btw - anyone know if club members get discounted tix prices? - It would appear that AFL members get that but not sure about club members?

We choked twice to Essendon**, we've beaten Port twice, Richmond, and beaten every single team below us aside from the Bulldogs - I don't think we are THAT undeserving to be in the finals

We choked twice to Essendon**, we've beaten Port twice, Richmond, and beaten every single team below us aside from the Bulldogs - I don't think we are THAT undeserving to be in the finals

I feel ridiculously jubilant this morning. It's amazing how mood altering football can be. My wife, a non-believer, just shakes her head and rolls her eyes as I pull on my Carlton T shirt and head off down the street to buy papers and coffee. Strangers either stare grim faced at me (suck a dick Essendon** supporters) or smile and yell out Go Blues as I walk back to the car. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, it's Father's Day, and all is well with the world.

Yet last week I felt as bad as I can ever remember after a Carlton game, and I wasn't much better by half time yesterday. I don't enjoy football like I used to, I'm too tense, like Mick, to really get the unmitigated pleasure from watching Carlton like I did when I was younger. I think I have enjoyed neutral games this year more than our own. Until the second half yesterday.

So lets enjoy the finals like Aramari said. Today brings back years of memories of the joy of expectation, of queuing for finals tickets, of what might be.

i still have vivid memories of being allowed to sleep out overnight inside the ground at Princes Park as a 12 year old with my 9 year old brother for tickets to the incomparable 1970 grand final. We arrived at the ground at 4 pm the afternoon before, set up some fold out chairs behind hundreds of metres of empty boxes, chairs, milk crates and banana lounges that were marking others spots, and just sat there. Our father wished us good luck and said hed be back tomorrow to pick us up. As people arrived to take up their spots, stories were told, every ounce of Carltons season was dissected, great moments were relived from old timers. It was heaven.

As ticket sales started the next day and as the queue shortened we were 50 metres from the box office when rumours swept the queue that tickets were almost sold out. Panic set in. Each step closer was filed with hope and dread. Eventually we had the prized tickets in our hands and we were overjoyed. The game itself of course was almost too much for a 12 year old to bear, a little like yesterday, 43 years later. But when Jezza kicked the sealer from a snap which bounced and bounced from just forward of centre, all hell broke loose.

So lets really enjoy the week and next weekend because moments of joy have been all too fleeting for us this year and have been filled with a lot of angst.

Happy Father's Day everyone. Go Blues.