Anyone at the MCG on September 9 last year would have sensed the hunger, been stirred by the roar of the crowd, and witnessed an unforgettable Carlton victory.
Carlton and Richmond players have relived last year’s epic Elimination Final in the lead-up to Thursday night’s grudge match at the MCG.
Andrew Walker:
“It was unbelievable. It’s one of those ones that, when you’re running, you can sort of hear the crowd going in and out. You’re trying to keep everything together and you’re trying to stay calm and composed, but then you can have a quick look around and you realise that finals football is here and it’s obviously pretty exciting.”
Marc Murphy:
“The build-up was probably all about Richmond, obviously they finished fifth and we snuck in. It was their first finals appearance for quite a few years, so there was no real pressure on us coming into the game.”
After being down by 26-points at the half-time break, the Blues fought back – Jeff Garlett sealing the match by running into an open goal-square and booting a major with a minute left on the clock.
Trent Cotchin:
“There’s always a part of you that’s going ‘nup we can change something, we can make something happen, we can kick another goal, get it back on our terms,’ but sometimes you just have that feeling where it’s just gone too far now. To see him walk into an open goal and kick it was almost the knife that ended the day for a lot of our players and no matter how much fight you have left in you, it was game done.”
The Blues triumphed 18-8-116 to the Tigers’ 14-12-96, booking a spot in the semi-finals.
Lachie Henderson:
“It was a great win, one I don’t think I’ll ever forget, and it was obviously very nice to beat the Tigers in a final when we came in as the underdogs.”
Chris Yarran:
“I will cherish that moment for the rest of my life really, because it was such an amazing win and it will be something to look back on after I finish footy.”
The MCG will become a battleground once again this Thursday night, as Carlton and Richmond renew one of football’s greatest rivalries.
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