How much would you like to see back to back flags?

[PerthBoy86]

I know we're a long way from even thinking of winning another anytime soon, but a convo with another member led to something that - I wouldn't say bugs me, but which I bring up from time to time in convos about our legacy: the fact we always seem to slide after a premiership. I guess it's mostly been bad luck/timing. Lord knows we've had our chances, 93, 07, 19. Arguably a 3 peat wasnt that far off somewhere there...but something always goes wrong. I mean, we haven't even had a chance to defend our premiership, i.e. play in a gf after winning the previous. We tend to lose one first then win one shortly after. In the AFL era the Crows, Lions, Hawks, Tigers have managed it so it's a tough feat for anyone, but still something I'd love to see before my time on this earth is over (I'm 37, born the same year as the WCFC). But ultimately more a bonus than anything.

Maybe a trite thread but it's off season now.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

I’d sell my kidney for back to back wins.

 

[ep2018]

Had we beaten the tigers in the second last round in 2019 I reckon we'd have gone back to back. Sliding doors moment losing that.

imo had we beaten Port in 2007 we'd have made the GF however Geelong would have beaten us. 2006 flag sandwiched between two losing grand finals, would have stung a bit.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Also it is wild to me how consistently this board downplays the borderline impossibility of winning a flag as a non Victorian club.

Back to back sounds great. We’ve had teams good enough in theory, but when the league is designed to make it easy for some clubs to get one and remarkably hard for others to even come close, I’m happy with ripping off single flags as often as we do.

 

[dajesmac]

I'd settle for avoiding back to back spoons for now

 

[PerthBoy86]

Had we beaten the tigers in the second last round in 2019 I reckon we'd have gone back to back. Sliding doors moment losing that.

imo had we beaten Port in 2007 we'd have made the GF however Geelong would have beaten us. 2006 flag sandwiched between two losing grand finals, would have stung a bit.

Yeah we weren't far off from having 2 potential 3 peats in the early 90s and mid 00s. If we'd won 93, 05 and 07 we'd have 7 flags and be by far the greatest of the AFL era. But I'm pretty happy with 4 out of 7, given 2 were so close as well.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Also it is wild to me how consistently this board downplays the borderline impossibility of winning a flag as a non Victorian club.

Back to back sounds great. We’ve had teams good enough in theory, but when the league is designed to make it easy for some clubs to get one and remarkably hard for others to even come close, I’m happy with ripping off single flags as often as we do.

Some say we're the only interstate club to win it without concessions that wasn't a merged (Brisbane Lions) club. I don't know much about that but will take it as a compliment lol.

 

[Wooshaaaa]

91 lost gf
92 won
93 should've couldve
94 won
95 still had a chance.


2005 should've
06 won
07 cousins!
08 Judd!

2015 shouldve
18 won
19 Rioli ban derailed us
20 covid hubs
21 game plan found out


We've had our chances and stuffed it up.

On Pixel 6 Pro using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Barrybran]

I think two of the biggest 'what ifs' are 2016 and 2019. 2016 is obviously not a back-to-back chance but we had a shot at a flag. This was the year when Nic Nat did his knee on the eve of the finals and we got rolled in an elimination final by the eventual premier in a season where the top seven teams were separated by two games. 2019 was when we kicked seven goals in the first quarter against Richmond, the eventual premier, on their home deck, in a game that would have secured a top two finish, and we somehow managed to lose. then lose against Hawthorn at home the next week.

 

[Dom sheed pocket]

I think two of the biggest 'what ifs' are 2016 and 2019. 2016 is obviously not a back-to-back chance but we had a shot at a flag. This was the year when Nic Nat did his knee on the eve of the finals and we got rolled in an elimination final by the eventual premier in a season where the top seven teams were separated by two games. 2019 was when we kicked seven goals in the first quarter against Richmond, the eventual premier, on their home deck, in a game that would have secured a top two finish, and we somehow managed to lose. then lose against Hawthorn at home the next week.

Agree on Round 22 v Tigers. That game goes down in Tigers folk lore as the moment they put a huge dent in the chances of one their biggest rivals for the flag.

There’s a reason the AFL included it as one of Hardwick’s top 10 highlights of his coaching career, and Tigers fans remember it fondly.

For me, I think the damage was done in round 17 against Collingwood. Up by 3 goals just before 3/4 time and only scoring 1 one point after that in a game we lost at home by a point to a team who eventually finished in fourth on percentage.

If we win that game, but lost R22 we’d still finish 3rd and square off against a young and inexperienced Lions outfit in a qualifying final.

 

[WCE_Phill]

Biggest opportunity was 2005? Meaning 06 was the back to back year.

05 to 06 we were fair superior side, Sydney were just an average team

2005,

1. Barry Hall should of been suspended
2. Selection, Matera and Lynch should of played

 

[Shuestar13]

The above is deranged. Completely and totally.

Anyhow, will be happy to see another flag. I have no expectations on us ever going back to back. As a non Victorian club, winning one is a huge achievement in the current environment. I am thankful and appreciative of what our club has achieved over the time

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Biggest opportunity was 2005? Meaning 06 was the back to back year.

05 to 06 we were fair superior side, Sydney were just an average team

2005,

1. Barry Hall should of been suspended
2. Selection, Matera and Lynch should of played

Nah, Cuz and co. would have gone completely off the rails a year earlier had we won it in 2005.

 

[Ochre]

Had we beaten the tigers in the second last round in 2019 I reckon we'd have gone back to back. Sliding doors moment losing that.

imo had we beaten Port in 2007 we'd have made the GF however Geelong would have beaten us. 2006 flag sandwiched between two losing grand finals, would have stung a bit.

Cats in 07 were never as good as the margin suggests. 07 Prelim and 08 GF shows that if we'd managed to get early pressure on them, there's every chance they would've folded.

 

[Cuzz09]

Would be a dream come true to win back 2 back.


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[Astro7]

Will accept nothing but a dynasty!!!
To really cement our legacy in history, not only as the first non-Vic team, but as a West Aussie team, especially if you buy into the travel/time theory and extra difficulty, than even S.A.
Back to back is next, it's coming down the pipeline...believe.
Hell, why not, it's off season...time to dream. ((;
(but another mug will suffice in the meantime in the next few years)

 

[ioppolo]

2019 was the year. Even if we'd lost to Richmond but beaten Hawthorn we'd have probably faced Richmond at the MCG in a prelim and we'd shown that as long as it wasn't pissing down we could take them.

 

[mad_eagle]

In the current AFL environment any of West Coast, Freo, Adelaide or Port going back to back would be nothing short of a miracle…

 

[The Passenger]

07 full strength us v cats would have been an epic match.

The version that we would have taken to the granny or PF v cats would have copped a pretty solid spanking. No team can cover the loss of Judd, Cousins and Kerr.

Even just a full strength Judd would have bought us into contention. It's criminal that's it's forgotten how good he was at the start of 2007. Everyone remembers it as GAJ's breakout season, which is fair enough, but Judd prior to the groin injury was out of control. He was on track for 40 Brownlow votes long before 30 was the minimum needed to win. Not that the Brownlow is always the best judge, but to anyone watching the umpires were more than justified in their lovefest for Judd in the early part of that season.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Stop drinking our own bath water after every flag.

 

[PerthBoy86]

I think two of the biggest 'what ifs' are 2016 and 2019. 2016 is obviously not a back-to-back chance but we had a shot at a flag. This was the year when Nic Nat did his knee on the eve of the finals and we got rolled in an elimination final by the eventual premier in a season where the top seven teams were separated by two games. 2019 was when we kicked seven goals in the first quarter against Richmond, the eventual premier, on their home deck, in a game that would have secured a top two finish, and we somehow managed to lose. then lose against Hawthorn at home the next week.

2019 the biggest season choke. For some reason we just can't even get into a position to defend a flag. Hey, we've been blessed with 4 flags, but I think the main thing I'd want to tick off as an Eagles supporter on my team on earth (or before the club folds, whichever occurs first) is to see us go b2b.

 

[Dazzler9]

2019 was Rioli's fault.

 

[Barrybran]

2019 was Rioli's fault.

2019 was everyone's fault. We should have had a double chance.

 

[Dazzler9]

2019 was everyone's fault. We should have had a double chance.

And I blame Rioli for us not getting it.

 

[Barrybran]

And I blame Rioli for us not getting it.

Two rounds after we blew our chance at a double chance?