On the blog last week was the ‘Barty Party.’ This week is the ‘Darty Party’. In my first night time game of footy at the MCG in a long, long time, the Pies looked like they were going to be all too much for the Cats at three quarter time. However, a six goal haul from Jeremy ‘Darty’ Cameron led the Cats to victory.

There were just under 53,000 at the G’ on Saturday night for what I believe should be a staple game, Geelong vs Collingwood at the G’ on a Friday or Saturday night every year. Every time we play Collingwood in a night game, it always seems to be a cracker. I remember in 2011 in round 8, when the two teams were premiership favourites, dad and I went to the game. Dad had to get a ticket from a guy outside and push me under the turnstile to get me in. I reckon there were 90,000 there that night.

I miss the fact that home and away games don’t seem to generate the same crowds that they used to. Even before Covid, there weren’t many times in the past five or six years where you would see 80,000+ people at a home and away blockbuster. Although for me, standing in one of the sections behind the goals made it seem like I was a young kid again surrounded by 90,000 other supporters.

The atmosphere was incredible. Being in a mainly Geelong area I certainly enjoyed being surrounded by fellow supporters. Saying that though, I’ve had mates tell me after we made the comeback, being surrounded by Collingwood supporters was amazing. To see them chanting and carrying on in the third quarter when they thought the game was won and then in the last quarter, to wave them goodbye as they flooded out of the ground as if there ‘were a fire drill’ (as one of my mates described) was special. 

I’ll admit I had pretty much given up hope by three quarter time but I guess the experience paid off. In the first three quarters we were ‘too old, too slow’, however that final quarter was one I will remember forever. We looked like a different team and I can’t remember the last time I screamed so loudly at the footy before.  There really isn’t much better and boy was I glad that I could be there for it. 

In Joel Selwood’s record breaking game in which he surpassed Stephen Kernahan as the player to captain the most games for a single club, the boys stood tall in the last quarter and did it for Joel. I couldn’t believe the audacity of the Pies supporters to boo Joel throughout the game. He is a legend of the game.  The irony of the statement Nathan Buckley made a few years ago about “shame on anyone who booed a champion” revealed the true character of the Pies supporters whom we all love to hate. 

Everyone loves watching Collingwood choke and it’s even better when the team you support comes back to win against them in the final quarter. The Pies deserved the game as they played three excellent, high pressure quarters of footy. However, on Joel’s night, the ‘Darty Party’ rolled out as the Cats rolled the Pies.

Photography credit: Robert Cianflone