It's 30 years ago this weekend that the AFL introduced a new finals system, the final eight. We've had two different versions of it, the second introduced in 2000, but one constant remains, four big finals in one hit.
It's a bumper few days of footy for anyone who loves the big occasion and high stakes, and we've had some beauties, but the best yet remains the very first.
Night finals had been introduced the previous year, but in 1994, the four games remained strictly a Saturday-Sunday affair, with a double-header in Melbourne, and the next day, one game in Melbourne and one in Perth. And what classics they were.
Few single days of finals football have been as dramatic as Saturday 10 September 1994, when North Melbourne took on Hawthorn at Waverley in the afternoon, and Geelong lined up against Footscray that evening at the MCG.
In a pulsating game, barely a kick separated the Roos and Hawks all afternoon, and by siren time, with a post-siren shot from well outside the 50-metre arc from North's David King falling just short, nothing at all separated them. It was a draw, for now. But it wouldn't stay one.
History was made, with extra time, which in 1991 had been officially introduced for all finals except the Grand Final, used for the first time, the two teams to play two five-minute halves. And now a game so tight for four full quarters, was blown open.
North Melbourne, with Wayne Carey playing one of the great individual finals, slammed on 3.5 to no score in the "fifth quarter". The superstar centre half-forward finished with 4.4, taking 10 marks and picking up a cool 32 disposals as a key forward.
Hawthorn wasn't necessarily done with yet, though, as in this first incarnation of the eight, the two highest-ranked first week losers lived to fight another day. The Hawks, who'd finished sixth, had to hope the games between 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7 and 4 vs. 5 went to ranking.
The afternoon game done with, all eyes now turned to the MCG, as this reporter, having filed a story on the Roos' triumph, negotiated the logistical minefield that was getting out of Waverley, and getting across town for the night match. I made it. Just.
Geelong, with Gary Ablett senior on fire (he'd finish with 6.6) made a blistering start with an eight-goal first term to lead by 30 points at the first break, but Footscray fought back gallantly to trail by just two points at three-quarter time.
The final term went goal for goal, and the Bulldogs, trailing by five points, looked to have sealed a memorable finals win when Richard Osborne crumbed a marking contest and snapped truly from 20 metres out, Footscray now leading by a point with only 26 seconds left on the clock.
But the Cats weren't done with yet. A quick centre clearance from Garry Hocking found David Mensch at half-forward. And in an instant, he'd found a charging Billy Brownless on a lead, the Geelong favourite to kick for goal and victory after the siren. From 40 metres out straight in front, Brownless slammed it straight through.
"Billy! You are king of Geelong," screamed commentator Sandy Roberts, memorably. "All I wanted to do was kick the bloody thing right through the middle," Brownless said after the game. "I didn't want to go back to Geelong if I'd missed."
It was some day of finals football. But Sunday had its own story to tell. Carlton had finished second, a full three wins clear of seventh-placed Melbourne, a young, inexperienced team coached by Neil Balme, and was cruising away by 25 points midway through the second quarter.
But the Demons suddenly sprung to life, sparked by the energy and bounce of key forward David Schwarz, who kicked four goals and set up several others, young Indigenous star Sean Charles, who booted five, and utility Martin Pike, who also kicked four.
In a massive upset, Melbourne put on 13 goals to five to win going away by 27 points. Carlton would get another chance. Hawthorn was out.
But an even bigger upset was on the cards in Perth late in the afternoon, where top team West Coast, an unbackable favourite at the WACA Ground against eighth-placed Collingwood, had to withstand an emotionally-charged final term assault from the Pies, with former skipper Tony Shaw potentially playing the last of his 300-games-plus career.
The Eagles were well in control, 25 points up with 16 minutes left, but inaccuracy left the door ajar. First, Gavin Brown snapped a goal, then Tony Francis another on the run. When Brown converted a relayed free kick, Collingwood suddenly was just seven points down with 10 minutes left.
Chris Lewis restored some composure with a reply for West Coast, but just as quickly Magpie youngster Andrew Tranquilli responded. And when Brown booted his fifth goal for the day from the boundary, it was just one point the difference with eight minutes remaining. It was also at this juncture commentator Dennis Cometti was moved to exclaim what a whole nation was thinking: "What a weekend of football, eh? Amazing!"
Finally, Brett Heady seemed to have put things to rest running into an open goal to give West Coast an eight-point lead with only one minute 53 seconds left. But again Collingwood wouldn't say die, taking the ball the length of the ground for Jason McCartney to kick truly on the run from 50 metres, two points the margin with 54 seconds left to play.
With the final attack of the game, Magpie veteran Gary Pert pumped the ball inside 50, where Mick McGuane was unattended. He flew at the ball, but in awkward position, spilled the attempted mark. The siren sounded, the flag favourite having survived the fright of its life, the only time it would be troubled on its way to a second premiership.
It was a suitably dramatic finale to what remains probably the greatest single weekend of finals football in VFL or AFL history. And if the equivalent games three decades on are even half as gripping, we'll be very lucky indeed.
You can read more of Rohan Connolly's work at FOOTYOLOGY.