My fears of making the Grand Final

domus

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I am always in the group who prefers to make the GF no matter the outcome. Each week of the finals you get through the enjoyment grows and expectations evolve. It hurts more if you lose a GF than a PF but our last two PFs have been days that go into the memory bank forever. Would I like to lose them. Never, especially when there have only been 2 better days in all the years of seeing the club play and all the GFs attended going back to 1970 GF
I agree with regard to our last two prelim wins. They were special and my heart warms every time I think about them and the celebrations when the siren sounded.
 
Jul 27, 2013
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During my lifetime we have played in 15 grand finals for two wins. In 64 I was a pie fan but still too young to feel deep pain, I remember watching the replay sitting on dad's lap and seeing Gabbo's famous run and goal which put us in front with only a couple of minutes remaining. From 66 on I felt genuine grief each time we lost. I have actually attended 12 grand finals for 2 wins.
the damage over the long haul is real. I remember 64. I sometimes reconcile our story by looking at the depth of love and connection in this club. I find it hard to believe it runs as deep anywhere else. This depth of emotion comes from adversity not success in my opinion. Just enough success every now and then to wet the appetite :) and pretty much ALWAYS competitive.
 

domus

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Keep those Saints in mind. They've been up there in recent decades, but no relief since 1966.
I do. When we won in the 2010 GF I felt nothing but compassion for the broken saints supporters. All I copped for most of the grand final defeats I witnessed was in your face comments about Colliwobbles and F U's. I must say the Eagles fans last year were good-no nasty rubbing salt into the wounds. nevertheless the Saints haven't experienced the same level of heartache as Pie fans. The draw with us and the loss to the Cats would have been painful, but we have at least ten gf's we could have won with ten minutes to go. Saying we have won lots more flags is no consolation cause since my birth we have only won one more than them but lost 13. I don't get any joy out of flags won in the 1920's although I love reading about our illustrious history.
 
Oct 23, 2010
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Heh, I fear we WON'T make it. I would hate to be bundled out in a prelim when flag chances are so rare to come by. Grand final losses are miserable (last year was the worst I've ever felt after a football match), but I would take a shot at a premiership even if we were only 1% chance of winning. I love winning a prelim and knowing you have a shot at a flag the next week.

Losing to Richmond in the grand final this year would be worse than last year by far, but beating them would be the greatest feeling in the world. That's what sport is all about. I wouldn't mind another crack at them anyway, and just imagine how big the buildup would be to a Collingwood/Richmond grand final. Bring it on I say.
 

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Heh, I fear we WON'T make it. I would hate to be bundled out in a prelim when flag chances are so rare to come by. Grand final losses are miserable (last year was the worst I've ever felt after a football match), but I would take a shot at a premiership even if we were only 1% chance of winning. I love winning a prelim and knowing you have a shot at a flag the next week.

Losing to Richmond in the grand final this year would be worse than last year by far, but beating them would be the greatest feeling in the world. That's what sport is all about. I wouldn't mind another crack at them anyway, and just imagine how big the buildup would be to a Collingwood/Richmond grand final. Bring it on I say.
Living in Perth, nothing is worse than being beaten by the eagles and while those that came onto our board after the GF were graceful, the general population here wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong I hate (yes I know that’s a strong word) Carltoon, Essenendont and Bitch-mond but I’m not surrounded by their flog supporters on a daily basis like I am with Wet Toast supporters. At least the supporters on the three scum clubs know something about the game and it’s history as opposed to the theatre going Wet Toast supporters.
 

gopies1981

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Fearful. If it's a Collingwood vs Richmond GF I feel like leaving the country. Can't stand losing another one especially to those pricks.

This is one that scares me..... because can handle losing to Geelong or West Coast In the gf but not Richmond. Their supporters are absolute arrogant w***ers!!

But i truly believe that the more times you make a gf our luck will eventually change. I have been to 6 gfs for 1 win 4 losses and a draw.

A guy who I sit at the footy is 70 and he has seen every gf of Collingwood’s since 1964!!!!! That is 15 gf for 2 wins, 2 draws and 11 losses
 
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Vankri

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Apr 17, 2010
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It's obviously a very familiar feeling for a lot of Collingwood supporters.

Generally speaking if the only reason a person follows and supports a team is to experience success they are just a bandwagoner. One has to take the tough times with the great times.

Great sports club are also much more than just their results. It’s part of a social fabric and it is meant to be a shared cultural experience.

Being a Collingwood supporter means embracing all that defines us. We have the best win loss ratio in the history of the comp, something to be very proud of. We also have the worst GF record in the comp, something to be sad (together) about. These things define us and the heartaches we experience together are a bond between us around the country.

Put it this way, fundamentally sports means nothing in absolute terms. The fact that people randomly follow certain clubs and dress themselves in colours is just theatre to entertain us as humans. When Collingwood wins you haven’t achieved anything as a person yourself. What makes it meaningful is the fact that you share this identity with others, an extended family of sorts. And we are the biggest family there is. The fact that we have lost so much on the big dance and that we are mocked and hated brings us closer together. Just embrace it.

I would rather be sad about another loss and share that with all my fellow Pies supporters than follow any other club. I’m not saying it’s going be easy to see us perhaps lose another one as back to back to the Eagles or to a traditional rival in Richmond who as a club and a supporter base seem obsessed with us, but we have a club in good nick, good culture and we are up and about a more often than not so you’ll just wait a little longer and we’ll get a bunch of other flags, and who knows in the future we may turn around our GF record.

In the meantime enjoy the ride and share it with as many Pies supporters as you can, and there are many of us.
 

Occidental

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Oct 2, 2016
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I don’t get it?
You can’t win the flag without making the Granny.
It’s the best feeling ever when you make it, and the build up is such a great week.
I hate it when ‘dud’ sides make it and we miss out!
Eg what sort of Grand Final week is Geelong v Port or Hawthorn v Sydney or Hawthorn v Freo.
It has to be us!
I bloody hope we are there again!
 
I honestly don't think I can take another GF loss.

Last year hurt so much, 30 points up against the Cats and I'm just thinking about the last time we were 5 goals up in a big final.

I love this club but we just struggled to win flags.
 

Robroy22

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I thought long and hard about NOT falling into the trap of responding to this title, but in the end I felt I just had to have a say.
Stating that you FEAR a negative outcome....sheeesh....did you ever have to contend with "The Colliwobbles?" that little piece of media BS dreamt up by Louie Richards haunted thousands of supporters and their bretheren for decades until it was buried by the legends of 1990.
And now you want to fuel that BS again?

All clubs play footy to make it to the big dance don't they? We're in a position to play in another one and you wanna get SCARED by the prospect? I don't care that we played in one last year and fell short. (I was and am still proud of all our players and all our teams that tried to win GF's)

We've got just as much right to feel confident or positive about our chances and lets face it, until we're out of the hunt, then we're still a big chance. Footy's a game. In games you try to win but you have to be prepared to lose and to take those losses on the chin.

We're Collingwood for goodness sakes. We ask no favours, we take no prisoners, we stick up for our own. Scared? Of NO-ONE.
 

JinmboJones

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I know. You are right. I've walked away from the tv a few times in titanic interstate clashes, including finals and the agony of not knowing is torturous. I remember going outside during the last term of the Pies clash with West Coast in the 2007 final. I stood out on the road (we live in a court) but I could hear the screams coming from our neighbour's house (all Pies supporters and a family which has produced a couple of outstanding footballers in Ryan and Aaron Mullett) but I digress! I couldn't stand not knowing if they were screams of joy or despair so I ran back inside and saw the last 8 or 9 minutes and what a high I was on after Swanny ran in and sealed the game on the siren!
Well I was away camping for the GF last year. We had a camp kitchen at the caravan park we were staying at with the TV on and a whole heap of people in there. I ended up walking out after the first 4? goals kicked by your mob and absolutely chucked the sads. Went back to the tent with score updates on my phone whilst getting inebriated as fast as I could. Could hear some blokes a couple of camp sites away watching the game as we slowly came back in it. I returned to the camp kitchen to watch about the last 15 minutes on the telly. As a result, my joy was probably less than what it would have been had I watched the whole thing.

Point is, ride your team all the way and enjoy the ride. And yes, making a GF and losing is better than not making it. If we don't make the GF and you guys do I will be hoping for a Collingwood win, Richmond supporters are unbearable.
 

Markfs

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Tips for making through the finals period without emotional scars:

1. Avoid making outrageous predictions. Wear your colours, speak positively about the team but just avoid "we'll smash you" stuff. Being low-key before the game doesn't mean you can't go for the jugular if we should win the flag. Although it wasn't a final, went to the Eagles Pies match and was sitting in a stand of eagles members. Everyone knew I was a Pies supporter but I didnt bother to react to this young guy who was sitting beside me who spent all night trashing the Pies. However, at the end, I stood up and said some choice words about the Eagles being weak pieces of crap ( anyone swearing at Eagles games is sent to prison) and then sang every rendition of the Pies theme and added a couple of my own while turned around facing the masses. In fact, I would argue that politeness during the game makes an over the top display after the game more effective...... and if you dont win, you can leave the area asap.

2. Bet on the opposing team in the grand final. I bet on st.kilda in 2010 and got my money back and went again in the second week. I lost the bet of course....oh dear oh dear. If the saints had won, I planned to spend the winnings on alcohol. If you've got the money bet big on our grand final opponent and use the winnings to leave the country if they win ...

3. Don't get your hopes up if we're in front. The trick here is to remain balanced. The pie supporter who was watching the geelong game with me, kept on saying that he preferred to be in the Pies position than Geelong's - looking at me for support. Early in the game, it was ok but he was still saying it with 5 minutes to go. I mean the guy is suffering severely from post 2018 grand final blues. Just keep a lid on it until Dougie Barwick kicks the goal and Leigh walks down from the coaches box.
 
Jul 27, 2013
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since my last post I found out about Spud Frawley. I feel kind of bad now for feeling sorry for myself. It is just a game. I guess the club has become something I identify with and love and I want good things to happen for people who feel the same way. But if we lose - we will all be fine. Lets just get on with it and enjoy the highs more.
 

JOELY

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its funny how so many opposition fans come on here or even the main board and say how bad Richmond fans are, most of them truly are the scum of all Afl supporters and I am glad we are not the only ones that see that.

Something i've noticed about Collingwood supporters is, although we're sometimes a bit rough and we have our fair share of idiots, we are pretty grounded comparatively. I reckon it's because everyone single one of us from a young age have put up with more s**t than any other supporter for just being a Collingwood supporter. You all know what I'm talking about. And I think after a while we get used to it and are able to shake it off. Other clubs supporters probably are a bit more sensitive. This is why on the Richmond board you have a thread that says "no opposition supporters" or on other boards you have threads dedicated to stupid stuff other supporters say. You never see this here. I reckon our checkered gf win/loss history has humbled us a tad, some clubs not so much and haven't really endeared themselves when they've had recent success.
 

cliffdrabble

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Have waited 50+ years to see history change for us. But,alas poor Yorrick.

It is amazing to see our record against the Hawthorns, Richmonds and Carltons. Throw in Essendon as well. When those clubs make GFs they more than likely win. Our record of clutching defeat from the jaws of victory is unparalleled in world sport. We hoped after 1990 it would change. Heard Alan MacAlister boast to a lady in the old Vic Park Social Club in 1992, that by 2000 we would win 5 more flags.

So how can you be optimistic about a Premiership this year. I find it fascinating that on this board there seems to be a constant bickering towards those who are termed 'negative' posters. The majority of scientific studies show that those considered 'negative', as long as the degree of negativity is not overwhelming, tend to achieve more in life, simply because they feel the need to work harder. Things don't just land in your lap unless you are lucky.

I never have expectations about the Pies. Simply because I have no control over the outcome. When you have no expectations, you will not be unhappy
 

cliffdrabble

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Also, would rather make a GF than not. It is a great week that 16 other clubs will be envious of.

For the OP, just remember the episode of Seinfeld where George and Elaine burst into Jerry's apartment after being at some sporting event. 'We won, we won'
Jerry replies ' No, the team won, you just watched them'. Puts a bit of perspective into the equation.
 
Mar 18, 2013
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its funny how so many opposition fans come on here or even the main board and say how bad Richmond fans are, most of them truly are the scum of all Afl supporters and I am glad we are not the only ones that see that.
And it’s a shame. I actually really like Richmond’s list and a lot of their players; they’re become very well run as a club and they truly deserve to be contending for a flag yet again. However most of their supporters are unbelievably petty and tiresome that they don’t deserve to see their team succeed. It was only until a handful of years ago that I considered Richmond a “second team” of mine (whereby I didn’t mind seeing them get on a good run).
 
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