I'm really not sure how I'll feel watching the great man run out for the last time, there's a tinge of disbelief that his time with us is over and I'm hoping that this disbelief means I'll be composed and not too forlorn. I don't post very often and I know its probably been done to death, but I just couldn't let the weekend go by without sharing my most memorable Matthew Pavlich moment.
The moment came in our first home final win over Melbourne in 2006. I had two very young children at the time which meant I had to go to the game alone. As was normal at the time, I got caught up in all the media hype and spin, this, amongst other things, contributed to me being too nervous to actually go into the ground. I mean it, I was so uptight I actually paced up and down outside the gate (crazy I know) until I heard the siren, the crowd roar and went in and took my seat.
The whole place was jumping, a seething mass of purple. I remember Melbourne settled early and got the first few goals. We looked uneasy, you could really sense Fremantle were nervous. I guess everyone, the players included, knew what this game meant to the club and I found myself contemplating the fallout should we lose. I remember thinking, we need someone to stand up, a moment, a passage of play to settle us down, maybe instil some belief.
Well I didn't have to wait too long, it must have been in the first quarter when Josh Carr hit Pavlich on a long lead. Pav marked it just outside 50 and by the time he wheeled around he was easily at 60. He looked as though he was wanting to play on or something, there was an urgency about him but I remember thinking, just kick it, go back and kick the goal. I was sitting behind the goals at the city end and I remember ran around, paused for a second then unloaded. I was sitting in a position so when he kicked I could see him between the goal posts, I vividly remember tracking the flight of the ball and the growing groundswell of cheers and as the ball approached the big sticks and sailed through for a goal, the resultant roar was deafening. That was the moment, our lynch-pin, our champion made a statement. We went on to win the game, but it was tight! I have never forgotten that night. I'm not sure why given Pav has given us so many memorable moments and performances, it's just stuck with me for some reason. What's your favourite Pavlich moment?
