2007, 2009, 2011, 2022 - which flag was most memorable for you

Remove this Banner Ad

That would have been heart-stopping. Was was the atmosphere like? According to the wiki


Would anyone have even noticed the cold in that last quarter?
I was nice and toasty undercover, LL, in the Olympic. So no, didnt notice.

2011 was pretty rough tho too, I was M1 Row A, but did not notice it one iota.
 
They're all great, and incredibly difficult to split.

I reckon I was too young to truly appreciate '07. I knew it was a drought breaker, but I don't think you can comprehend breaking a drought if you haven't lived through most of it yourself.

'09 was just so nerve inducing. I remember literally jumping up and down on the couch at Chappy's goal, and it was sweet relief after the horror of '08.

I was lucky enough to attend '11, which was just unbelievable. It was the footy equivalent of Ali proving he still had what it takes against the rampaging Foreman.

Hearing the Collingwood chant go up, and then replaced by the 'Geeeeeeeloooooong' chant was just awesome.

Sitting right behind Jimmy & Stevie's goals in the last quarter was a treat, and Jimmy's double cobra and bump to Chris Dawes post his goal from 55 is one of my all time favourite footy moments.

Jimmy just had swagger that wasn't typical of a Geelong player, and I loved him for it.

'22 was just vindication, and it took us up another gear IMO to Hawthorn's, and Carlton's (albeit they've lost it, as it was 30 years ago) status.

We were no longer just a club with a great team and a great era, we were a truly great organisation.

Proving you can do it with an entirely different coaching staff, playing list & CEO suggests there's something more going on. There's a culture embedded in the fabric of the club now, and it's one that demands success.

We didn't just get lucky once with a great list, we've proven now that we just do things better than everyone else, and the flag cemented that.

It was just such a special day, and a storybook ending for Joel. Little Levi Ablett, the demolition job of the Swans, Joel's goal, it was just incredible.

If you handed the script for it to Disney, they'd say that's too unrealistic for a sporting story. It was that good.
 
2007 was the most memorable. I grew up during the 89-95 era and wondered why I had to be so stupid to pick Geelong, while other teams snagged flags...

In 1995, I had the librarian/art teacher get a Carlton supporting classmate to take me from the art room to the library down the hall to show me the 1995 Premiers poster. I had West Coast people telling me, "Geelong sucks" after 1992 and 1994

We had the wasted 1997 finals series as well, and the heartache of 2005.

2007 was like sun breaking through oil-black clouds and for the first time ever in my supporting life, I felt like it was complete.
I will never forget how all the s**t just lifted that day. Mind you, I did not believe we had won until 3/4 time. Only 50 points up at half time, the potential of 1970 was there...

2009 was just a hard slog where despite the conditions, was actually a decent match. Geelong and St Kilda were 'next-gen' in 2003-2004 and were parallel for a time, culminating in that Grand Final. St Kilda should have won with their opportunities, but ultimately didn't.

2011 was satisfying and a very good match. Being able to run away in the final term was great. I was also quite mentally unwell at this time, and I learnt a lot about perspective which has carried through. This may have also been me being completely satisfied with the era, in that 3 flags in 5 years is a fine achievement with 2 top finishes, and 3 second placings after the H&A seasons.

2022 was a non-event for me, in comparison. Perspective again. The team wasn't as 'organic' as the previous teams. I hate free agency. Satisfying, but not euphoric.
The other three were emotionally better.

The only Norm Smith I absolutely disagreed with was 2007. Steve Johnson was a receiver in all of his goals. I thought Scarlett was better. He set up many attacking plays himself, and absolutely beat Westhoff on the day in every one-on-one. He played like Dench in many respects in that he was so attacking and dynamic.
I also liked Chapman's game. I thought people just wanted some fairytale BS but even after trying to watch objectively, I don't think Johnson was the best.

I wish the team had won 1992. After going 17 up in the 3rd quarter, the team should have been able to hold. Giving up 2 late goals just before half time did a lot of damage and gave the Eagles a lot of momentum. Losing Steve Hocking and Andrew Bews with shoulders in the two finals against Footscray hurt as well. Both deserved a flag. Bruns, Ablett, Buddha, Couch, Stoneham, Bairstow and Darcy were all stalwarts who missed their best chance that day. Brownless also had a good year and good finals series, at least against Footscray.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

The only Norm Smith I absolutely disagreed with was 2007. Steve Johnson was a receiver in all of his goals. I thought Scarlett was better. He set up many attacking plays himself, and absolutely beat Westhoff on the day in every one-on-one. He played like Dench in many respects in that he was so attacking and dynamic.
I also liked Chapman's game. I thought people just wanted some fairytale BS but even after trying to watch objectively, I don't think Johnson was the best.

Exactly the same for me. Scarlett was unbelievable. But the AFL had established that redemption stories trump who the actual best player is wherever possible.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top