Wow, where did the time go?
Twenty-seven years since we won our last Shute Shield grand final against Eastwood, the Manly colours will again be on display at Allianz Stadium (formerly the Sydney Football Stadium) on Friday night.
Anyone who was there on that memorable spring day in 1997 will never forget it.
The ground has had a knockdown-rebuild since then but it will be an emotional return for premiership-winning skipper Rob Gallacher, his former teammates Matt Curll (now club president) and Damien Cummins (now first grade assistant coach) and general manager Greg Marr (assistant coach in '97).
"I just remember the real sense of calmness and togetherness we had…from the bus trip out there, to the warm-up and the game itself," Gals recalled this week.
"We'd won 12 in a row leading into that game and were full of belief in each other. That first 15-20 minutes was like we were playing a different game."
Cagey Marlins coach Tim Lane had pulled a masterly pre-game switch, elevating giant prop Johnny "The Fridge" Fa into the starting line-up.
The Woods didn’t know what had hit them as a big crowd of over 25,000 watched on in disbelief.
While their much-vaunted scrum was being dismantled, Manly's electric backs ran wild as we raced to a 24-0 lead before taking the decider 34-19.
Gals punching the air as he ran away for the match-sealing try is one of the enduring images in the history of northern beaches sport.
And the party back at the club is still spoken about in reverential tones.
"It's been a long wait for the next one. We came close again in 2015 and I just hope this current bunch of players get to experience what we did," Gals said.
"It's a special moment to win a premiership. It's a win for everyone involved with the club."