Club History Essendon in Grand Finals

[Doss]

Can Goldspink umpire if we meet in finals again?

Not Stevic!

 

[windyhill]

The best thing about grand finals/premierships is how many we've won.

 

[Runk]

SHOULD A, COULD A, WOULD A.

 

[NAB777]

Not just that, but even in other years it was a matter of timing and injuries.

1990, we finish top. I KNEW we were going to lose on Grand Final day. Hated the walk to the ground knowing what was going to happen. But we were never the same after the Sumich kick and three weeks off. We hit poor form at the wrong time, but on ability we were as good or better than Collingwood, but circumstance, timing etc.

In 1990, we were unfortunate to get injuries to key players at the wrong time, but the reason we lost is because Sheedy over cooked the players. They were wrecked before the game started.

 

[Resistor]

In 1990, we were unfortunate to get injuries to key players at the wrong time, but the reason we lost is because Sheedy over cooked the players. They were wrecked before the game started.

His he cook them in the training the week of the game?

 

[NAB777]

His he cook them in the training the week of the game?

In the weeks leading up. The players knew they were flat on the last Thursday night session before the GF. Tim Watson called them together during the session to try to create a spark, but the damage had been done.

 

[Resistor]

In the weeks leading up. The players knew they were flat on the last Thursday night session before the GF. Tim Watson called them together during the session to try to create a spark, but the damage had been done.

Interesting, was this felt at the time among spectators before the game or only until after GF?

 

[Beerfish]

I was expecting to win that's for sure.

 

[Doss]

The mauling we suffered in the second semi was probably a decent sign we were in big strife.

The size of our PF win over the Eagles was probably illusory in terms of our form; they'd been on the road for six weeks in a row or something by that point and were quite simply buggered.

 

[NAB777]

Interesting, was this felt at the time among spectators before the game or only until after GF?

Injuries to key players leading into the finals had a few worried. The consensus amongst the club was that the players needed matches under their belt, and if we could get to the GF we'd be right. The West Coast/Collingwood draw hit the players hard-apparently the mood on the bus after the game was pretty flat. It just meant another week off.

 

[DT2000]

Didn't we have two weeks off between our Prelim and GF in 1990? That couldn't have been good for an aging and injured (flat) group either.

 

[Resistor]

Injuries to key players leading into the finals had a few worried. The consensus amongst the club was that the players needed matches under their belt, and if we could get to the GF we'd be right. The West Coast/Collingwood draw hit the players hard-apparently the mood on the bus after the game was pretty flat. It just meant another week off.

Salmon explained a bit of this feeling down on the bus in that 1990 final story video. Who were favourites for the game?

 

[bacon buster]

7.27 !!!! 7.27. King Richard, God bless him..... " I didn't move him, I didn't want to hurt his feelings". Bill brittingham. I have to say it again, 7.27.

I had always believed that story too, but it turns out, it's actually not true

Good article below

http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/drama-of-1948-had-everything-20101001-1615l.html

 

[Doss]

Didn't we have two weeks off between our Prelim and GF in 1990? That couldn't have been good for an aging and injured (flat) group either.

No. Collingwood had a week off after the second semi thrashing, however.

We had two weeks off between Round 22 and the second semi because of the draw, too. And as it turned out, we'd rested quite a few players in Round 22 as we were guaranteed of top spot so effectively, we had several players who'd not played a serious game in a month.

Fitzroy were kind enough to give us a practice game during the extended hiatus (Collingwood being their arch enemy and all), but I guess practice games are no substitute for the real thing.

We were woefully underdone.

 

[DT2000]

No. Collingwood had a week off after the second semi thrashing, however.

We had two weeks off between Round 22 and the second semi because of the draw, too. And as it turned out, we'd rested quite a few players in Round 22 as we were guaranteed of top spot so effectively, we had several players who'd not played a serious game in a month.

Fitzroy were kind enough to give us a practice game during the extended hiatus (Collingwood being their arch enemy and all), but I guess practice games are no substitute for the real thing.

We were woefully underdone.

cheers for that - how many times have we finished on top and not won the flag?

 

[srobbo]

In 1990, we were unfortunate to get injuries to key players at the wrong time, but the reason we lost is because Sheedy over cooked the players. They were wrecked before the game started.

I still to this day, blame Peter Sumich. We effectively didn't play for 3 weeks post rd 22 because of the Coll/WCE QF replay & were as rusty as a tin shithouse by the time we faced the Pies in the semi final. We were an old side & needed to stay sharp. That extra week off killed us I thought!!

So in the end, it came down to momentum & by the time we met Coll in the Semi, they simply had the edge. On the other hand we'd had a measly rd 22 H&A game against St k to prepare & a token practice game v Fitzroy in a month!! After Coll pantsed us by 10 goals, we were never reversing that & even despite smashing west coast in the prelim, I sensed we'd lost our spirit & the Pies knew it.

A shame really because we had their measure during the H&A & were the best side during the year.

Bloody Sumich!! Talk about sliding doors if he kicks it!

 

[srobbo]

The mauling we suffered in the second semi was probably a decent sign we were in big strife.

The size of our PF win over the Eagles was probably illusory in terms of our form; they'd been on the road for six weeks in a row or something by that point and were quite simply buggered.

Correct.

Vividly remember walking out of Waverley with a weird hollow feeling, despite winning by 10 goals. Knew deep down the Eagles were cooked & it was a false dawn that we had it in us to get over the pies the following week.