Hardest Flags to Swallow

Ashb23

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Now that we've won one, theres no need to be jealous and we can look back on those missed opportunities without getting bitter. So, on the back of the top 5 memories, thought I'd start a thread on the hardest opposition flags to swallow. The ones that hurt the most. My top 5 would be:

Hawks '91: 2 point loss in the semi and 15 pts in the prelim. I reckon we were a chance if we had another crack at the hawks.

Roos '96: After being getting so close in the preceding years and owning them, this one stung for mine;

Crows '97: That final. and then them sneaking in against the dogs (who we also owned at the time);

Bombers '93: We were so much better than them. Awesome in '92, pretty good in '91 and then, in the year when no one would have stood in our way, we flopped;

Swans '05: We had em. What else can I say? Not saying we would've won, but they shouldn't have either...
 

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#3
Now that we've won one, theres no need to be jealous and we can look back on those missed opportunities without getting bitter. So, on the back of the top 5 memories, thought I'd start a thread on the hardest opposition flags to swallow. The ones that hurt the most. My top 5 would be:

Hawks '91: 2 point loss in the semi and 15 pts in the prelim. I reckon we were a chance if we had another crack at the hawks.

Roos '96: After being getting so close in the preceding years and owning them, this one stung for mine;

Crows '97: That final. and then them sneaking in against the dogs (who we also owned at the time);

Bombers '93: We were so much better than them. Awesome in '92, pretty good in '91 and then, in the year when no one would have stood in our way, we flopped;

Swans '05: We had em. What else can I say? Not saying we would've won, but they shouldn't have either...
The Sydney one in 05 is the most famous, and hurt like hell, but in all honesty we wouldn't have won the flag that year anyway. We had lots of injuries out of that game too. Sydney were a better side overall, but we were better on the night - and didn't deserve to lose. I really didn't have any problems with them winning the flag that year

Hawks in 91 was somewaht a missed opportunity, but we were not the best side that year. The Weagles were better than us too, we didn't have Ablett in that finals series. 1992 was more disappointing really, finished on top, was on top in the Grand Final and got over-run

1997 was the softest flag in history and should have an asterix next to it, the fact that we finished second, with all our stars, Brownless, Ablett, Couch, Stoneham etc retiring or on the verge of retirement and still finished second in H & A is testament to that. We got screwed having to go to Adelaide in the second final, and was on the receiving end of the worst umpiring decision in history. The Crows needed to only knock off the Saints for a flag (without Everitt who was injured!) - That was the one that pissed me off the most
 

catattack

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#4
Crows '97: That final. and then them sneaking in against the dogs (who we also owned at the time);
No doubt this was the hardest to swallow.

We were the best team in the home and away season that year, without any doubt.

Things conspired against us in the finals.. we were given a home final against the Kangaroos under lights at the MCG in the qualifying final on a wet old night. Then we were subjected to a sudden-death final in Adelaide - a venue we had never won at before.

We actually finished less than 2 per cent off top position and would have played Brisbane in the qualifying final - a team we would most certainly have beaten.

This, therefore, would have meant we bypassed the Western Bulldogs - a side in 1997 we actually struggled against when we played them at Optus Oval.
 

Claude Balls

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#5
1997

One of Geelong, the Doggies, or the Saints should have won the flag. Obviously it hurts that we didn't win it, especially given how unlucky we were, but it hurt all the more that the Crows stole it.

1998

Arsiest flag ever. Crows finish 5th; get beaten by 75 in the first final; through a strange quirk in the results they make it through and overrun the Kangas in the GF, who kicked 2.9 in the second quarter to effectively play themselves out of it.
 

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#7
I agree with Cheshire, I believe the 97 flag was the worst, as we had the crows. Only the extremely poor umpiring decision to put us up I think 2 goals to then lose it.

Worse for me was that my relatives in SA believed it wasn't a mark, even though every commentator calling the game called it so. Typical one eye'd Crows fans.

The rest though, sure we were unlucky in some, but just lost on the day because so many waited for someone to do something, instead of doing it themselves.

Nearly happened to us again when we played Collingwood in the Prelim, we waited for guys to do something, I'm happy some did. However that was the difference in the GF, the players saw that and everyone did their bit, that was awesome to see.
 
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#8
To be honest, I couldn't care less about the past at the moment..

But,

the two years that others have mentioned do stand out.. 1993 and 1997, both even years.

1993 - showed in the last five weeks what we were capable of doing, but we were so far behind the eight ball that we couldn't make the finals.

1997 - Yeah there was the unpaid Colbert mark. I think we were 8 points up in the third and with the momentum when the mark wasn't paid. Also, we were without Paul Lynch and Derek Hall who were both very important players for us that year.
 

Duskfire

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Well, with 2005 we probably wouldn't have beaten St Kilda the week after. But we should have beaten Sydney. We had alot of injuries that night, and they did not deserve to win that years Premership. Should have been an Eagles/St Kilda Grand Final.

1992 was pretty bad. No excuses for losing that one, other then we got beaten by a better team on the day.
 

Ashb23

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No doubt this was the hardest to swallow.

We were the best team in the home and away season that year, without any doubt.

Things conspired against us in the finals.. we were given a home final against the Kangaroos under lights at the MCG in the qualifying final on a wet old night. Then we were subjected to a sudden-death final in Adelaide - a venue we had never won at before.

We actually finished less than 2 per cent off top position and would have played Brisbane in the qualifying final - a team we would most certainly have beaten.

This, therefore, would have meant we bypassed the Western Bulldogs - a side in 1997 we actually struggled against when we played them at Optus Oval.
The other thing about '97 was that the Roos lost to Collingwood in round 22 (a game they were expected to win), which would have puched them up the ladder and away from us.
 

bingle

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#11
1st . 1997

not so much the actual Grand Final itself. Seeing Jarman run amok was great but the Semi Final was the most bitter loss EVER. I will never get over that one.


2nd. 1995

it absolutely sucks when a side as dominant as the cats of that were wont be remembered. Yes Carlton were better that year BUT i reckon the Cats of 95 would have been Premiers in 93, 96, 97, 98.


3rd. 1993

i've said it in other threads but i reckon had we have made the 6 we could've gone all the way with the head of steam we built up towards the season's end. We beat eventual Premiers Essendon, Hawthorn (finalist), North Melbourne (finalist) and West Coast at the WACA(finalist) all in a row.


4th. 1992

The most attacking team all year and lost a Premiership that should've been theres in Peter Matera inspired half of football.


5th. 2005

Not so much that i think they deserved to be premiers after their second half season fade away but seeing the overall standard of football from that heart breaker semi final makes me think we could've won the flag. At least definately beat StKilda in Prelim
 

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Shell

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#13
1993 and 1997.

1993 it was our own stupid fault we didnt make the finals. (Would have been handy though had the final 8 been introduced just one year earlier. :rolleyes:)

And of course 1997. Have spoken many times about that year. Pretty much everything has been said about it already, so I won't repeat it.
 
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#14
1995. Carlton finishing 1st and Geelong 2nd at the end of the H&A season. Grand Final result was quite lopsided but Geelong would have beaten Carlton in Round 11 (?). But Ablett played on after marking directly in front and ball was touched by SOS. I think they were the highest scoring team that year as well.
 

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1993 and 1997.

1993 it was our own stupid fault we didnt make the finals. (Would have been handy though had the final 8 been introduced just one year earlier. :rolleyes:)

And of course 1997. Have spoken many times about that year. Pretty much everything has been said about it already, so I won't repeat it.
1993 was so bloody frustrating. I vividly remember watching us smash the crap out of North and Hawthorn in successive weeks, and then to miss the finals altogether.....yes not a pleasant memory.

For me though, the 2 toughest years were 1991 and 1992. That second semi-final loss to Hawthorn in 1991 is still my most hated loss. Because we had them and kicked poorly to lose the game. And like now, I really hated Hawthorn.

1992 was simple. All they had to do was take out Matera and they win.
 

Shell

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1993 was so bloody frustrating. I vividly remember watching us smash the crap out of North and Hawthorn in successive weeks, and then to miss the finals altogether.....yes not a pleasant memory.
.
Don't forget Essendon and West Coast either. Well we didn't smash them, but still won.

Lol, remember that drunk guy who ran out to Jason Dunstall in the middle of the Hawthron match at KP?? Guess he was giving him some advice on how to get the ball. :D
 

Partridge

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Don't forget Essendon and West Coast either. Well we didn't smash them, but still won.

Lol, remember that drunk guy who ran out to Jason Dunstall in the middle of the Hawthron match at KP?? Guess he was giving him some advice on how to get the ball. :D
Jeez you've stumped me there. Yeah actually I do vaguely remember a guy running out there. I was busy at the time abusing Hawthorn supporters up behind the goals. :thumbsu:
 

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#18
Definately the 1991 and 1997 seasons, for different reasons.

1991 we went from 11.3 to 11.13 with an array of missed shots at goal, by Neeld, Stoneham and others who just needed to kick even so much as 3.7 to almost play the Hawks out of it. Then in the last few minutes, Poole has a flying shot for goal from about 55 metres, that was touched near the line. Losing that game may well have broken the heart of the team, then another inaccurate 8.16 the following week lost to the Eagles. Waverley also was never Geelong's most favoured ground.

1997 we really should have taken every step to finish top. We has a narrowish win in the last round to the Swans, while St.Kilda also won their last game against Port at AAMI. Just .48% separated the two sides at the end of Rd 21, but the massive difference in quality of opponent was deadly for Geelong. St.Kilda played the very ordinary Lions who were 10-11-1, as all four teams who had a chance to make the 8 in that round lost!! Geelong played the infinately more dangerous reigning premiers the Kangaroos, with Carey at his best. They play a night game, at the 'G' which is marred by a rainstorm after half time. The Kangaroos who do play well in wet, slippery conditions, beat uis by 18 points. If only we were top and played the easy Lions!

1993 also, no doubt we would have won that year as we were the best side in the last 5 weeks. To finish just 6 premiership points off top place, but finish 7th with a 12-8 record was galling in the extreme. Uniquely in seasons since 1970, it was the only season with less than 22 rounds too.

Still, i have a feeling that this team will make their own luck in the coming few years, and hopefully add to the trophy cabinet with some more cups.
 

bingle

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#20
1993 also, no doubt we would have won that year as we were the best side in the last 5 weeks. To finish just 6 premiership points off top place, but finish 7th with a 12-8 record was galling in the extreme. Uniquely in seasons since 1970, it was the only season with less than 22 rounds too.
i think it was gary snr. who said jokingly at the end of the season that year that it was the AFL's fault Geelong didnt make the 6 because it was a 20 game season instead of 22.
 
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#21
1993 was so bloody frustrating. I vividly remember watching us smash the crap out of North and Hawthorn in successive weeks, and then to miss the finals altogether.....yes not a pleasant memory.

For me though, the 2 toughest years were 1991 and 1992. That second semi-final loss to Hawthorn in 1991 is still my most hated loss. Because we had them and kicked poorly to lose the game. And like now, I really hated Hawthorn.

1992 was simple. All they had to do was take out Matera and they win.[/quote]

Don't know about that Partridge, IMO we were outplayed for majority of the game. Tony Evans and Brett Heady ripped us to shreds in the middle too, and Peter Sumich kicked 6. Meanwhile our forwards in Brownless and Ablett didn't really deliver. Matera was the difference but he din't do it alone
 

Partridge

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Don't know about that Partridge, IMO we were outplayed for majority of the game. Tony Evans and Brett Heady ripped us to shreds in the middle too, and Peter Sumich kicked 6. Meanwhile our forwards in Brownless and Ablett didn't really deliver. Matera was the difference but he din't do it alone
Maybe, but why would you ever put Bairstow on him as a tagger? On a wing? Where he'd never played before. Plus Bruns should never have played (another in the long line of sentimental grand final selections that failed).

Ablett played a solid game in '92, Brownless had a shocker though.
 
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Maybe, but why would you ever put Bairstow on him as a tagger? On a wing? Where he'd never played before. Plus Bruns should never have played (another in the long line of sentimental grand final selections that failed).

Ablett played a solid game in '92, Brownless had a shocker though.
I was actually under the impression that Riccardi played on Matera, that certainly is a strange move if Bairstow played on him though. Yeah, Bruns shouldn't have played but he probably wasn't the worst on the day (eg. Miles, Simpson, Wills). Someone had to come in for Bews and I guess position-wise and experience-wise Bruns seemed the best replacement.
 

Partridge

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#25
Or 1962 when Doug Wade had that very soft free kick paid against him in the preliminary final. :p

Not that I was around to see it, but I have heard and read about it.
Same here. My Dad was there that day, he's been going on about it ever since! Although I think this year's result calmed him down somewhat.
 
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