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.
2. Midfieldersย
A true fan-favourite, Armfield ended his days as a Blue in 2017 after 145 games.
Since departing Princes Park, the inked-up flanker has held an array of roles, including as coach at the AFLW Academy and Park Orchard.
These days, Armfield acts as a senior consultant for the self-help and self-acutualisation entity, The Elevation Company.
While only in his third year with Carlton in 2013, Curnow has gone on to become one of the Blues' most-beloved clubmen over the past decade.
Still a regular fixture on Michael Voss' teamsheet, Curnow announced he will bow out at the end of the 2023 season - all the more reason for the Blues to go on and win it all from fifth.
Though no Brownlow votes are given out for finals performances, if they were, Gibbs would have locked down at least two on that sunny Sunday afternoon in September of 2013.
While no longer a Blue, or a Crow for that matter, Gibbs still gets his hands dirty on weekends, lining up for SANFL outfit South Adelaide, snaring a Magarey Medal in 2021.
Like Simpson before him, Murphy would only bow out as a Blue after joining Carlton's 300 club.
While unable to ever taste the ultimate success as skipper, Murphy would lead the Navy Blues into battle on
These days, the former midfielder performs the role of Development Manager for property development outfit, the JAGA group.
Heath Scotland
Retiring in 2014 after 268 games and a best and fairest with the Blues, Scotland became a sponsorship manager for United Petrol.
Following that, he went into coaching, serving as head coach at Darley Football Netball Club until 2019, where he returned to AFL as a development coach at Northย Melbourne.
Scotland is also in the signage industry, owning his own company 'Scotland Enterprises'.
Though the former Docker and Blue would never breakthrough for an All-Australian blazer of a club champion gong, Warnock has gone beyond the bounds of Australian Rules Football, attaching himself to the fastest growing sport in the world: Pickleball.
Since July of last year, the former ruckman has acted as the Director of the Oceania Pickleball Association.
We have to say, the sight of Warnock shuffling his 6'9 chassis around the court is one we would love to see.
