Lets not forget those who travelled from afar

thejiggingsaint · Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:32pm

Like so many of our posters I've been trying to come to terms with the result from last saturday. I travelled home on the train, and was back in "darkest Murrumbeena" within an hour, back to my lovely grandkids and Mrs Jigging and a glass (or ten

) of Jamesons/Merlot (whichever was closer

) Comfortably ensconsed in my home, I began to think of others who were similarly feeling the pain, but who had much further to travel than "yours truly" Good Sainters like Matrix who was travelling to Adelaide, Fans like Vietnam Saint (good to meet you Pal!) SteveStevens66 travelling back to the USA (hope you got a ticket mate)
and MarkinUSA who has come out all this way from Stateside only to be disappointed.
To you and all the other "long distance Sainters" I salute you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To take the trouble that you have to see your team makes me proud to be a part of this fantastic Saints family!
May I say that you will ALWAYS have a friend in the Jiggster and are always welcome to join me for a pre-match drink!

Love to you all and safe travels!

Dave

saint66au · Post: # 838202Post **saint66au** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:36pm

Kosifantutte who travelled from Europe TWICE in the one season

Verdun66 from London

Props to you all, the logistic of what you did are amazing...some of us grizzle when trains on the Frankston line run 5 mins late lol

Milan Faletic · Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:37pm

You're a good man, jigster.

We need more people like you around the club.

Good work. Murrumbeena will be proud of you

thejiggingsaint · Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:37pm

Hear Hear!!! Good on our overseas Saints I say!!!!!!

Eastern · Post: # 838207Post **Eastern** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:39pm

Lets not forget Loris and the others who travelled from that 3rd world country.........Western Australia

!!

3rd generation saint · Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:39pm

Yes, I take my hat off to you long distant loyal saints fans. My friend is on his way back to Chicago, or possibly already home by now.
Though I must admit, if we had have won, think it might be a tad difficult to hang the scarf out the plane window.

matrix · Post: # 838210Post **matrix** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:41pm

i tell ya dave
traveling back to adel is like you traveling on the train back home, relatively easy and short compared to the peeps that came all the way internationally.

that is the biggest effort
to travel half way around this entire third rock from the sun...to see the mighty sainters is amazing and shows the love these guys have for the saints

amazing stuff
and it was good to meet markintheUSA and VS,..great blokes
VS had the best way to cope with the loss too when we were at the pub

yell: "F***!"
it actually made us feel a little better

Maxstar22 · Post: # 838216Post **Maxstar22** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:46pm

Yep +1 here as well.

Good work guys. Start saving now to get back over next year.

F******CCCKKKK!!!!!

Lol - Thanks VS, I'm going to be screaming that for months

saintbrat · Post: # 838222Post **saintbrat** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:49pm

3rd generation saint wrote:Yes, I take my hat off to you long distant loyal saints fans. My friend is on his way back to Chicago, or possibly already home by now.
Though I must admit, if we had have won, think it might be a tad difficult to hang the scarf out the plane window.

maybe he could have asked the pilot to put it on the Dash

I think it was "One Week At a Time" that had vision shot on a mobile phone or a trian heading for Franskton on Saturday night - full of saints fans and you could have heard a pin drop- I would think not normal for a Packed train carraiage to be that quiet....

Winmarvellous · Wed 30 Sep 2009 9:54pm

I was in Melbourne from Friday to Monday and don't think I saw anywhere outside a drinking establishment. And if someone found a silver Olympus camera, they'll see what I mean. Then I had to return to the good old West

snoopygirl · Wed 30 Sep 2009 10:06pm

saintbrat wrote:
3rd generation saint wrote:Yes, I take my hat off to you long distant loyal saints fans. My friend is on his way back to Chicago, or possibly already home by now.
Though I must admit, if we had have won, think it might be a tad difficult to hang the scarf out the plane window.
maybe he could have asked the pilot to put it on the Dash

I think it was "One Week At a Time" that had vision shot on a mobile phone or a trian heading for Franskton on Saturday night - full of saints fans and you could have heard a pin drop- I would think not normal for a Packed train carraiage to be that quiet....

Bit different to the train ride in then. As we left South Yarra station heading toward Richmond the song came blaring out through the loudspeakers.

Devilhead · Post: # 838250Post **Devilhead** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 10:16pm

2nd time I have travelled back from the UK with my brother to see us in the GF

Lets just say that my extraordinary wife is very understanding

As heartbreaking as it was I would have no hesitation to do it again

3rd time lucky???

Here's hoping - Carn the Mighty Saints!!!!!!

Saint Bev · Post: # 838278Post **Saint Bev** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 10:39pm

Good call Jigging Saint. A big good on you to all those who travelled from afar especially who came from overseas. I know how hard it can be coming from interstate, so hats off.

I met a lady on Monday who had flown over from WA on her own. She didn't have a ticket to the game, but went to the MCG with a sign around her neck and managed to get herself a ticket. Gutsy effort for a female to do that.

St Michele · Wed 30 Sep 2009 10:50pm

Eastern wrote:Lets not forget Loris and the others who travelled from that 3rd world country.........Western Australia !!

Well not sure about the 3rd world part but we had a ball in Melbourne and am ready to book for next year, my husband after 20 years has also decided to become a Saints Memeber I think he was really impressed with the whole thing especially the passion shown by the many saints he met.

westy · Post: # 838292Post **westy** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 10:54pm

We got in on Friday at 6:00 am from West Oz and left at 9:00pm on Sunday. The only grumble that we had was the crappy legroom on QANTAS and Jetstar. Loved the game because the boys worked their butts off all afternoon. It was great to see so much red, white and black all weekend, everywhere which something we don't see too much of in Perth I must say that I kept getting choked-up Sunday morning at the Dome when the lads were on stage. i have just bought a very large piggy-bank to start saving for next year's Grand Final trip

Milan Faletic · Wed 30 Sep 2009 11:01pm

Saint Bev wrote:Good call Jigging Saint. A big good on you to all those who travelled from afar especially who came from overseas. I know how hard it can be coming from interstate, so hats off.

I met a lady on Monday who had flown over from WA on her own. She didn't have a ticket to the game, but went to the MCG with a sign around her neck and managed to get herself a ticket. Gutsy effort for a female to do that.

Great story, Bev, and well done for making it to the game. It's hard I know. Having been in Sydney for 7 years, I know how cherished those live games are. So sorry the boys fell just inches short of glory. Book your flights for next year because we will be one preseason better, one year more mature, fitter, stronger and ready to win.

Saint Bev · Post: # 838337Post **Saint Bev** » Wed 30 Sep 2009 11:39pm

I forgot to add, hats off also to the people of Melbourne. Forgot to turn the weather on but the support for our great club was astounding. Everywhere you looked was people showing their support for us. We out numbered the cats big time. Thanks everyone.

boneless23 · Wed 30 Sep 2009 11:43pm

I came down from Canberra and had a terrific bloke from the Gold Coast sitting on one side and a bloke from Darwin on the other....the Saints truly bring out the best in people!!

Everyone in M12 you did a bloody good job....we almost got our boys over the line!

St Michele · Wed 30 Sep 2009 11:47pm

My favourite had to be getting on the tourist tram in my Saints gear and there was a Sudanese( I think ) family 3 kids two littlies in brand new Saints gear and I gave them a smile and said they had picked the best team and Dad smiled back and said 'No Geelong' and pointed to a baby in the pram all wrapped up in a Geelong scarf. It was so nice to see them getting in the spirit of our great game.

Verdun66 · Post: # 838393Post **Verdun66** » Thu 01 Oct 2009 12:39am

Cheers guys......still gutted, but the trip was worth it. Amazing experience, and the wake at Etihad incredible for all the Saints fans that turned up in their red, white and black gear.

Currently visiting my sick elderly Dad in Sydney. He took me to the 66 GF, now not traveling so well. He managed a 'sorry about the Saints' which is something these days. Anyone with elderly parents will understand.

I head back to the UK on Sunday, work Monday.

Hang in there Saints fans!

cowboy18 · Post: # 838446Post **cowboy18** » Thu 01 Oct 2009 1:37am

It's a short trip for me but I can't imagine being anywhere else when the saints are in the big one.

I love the way the city embraces the game.

I love the total immersion. Newspapers, television, every conservation. It's a fantastic lead up.

I get to share the experience with my folks with all the highs and lows that brings. I keep telling people that without the lows the highs wouldn't matter as much but Sunday morning was almost too much. I wish I wasn't as gutted about the outcome and what might have been but I guess that's part of it. I've loved the journey this year and the fact that I could legitimately dare to dream.

The family day was a terrific way to reflect on the day before and see how we share the passion that we are all afflicted with. I know many folk that couldn't face up to it for the all too obvious reasons.

And the bonus of meeting fellow internet heroes and sharing a beverage makes it even better! VS's coping mechanisms were very impressive after the game as were putting faces to so many fake names

kosifantutti23 · Thu 01 Oct 2009 2:37am

saint66au wrote:Kosifantutte who travelled from Europe TWICE in the one season

Well it was only once specifically for the footy. The other time was a family trip which just happened to coincide with the other Geelong game.

Just something unrelated to the footy. I landed in Melbourne at 6AM on Saturday and didn't get past customs until 7:30. Only part of that delay was due to me watching my bag go past three times before recognizing it.

Coming back to Zurich I landed at 8:20PM and in less time that it had taken me to clear customs in Melbourne I had breezed through customs, caught a train to the other side of town, been picked up by my very understanding wife and was at home checking that the game had been recorded and handing out Cherry Ripes and Tim Tams.

Iceman234 · Post: # 838466Post **Iceman234** » Thu 01 Oct 2009 2:40am

Indeed, great thread, and kudos to those who travelled.

Great support from me.

markinUSA · Post: # 838474Post **markinUSA** » Thu 01 Oct 2009 5:20am

Hi

Thanks for your kind words. I was very fortunate to meet lots of people from Saintsational. Great to be able to put faces to names - and also avatars! It is amazing how you get an image of someone from an avatar... or you remember an avatar more than the screenname. Anyway, it was lovely to meet so many of you.

Joe Dooley is a tremendous yonug man. He very kindly showed me around, took me to banner making, helped me get to the game, and so on. Having someone so generously help me plan a schedule, and making sure I wasn't completely lost, made an incredible impact.

It was lovely to meet people at the parade, at the banner making, and to go to the pub with a few of you (even if it was only briefly). Just really helped feel connected, and also I enjoyed sharing the pre-game excitement with you all.

I can't talk about the actual game yet.

L.A. Saint · Thu 01 Oct 2009 10:42am

Cheers to all the Saints supporters who made the journey to the Parade on Friday and also the big dance on the Saturday.
It was a long and lonely trip back to LA on the Monday arvo, and let me tell you, work has been a tough gig to get back into.
Tuesday and Wednesday have been a little less than productive.
Still, if I can afford it I would do it again.
Next year might stretch me financially though.
We will see...

Go SAINTS 2010.

Cheers all from LA LA Land.