head gets hit very hard but no free follows, and instead the Hawks get a free for us holding the ball - they take a set shot, point. Very bad by our defence for a little while, Thornton gets caught on the boundary, and we're lucky they only get a point. Then we get back on track and Fev gets a goal! And before we know it, Eddie Betts gets a speedy goal! We wave our big flags wildly and cheer really loudly. 10 - 6 (66) to 9 - 5 (59). We are seven points down. That's better! Come on, Blues - keep going!! Well done to Jarrad Waite, ball's held up near our 50m line - keep it there! But it's back to the Hawks - the end we're sitting. Great defensive pressure by us sees Scotland get a free for over the shoulder. Waitey makes a great run, Setanta, we drop another mark, and almost immediately Buddy has a shot for goal, with Bower standing on the mark with one shoe off and one shoe on. Buddy gets a point. Stevo takes the kick out - can we get it down our end? No! Man up, Blues!! Mark Williams is on his own again and gets a goal. NOT good enough by Carlton - what would Richard Pratt think? "Carlton!" clap clap clap "Carlton!" clap clap clap. I try to give some support but it's not as exciting up here as it is when we're down on ground level near the cheer squad who always get the crowd going with their chants. Juddy gets the ball, Eddie, Stevo, Juddy, Setanta.....what? Ball goes to the Hawks, lots of Hawks there but great tackling pressure by us and Murphy does a beautiful kick across to Fev! We cheer and cheer. He takes his set shot on 50m, one he could normally kick................but it's only a point. The Hawks fans cheer at that. We don't. We're down by 14 points. Eddie Betts does some good running and tackling, Murph, Kreuzer, the umpires let it go for ages while 70,000 spectators scream out in frustration. Setanta gets hit behind play, Scotland has the ball, but the Hawks get it again and score a point. Come on, Blues! Judd, Jamo, Bower, Judd, Bower, Setanta........lots of one-two handballs in there! Eddie tries for a goal, but no go, it's a point. Murphy is tackled too high, gets a free on the boundary - point. Kreuzer couldn't take the mark near the Hawks goals but perserveres and tackles the Hawks player and earns himself a free for holding the ball. Well done, Special K!! The ball gets sent down to our forward 50m, lots of players there, Setanta is in tight traffic, swings his boot around while being held back and it's a goal!! We're only seven points down again! Go Blues! "Carlton!" clap clap clap "Carlton!" clap clap clap - and this time there are lots of others who join in with me. Good tackling by us, and the ball goes towards Fev and we hold our breath as he flies up - mark! And SIREN! Again, he has to take his set shot after the siren. Mum and I get Dad to hold our hands this time and all three of us pray for a goal - and it's a GOAL this time!! We're only one point down!! Mummy goes berserk and waves the flags - I wave a big flag too. What a close game! One point in it at three quarter time - we've actually finally caught up to them in goals! 11 - 9 (75) to 11 - 8 (74). Mum wonders if her heart can stand it for another quarter - she's sure we can win but it's going to be close. Carlton is kicking towards our end, where our cheer squad sits, where we had all the play in the second quarter. All we have to do this time is kick goals and not points.
The siren sounds to start the last quarter, and up the other end Roughead marks it straight away for a goal. We didn't need that! Then Judd got caught and gave away the free, but he was held by two players at once as soon as he got the ball - Mum asked Dad did he have prior opportunity? Buddy gets his first goal of the match. Oh dear, it will be hard from here. "We've lost Mum, I'm telling you", I say, but she reckons we can still win. Kreuzer, Murph, Stevo, Fev, Carrots......ball goes out of bounds. Hawks take it down their end, but well done to Bower! Russell's there to help him, Waite marks, Carrots, but he has no one to kick to. Fev tries to lead, ball goes to him, two are standing against him, and the ball is punched out. Setanta gets a free, kicks to the top of the square, Hoops is there on the boundary and tries to stick his foot out to conjure up a goal, but it goes through for a point. Then the Hawks' Rioli blazes towards goals, but luckily only kicks a point. We're down 13 - 10 (88) to 11 - 9 (75). Ten minutes have already gone by and we need three goals to win - the Hawks are blanketing us well. It;s going to be very hard now. The Hawks have the ball just our side of the centre square, Murphy, Bentley, Waite do some good tackling and then Carrots runs through and steals the ball out of a Hawk hand! His handball goes to Eddie, who kicks over to Fev who's on his own at the top of the square, and he runs in to open goal and kicks a beauty big kick up to the second level! We cheer and wave our flags as we're only seven points down again. Perhaps Mum's right - we can still do this! Oh no - they did the same to us straight afterwards, with Stuart Dew running into their open goal and kicking a whopper. The ball's down the Hawks' end again, but Hoops gets it, Bentley, Cloke up high, Stevens, Hoops again, big handball to Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Scotland, we muck it up - but Thornton! Running backwards, beautiful saving mark out of nowhere! He kicks long to Cloke, but he's beaten by his man. Buddy and Bower are fighting it out hard, Bower's doing well with his tackling, but the ump gives Buddy the free for in the back. Goal. We're 19 points down and need four goals to win and we're more than halfway through the quarter. I cry for the first time at the footy as I think it's over for us and I REALLY wanted to win - I tell Mummy that I was really looking forward to going back to school on Monday and telling everyone about my exciting weekend and watching the Blues win. Mum gets me to sit on her lap and she cuddles me and tells me in sport we must never give up until the end, and the same goes for cheering and supporting too. The Hawks get another goal to be 16 - 10 (106) to 12 - 9 (81) so we need five goals to win. But I stop crying. Next thing Carrots gets the ball out, to Eddie, to Simpson - goal! Mummy cheers. I have a tiny little smile. Murphy's got the ball, kicks, but it's smothered, Carrots is here, two players are on him, he tries ever so hard, Murphy is back again to help the ball over the boundary. Players from both teams are trying their hearts out - the Hawks get a free, but Fev is way out on the wing - mark it, Fev! But he misses. The ball's back there again, Kreuzer does a great smother and Murphy makes a strong tackle and gets a free. But the Hawks have hold of the ball in our forward line. Kreuzer is there, gets the ball to Fev, Murphy, Fev, Eddie marks it! But instead of taking his kick he slickly handballs it to Fev who has a big kick from 55m out - and goals! Seven goals to Fev! But we still need three goals to hit the front, 16 - 10 (106) to 14 - 9 (93). Mummy tells me that our players just need belief in themselves, that it's still quite possible to win. She tells me to have that same belief. So I try. The ball is down the Hawks' end for a while, Armfield smothers what might have been a Hawk goal, Bower's there, Waite marks it, to Setanta, then there are super fast handballs on the run between Scotland, Setanta, Russell, Stevo, pinpoint pass to Fev - mark! Has a set shot on 50m - goal!! We are seven points down for about the tenth time today! CAN WE DO IT???? The ball's down here at our end again - Bower strong spoil, Army, Waite, Kreuzer, Fev - can't mark - Juddy chases the ball on the boundary in our forward pocket, Murphy takes a snapshot at goal, but it's a point. One straight goal would draw us dead level! Could Mummy have been right earlier when she said it might be a draw? How much time is left?? We have no idea. Hawks take the ball away, and near the centre Russell spoils Hodge, Stevo scoops up the ball with skill, big kick to Fev - but he can't mark it. Juddy's there, though! He runs around, handballs to Carrots, to Scotland, kicks at goal.......but then we get ANOTHER point, rushed through. We're only five points down! A goal would win us the match! 29 minutes have gone by already, and scores are 16 - 10 (106) to 15 - 11 (101). We need a goal!! PLEASE! The Hawks have the ball and hang onto it - we can't seem to man up enough. They take it over the boundary - "Deliberate!" we cry. There's a throw in. Time MUST be running out. The ball goes back and forth between the two teams and seems to go on forever. The ball's in the middle - our players are busting their boilers in trying so hard and the crowd is going absolutely bonkers! The noise is deafening and I am yelling just as much as the rest of them! Where's a count down clock when you need one? Joseph gets held without the ball and earns a free, but Buddy plays on when he shouldn't and kicks the ball away. Normally we would get a 50m penalty for that - what's happening, umpire? We don't get 50m, just the free. Armfield has the ball near the middle and takes on a Hawk player - he gets held up a bit but it's as if Army has grown heavier and stronger as he manages to somehow break away and dodge two other Hawk players as he runs towards our goals and kicks superbly to Fev. Fev has a player in front of him but jumps up from behind and ever so strongly MARKS THE BALL! The crowd goes wild - we can hardly hear ourselves think! Fevola, we love you!! He lines up for his set shot, on an angle, but only 20m from goal. He should kick it easily. Daddy's on his feet, and so are lots of others. I'm still sitting on Mummy's lap and we are hoping really, really hard that Fev will kick this sitter. I am almost too scared to watch. The ball goes up high and looks like its going to be through. Daddy cheers and the crowd cheers and I think even our coaches in the coaches box cheer but Mum can just make out the top of the goal post and sees that it's wobbling slightly - she thinks Fev hit it on the inside and it's only a point! She's right. Oh no! Now I DO burst into tears. We really thought we'd won it after all. The ball goes back towards the Hawks' end and we know the siren must only be seconds away. Then the siren sounds and it's all over. Final scores were 16 - 10 (106) to 15 - 12 (102). We've lost our second game for the year by only four points, and in both games we had more shots at goal. Devastating. I was very, very sad. Fev was sad too - he flopped down on the ground on his back and covered his face. Our poor players, who'd tried ever so hard. And the Hawks as well - what a great effort everyone put in. It was a fantastic game, very exciting and full of hard tackles, great chases, super goals - Fev ended up with eight and Roughead at the other end also finished with eight, while Eddie and Buddy finished with two each.
After we'd caught our breath and I'd calmed down, we walked down to meet up with Tyler and his Dad Brenton. We went outside with them and Daddy and I kicked the footy with Tyler and Brenton for ages, along with lots of other footy fans. I liked pretending I was a Carlton player, just like I do at Auskick. It was lots of fun, and as you can see in this photo I am even smiling again. It was a good way to end what had been a very exhausting day.
Meanwhile, Mum looked after our bags and listened to the after-match talking on the radio. She heard the commentators say what a wonderful game it had been, filled with lots of 'one-percenters' and courage and skill, and that we had two great goal kickers with Fev on eight at one end and Roughie on eight at the other, and how lucky all 70,000 of us were to have seen such a hard fought-out and thrilling match. They're right - of course we wish Carlton had won, but we know that our boys can match it with the reigning premiers. Next time they meet us I reckon they won't be so lucky!
And now I have the Adelaide game over here in SA in only three more weeks to look forward to! Just like last year we're going to a special Spirit Of Carlton 'Breakfast With Legends' pre-match function, so I will get to see our President Stephen Kernahan (Sticks) again - remember last year he presented me with an Honorary Member Certificate for Spirit Of Carlton? I am looking forward to seeing him, and Craig Bradley, and lots of other great past Carlton champs - even Robert Harvey will be there. I'll be back to tell you all about that day, and I hope I will have some good news to report. So until then, it's "over and out" from me, Jesse Hanel - and my Mum, Carolyn.
Please Note: the views expressed in the above article are solely the opinion of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the Carlton Football Club or those employees of the Club. The Carlton Football Club would like to acknowledge the tireless work of those supporters who contribute to carltonfc.com.au.
