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Grand final baby - Our Parradise
- Thread starter marinermick
- Start date
Robbiemariner
Well-Known Member
24 hrs later and the only words I have managed to put together to try and comprehend what occurred is
" A PERFECT STORM "
gotta love football
COYY
" A PERFECT STORM "
gotta love football
COYY
LFCMariners
Well-Known Member
48 hours ago I said calm before the storm, and it proved prophetic in my case-
Yesterday morning felt fairly quiet for a Grand Final day. Rode down to a family lunch out west with my folks and stayed a couple of hours, kicked a soccer ball around in the backyard with my primary school aged cousins, caught up with older cousins over an appetising spread, just a standard Saturday afternoon. Thankfully my relative lives just a few hundred metres down the street from a station on one of the western lines, so bid farewell around 2:30 and walked up to get the train to Parra.
Hopped off at Westmead, hoping to grab a longneck and walk into the Parra CBD via the park, but no luck finding a liquor store, so walked on into Parra and it was odd glancing over at CommBank and thinking that’s where the GF is tonight, because there was no GF, big event mood around. Just a standard Saturday afternoon in a western Sydney CBD, a couple of City fans spotted and a few more CCM trailing up casually from the station and keeping mostly to themselves, but that was it. I looked in some shops to pass the time until my mate’s train arrived from the North Shore and it still didn’t feel like a special day so far, in any particular way. Not like the other GF’s where even if there wasn’t much happening pre-game, you feel that anticipation. Odd...
My friend arrived and we walked up Church St. And then we reached The Crown. Holy shit the place was packed. Full of CCM fans, more than I was expecting. Saw plenty of faces I recognised in there, but I really needed those first few beers to come alive and realise how flat I’d been up to then, by comparison. Chatted to some old friends/ professional colleagues who are or were involved with the club. Saw Eggy, we said hi (but this seemed to be everyone in the joint, Eggy seems to know all of us somehow and it concerns me that he may actually be a cult leader. Watch out for the yellow cordial, folks!)
Saw Richard Peil, chatting with a fan casually, without a circle of people around them. Saw Liam Rose pass by as well. Eyed the stage to see if they’d left a mic, thinking of going up, grabbing it and starting some CCM chants but alas. Grabbed a last round as the pub crowd began to drain out, so we were near the back of the throng making it’s way up to the stadium. Sitting upper stand close to the front I was so glad I’d grabbed these tickets- just to the right of the Yellow Army, with a view over the ground too. Behind us, a sloping wall of yellow clad fans all the way up to the stadium roof. Gave me the same feeling of enormity as when you see the packed stand at a match in one of the big European leagues. It was a surreal thing- to get a European feeling about seeing a crowd of Coasties.
The game itself? My prediction we’d be well prepared was spot on. I don’t recall ever feeling troubled by City in that match. Seemingly every attacking move they made, the shot was off and you knew as soon as he struck it, or they would start dribbling down field and then one of the CCM boys cut them off. When Berisha went down I used the break in play to duck downstairs for a leak. Timing worked well because as I came back up the stairs and got to my row, Cum Dog scored that crucial first goal. I’d been standing up, waving my hands about and following the Y.A’s lead below, willing the masses behind me to get involved, knowing how massive it would sound. As our crowd went wild to the goal, an older bloke behind me in a Chelsea cap said to me “I was hoping you’d get back before they scored!” To which I said “They were just waiting for me.”
The 4-1 Brisbane Roar game I said was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters if they were a football team versing someone. The draw with City at home soon after, CCM played to the same standard they picked Brisbane apart with, but their powers were reigned in against a genuinely good and professional side that day. Which is what made last night so odd, again-
CCM played to that same level, but that same good and professional side didn’t come close by comparison. Sure, a late goal in the first half and you expected this contest would become tighter in the second half. Yet this never happened. Never a point where I thought the lead was under real threat of slipping. Then Cum Dog got his penalty and I thought that restored the power we had at 2-0, mentally at least. But then when the second penalty was awarded a couple of minutes later, the result of Cum Dog’s shot felt crucial: miss and City would feel some hope and we had reason to remain on edge still. But score and mentally, that would break them. Up to this point I hadn’t been looking at the elapsed time all second half. Just watched the actual game, figuring as long as City don’t score (at the very least) then we are Champions by default. Only when Cum Dog nailed it for the second time did I look at the clock, see 72mins elapsed and think “Shit, it’s game over and we’ve still got 20 minutes up our sleeve to score even more!”
City are not a side who fight and efficiently grind their way back from such a deficit like Arnie’s 2016/17 SFC, nor can they suddenly score rapid fire goals like Ange’s Roar. If it was those teams I wouldn’t be thinking the time left was a bonus for US, but here I was. And somehow after all the years since the last Grand Final (and the Grand Final losses before then) it felt truly deserved, to watch and sing and cheer in luxury and know that we were going to be crowned Champions again come the end of this one. Surely it wasn’t just me who felt that assurance after it went to 4-1?
When Beni headed it in to make it 5-1 I told my mate we’re going downstairs to stand up front with the Yellow Army for the last 10 minutes, because what better place to be? So we bid farewell to the guys behind us, parting ways in a party mood collectively, and found our way to the very front of the lower tier, right of goals. The strange part was that as thousands of us clapped and sang and bounced around, it felt like we were no longer singing for the team. The boys had done their job already. Now it was OUR turn, to sing in celebration of US and what we, as a supporter base, have done this season: packed out enemy territory all across NSW in greater numbers than we have for years, sold out our home territory for a crucial finals match with the biggest crowd in our history- and now here. For years some other supporter groups have rubbished our support both for apparent lack in number and atmosphere. But those last 10 minutes felt like, as a supporter group, we made the same kind of statement our team were making on the pitch: yes, you should take us seriously, and here is why...
Again, felt surreal to be in those packed bays and at a point where, as one, chants just seemed to come into existence organically with no need for prompting. A yellow blur of noise, flair and energy that felt like being in a Bundesliga crowd. If you ever wondered what thousands of people all standing together and showing the same level of energy and enthusiasm that people like Pete or Eggy show would sound/ feel like, the final 10 minutes of last nights’ game is your answer. I don’t know about anyone else, but I could experience that again and probably enjoy it
Moresche putting the cherry on top with #6 was the perfect ending. On a night of pouring rain last year, at the Florida Beach Bar after the opening match of the season against the Jets was cancelled because of the deluge, I was with some mates sinking brews when we spotted Jacob with his missus in tow. Knowing he was South American, I went over and (in Spanish) said hi and welcome to the club and what country in South America was he from? He then told me Brazil, to which I apologised because I don’t know Portuguese. One of those moments in time where you don’t realise it’s significance yet. In some ways, Jacob represents the beginning and the end of this unforgettable season we’ve enjoyed. A season that began seeking shelter in a soaking beer garden last spring, and finished in the home end of CommBank Stadium under a clear night sky in winter.
Celebrating after, saw some familiar faces as they walked along the perimeter- some unexpected, which made the night even more special. Stayed until late, returned to the Crown for a couple of beers then my mate and I walked back to the station, finding two City fans as we went down Church St. Talked about the concept of finals in this country’s football leagues, I said what a disgrace the APL shambles with the GF was and (at the station) I parted ways with a safe travels home and f**k the Melbourne Victory. I think they especially liked that last bit and no doubt they are copping it today from that other mob.
Didn’t get home until 3 this morning, with the only low spot of the whole night being the soggy Macca’s fries I got with my Big Mac meal on the drive home, so annoyed that I parked up and chucked them out the window after I finished the burger.
Aside from that, a magical and in many ways, surreal, night. A storm of emotions, energy and noise, sights and sounds that have been instantly preserved in memory, all coming in waves after the calm of a day that started out feeling like any other. The last 24 hours could be the making of this club for an entire generation, at least. A day that has instantly gone down in Central Coast Mariners- indeed Australian Football- folklore. A game memorably not for a close contest or last gasp glory, but for the display of pure football, played with dominance. A night where David slay Goliath, with an army behind him to sing of his greatness, indifferent to the naysayers who still don’t regard David as anybody worth much because they just see a boy with a sling.
And we were all here to witness it firsthand.
PS. Last week driving home one night I turned the radio on, dialed to Triple M and the song that came on was “Don’t Stop Believing”. It was then that I knew last night would be special. Didn’t want to shoot my mouth off or sound woo woo, however...
PPS. Best quote from our neighbours over at SFCU: > Top 2 NSW teams beating top 2 Vic teams 6-1 in finals. Love the symmetry.
TL;DR: Last night just confirmed the 2022/23 season as the best in CCM history, change my mind
Yesterday morning felt fairly quiet for a Grand Final day. Rode down to a family lunch out west with my folks and stayed a couple of hours, kicked a soccer ball around in the backyard with my primary school aged cousins, caught up with older cousins over an appetising spread, just a standard Saturday afternoon. Thankfully my relative lives just a few hundred metres down the street from a station on one of the western lines, so bid farewell around 2:30 and walked up to get the train to Parra.
Hopped off at Westmead, hoping to grab a longneck and walk into the Parra CBD via the park, but no luck finding a liquor store, so walked on into Parra and it was odd glancing over at CommBank and thinking that’s where the GF is tonight, because there was no GF, big event mood around. Just a standard Saturday afternoon in a western Sydney CBD, a couple of City fans spotted and a few more CCM trailing up casually from the station and keeping mostly to themselves, but that was it. I looked in some shops to pass the time until my mate’s train arrived from the North Shore and it still didn’t feel like a special day so far, in any particular way. Not like the other GF’s where even if there wasn’t much happening pre-game, you feel that anticipation. Odd...
My friend arrived and we walked up Church St. And then we reached The Crown. Holy shit the place was packed. Full of CCM fans, more than I was expecting. Saw plenty of faces I recognised in there, but I really needed those first few beers to come alive and realise how flat I’d been up to then, by comparison. Chatted to some old friends/ professional colleagues who are or were involved with the club. Saw Eggy, we said hi (but this seemed to be everyone in the joint, Eggy seems to know all of us somehow and it concerns me that he may actually be a cult leader. Watch out for the yellow cordial, folks!)
Saw Richard Peil, chatting with a fan casually, without a circle of people around them. Saw Liam Rose pass by as well. Eyed the stage to see if they’d left a mic, thinking of going up, grabbing it and starting some CCM chants but alas. Grabbed a last round as the pub crowd began to drain out, so we were near the back of the throng making it’s way up to the stadium. Sitting upper stand close to the front I was so glad I’d grabbed these tickets- just to the right of the Yellow Army, with a view over the ground too. Behind us, a sloping wall of yellow clad fans all the way up to the stadium roof. Gave me the same feeling of enormity as when you see the packed stand at a match in one of the big European leagues. It was a surreal thing- to get a European feeling about seeing a crowd of Coasties.
The game itself? My prediction we’d be well prepared was spot on. I don’t recall ever feeling troubled by City in that match. Seemingly every attacking move they made, the shot was off and you knew as soon as he struck it, or they would start dribbling down field and then one of the CCM boys cut them off. When Berisha went down I used the break in play to duck downstairs for a leak. Timing worked well because as I came back up the stairs and got to my row, Cum Dog scored that crucial first goal. I’d been standing up, waving my hands about and following the Y.A’s lead below, willing the masses behind me to get involved, knowing how massive it would sound. As our crowd went wild to the goal, an older bloke behind me in a Chelsea cap said to me “I was hoping you’d get back before they scored!” To which I said “They were just waiting for me.”
The 4-1 Brisbane Roar game I said was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters if they were a football team versing someone. The draw with City at home soon after, CCM played to the same standard they picked Brisbane apart with, but their powers were reigned in against a genuinely good and professional side that day. Which is what made last night so odd, again-
CCM played to that same level, but that same good and professional side didn’t come close by comparison. Sure, a late goal in the first half and you expected this contest would become tighter in the second half. Yet this never happened. Never a point where I thought the lead was under real threat of slipping. Then Cum Dog got his penalty and I thought that restored the power we had at 2-0, mentally at least. But then when the second penalty was awarded a couple of minutes later, the result of Cum Dog’s shot felt crucial: miss and City would feel some hope and we had reason to remain on edge still. But score and mentally, that would break them. Up to this point I hadn’t been looking at the elapsed time all second half. Just watched the actual game, figuring as long as City don’t score (at the very least) then we are Champions by default. Only when Cum Dog nailed it for the second time did I look at the clock, see 72mins elapsed and think “Shit, it’s game over and we’ve still got 20 minutes up our sleeve to score even more!”
City are not a side who fight and efficiently grind their way back from such a deficit like Arnie’s 2016/17 SFC, nor can they suddenly score rapid fire goals like Ange’s Roar. If it was those teams I wouldn’t be thinking the time left was a bonus for US, but here I was. And somehow after all the years since the last Grand Final (and the Grand Final losses before then) it felt truly deserved, to watch and sing and cheer in luxury and know that we were going to be crowned Champions again come the end of this one. Surely it wasn’t just me who felt that assurance after it went to 4-1?
When Beni headed it in to make it 5-1 I told my mate we’re going downstairs to stand up front with the Yellow Army for the last 10 minutes, because what better place to be? So we bid farewell to the guys behind us, parting ways in a party mood collectively, and found our way to the very front of the lower tier, right of goals. The strange part was that as thousands of us clapped and sang and bounced around, it felt like we were no longer singing for the team. The boys had done their job already. Now it was OUR turn, to sing in celebration of US and what we, as a supporter base, have done this season: packed out enemy territory all across NSW in greater numbers than we have for years, sold out our home territory for a crucial finals match with the biggest crowd in our history- and now here. For years some other supporter groups have rubbished our support both for apparent lack in number and atmosphere. But those last 10 minutes felt like, as a supporter group, we made the same kind of statement our team were making on the pitch: yes, you should take us seriously, and here is why...
Again, felt surreal to be in those packed bays and at a point where, as one, chants just seemed to come into existence organically with no need for prompting. A yellow blur of noise, flair and energy that felt like being in a Bundesliga crowd. If you ever wondered what thousands of people all standing together and showing the same level of energy and enthusiasm that people like Pete or Eggy show would sound/ feel like, the final 10 minutes of last nights’ game is your answer. I don’t know about anyone else, but I could experience that again and probably enjoy it
Moresche putting the cherry on top with #6 was the perfect ending. On a night of pouring rain last year, at the Florida Beach Bar after the opening match of the season against the Jets was cancelled because of the deluge, I was with some mates sinking brews when we spotted Jacob with his missus in tow. Knowing he was South American, I went over and (in Spanish) said hi and welcome to the club and what country in South America was he from? He then told me Brazil, to which I apologised because I don’t know Portuguese. One of those moments in time where you don’t realise it’s significance yet. In some ways, Jacob represents the beginning and the end of this unforgettable season we’ve enjoyed. A season that began seeking shelter in a soaking beer garden last spring, and finished in the home end of CommBank Stadium under a clear night sky in winter.
Celebrating after, saw some familiar faces as they walked along the perimeter- some unexpected, which made the night even more special. Stayed until late, returned to the Crown for a couple of beers then my mate and I walked back to the station, finding two City fans as we went down Church St. Talked about the concept of finals in this country’s football leagues, I said what a disgrace the APL shambles with the GF was and (at the station) I parted ways with a safe travels home and f**k the Melbourne Victory. I think they especially liked that last bit and no doubt they are copping it today from that other mob.
Didn’t get home until 3 this morning, with the only low spot of the whole night being the soggy Macca’s fries I got with my Big Mac meal on the drive home, so annoyed that I parked up and chucked them out the window after I finished the burger.
Aside from that, a magical and in many ways, surreal, night. A storm of emotions, energy and noise, sights and sounds that have been instantly preserved in memory, all coming in waves after the calm of a day that started out feeling like any other. The last 24 hours could be the making of this club for an entire generation, at least. A day that has instantly gone down in Central Coast Mariners- indeed Australian Football- folklore. A game memorably not for a close contest or last gasp glory, but for the display of pure football, played with dominance. A night where David slay Goliath, with an army behind him to sing of his greatness, indifferent to the naysayers who still don’t regard David as anybody worth much because they just see a boy with a sling.
And we were all here to witness it firsthand.
PS. Last week driving home one night I turned the radio on, dialed to Triple M and the song that came on was “Don’t Stop Believing”. It was then that I knew last night would be special. Didn’t want to shoot my mouth off or sound woo woo, however...
PPS. Best quote from our neighbours over at SFCU: > Top 2 NSW teams beating top 2 Vic teams 6-1 in finals. Love the symmetry.
TL;DR: Last night just confirmed the 2022/23 season as the best in CCM history, change my mind
Last edited:
style_cafe
Well-Known Member
The look of watching your seasons work flowing down the shitter…
gemkayem
Well-Known Member
City have some great individual players, and I feel like that’s how they played - each waiting for the other to spark something.
We have a great team. Definitely up there with city but everyone worked together and did their job, and they were powerless to stop us. Probably the greatest moment of our entire existence. What a night.
We have a great team. Definitely up there with city but everyone worked together and did their job, and they were powerless to stop us. Probably the greatest moment of our entire existence. What a night.
priorpeter
Well-Known Member
Boys are off on a very, very deserved end of season trip this week. I think a lot of fans don’t realise how important these moments are for the players - of course it’s f**king huge, huge, huge for us as fans but these guys have literally bled for this. Yes, it’s important for us fans to soak this in but let the boys celebrate as they should. As well as celebrating with their families, who give a hell of a lot more for the cause than we realise.
All the same, hoping for a parade a la 10 years ago… let’s see how we go.
true believer
Well-Known Member
A ball got over kicked into our warm up half and their 3rd keeper backed into one of ours.
Then andy just hit shitf'kery mode .
sydmariner
Well-Known Member
Braveheart
Last edited:
BrisRecky
I'm an idiot savant without the pesky savant bit
Billy Connolly
VonBowellski
Well-Known Member
Steve Irwin or Mick Dundee
style_cafe
Well-Known Member
I sincerely hope they are going to Vanuato...
FFC Mariner
Well-Known Member
Watching the replay on 10play gives you pre and post game.
Also. How bad was Nabbout? Had an absolute shocker.
Simon Hill saying 1,500 plastics. Maybe 1,000 locked outside because they sure as shit weren't in the ground
Also. Tilio is utterly ineffective. Step over, step over....nothing
Also. How bad was Nabbout? Had an absolute shocker.
Simon Hill saying 1,500 plastics. Maybe 1,000 locked outside because they sure as shit weren't in the ground
Also. Tilio is utterly ineffective. Step over, step over....nothing
An Indian maharajah.
Nabbout is a total dickhead and apart from an occasional good shot is a shit footballer.Nuno Reis was a stupid selection at RB-Sammy absolutely burnt him for pace for his goal.Both Sammy and Bni were too much for him to handle and even Bos was having trouble dealing with our brilliant wing duo.
As for Tilio who is tricky but is also a legend in his own mind he was well corralled by Roux( as Stormy did two weeks ago with Goodwin).JMac was a passenger and was in the back pocket of Triantis and Kaltak.
FFC Mariner
Well-Known Member
Was a big game so thats pretty standard for Jmac - absolute flat track bully.
City looked like a squad who dont get on, dont respect the coach and believe themselves too good to have to play with "ordinary" sides.
No respect for Rado clearly evident by Jamieson who is the Captain of the team. As Mont rightly pointed out, money doesn't buy you heart and desire. The All Access before the GF was a good insight into the two teams. We were playing Golf and getting along like great mates and joking around whilst they were sipping coffees and eating in small groups and talking about how we didn't have big match experience. I know it is edited etc however we looked way more like a team and they just looked like the individuals they are.
I couldn't stop cheering how ineffective Nabbout was in that match and when he stupidly fouled Faz for what was a game changing incident was one of my many highlights. Tilio and Bos both tried hard but we were all over them and gave them very little room. If I was the OS Club looking at Tilio I would now be looking at Sammy who had a better game and is now an all round better player than Tilio. Bos still did well in the game however we just gave him no options. Leckie looked frustrated from the second minute and credit to Max and Niz for not giving him an inch all game. Kaltak running him down when he made a break was special.
On JMac, I love that the only GF the plastics have won against Shitney was the one he missed out on. He was mentioning this fact in the All Access episode. I think he had one shot which was into the side of the net, otherwise we just made him look deadset ordinary.
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