2013.
Now a decade in the rearview mirror, it was a year in which Barrack Obama was inaugurated as the leader of the free world and Australia was served by not one, not two, but three Prime Ministers.
2013 was also the year that the hot air came out of Lance Armstrong's tyres, with the fastest Texan on two wheels admitting to blood doping during his lengthy cycling career.
Speaking of doping, the Essendon Football Club was punted from the post-season action after bringing the game into disrepute following their role in quite possibly the most explosive story in V/AFL history.
The Dons' eleventh-hour booting from the eight left the door open for the Carlton to punch in their finals pass from the ninth on the ladder.
During a Sunday afternoon elimination final at the 'G, Mick Malthouse's Blues would do battle against the Tigers - a club with their own acrimonious history with the ladder's ninth rung.
While the pair of old enemies would split their pair of regular season clashes that year, Richmond would enter the do-or-die final as the bookmakers' favourite.
And for much of the afternoon, Damien Hardwick's ambush would control the tempo, slamming on seven goals to four in the second term to take a 26-point lead into half-time.
Down, but not out, the Blues needed a hero, and who better to call on than dual Brownlow medallist Chris Judd.
Putting his side on his heavily-taped shoulder, Judd turned the tide on the Tigers, collecting 25 touches and a goal to go with Bryce Gibbs' 30-disposal, 12-clearance game.
While Carlton's Cinderella run at their 17th flag would come to an end a week in Sydney - the club's last September appearance - Bluebaggers of all ages recall this afternoon fondly, not just for the win but for the many cult heroes that thatched it together.
But what are these Blues Brothers up to these days?
Before Michael Voss' side take to the MCG on Friday night, we checked in with the last group of monogrammed men who had the honour.
1. Defendersย
Henderson would call Princes Park home for another two campaigns before making his way down the highway to join Geelong ahead of the 2016.
The defender would wear a hooped guernsey on 89 occasions, going on to partner with another ex-Blue in Zach Tuohy.
Since hanging up the boots, Henderson has acted as the director for lab-grown diamond jewellers, The Prestwick Place.
As I live and breathe.
The beloved clubman would don the navy blue for a further three seasons, eventually bowing out after 150 games of dogged service behind the ball.
These days, Jamison acts as the General Manager of Communications and Commercial for the AFL Players' Association.
As one of only five Blues to have played 300 or more senior games, Simpson is an immortal figure at Princes Park.
Yet, after time spent working with Carlton's AFLW team, the long-sleeved connoisseur spread his wings, trading Carlton for Hawthorn- taking on the role as the Hawks' defensive coach.
As of Round 24, Tuohy remains one of only two names from this Blues' team still getting a gig at AFL level.
However, since the dawn of the 2017 season, the moustachioed utility has called the Pivot City home, lacing the boots for the Cats on 150 occasions.
Last season, Tuohy, along with teammate Mark O'Connor, joined Tadhg Kennelly as the only three Irishmen to have ever won a Men's AFL premiership.
Across the course of his 13 seasons in Navy Blue, Walker earned a reputation as a leaper, hauling in poster-quality hangers at either end of the ground.
After calling time on his 202-game career in 2016, the Carlton Life Member moved into the CEO role at A2B Personnel, a recruitment agency that provides apprenticeships and sustainable employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the construction Industry.
Yarran would wear a monogrammed guernsey for a further two seasons before being traded to Richmond for a first-round selection during the 2015 trade period.
Mental health issues saw the Western Australian's time at Tigerland come to a close without the former top-10 draftee playing a single game in yellow and black.
In May 2019, Yarran was sentenced to five years behind bars for attacking a police officer and attempting to steal their gun. Yarran also pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, aggravated robbery and criminal damage, with the former footballer's lawyer stating his client had been dealing with a heavy methylamphetamine habit.
