Roys tragics

[Mr Ripper]

This board's been choc full of positives so far, so I thought I'd bring the tone down a little by asking for all you Roypeoples out there to nominate your (least) favourite tragic moments. Those matches or incidents that remain stuck in your craw and just make you want to go outside and dropkick next-door's cat over the back fence, even after all these years. http://www.bigfooty.com/ubb/mad.gif

One game that fits that category for me is the round 9, 1987 match vs Carlton at Princes Park. Match of the Round; a full-house in attendance. The 'baggers on top of the ladder with 6 wins, whilst the Roys were sitting snuggly in fourth spot with 5 victories and had the luxury of adding Roos and Pert to the side which had just knocked over Warrick, Diesel and friends at the SCG the previous week.

First half was a dour affair with a strong breeze blowing down to the Lygon St. end, but the Roys had done a good job; leading by 21 points at the main break in a low-scoring game.

Apparently this still wasn't good enough for Davey P, and Roosy was duly shifted off the previously unsighted Kernahan to CHF while Gary Keane took his place at CHB (Keane was just about BOG at CHB v Sydney).

Anyway, Carlton had the wind in the 3rd quarter and Harry Madden decided to go beresk at the centre bounce, feeding Bradley, Naley, Meldrum et al with monotonous regularity. Kernahan, now free of the Roos imposed shackles, took over on the forward line and by three quarter time Carlton had the lead to the tune of 2 points.

Fitzroy remained a good chance though; coming home with the breeze, but by now the Blues had wrested control of the match out of the Lions' paws and were able to coast to a comfortable 22 point win.

Thereafter, we had another season of mediocrity. Carlton won the flag. http://www.bigfooty.com/ubb/frown.gif If only...

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Olmy knows best

[Mobbenfuhrer]

1989 ... I had taken the train and then bus out to Donald, for a volleyball competition.

I sat on the fenceline at Donald watching those royal blues playing footy, but also listening intently to a nearby radio ...

... that portrayed Collingwood kicking away after Osborne had left the ground with a severe leg injury.

The end of the '89 dream.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

[Mobbenfuhrer]

The final best and fairest count.

We were at the Fitzroy Town Hall, I think.

At one stage, possibly near to the end, when a large screen was uncovered, up on stage.

It showed a collage of highlights of Fitzroy's play, and it went on for a good while.

I just stood there towards the back, openly crying.

The act was so touching, it made me feel as though we were viewing the mind of the entity that was FFC, as it drew its last breaths on this mortal plane.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Watching Plugger tally 16.0 against us at Western Oval, though a landmark match for the show put on by the big feller, was a dirty day for me.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

[Mobbenfuhrer]

1992 Preseason Grand Final.

I lost my stuffed toy lion, and we got a hiding.

also ... a preseason match where Essendon beat us in extra time. That was extraordinarily heatbreaking.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

[Wally]

Originally posted by Mobbenfuhrer:
1992 Preseason Grand Final.

I lost my stuffed toy lion, and we got a hiding.

also ... a preseason match where Essendon beat us in extra time. That was extraordinarily heatbreaking.



When was that exactly?

You blokes certainly gave us plenty of heartache over the years. '79, '81, '86 Elimination finals. I always admired the spirit of the old Lions. The 1981 loss ,particularly sticks in my craw. Considering we thumped the Collingwood twice and beat the 'Baggers twice during the season.
We always struggled against you blokes around that time.

where's wally?

[Fat Pizza]

Alistair Lynch moving to Brisbane & opening the floodgates.

[Yippyio]

Adelaide v Fitzroy at Footy Park 91.
When we were robbed by the umpires.
But we got our own back in 95 when we shit on Adelaide at Football Park.
I still can see the lines of hundreds of crows supporters queueing to get out!!

[Mobbenfuhrer]

Early 90s, Wally.

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Hallowed be thy Roy

[OldLion]

Without a doubt the 1983 Finals series. After laying waste to all ( except the Dogs strangely , and the Hawks ) during the season, not to actually be able to play North in the finals was the first of many disappointments.

Having endured the miserable trudge down from the top tier after the 81 1st semi, 83 seemed to offer hope. Losing Lorenzo the Magnificent in the last game V Tigers threw us out and, as I recall, Les Parrish had the job on Matthews in the Qualifying - not good. Still, we nearly got there and we could look to next week ..

... but what the ?? the Bomber thug brigade got a hold of us - Andrews, Merritt, Carey etc first thumped Quinlan, then L. Harris and on it went until Sidebottom crumpled in the centre with a no-good knee. We gallantly struggled on, even leading in the 3rd quarter , but that horrible sinking feeling when you're on the wrong end of a goalfest gripped me. No mental rationisation or emotional outburst can delay the inevitable. The heavens spun around, the ground opened up. I was gutted.

After such a good season, not the win a final was shattering. I do sympathise with Cats fans on occasions - they're almost numb with finals dread - but sport was not meant to be like this. One could shake the fist skywards and cry out for justice, but the Gods are fickle and play with us for their amusement.

[Olmy]

That loss to Richmond, in 1995.

We'd been fantastic all day. Molloy had killed them up forward, and the boys had down well in the midfield, and also down back.

We were up by more than 5 goals at one stage, but a last ditch effort towards the end of the 3rd, saw Richmond narrow it to around four straight kicks at the last change. The last quarter saw a pretty even contest, with Richmond gradually pegging back the Roys lead.

It got down to the last few minutes, and the Roys looked like they were going to hold on. However, as the ball went over towards the wing/half foward area for Richmond, Jeff Bruce ended up being pinged for deliberate out of bounds. The decision was justifiable under the rule, but common sense tells us, that considering the circumstances, it was a bit of a harsh decision.

Still, it was enough to wear. However . . .

The events that directly followed, saw a 50m penalty being given to Richmond captain Matthew Knights, as the ball "had not been delivered properly to its intended free-kick recipient". Now, I have never seen a more bullshite free kick in my life.

It was quite clear that M.Knights stepped back as the ball was being thrown to him. Similarly, the ball only landed at his feet - not half-way down the field. The 50m penalty was unjustifiable, not only by common sense, but practically by the rule itself. As far as I see it, the free kick was given only within extreme adherance to that particular rule. Something, which under the circumstances, was quite unreasonable.

As we all know, M.Knights was then led inside the 50m arc, and kicked a goal to seal the win for the Termites, with only 20 seconds or so remaining on the clock.

To this day, that has been one of the most disappointing, and heartbreaking losses I've ever endured. Not only did it come in a season where we were struggling to even match opposition teams for a half, but the fact that we'd been the better side all day, well, we deserved the win.

The fact that I've had Richmond supporters brag about how this was such a great win for them does not help one bit in my memory of this game. How anyone, for any team, could brag about winning in such circumstances, and against down and out opposition as Fitzroy had been in that season, is beyond me.

http://www.bigfooty.com/ubb/mad.gif http://www.bigfooty.com/ubb/frown.gif

[Olmy]

Similarly, the loss to Collingwood in 95 was also a heartbreaker - although, Collingwood did win that one fair and square (and you could see it coming from 3qtr time anyway).

The loss to Essendon in 93, by 4 points was also a heartbreaker. If we'd won that one, I reckon we would have made the finals that season.

At the end of 93, if I remember correctly, we were 2 games out of the 6, and 3 games from the top of the ladder. I think we had a reasonable percentage too.

It was never fair. In 89 the Roys missed out on the finals, finishing 6th. In 1990, the final 6 was introduced.

In 92 and 93 we finished around 10th and 11th - not too far away from a final 8 finish. Only, the final 8 was only introduced in 94.

Things never went our way.

[Mr Ripper]

Round 22, 1979 at the Cattery was a bona fide tragic. Roys coasting home; 27 points up at the 20 minute mark of the last, only to concede 5.2 to the hyped up Cats in the last ten minutes to go down by 5 points. Bye bye double chance in the finals. http://www.bigfooty.com/ubb/frown.gif

P.S. Your correspondent hasn't ventured back to KP since.

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Olmy knows best

[Olmy]

Originally posted by Mr Ripper:
Your correspondent hasn't ventured back to KP since.



The Roys usually performed well down there. Funnily enough the Lions still do . . .

[Mr Ripper]

That Essendon game at the G in '93 was another teeth-gnashing defeat.

What a fillip for the club a win that night would have been! Prime time on the telly; powerful opponent and a huge crowd. Alas, Doc Wheildon just had to develop a bout of severe kicking yips. Bummer! Lynchy was sensational though...probably the best performance of his career.

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Olmy knows best

[killer]

1981(?) Semi Final against Collingwood
burned in my memory forever

[Fat Pizza's Dad]

...with Ross Brewer's goal over the shoulder.