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FANS across Victoria were over the moon to witness the Western Bulldogs bask in the glory of Saturday’s AFL Grand Final win.
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No one was more ecstatic than Horsham’s longest running fan, Paul ‘Digger’ Schwedes, who waited 55 long years to see his team play in a grand final.
Horsham’s Terry Griffin, who sat on the edge of her seat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, was another excited fan.
“How can I even describe it,” Griffin said.
“It was exhilarating. It was fantastic.
“It was unbelievable how many people got on the bandwagon.
“I haven’t seen anything like it before, the roar of the crowd was unreal.
“It was just a dream. You pinch yourself that it even happened.”
Griffin also happened to stumble upon coach Luke Beveridge when visiting her home town of Yarraville.
“He was in a private function but we asked to speak with him and he came straight out,” Griffin said.
“He gave me a kiss on the cheek and we had a chat and got some photos.”
Griffin said she was interested to meet Beveridge to discuss his grandfather John ‘Jack’ Beveridge.
John coached the Horsham Demons to a flag in 1938 and played 148 games for the Collingwood Football Club.
Griffin said she was in tears after the 22-point win.
“Strangers came over to hug us. It was just a wonderful energy,” she said.
“It was tears of relief more than anything else.
“We were home, we got it, it was ours.”
While Schwedes watched the game from home, it was just as special as Griffin’s experience.
“I watched it with the grandchildren and we were all pretty excited. Every time they kicked a goal we jumped up,” he said.
Schwedes said he would be quietly bragging to friends and family for many months to come and refused to take off his scarf until Monday night.
Stawell resident Jessie Howlett is another lifelong Bulldogs fan who reveled in Saturday’s news. Howlett celebrated her 100th birthday on the eve of the grand final and continued celebrating days later, thanks to the Bulldogs win.