Were you there when the lights went out??

[saintm]

Was watching a bit of "The Back Page" on Fox Sports earlier this week and one of their features was the game between the Saints and Essendon at Waverly Park where the lights went out. Apparently it is 13 years ago this month - doesn't time fly.

I remember the mid-week replay of the game but little else of the event.

Were you one of the youngsters standing in your Saints guernsey around a makeshift bonfire in the middle of the ground?

[bigcarl]

i was there. not at the bonfire, but at the game.

[saint vince]

Was there with my dad brother and sister. I remember standing around for about 30 minutes not knowingy what was going on and then we decided to go home only to spend the next hour walking around the car park looking for the car. It is amazingy how much light the ground gave off over the car park. Didn't make it to the midweek completion.

I do remember that James Hird played in the midweek game but not on the weekend.

[Eastern]

I was there. I also went back for the 2nd 1/2 on the Tuesday Night !!

[clarky449]

I would love to see footage, any footage online?

[Eastern]

The ferels (ours & theirs) running around the boundry with the point post that they ripped out looked pretty funny !!

[rexy]

I was there, didnt run on the ground though. Just stood and watched a whilst and then decided to go. Didnt bother to go back for the completion of the game. think it was the Tuesday night they did this.

[BackFromUSA]

I was there and at the time I was consulting to the AFL at the time ... let's just say that they were NOT prepared for that eventuality at all.

[saintsRrising]

Was there in Bay 35.

Which was my "haunt" prior to the move to Docklands.

I could have sat in the Members beinga Social Club Member...but I preferred the sunny (well for day games!!!) side.

I went back for the conclusion too....so I have been part of the "longest" Aussie Rules match ever.

[realdeal]

I wasn't there but my mate was.. he actually ended up taking home the padding off one of the goal posts!

Last time i saw it was in his wardrobe 10 years ago so i'll have to see if he still has it!

[saintbrat]

I would love to see footage, any footage online?

in having a quick look I found the incident is listed here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vi ... _in_sports

[edit] 1996

During a night Australian Football League Round 10 match at Waverley Park in Melbourne between the Essendon Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, an unexpected pitch invasion occurred when the lights blacked out during the third quarter. In the midst of the chaos, a few thousand restless fans rioted and stormed the ground. Some lit bonfires in the centre pitch. Two of the smaller goal (behind) posts were removed by spectators. The incident was filmed on Network Seven.[21]


Violent incident????

[ausfatcat]

I was there with my dad, waited half an hour or so and left which was before

1. The bonfire
2. Before they gave out free tickets

[Darren]

I would love to see footage, any footage online?

id love to see a replay of it aswell...

[Bernard Shakey]

During a night Australian Football League Round 10 match at Waverley Park in Melbourne between the Essendon Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, an unexpected pitch invasion occurred when the lights blacked out during the third quarter. In the midst of the chaos, a few thousand restless fans rioted and stormed the ground. Some lit bonfires in the centre pitch. Two of the smaller goal (behind) posts were removed by spectators. The incident was filmed on Network Seven.[21]


Violent incident????

Don't know where you got this from saintbrat, but I was there, and there was no riot and nobody stormed the ground.

The media must have been into beat ups back then too.

[No1_Saint]

Was there....but got dragged out pretty quickly by a mates overprotective parents. I remember pissing my pants laughing when the footage of fans in the middle of the ground warming themselves by the bonfire was shown on the news.

Priceless. Was gutted not to be their firsthand though when the ferals took control.

[saintsRrising]

During a night Australian Football League Round 10 match at Waverley Park in Melbourne between the Essendon Football Club and St Kilda Football Club, an unexpected pitch invasion occurred when the lights blacked out during the third quarter. In the midst of the chaos, a few thousand restless fans rioted and stormed the ground. Some lit bonfires in the centre pitch. Two of the smaller goal (behind) posts were removed by spectators. The incident was filmed on Network Seven.[21]


Violent incident????

Don't know where you got this from saintbrat, but I was there, and there was no riot and nobody stormed the ground.

The media must have been into beat ups back then too.

Maybe with the lights out you were not seeing too well????

Depends what you term a riot....but fans were definitely running amok as described....including onto the ground.

I remember people near me trying to souvenier signs etc....and as I left I witnessed lots of acts of vandalism.

Initially people just sat..waiting for the lights to come back on...but when they did not.....actions by quite a number became increasingly ferral.

[clarky449]

What did the players do, i saw one photo of the team, in the middle of the ground.

[bigred]

I was in the members stand. Took this delightful young girl from Uni to the game. She got all frightened and clingy when the lights went out Good times...

Players all huddled in the middle for a while...so did the umps.

Then they came off and hovered around the race for a bit, then they went into the rooms.

Then all hell broke loose. Mob mentality. Was pretty entertaining really.

To this day I still cannot believe that the bombers were allowed to change their list for the continuation.

What a freakin joke that was/is. Seriously, how can that even be seen as being a fair deal.

Yet another reason to despise Essendon and all they stand for.

[noblejohn]

Was there....but got dragged out pretty quickly by a mates overprotective parents.

I was there and the following tuesday with my 2 kids and as a parent with kids it was a bit frightening. We can laugh now but it could have turned real nasty. Your mates parents did the right thing and don't warrant the criticism

[gringo]

I left before the bon fire and spent about an hour looking for my car- where is a bon fire when you need it.

Waverley was a bitch for getting your car out anyway but with no lights and a decent amount of mud it was a nightmare.

It was an eventful place I remember the score board catching on fire there one day -no one at the game seemed to care.

[OneEyedSainter77]

I was there with a few mates. My Dad lost his wallet before we got to the ground and we all got in for free. Can you imagine something like that happening these days? I can't. It was also my birthday. After they called the game off - we all went home. We were right on the very tip top level - I think it was the first time I ever went to Waverley park.

[B W and R all over]

I was there and I was 13 years old.

I remember thinking it was hilarious at the time. On thinking back to what happened with the posts and the bonfires, it was actually closer to a riot (the dangerous meaning of riot, not 'haha that was a riot' ).

Drew some parallels with English soccer hooliganism. Utter chaos.

[Superboot]

I was there, and the mention of Hird's inclusion a few days later (when the final 20 minutes or so was played) was somewhat controversial at the time.

There was argument as to whether the same players should have to take the field in order to complete the game.

I think the AFL got it wrong, but what's new?

[ozrulestrace]

I was there sitting in the outer on a really chilly night, the lights went out and it got even more chilly

I laughed as the behind post appeared out of the darkness as it did its lap of honour carried by the supporters.

It was more scary out in the car park, trying to find the car in the darkness and then having to drive off as idiot Essendon supporters starting banging on my car roof. All a part of the mob mentality taking over.

Out of sheer principle I turned up for the uncompleted game and it was funny to see people wearing various miners hats or hats with light globes attached to the brims in case history repeated itself.

[3rd generation saint]

I was there and went to the re start of the game later in the week.