I blame the players for going out on the p1ss in the week of the 1974 elimination final down at Barwon Heads or wherever it was, and then all playing like **** on game day. Instead of celebrating making the finals for the first time in 13 years as the end result, the stupid bastards should have done everything possible to set themselves for a big game. Lots of those guys were my heroes back in those days, but apparently they all got on the turps. We'd won 6 in a row, Pies were coming off three losses, and we kicked 1.10, 2.0 and 0.8 in the last three quarters to 5.0, 3.3 and 6.1 after being 17points down at quarter time. So 3.18 to 14.4 in 3 quarters, against a team with a few standouts and lots of foot soldiers, while we fielded Dempsey, Gallagher, Huppatz, Jennings, Magee, Parke, Quinlan, Sandilands, Stoneham, Round, amongst others.
THAT was the start of all our troubles, then came Sachse the next year, leading the elim in 76 until the last few minutes against Geelong, then 9 years in the wilderness, and so on...
Those players in that 74 side should all talk to our current list en masse, and say "sorry fellas, 40+ years ago we ****ed up, and so one night this year, we will all appear at training together, to get the monkey off our back, and change the course of history...." Then they should all write me a personal letter apologising for the angst I've suffered as a supporter ever since, and apologise to everyone involved on Leon's list for jixing our club ever since.
And as for the administrators of our club in the 1970s, they're as much to blame as the players...
I could go on and on, but I would only break down and sit in a corner and start rocking again. I loved the 70s as a young kid barracking for his club, but looking back now, what a ******* wasted period for our club with all the on-field talent we had at our disposal. We had as much talent as some of the power teams of the era - and have absolutely jack-**** to show for it.
And you young whipper-snappers complain about the 90s...