TOPIC:

Well Subiaco Oval is just about done and dusted as a footy venue and while most people won't shed too many tears at the demise of what is now a deteriorating concrete canyon , I’m sure many of us have got some fond footy memories of the ground stretching back many years. I would be interested to read about others experiences and what special times you had at the ground. As you can imagine many of my fondest memories are related to Swans and the WAFL but I am also keen to hear from people who were at the ground for magic AFL moments as well. Here are some of mine:

1974 first semi final – Swans won their first final since I had been supporting them, unexpectedly beating reining premiers Subiaco. Keith Narkle was a star that day.

1978 Grand Final – Perth V East Perth – very close fought game with a torrential down pour in the last quarter

1979 Grand Final – EF V SF – I was pinned up against the fence at the Perth end, wonderful atmosphere and the game was very competitive

1980 Preliminary final SD V EP – Great performance by Swans to win by 13 goals, really enjoyed this game, not so much the week after.

1982 Grand Final SD V C – the first premiership I had experienced as a supporter. Great feeling after a few finals failures. Celebrations at Bassendean went long into the night

1984- Grand Final SD v EF -10 goal first quarter- perfection from Swans. Amazing that the Sharks came back to within a point after that.

Tuesday afternoon State of origin games in the 80’s – would always look for an excuse to leave work at lunchtime on these Tuesdays and the reward was to witness the best footy I have ever seen. All of these were fantastic competitive games featuring many legends of footy.

2010 WAFL Grand Final – C V SD – This was a day etched in my memory forever because it was such an exciting game, AK produced one of the great Simpson medal performances, the birth of a young star in Coniglio and that Swans beat a team that was one of the shortest priced favourites in WAFL history. If you really add it all up, this is my number one memory at Subiaco

Yep 1979 Grand Final was spectacular - amazing attendances that season all still records to this day.

1980 GF - SF v SD I witnessed one of the most match-winning quarters of football by one individual player Maurice Rioli

1997 GF - SF v EF I was proud to witness John Todd coach South to a long awaited flag in many different respects

Good topic Mike...for me it's the 1973 GF and our first flag in 49 years. I was a young bloke still at South Freo High School and went to the game with my parents and a mate who was also a Subi supporter. My mate and I sat on the roof above the players race for a birds eye view. At the end of the game I ran across the ground with a huge Subi flag my mum made for me and gave it to Austin Robertson. He did a lap of honour with the other players holding the flag and I finished up finding the bloody thing in the change rooms later that night. They had a bar set up on the Oval after the game on which you had to pay $1 deposit on jugs which you'd get back when you returned it. We came up with a scheme of getting jugs from the social club where there was no deposit and taking them to the bar on the oval and getting a $ back for nothing. I have the 73 GF on dvd and can still see myself on tv running across the oval when the siren went. The flag finished up on our roof at home until my old man made me take it down a week later. Oh what memories.

Southerner wrote: Yep 1979 Grand Final was spectacular - amazing attendances that season all still records to this day.

1980 GF - SF v SD I witnessed one of the most match-winning quarters of football by one individual player Maurice Rioli

1997 GF - SF v EF I was proud to witness John Todd coach South to a long awaited flag in many different respects

That 1980 SF team was one of the most talented ever and it was no disgrace coming 2nd to them

BC wrote: Good topic Mike...for me it's the 1973 GF and our first flag in 49 years. I was a young bloke still at South Freo High School and went to the game with my parents and a mate who was also a Subi supporter. My mate and I sat on the roof above the players race for a birds eye view. At the end of the game I ran across the ground with a huge Subi flag my mum made for me and gave it to Austin Robertson. He did a lap of honour with the other players holding the flag and I finished up finding the bloody thing in the change rooms later that night. They had a bar set up on the Oval after the game on which you had to pay $1 deposit on jugs which you'd get back when you returned it. We came up with a scheme of getting jugs from the social club where there was no deposit and taking them to the bar on the oval and getting a $ back for nothing. I have the 73 GF on dvd and can still see myself on tv running across the oval when the siren went. The flag finished up on our roof at home until my old man made me take it down a week later. Oh what memories.

Fantastic story BC. I was only a kid as well and I remember listening to the game on the radio and hoping that the Lions would win just for the fact that they had waited so long for a flag.

1982...That last 15 minutes of the 2nd qtr.Midway through the 2nd qtr Swans lead by 6 points.And went into half time 35 points up.Every player fired for that 15 minutes.A brilliant snap by Mike Richardson on the half time siren.A big mark in the goalsquare by Ron Boucher against 2 defenders.
2010..Swans V Claremont.wow.
1987..Eagles in there first season beat reigning Premiers the Hawks at Subi by 1 point.Dermott missed a shot 25m out with a minute to go.
My first Wafl GF 78.Forever in Wa footy history.1980 Magic Maurice what a game he played.All SOO matches on the Tuesday arvos.
Would of been great to go to any Wafl GF between 1950-70 in the Wafl Golden era.Or any home and away game with thoes massive crowds that attended.

Resting a beer in a plastic cup on a wheelie bin.

That is all.

Ok a serious one now.

1979 - Biggest GF ever, lost but what an amazing day.

1980 - Obvious reasons

1989 - WAFL Finals Series , the last WAFL Finals with huge crowds and had a drawn game.

Can think of a few good memories of Subi Oval....top 5 for me
1. Derby GF in 79....massive crowd.....fantastic game and fantastic result....complete heaven for a 12yr old footy fan
2. SD getting their hatrick in 84 v EF.....not too many 10 goal first quarters in a GF from memory....good solid 9 goal response by EF in the 2nd quarter to atleast make the game competitive....SD were a class above the rest
3. EF beating Subi in the 85 GF.....top class players from both sides.....Muzza was my favourite....wet day too
4. EF v Subi 86 2nd Semi final.....Darren Bennett kicking 10 goals and many an EF fan going home that night thinking EFhad the flag in the bag....LOL
5. EF v WP 98 GF.....last time EF has won a flag!!

Great topic Mike.
My favourite memories are-

1982- SD vs CL WAFL GF- The first SD Premiership I saw and the most memorable the scenes after the game both on the ground and on the roads (Black & White flags everywhere, car horns blaring) after have still stuck with me 35 years later.
1983- SD vs CL WAFL GF- Caught the train in with Dad (we usually drove) and sat in the Outer from the start of the Colts to get a decent vantage point, we came from the 1st Semi that year and were large underdogs to win.
1984- SD vs EF WAFL GF- The best qtr of football I have seen SD ever play in that 1st qtr we were unstoppable kicking 10.4, only for EF to come back with 9 majors of their own in the 2nd.
1990- SD vs CL WAFL GF- We were rank underdogs again but blew CL away in the middle of the game lead by Phil Magic Narkle winning hard centre clearances.
2010- SD vs CL WAFL GF- I still cant believe we actually hit the front at the 35 min mark of the last qtr after CL had done likewise at the 32 min mark and I thought we were done.

The 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986 WA vs VIC State Of Origin games and WA vs SA State games in 1982 & 1983 were also very memorable as a young fella and a H&A game in 1984 vs CL where Brent Hutton kicked 11 goals was another I have never forgotten.