Hey there everyone, 2025 makes it the 50th year of supporting Manly and I want to let you know what are my top ten moments that I enjoyed the most over this time. Please note that these are games I actually attended.
Moment 10:
The 1976 grand final win. I was 9 years of age, my Dad started taking me to home games at Brookvale, we resided in Avalon and it was so much fun growing up on the northern beaches when the club dominated the league, that grand final win was extra special as the majority of my family support Parramatta and I remember my hero Wombat Eadie kicking 5 pressure goals to win the match.
Moment 9:
Slaying the Dragons 61-0 at Brookvale in July 1994. The Dragons were in the previous 2 grand finals and were a decent team and on this day everything Manly did turned to gold and they inflicted a record defeat on Saints, I remember Ridgey kicking his 10th goal to get us over 60 points and if was a Sunday arvo with 22K crowd there, that was a special day.
Moment 8:
Hammering the Broncos at Brooky in 1995. The score was 23-4, the day the Ken Arthurson stand opened and it was a significant day in that the Broncos stood for everything we resented in relation to Super League and there was 25K Manly fans who wanted blood. I don't think I've ever seen a Manly home game where the locals were as intimidating. The Broncos were no chance, red letter day for Manly!
Moment 7:
Watching Manly beat Canberra in 1987, it was a scorching hot day and Manly were very much the better side, created most of the chances, bombed at least 5 tries which made the win harder. I remember Kevin Ward play the game of his life, coming out from the UK, Cliffy won the Churchill medal and he was amazing that day, I remember getting back to a packed leagues club and welcome home the players, that was a great moment.
Moment 6:
Watching Manly beat the Bulldogs at Belmore 8-7 in 1982. This was a win totally against the odds, that day we were reduced to 11 men, had a huge penalty count against us and managed to cling on to a win in the pouring rain. Belmore was often a graveyard for us back in that era and there was an almighty brawl at the southern shed where our fans were subjected to a lot of abuse and before you knew it total melee and the cops had a hell of a job breaking it up. One of my favourite away days.
Moment 5:
The battle of Brookvale against the Melbourne Storm. Wow what a night, so much at stake, just before the finals and Manly were really fired up and shot out to a good lead before all hell broke loose and drizzle player Blair had a cheap shot at one of our players and he and Gifty were binned before it totally erupted near the entrance to the field, it was wild and so many players were suspended after that game. I thought it really showed we were primed to win in 2011 and the Drizzle remain a huge foe for us!
Moment 4:
The 2011 grand final, our last premiership and again inclement weather made it a tough day for the players, they outlasted the Warriors 24-10 and I will always remember watching Snake and Gifty score tries and how Jamie Lyon capped it off with a try at the end. The world was against us that week and the team did so well and won a fantastic premiership.
Moment 3:
Winning 64-12 at Parramatta stadium, round 3 in 1988. That was an amazing day and as Manly buried the whingers on their own patch, try and try was scored and with 15 to go their fans left in droves, it did not make up for the grand final losses in 82 and 83, that was agony for all of us. It was satisfying to smash them and give them a hiding they will never forget.
Moment 2:
The 2008 grand final win was the perfect day for Manly fans. It was also very emotional for a lot of us older fans who watched the chaotic and dreadful Northern Eagles era, where we lost our club and that was heartbreaking and within 6 years we were premiers and we destroyed our enemy in the Drizzle who toyed with us the previous year. To see the Beaver score his try brought tears to my eyes as he was a constant for so many years and the joy back at the club was amazing as the team took its revenge on the previous year and very satisfying to see Michael Crocker dealt with after what he did to Snake the previous year.
Moment 1:
You notice that my nickname on here is Sheridan Stand and there is a good reason for that. The 1978 finals was without a doubt the most satisfying time to support Manly, it did not start well, we were huge favourites to beat the Sharks in the first final and perished 12-17. That meant we had Parramatta to deal with and over the 2 games we were under the cosh and behind in both matches. The courage the team showed to get off the canvass to draw the first game and then come from behind to win the replay was breathtaking. To then back up 3 days later, playing a full strength Wests team who were minor premiers and to silence them 14-7 ranks as one of the gutsiest wins ever! Then a grand final where it did not go our way for most of the match and we got an 11 all draw and faced a grand final replay 3 days later, wow that team became immortal for me as they smashed the Sharks 16-0 and the Wombat tortured them. Tuesday the 19th will always be a special day for me.
Well that wraps it up, I would to learn about others favourite moments supporting Manly?
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