So was it a goal or a point?

[Throughandthrough]

Talking about the bloody 97 prelim and libbas kick


You can't tell from the replay

I was at the match, but at the other end

Some crows supporting friends of mine claim to be right behind it and swear it was a point


A mate of mine who plays for the crows, in that match, thought it was a goal

Was anyone there or there abouts who had a decent view?


And I'd love to hear libbas thoughts now.

[bulldogtragic]

Brad Johnson spoke about it on some show last year on Foxtel. Swore black and blue it was a goal. He even gave the commentator 'serious stare and nod' with the words around, 'nah all seriousness, it was 100% a goal, I was in the goal square and it went over my head, it was a goal'. But also pointed out we were enough in front it shouldn't have mattered.

I'm not brave enough to read the scorebook, but pretty sure the scorebook says it was a point. Not even a dodgey goal review system would change it.

[LostDoggy]

It's a point: a moot one.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

At the game I thought it was a goal as it happened. I accepted the umpires call and thought I must have had an optical illusion but the buzz was incredulous and my instincts and perception have been damn good and I'm backing them.

[1eyedog]

I was behind the goals that end and I thought it was more goal than point if that makes sense. On the way back to Geelong Dad thought that if it went through goal height it may well have hit the post. Being more goal than point Dad said the goal umpire should have just went with the occasion and called it a goal. He said that's why footballers kick the ball above post height, to eliminate hitting the post. Something broke inside my old man that day.

[Jeanette54]

Something broke inside my old man that day.

I don't think he was Robinson Crusoe there. Smithy's after game performance said it all, for all of us.

[Twodogs]

I was behind the goals that end and I thought it was more goal than point if that makes sense. On the way back to Geelong Dad thought that if it went through goal height it may well have hit the post. Being more goal than point Dad said the goal umpire should have just went with the occasion and called it a goal. He said that's why footballers kick the ball above post height, to eliminate hitting the post. Something broke inside my old man that day.


I don't think he was Robinson Crusoe there. Smithy's after game performance said it all, for all of us.


I third the emotion.


Certainly a goal. I was sitting 8 rows back virtually in line with that goal post. The ball was a good 8 inches to the goal side of the goal post. The umpire made a clear error and the Crows won our flag the week after.

[Axe Man]

I was at the other end of the ground as well.

I heard Luke Darcy speak on the subject at a luncheon once. I think on the replay you see him in the vicinity of Libba just before the kick and his words were: "It was nothing but a goal".

[chef]

There goes my good mood.

[always right]

Just when you think you're ready to cancel the therapy sessions, back it comes like a dark mist.

[Maddog37]

I was directly in line with the kick behind the goals. I thought it was all of two foot inside the post. I was completely bewildered when it was called a point and Libbas reaction was completely natural. He knew it was a goal.

[Twodogs]

I was directly in line with the kick behind the goals. I thought it was all of two foot inside the post. I was completely bewildered when it was called a point and Libbas reaction was completely natural. He knew it was a goal.

I was going to say that but I didn't want it to look like I was gilding the lily So I said 8 inches but it was a lot further inside than 8 inches and closer to the 2 foot you say.

[ledge]

I was there I was behind the goals .. It was a goal !

[SonofScray]

A clear goal. I was p the other end of the ground but had a good view of it and no doubt in my mind, or Libba's for that matter it was a clear goal. Terrible moment in a series of traumatic memories from that day.

[bornadog]

I was on the shortwave radio in Singapore and I heard it was a goal.

[Twodogs]

I was on the shortwave radio in Singapore and I heard it was a goal.


I reckon you would have heard me in Singapore yelling at the goal umpire.

[Flamethrower]

I was sitting on level 2 of the Great Southern Stand in the AFL Member's reserve and a had a view of it right over Libba's shoulder.

It wasn't close - it was clearly a goal.

Having said that though, we blew so many chances in the 3rd and last quarters, and the coaches box was so slow to react when Jarman was on fire in the last quarter, that we had only have ourselves to blame for losing that game.

[LostDoggy]

My innate sense of theatre and melancholy always has me remembering this moment being in the dying seconds of the game and how we had the premiership cup snatched from us so viciously. In reality we were still 23 points up after this incident, we choked, players and coaching group alike.

[Twodogs]

So if the goal umpire had got it right and paid the goal how else would we have buggered it up? Maybe one of the players self combust? Just before the final siren a hole is torn in the time/space continuum that catapults us back to the start of the game?

[Throughandthrough]

My innate sense of theatre and melancholy always has me remembering this moment being in the dying seconds of the game and how we had the premiership cup snatched from us so viciously. In reality we were still 23 points up after this incident, we choked, players and coaching group alike.

Wow. I've never watched the replay. In my nightmares memory I thought this was during time on.

[wb_age]

I was sitting in the front row of the nosebleeds just behind the left goal post (level 4 or 5, the one with old bench seats before the reconstruction)

Sadly, I can categorically say, without a shadow of doubt confirm it was a goal.

[The bulldog tragician]

I was on the wing so couldn't tell, but yes it was early in the quarter.

Even though history shows we so spectacularly imploded I still feel that goal would have burst the dam. Yet we had multiple chances to score. The only quarter in 97 that we did not score a goal, I have heard, and what a time to produce it.

I doubt the hurt of that afternoon will ever, ever die.

[bornadog]

So if the goal umpire had got it right and paid the goal how else would we have buggered it up? Maybe one of the players self combust? Just before the final siren a hole is torn in the time/space continuum that catapults us back to the start of the game?

That goal would have put us nearly 5 goals up and I don't believe Adelaide would have recovered.

[Twodogs]

I was on the wing so couldn't tell, but yes it was early in the quarter.

Even though history shows we so spectacularly imploded I still feel that goal would have burst the dam. Yet we had multiple chances to score. The only quarter in 97 that we did not score a goal, I have heard, and what a time to produce it.

I doubt the hurt of that afternoon will ever, ever die.

We scored a goal alright. Corroboration from eye witness after eye witness. And I bet try can confirm every Adelaide supporter around them who could tell sat with their head in their hands. They knew that was that.

It was only Ray Charles in the White hat between the goals who thought otherwise.

[1eyedog]

We scored a goal alright. Corroboration from eye witness after eye witness. And I bet try can confirm every Adelaide supporter around them who could tell sat with their head in their hands. They knew that was that.

It was only Ray Charles in the White hat between the goals who thought otherwise.

You can tell from the footage that Ben Hart knew it was a goal. Dropped his head straight away.

[Bulldog4life]

I was there in the forward pocket with my dad sitting amongst a lot of Crow's supporters.So I wasn't in a fantastic position to see it go through. But when Libba jumped into the players's arms I rose out of my seat celebrating too. I was still upstanding when I heard I presume an Adeladie supporters voice yell out" sit down you idiot it was only a point". I promptly looked around and there were a dozen of them sniggering. I have never forgotten that. Then as Adelaide got closer and closer the noise around me was deafening. When they hit the front it was just like a living nightmare. I couldn't get out of there fast enough when the siren went. Still in shock when I arrived home.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I was there in the forward pocket with my dad sitting amongst a lot of Crow's supporters.So I wasn't in a fantastic position to see it go through. But when Libba jumped into the players's arms I rose out of my seat celebrating too. I was still upstanding when I heard I presume an Adeladie supporters voice yell out" sit down you idiot it was only a point". I promptly looked around and there were a dozen of them sniggering. I have never forgotten that. Then as Adelaide got closer and closer the noise around me was deafening. When they hit the front it was just like a living nightmare. I couldn't get out of there fast enough when the siren went. Still in shock when I arrived home.
My brother and I were sitting in a nest of Crows also. We hadn't shared any banter with them at all, they had been kept quiet by our domination of play. At three quarter time one of them turned to me and said "you've got this one won...". It was only out of conservatism that I said to him that it's never over until the siren, when really I was feeling so proud and confident.
Then a f-----g nightmare possessed the f-----g MCG. It wasn't right, it was a bad joke. It was a bad, bad thing.

[WBFC4FFC]

I was sitting in the front row of the nosebleeds just behind the left goal post (level 4 or 5, the one with old bench seats before the reconstruction)

Sadly, I can categorically say, without a shadow of doubt confirm it was a goal.

Was in the same section too and can confirm. As the Ump gave the wrong signal Libba, Hudson's and Monty's heads all dropped (wBullies had kicked something like 6 to 8 behinds to start the last quarter). When I saw their heads drop I said to my mate: "We're stuffed now" as they had dominated play and had no reward for it on the board!

[Mitcha]

Have never watched a replay of the last quarter and never will. Correct me if I am wrong but remember at the time the controlling field umpire gave the all clear to the goal umpire with 2 hands indicating he thought it was a goal.

[LostDoggy]

Have never watched a replay of the last quarter and never will. Correct me if I am wrong but remember at the time the controlling field umpire gave the all clear to the goal umpire with 2 hands indicating he thought it was a goal.

Ditto...have never watched a replay of the game at all and don't intend to either. For me though the memory that really stands out is Grant and Hudson in the goal square deep in the last qtr. The sealing goal looked looked so close....but of course it wasn't to be and ended up as a rushed behind.

[LostDoggy]

I always believe in fate and that everything happens for a reason but that was seriously f****d up.

[Twodogs]

My poor cousin had her 21st that night at a hall in Yarraville. At 3/4 time we were all "this party tonight is going to be awesome!!!!" In the end I think the last guest went home at about 8pm.

[Go_Dogs]

I was 12, so my only recollection is the 40+ Crows fans at a family BBQ giving it to me. I still get ribbed about it, actually.

These days, I like to point out that it was a goal, and my fellow WOOF supporters swear it was a goal...

[Throughandthrough]

I've been keeping count, and since this match i've met 576,252 Crows Fans who have told me that they where at this match.

[Twodogs]

I've been keeping count, and since this match i've met 576,252 Crows Fans who have told me that they where at this match.


It's like that match when Gubby Allen kicked the ball to Simon Beasley in 1984 against Collingwood. If every person I've met who reckoned they were there that day were actually there we would had had a crowd of 100, 000 plus crammed into the ground.

It was crowded but not that crowded.

[I'm Not Bitter Anymore!]

Just when you think you're ready to cancel the therapy sessions, back it comes like a dark mist.

I feel your pain - still can't watch it

[bulldogtragic]

I feel your pain - still can't watch it

I watched it last year as Ch7 ran the last quarter for a special... I don't recommend watching it. At all. Ever.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I watched it last year as Ch7 ran the last quarter for a special... I don't recommend watching it. At all. Ever.

Salt into the wounds but the last quarter is the only one to be played FFS.