Has the 2007 losing Port Power Grand Final team being too harshly judged ?

[Elmer_Judd]

I mean for one thing, they came across the most dominant single season Premiership Team of this century (Geelong) for one thing, and secondly the ordinary performance of grand finalists that have been flogged on the big day, like Melbourne in 1988 and 2000 and The Giants last year, seems to have been swept under the carpet, but Port and their admittedly indefensible 119 losing point margin is still being scorned all these years later.

I would submit to the jury that any team that played Geelong that day, in that form, would have lost by 10 goals plus.

In most instances, a solemn and dignified show of respect is given to the losing Grand Final team, but I truly think Port 07 team has been far too harshly judged and should be given a lot more respect for their achievements that season..

The players and Choco Williams do not deserve to have that stigma and constant reminding of that loss, reckon it's time we cut them some slack as I said, I truly believe there is not team in the AFL that would have come close to Geelong in the Grand Final that day, and we are giving that Cats flag team a disservice by paying more attention to Port's poor form, rather than how Geelong were on the day (i picked up a copy of that GF on DVD for 2 dollarydoos at Cash Converters), they were one helluva team.

 

[00Stinger]

I mean for one thing, they came across the most dominant single season Premiership Team of this century (Geelong) for one thing, and secondly the ordinary performance of grand finalists that have been flogged on the big day, like Melbourne in 1988 and 2000 and The Giants last year, seems to have been swept under the carpet, but Port and their admittedly indefensible 119 losing point margin is still being scorned all these years later.

Melbourne lost by 59 less points to Essendon in 2000 who were much more dominate than Geelong were in 2007

Geelong were the arguably the most dominate side in the regular season in 2008, not 2009 and they lost the Gf that year

 

[Elmer_Judd]

Melbourne lost by 59 less points to Essendon in 2000 who were much more dominate than Geelong were in 2007

Geelong were the arguably the most dominate side in the regular season in 2008, not 2009 and they lost the Gf that year

This may be controversial, but the Geelong 07 team had more talent/was better than Essendon 2000 who only lost one game.

 

[Dinsdale]

Geelong looked so good in 07 Grand Final because Port looked so bad - they basically gave up, and Geelong quite rightly put them to the sword.

 

[00Stinger]

This may be controversial, but the Geelong 07 team had more talent/was better than Essendon 2000 who only lost one game.

but the Geelong 08 team was much better than the 07 version

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Geelong were a great team in 2007 that was absolutely primed and ready to win that flag on GF day. I doubt any side that year would have challenged them on that day.

However, Port also dropped their bundle quite badly relative to other performances. Similar to Giants last year in some respects but they had been a much etter H&A team and not had to go through three grueling finals beforehand. They had appeared to be a very genuine contender prior to the GF. Keep in mind they had beaten Geelong down at KP only one month earlier. They also mounted a significant challenge for Geelong in round 1 of 2008.

This may be controversial, but the Geelong 07 team had more talent/was better than Essendon 2000 who only lost one game.

Essendon had a better single season. Not much to debate there, but from round 6 2007 to round 13 2009, Geelong lost only three games. Geelong took 5 rounds to click in 2007, which detracts from that overall season performance, but given that incredible run, it is fair to say that they were better once they got going.

 

[La Dispute]

AFL is such a high scoring game that once a team is out of it they are really out of it, and if they can't even play for pride then the result can get pretty ugly.

It's not as though Port were an almost 20-goal worse team, and by the same token GWS weren't a 15-goal worse team than Richmond in last years Grand Final, but momentum takes over and full confidence kicks in and the opposing team is helpless to stop the onslaught.

Port also beat Geelong in 2007 IIRC?

 

[Guardian Hawk]

AFL is such a high scoring game that once a team is out of it they are really out of it, and if they can't even play for pride then the result can get pretty ugly.

It's not as though Port were an almost 20-goal worse team, and by the same token GWS weren't a 15-goal worse team than Richmond in last years Grand Final, but momentum takes over and full confidence kicks in and the opposing team is helpless to stop the onslaught.

Port also beat Geelong in 2007 IIRC?

Yes, Port beat Geelong in Geelong right before finals (in a high intensity match) to secure a home qualifying final.

Geelong were almost rolled by a 6th placed Collingwood team (who won 13 games for the year) in the Prelim whilst Port thrashed their top 4 opponents by 87 points (who Geelong had also thrashed).

West Coast were also considered the best side until Judd, Cousins and Kerr all sustained injuries.

It's only in hindsight that we talk about Gelong as some all dominant team - after what happened in the GF. Before the game, there were as many people tipping Port as there were Geelong.

 

[2009premiers]

The Geelong team came within a whisker of losing the PF against a ruckless Pies (Richards and Bryan).

A Josh Fraser injury was what stopped Port winning the flag.

Any team can have a bad day - Geelong could have easily missed out eight days earlier.

 

[Elmer_Judd]

AFL is such a high scoring game that once a team is out of it they are really out of it, and if they can't even play for pride then the result can get pretty ugly.

It's not as though Port were an almost 20-goal worse team, and by the same token GWS weren't a 15-goal worse team than Richmond in last years Grand Final, but momentum takes over and full confidence kicks in and the opposing team is helpless to stop the onslaught.

Port also beat Geelong in 2007 IIRC?

Yeah a few of weeks before at the Cattery in the Home and Away season (last team to beat Geelong that year)

Reckon Port spent all their petrol tickets just making it to the Granny, and were physically and emotionally spent.

Look I get the horrific scoreline in the GF, but given their preseason, it was 18 months of hard solid work by the PAFC players, and i do not believe the club or it's players or fans deserve to have this black mark (seemingly) hanging over their heads.

Its time we (the footy community) cut them some slack

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

The story goes that Williams wanted to clog the game up after half time to stop the margin blowing out but Phil Walsh talked him into not doing that and trying to ruin the spectacle of a Grand Final or something. Thanks Phil.

 

[footyfan1978]

This overseas Port Power supporter never got over it.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Nah.

119 points is 119 points.

 

[NetworkNerd]

It was a gutsy come from behind win by the Cats that day.

But in all seriousness Port were a confident team up until that day. It took them many years until Ken Hinkley came to the club to regain that confidence.

Unfortunately for them.. their Grand Final side will go down in history along with many other strong interstate sides that have fallen at the last hurdle to Victorian opposition. But I think the best forgotten interstate sides were the ones that finished minor premier.

- West Coast 1991
- Sydney 1996
- Sydney 2014
- Sydney 2016
- Adelaide 2017

Port 2007 would be a tier below the above sides

 

[Roddy]

Cats were Overall an even better side in ‘08. How did that work out for them?

They went from playing the weakest runner up in history to being the best runner up in history the year after.

Funny how these things work out...

 

[Art Vandelay_]

but the Geelong 08 team was much better than the 07 version

It really wasn’t.

It just took 4-6 weeks for the new found ruthlessness to kick in. Would say both years were just as dominant.

 

[PowerForGood]

I mean for one thing, they came across the most dominant single season Premiership Team of this century (Geelong) for one thing, and secondly the ordinary performance of grand finalists that have been flogged on the big day, like Melbourne in 1988 and 2000 and The Giants last year, seems to have been swept under the carpet, but Port and their admittedly indefensible 119 losing point margin is still being scorned all these years later.

I would submit to the jury that any team that played Geelong that day, in that form, would have lost by 10 goals plus.

In most instances, a solemn and dignified show of respect is given to the losing Grand Final team, but I truly think Port 07 team has been far too harshly judged and should be given a lot more respect for their achievements that season..

The players and Choco Williams do not deserve to have that stigma and constant reminding of that loss, reckon it's time we cut them some slack as I said, I truly believe there is not team in the AFL that would have come close to Geelong in the Grand Final that day, and we are giving that Cats flag team a disservice by paying more attention to Port's poor form, rather than how Geelong were on the day (i picked up a copy of that GF on DVD for 2 dollarydoos at Cash Converters), they were one helluva team.

I think if they're rightly judged harshly because of how they fell away afterwards, not just because of the game itself. This is where the Giants find themselves now.

That 2007 season Port had an excellent record against the other top teams, I think they racked up 6 or 7 wins against the other top teams incl Geel in Geel and Coll at the 'G.

 

[Roobs321]

In terms of their ability to win going into the day, history has underrated them. Almost immediately, Collingwood supporters behaved as if they were the real finalist, which is garbage. Port might have flogged them.

But if you are going to 119, you should expect some absolute ribbing. 2008 hangover was 50% of this.

It was also a soft season, not many expected Port to contend in the preseason, with Geelong and healthy WCE the only sides that looked suitably impressive at times.

 

[Deadly Assassin]

It really wasn’t.

It just took 4-6 weeks for the new found ruthlessness to kick in. Would say both years were just as dominant.

The whole 2007-2011 stretch saw 5 years from Geelong all being just as dominant as one another. Really they could have won 5 premierships in a row and probably deserved to as well.

Not that I'm complaining as it makes our premiership in 2010 all the more incredible having to get past an all time great team on our way to the premiership.

I think if they're rightly judged harshly because of how they fell away afterwards, not just because of the game itself. This is where the Giants find themselves now.

That 2007 season Port had an excellent record against the other top teams, I think they racked up 6 or 7 wins against the other top teams incl Geel in Geel and Coll at the 'G.

Adelaide 2017 were a worse team than Port Adelaide 2007. Comfortably too.

It's easy to forget that Port Adelaide team which faced Geelong on grand final day contained 11 players from the 2004 premiership team and were far more finals hardened overall than Geelong.

Geelong's team had no grand final experience apart from Cameron Mooney, who was in North Melbourne's 1999 premiership team and his experience consisted of warming the bench and posting donuts on the stats sheet.

Remember just a week prior to the 2007 grand final where Geelong scraped over the line against a BOG average Collingwood outfit by 5 points.

The same Collingwood outfit finished 6th in the home and away with a 12-10 W-L record and percentage of 101% while the only thing separating Geelong and Collingwood on prelim final night was Brad Ottens.

There are no excuses for Port Adelaide getting obliterated the way they did on grand final day in 2007. None whatsoever.

 

[Rob R]

I remember watching the game with some Port fans and before quarter time, they were saying that Port just were not interested on the day. Geelong were good but Port put in no effort.

On SM-G570F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[GoldenMagpie16]

People gotta remember that Port was trailing by 128 points before Geelong took the foot off, imagine if Geelong keep going until the end, it'll been 150+

It isn't harshly judged.

 

[kranky al]

The whole 2007-2011 stretch saw 5 years from Geelong all being just as dominant as one another. Really they could have won 5 premierships in a row and probably deserved to as well.

Not that I'm complaining as it makes our premiership in 2010 all the more incredible having to get past an all time great team on our way to the premiership.



Adelaide 2017 were a worse team than Port Adelaide 2007. Comfortably too.

It's easy to forget that Port Adelaide team which faced Geelong on grand final day contained 11 players from the 2004 premiership team and were far more finals hardened overall than Geelong.

Geelong's team had no grand final experience apart from Cameron Mooney, who was in North Melbourne's 1999 premiership team and his experience consisted of warming the bench and posting donuts on the stats sheet.

Remember just a week prior to the 2007 grand final where Geelong scraped over the line against a BOG average Collingwood outfit by 5 points.

The same Collingwood outfit finished 6th in the home and away with a 12-10 W-L record and percentage of 101% while the only thing separating Geelong and Collingwood on prelim final night was Brad Ottens.

There are no excuses for Port Adelaide getting obliterated the way they did on grand final day in 2007. None whatsoever.

Noone was beating collingwood in 2010. Some of the best footy ive ever seen.

 

[Gavin Excell]

The whole 2007-2011 stretch saw 5 years from Geelong all being just as dominant as one another. Really they could have won 5 premierships in a row and probably deserved to as well.

Not that I'm complaining as it makes our premiership in 2010 all the more incredible having to get past an all time great team on our way to the premiership.



Adelaide 2017 were a worse team than Port Adelaide 2007. Comfortably too.

It's easy to forget that Port Adelaide team which faced Geelong on grand final day contained 11 players from the 2004 premiership team and were far more finals hardened overall than Geelong.

Geelong's team had no grand final experience apart from Cameron Mooney, who was in North Melbourne's 1999 premiership team and his experience consisted of warming the bench and posting donuts on the stats sheet.

Remember just a week prior to the 2007 grand final where Geelong scraped over the line against a BOG average Collingwood outfit by 5 points.

The same Collingwood outfit finished 6th in the home and away with a 12-10 W-L record and percentage of 101% while the only thing separating Geelong and Collingwood on prelim final night was Brad Ottens.

There are no excuses for Port Adelaide getting obliterated the way they did on grand final day in 2007. None whatsoever.

Port had also beaten Geelong only a month prior at KP

 

[JackOutback]

Yes, Port beat Geelong in Geelong right before finals (in a high intensity match) to secure a home qualifying final.

Geelong were almost rolled by a 6th placed Collingwood team (who won 13 games for the year) in the Prelim whilst Port thrashed their top 4 opponents by 87 points (who Geelong had also thrashed).

West Coast were also considered the best side until Judd, Cousins and Kerr all sustained injuries.

It's only in hindsight that we talk about Gelong as some all dominant team - after what happened in the GF. Before the game, there were as many people tipping Port as there were Geelong.

I agree, in order to give Port the benefit of the doubt, he’s overstating Geelong a little. 2007 was primed for Geelong vs a fit and firing West Coast but that unfortunately went to s**t.

 

[Engimal v3]

The Geelong team of the late 2000s is about as near perfect as you can get. We often joke about opposition being "witches hats", but I've never seen a team make end-to-end goals look like training exercises as often as that team did.