A single magic Harvey moment…a lifetime memory

[kaos theory]

I would like to describe a single moment of a game back in 1995 that to me shows the greatness of this individual.

I can still recall this moment now. It was breathtaking, it was one of the single greatest feats on the football field I had seen, and I had seen plenty of great things. It’s also a moment that many saints supporters would have missed (there was no TV coverage of the game). So I think it’s worth re-telling now…

The Context:
It was in round 15, against Geelong at the MCG. Strangely, their home game was scheduled at the MCG, not at Kardinia Park that day. This game was during one of our dark years. Before this game we had only one 3 games for the season, and Geelong had a powerful team and were a flag contender. We were expected to be thrashed.

The game however didn’t turn out that way. The saints were ‘up’ and playing great football, way beyond what they had shown all year. We jumped Geelong in the second qtr and opened up a good lead, which we held till 3qtr time. The usual suspects were playing well for the saints: Harvey, Loewe, Burke, plus support form others.

But Geelong had to lift; they were too talented to go down without a fight. The game overall was played at a high standard, and the last qtr became a tight & tense struggle as Geelong gradually edged closer and looked like pinching it. By late into the last quarter, Geelong had kicked 3 goals to none, to trail by only a few points (saints were leading 12 13 87 to 13 4 85).

The match was tense with incredible pressure in those last few minutes. Geelong wanted to win to keep near the top of the ladder. The saints were desperate to avoid another humiliating wooden spoon year and a big scalp was there for the taking.

In this context, I will describe something that happened in the dying seconds of the game, with Geelong pressing hard and the saints grimly defending a slim lead.

The Moment:
The ball had worked its way to the saints’ half forward line (southern stand end, punt road goal), and it got into the hands of Robert Harvey.

He was about 70 meters out from goal and hard on the boundary line, facing back toward the middle of the ground. “Oh, he’s trapped, he needs to try to kick it in bound, and maybe Loewe could mark it…He’s too far away from goal, and he’s path is blocked anyway…oh sh!t…they are going to get the ball here and stream forward and kick the winning goal..â€

[howlinwolf]

Thanks for taking the time to recall that memory !
Really well described.

Wouldn't a dvd of Harvey Highlights be good ?
Is that particular play on any dvd now ?
I must go check Youtube now

[St. Luke]

Wouldn't a dvd of Harvey Highlights be good ?
Is that particular play on any dvd now ?
I must go check Youtube now

I think they'd have to make a 7-DVD box set! Too many incredible feats to stick on one disk Put it this way...I'd definately buy whatever they brought out as a celebration of Mighty Harvs' career!

[Selhurst Saint]

I was standing on the wing behind the kick and I have never seen a ball go that Gun Barrell Straight. It was one of a few brilliant wins that year against class opposition.

We beat Carlton, Geelong, and Richmond teams that year who eventually finished 1st, 2nd, and third.

[Little Dozer]

Remember going to that game. Not expected to win and when it looked like slipping away, up steps Banger to seal the win. Great moment. Thanks for the memory!

[bigred]

I was there for that game...

I remember Ablett taking a classic speckie in the goalsquare....

That goal was absolutely sublime. Just pure, vintage Harvey.

[mcadam05]

Thanks for taking the time to recall that memory !
Really well described.

Wouldn't a dvd of Harvey Highlights be good ?
Is that particular play on any dvd now ?
I must go check Youtube now

i dont think i have ever seen footage of that game,even news highlights and there is a video on his Career it came out in '99 called " Robert Harvey .... the story so far " part of the Champions Series

[SENsei]

My memory is more personal. August 2006, Round 22, Brisbane game. Sharing a couple of Crownies with Harves in the foyer of the team hotel. Chewing the fat.

A regular bloke who has abilities that are anything but regular.

[stinger]

there was tv coverage of the game....maybe not in victoria....i remember the game...and harvey's goal....and i wasn't at the game......

[mcadam05]

there was tv coverage of the game....maybe not in victoria....i remember the game...and harvey's goal....and i wasn't at the game......

Really! was it full coverage or a one camera job?

[woody]

Kaos, this is my favorite Harvey moment to.

I remember this piece of brilliance vividly, more so because I couldn't get to the game that day. It's only 1, of 20 or so, Melbourne based games that I couldn't get to over the great mans career.

I was in the car that day listening to the radio driving home from work (it was a Sunday game if I recall). The commentators went nuts when Harvey kicked that goal. I was overcome with emotion and a few tears. I remember I had to pull off the road to compose myself !!!!
When I got home I walked into my lounge room to find my father in law and the rest of the outlaws (Essendon supporters, say no more) sitting there. They could tell I had had tears in my eyes. They were all so worried!!!! I then told them that Harv's had just kicked the goal of the century to win us a game of football. I have been coping sh*t about this event to this very day...............but I would never change a thing!!!!!!!!!!

I must have watched the replay of that goal 100 times since.

I know I'll never be as passionate about football again. That passion will retire with the great man. Sure I'll keep on luvin the Saints but to me football will never be the same without one R.Harvey taking the field. They sure as hell don't make em like that anymore!!!!!!!

[kaos theory]

Really! was it full coverage or a one camera job?

There was a camera at the game, but I'm pretty sure there was no proper coverage of that game, with multiple cameras and commentators...

I was in the southern stand, a few rows back from the front and about 10 metres from where havery weaved his magic...

Yes, bigred, I remember Ablett taking that classic specie too.....

But that was nothing compared to that Harvey moment

[kaos theory]

I must have watched the replay of that goal 100 times since.

Oh, my mistake! I didn't know that...would love to see it, again.....But I must admit, being there, and close to it, and watching it unfold live was truely amazing.

Not sure how it would have come out on film....

[cowboy18]

Wouldn't a dvd of Harvey Highlights be good ?

Box set perhaps?

[spert]

I remember that day and goal at the G - we were near the fence and Harvs came past us and slotted the goal..a great memory. We will have more Harvs memories before this season is out.

[HarveysDeciple]

Was behind Harves, sitting in the great southern stand as a 9 year old when he nailed that goal.

Absolutely magical.

[loris]

I know I'll never be as passionate about football again. That passion will retire with the great man. Sure I'll keep on luvin the Saints but to me football will never be the same without one R.Harvey taking the field. They sure as hell don't make em like that anymore!!!!!!!

woody...it's just like I feel at the present time. Harvey's retiring will create a real void for me. He's the one constant that has kept me passionate about the Saints over the past season or so. All the Thomas/Buttress shenanigans....the boring style of play our current coach has us playing...... the total money grabbing approach of the AFL all has dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. But then I feel guilty, hang in for Harves I say, he doesn't give up neither should you.

I feel devastated by Harvey's announcement.......... the last time I let a player affect me so much was when Carl Ditterich left the Saints for money. I lost enthusiasm for the game then for a couple of years. Sure I still supported the Saints, but the passion wasn't there. It took me a while to get over Carl's deflection

Harves is different...he could have chased money, he didn't ...he stayed loyal. He has given his all through good and bad times. I feel as if I have let him down, as if I as a supporter haven't been able to help him get a premiership - silly I know. But it hurts to think the great man will bow out without the greatest prize.

If we can't have a miracle and do it for him this year, I think my passion for the Saints will go out with Harvey. Sure I'll always support them, but will the passion be there I don't know

[BAM! (shhhh)]

My both vague and clear abiding memory is of packs of players around contested ball and ballups, and then suddenly breaking clear of the pack is Robert Harvey.

I've seen it so many times, from so many angles (including on TV), it's almost like I was on the field. From above, from ground level, sun shining, pouring rain, or TDome.

The image ends with Harvey dangling the ball to one side and then going the other way to somehow be kicking uncontested to whoever his target may be, Loewe and Hall would probably be my most vivid simply because the memory on those days would often be the only highlight in a dark day.

Younger fans who may not recall the days when Harvey was a fixture in the middle can picture it by imagining Chris Judd or Gary Ablett wearing a Saints jumper. Harvey was too fast, too good laterally, and simply too strong through the hips. He'd get the ball and it was like nobody could touch him.

If I'm forced to pick and choose a single game, it's either the first 3 quarters of the '97 GF (only probblem being the memory leads somewhere not so nice), or the prelim. That was the last time I can really remember being enthralled by an athlete and what they could do.

Struggling to remember a single play, because I just remember so many variations on the above.

[yipper]

Andrew Thompson, on SEN, just recalled a time back at Waverley one day - where Thommo was down in the forward pocket. The ball down in defence - Harvs had it deep back pocket, 4 opp players were closing on him. He just dodged, ducked and weaved around all of em ' and was all of a sudden free streaming down the wing bouncing with his left hand (as always) and Thommo's opponent just turned to him and started laughing - Thommo joined in, they were just gobsmacked at how good he was.

[stinger]

there was tv coverage of the game....maybe not in victoria....i remember the game...and harvey's goal....and i wasn't at the game......

Really! was it full coverage or a one camera job?

full coverage.....

[esaint66]

I remeber the first ever Saint's game i went to ....
My dad pointed out Banger as he ran out and i looked at him (he looked old even then) i said to my dad "Like that old guy can do all the ..."

The first thing he did was pick up the ball on the memebers wing schimmied through a pack and sent a long handpass to Stewart Loewe. who in turn goaled.

I was gobsmacked and thanked my lucky stars since that he's been a Saint and always will be a Saint

[joffaboy]

Standing directly behind Harvs when he kicked that goal.

Just knew he would nail it from the boundary.

A truly magic moment in football for me.

[remboy]

From memory the Geelong player who had him hemmed in on the boundary line was Sean Simpson (a former Saint). He obviously didn't learn any tricks while they were team mates.
People forget how many goals he has kicked in clutch situations. I've got tapes of the old channel 7 replays when Harvs kicked goals against Collingwood and Geelong in the dying minutes to win games. There was also the one in Subi when he ran around the man on the mark and kicked one when we needed it.
Also remember his 250th when he played like a man possessed in the second half. I had to laugh when he passed the ball to Capuano (who let it bounce off his chest) and then went and got it again and hit him again in almost the same passage of play.
I could go on for hours like this.

[HarveysDeciple]

I have long believed his best ever goal came against the eagles at the dome in 2000.

We were 21pts down with about 6 minutes. We kicked a couple quickly to reduce it to 9 and were back in it. Loewe took the ball out of the ruck and swung the ball forward with a little kick. Harvey was running onto it on the edge of the square. He had an eagle in front of him and if he took posession he would be tackled instantly.

So instead he showed presence of mind and soccered the ball out of mid air around the eagle then charged past him gathered, ran to 45 and drilled a goal that lifted the roof off the dome!

Magical bit of play.

[Gabba]

Just uploaded it at YouTube for you HD. Seemed familiar so i had a look.

It may still be processing.



Enjoy