A question for Tiges fans

[the_interloper]

I was hoping Mark Thompson would be available...

****en oath, but also thinking we had Mark Williams just in case!

 

[sante]

After losing to the Dogs and Dees I said it was over. Wanted to play the kids

 

[BF Tiger]

I was down and out, along with the team.

 

[Tiger_man322]

I was out after Melbourne. Watched every week, but with not much interest until the West Coast game.

 

[Adam Tigers]

I said I didn't want to make the 8 off the back of an "easy draw" and to start playing the kids....

Oh how times have changed.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I must admit any hope of the season was pretty much dead to me after the Dreamtime game loss against Essendon. I still attended games at the MCG, but I was just going through the motions I have been for most of the last decade. It wasn't until the win against Essendon later in the season where I vaguely entertained the thought of making finals and it increased from every win from there.

 

[Calcium Man]

I still didn't think we would make final until Ben Griffiths marked it with about 30 seconds left

 

[mattt]

Tommy Hafey died on May 12. It was no doubt an emotional week for the club, and I'm sure all of the Tiger Army assumed that if anything could kickstart our season again in Round 9, it'd be on the Saturday afternoon at the 'G against Melbourne. Traditional timeslot, two old-school clubs, great tribute pre-game to Tommy... then Richmond served up more rubbish and lost. They were flat, no heart and kicked 9.20 that day.
I trudged home cursing and honestly gave up on our season then. We were 2-6 at that point.

It's been a tough ride following this bloody team for the last 30-odd years, so forgive the Tiger faithful if we're a little over-the-top this week.

I think we deserve it.

 

[imperial_oz]

Not a Tigers fan but I have to say I'm impressed by the playing group.

Realistically, at 3 and 10 it would be ridiculous to even entertain playing finals but the group stuck with the job at hand. This should stand the club in good stead.....winners don't quit.

Win, lose or draw next week, they can take this forward to next season and get some real confidence about the character of the each other in the team.

Well done to all involved.

 

[Jisha]

I didn't really think we would make finals, but I also am a kind of guy that likes to think its not over until its absolutely mathematically over. I didn't actually think we would win 9 in a row from there and JUST make finals though.

I didn't place any bets on us since that has bitten me in the butt way too many times already

 

[Royce Hafey]

I am an eternal optimist, glass 3 quarter full type and I was clinging on to mathematical chances without any conviction, like a devout Catholic with incurable cancer splashing the holy water. We'll blow me down! There is a God - or at least a St Francis.

 

[dickballsack]

I am an eternal optimist, glass 3 quarter full type and I was clinging on to mathematical chances without any conviction, like a devout Catholic with incurable cancer splashing the holy water. We'll blow me down! There is a God - or at least a St Francis.

Hahahaha!!!!! Good on you mate! That is why the tigers supporters are by far the best in the league. I've said it in another thread and I'll say it again, I can't think of many, if any, clubs that would still be so strongly supported after 30 odd years without ultimate or sustained success. I dip my lid to you all. Enjoy!

 

[seysearles]

 

[Pounce]

I thought we were done and dusted for sure. I called for senior players like Newman and Chaplin to be dropped and replaced by kids. Good thing I am not a coach.

 

[Handsuper47]

I didn't think we would finish in the bottom four or the top eight, instead I had high hopes we would stuff up other teams finals chances.

 

[radiojake]

I'm obviously not a Tigers man, but I couldn't be happier. The Crows are officially rooted in 2014.

any particular reason you're glad Adelaide had a poor year?

 

[ep2018]

It's a shame that they probably won't play a final in melbourne this year, unless they make a PF. Their crowd is damn scary (in a good way). I think two or three consecutive trips interstate wil undo them.

 

[Tiger2709]

I was in two minds as to hoping we stayed down the bottom for better draft picks(not by tanking just being crap) and praying we could turn it around and at least show some heart, with the knowledge that at that stage of the season the best we could really hope for was ninth, I still cant believe all the peices fell into place the way they did.

 

[Punt_Road_Roar]

No, thought our season was going to be shit after losing to Melbourne in the preseason.

 

[smasha]

After the loss to Melbourne,I thought our season was gone but i always had faith in Hardwick.

Amazing turnaround.

 

[Catsace]

View attachment 76715

When you analyse that formline, the GWS game arguably was a bit of a turning point. Big win over them, and then an excellent 1st half against North, before being over-run. But very competitive efforts against Freo and Sydney following up sort of franked this form, as to be honest, not many sides have come that close to either of those sides after their respective slowish starts to the season. So for a 3-10 club, the formline in the last 4 games to that point was at least workable. Actually save for the 50-point Dreamtime loss, although Essendon were doing reasonably well at that stage of the year too.

But from the St.Kilda game, the wins started to come, and the belief grew. When you see the list of conquered sides, and see among those sides Sydney and Port, plus Adelaide and West Coast away, and at a point where each of those sides looked to be at a juncture where a home win against the Tigers would almost lock away a finals spot for them it's a pretty amazing effort. Factoring into this the 8-point Essendon game too, it's laid the foundation for the most stunning form reversal in a season for a long time. Previously we've had Fitzroy being 1-8, and then 5-11 in 1984 making the final 5 with six wins in a row, and Brisbane in 1995 going from 4-11 to 10-12 and sneaking into the 8, but from the depths of 3-10 to 12-10 is unprecedented. If nothing else, the mere fact of putting up the longest winning streak since a Premiership year of 1980 may give the Tigers belief and confidence of actually winning (in the sense that it becomes an expectation) from this point onwards, because few sides could ever be accused of 'fluking' 9 in a row. Even the mighty Hawks of the 70's to 90's era rarely exceeded that number in a row.

Said it before, but bloody good effort Tigers, and i'm wondering if the bookies markets even had the 8 as an option for the Tigers at 3-10. Perhaps a pen and paper and 'write your own ticket'.....well, you're IN!!

 

[Boggle]

Firstly, enjoy this week; after copping crap all season I think you deserve it.

Now the question:

When they lost and went 3-10 for the season, did any of you stand firm and actually back them to make the finals? Only in that week! If so, what price and how much?

i was still thinking the club was on the improve (I remember how extraordinarily bad we were in every respect) so thought that things might improve a bit.

But finals? Not really.

Mind you, somebody did start an epic "if things fall our way, we can still make the finals" thread and it's amazing to go back and read it.

For now, just taking a deep breath of relief and basking in the warm fuzy glow. Can't wait till the replay is up on afl.com tomorrow!

 

[Boggle]

So most Tigers fans then? Seriously, what they have gone through for 30-odd years would unbalance anybody.

^^ This.

I've had quite a giggle at some opposition supporters who think we're over-reacting. FFS, any supporter would be proud if their team had done what the Tiges have just done -- but when you've been on the receiving end of thirty years of self-inflicted misery, had to endure several weeks of ninthmond jokes, and have a rock solid confidence in your team's ability to pull defeat from the jaws of certain victory no matter the occasion, the whole thing is just indescribable.

I swear for the next week (and hopefully longer) you'll be able to identify Richmond supporters from a mile away by the dumb smiles on our stupid faces.

The happy has come to Tigerland!

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Firstly, enjoy this week; after copping crap all season I think you deserve it.

Now the question:

When they lost and went 3-10 for the season, did any of you stand firm and actually back them to make the finals? Only in that week! If so, what price and how much?

I was one of the guys who told the dude who called this on our board to stop choofing the bad weed

The idea of making finals was now ridiculous, the math just made it such a high improbability it was stupid to consider it

Happy we defied the odds

 

[STFU Donnie]

any particular reason you're glad Adelaide had a poor year?

Just the general sense of entitlement among the Crows supporters I know. If only they behaved like the Port supporters I know; a little humility goes a long way.