It was Round 21, and these were the Demons’ days. From bottom of the ladder to being on the verge of finals, this was a wonderful time.
One of the stars of the show at the MCG was defender Anthony Ingerson, who scored the highest best and fairest votes in the final two home and away games, ultimately finishing in sixth place for the season. Recollecting this outing against Sydney, Ingerson says ‘it was a great game.’ The first night match for Melbourne in 1998 - and the first Monday game of the season - he treasured the large crowds, which only expanded as the weeks went by.
For this game, following three wins in a row to the red and blue, there were 52,614 in attendance. Not only was it a great contest - it was the start of something special. For Ingerson, it was also a time to be brave - very brave. With Tony Lockett heading towards his 100th goal for the season, and Swans’ supporters in the stands readying themselves for a ground invasion, Ingerson was down there trying to stop him. ‘Shannas [Jamie Shanahan] was on Tony. I was loose in front, and Lockett didn’t like that. There’s footage that shows one occasion where I’m running back into the pack….’ Having only recently revisited the incident and discussed it with Shanahan, it’s only now that Ingerson can laugh, albeit somewhat hollowly.
For, as he was focusing on his duties, Ingerson was also running the risk of being crushed. ‘I’m running back into the pack, heading in between Lockett and Jamie, and Jamie’s moved, just in time to save me.’ Yes, Anthony Ingerson - one of the lynchpins of Melbourne’s line up - ran the risk of being sandwiched in between the very sturdy Jamie Shanahan and Tony Lockett. Fortunately for all concerned, he escaped to fill his vital role in defence. ‘I stood Leo Barry, and he was a decoy for Lockett.’
Up in Melbourne’s forward line, the excitement was palpable, as players shared the goals around. Farmer scored four with a typical magic touch - his 100th career goal - while Neitz notched three, and Lyon, Woewodin and Anthony McDonald two each. ‘It was great for us’, says Ingerson. And, even though it belonged to an opposition player, ‘it was pretty special to be part of Lockett’s 100th goal’. The Swans could only get to within 19 points early in the final quarter. Apart from Lockett’s cameo just before the end of the third term, which led to the game being held up for around seven minutes, this Monday night really belonged to the Demons.
As with all those Melbourne supporters who hadn’t seen finals action since 1994, the players were excited at the prospect of continuing their season into September. As Ingerson recalls, ‘It was a great time. I hadn’t played finals at Adelaide, so this was the first time for me.’ The weeks after the win over Sydney were a whirlwind, starting with a final home and away game victory over Richmond, highlighted by ‘Wiz’s Mark’, the 140th cavalcade and a 76 point thumping of the Tigers. It was then time for twelve Demons to make their first finals appearance in the qualifying final against Adelaide.
It was a memorable few weeks, a brilliant result, and one of the best of seasons. And for Ingerson, it was ‘amazing that we would play in front of 60 to 70,000 people’. This was a game - and games - to remember.
