Autopsy Re-watching the 2008 grand final

[barmy44]

When Otto took the shot from 50 in the 2nd quarter I think it was instead of passing to a wide open Domsy all alone in the goal square I knew we were in a world of trouble

he was actually about 20 metres out

it was a shocker.

 

[Vdubs]

Had a few friends around for a bbq on that fateful day

Even though we entered at half time ahead or just behind (cant recall) knew we had blown it. I reacted badly at half time and remember people at the bbq looking at me oddly.

Was just a special type of awful beacuse we were the better side and the seemingly cavalier attitude of players got to me.

Having said that, I seriously doubt we would have had the fortitude in the final qtr v Saints to get up the following year.

Leads to the interesting question - would you have taken the 2008 flag if it meant losing 2009

Back to back, beating Hawthorn, you bet.

 

[SleazySimon]

Never left before the final siren ever,even in the dark old days.

My parents forced me to sit through the entire 1994/95 grand finals as a 10/11 year old. Apparently to teach me about loyalty :/

So I've had no problem watching the first half of the 08 grand final considering we played ok up till half time. Couldn't bring myself to watch the second half. But its not that bad. Some of you here need to harden up a little (and I hate saying that).

 

[barmy44]

So, what we need for b2b is for Bay to do a Lucas and re-release them, one a year, redone in 3d. Except the last one was already in 3d....

what a 'sophies choice'!

geelong win flags, but michael bay keeps making garbage films; or geelong never wins another flag, but michael bay f***s off.

leaning towards the second.

 

[thecatattack]

Some of you here need to harden up a little (and I hate saying that).

That's such a simplistic thing to say.

My Dad went to 89, 92, 94 and 95 before he was able to see 07. Then what happened in 08 was devastating for him and hates any mention of it to this day.

 

[Catatonic Shock]

I actually regret the 08 Grand Final for 2 reasons.
Firstly, I was at the game, I had thoughts leading up to the game that things weren't right but that's another story, anyway so I have perfect seats (September Member ho!) and I left when Hodge got named as norm.
What I did after I regret badly, my uncle is a Hawks fan/Geelong member. Is at the core a hawks fan but watches the Cats/is a big fan of the Cats and he called me as I was walking out of the ground, instead of being gracious and letting him celebrate a famous Grand Final victory I vented on him (not at him mind you) for 10 minutes. I really feel bad even to this day about that, I've apologised of course but instead of celebrating the win he spent 10 minutes listening to his heart broken (for a 28 year old ) nephew on the phone.
Anyway, onto the watching part, I've watched the first half twice, up to and including Abletts goal in the third once, I can't watch past there anymore, I get seriously EXTREMELY PISSED OFF about all "those" misses....
I won't watch it again, not from a "OMG I cannot watch it ever again!!!" point of view just more I won't go out of my way to watch it and even if it is on TV I'll just flick to something else, much as I would about a home and away lose.

 

[Teriyakicat]

For me, Alzheimer's is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Can't remember any of...
.....what was I talking about?

 

[catstorm]

definitely would have traded the 2009 flag for the 2008 flag. As you say, back2back achievements are extremely rare and beating Hawthorn in the big one would have put us 2-1 all time against them.

I would trade 09 for 08 but i wouldn't trade 11 for anything i enjoyed that flag more then the other two.

 

[Copernicus]

What sort of ****ing masochist would do this to themselves?

2008 is a year that does not exist in my consciousness.

 

[Pollywaffle]

(It is difficult enough seeing a retired Port player called Stuart Dew scoffing a pie in the stands when I watch a replay of the 2007 GF !!!)

Thank you for this cleansing experience.

Yes I noticed that for the first time when i watched that game again. Weird in retrospect. Who'd have thought he would help bury us the next year.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

I actually regret the 08 Grand Final for 2 reasons.

Anyway, onto the watching part, I've watched the first half twice, up to and including Abletts goal in the third once, I can't watch past there anymore, I get seriously EXTREMELY PISSED OFF about all "those" misses....
I won't watch it again, not from a "OMG I cannot watch it ever again!!!" point of view just more I won't go out of my way to watch it and even if it is on TV I'll just flick to something else, much as I would about a home and away lose.

Thats actually - the point of no return

 

[Stig_90]

Back to back, beating Hawthorn, you bet.

Absolutely. Especially since we beat a side in St Kilda who were arguably the best team in 09 and are on such a long flag drought. I still feel sorry for their fans.

The difference between losing a granny to Hawthorn and St Kilda is massive to me.

 

[Partridge]

That's such a simplistic thing to say.

My Dad went to 89, 92, 94 and 95 before he was able to see 07. Then what happened in 08 was devastating for him and hates any mention of it to this day.

To me that's easily the worst grand final loss. By a long, long way.

 

[xraycat]

I still haven't been able to bring myself to watch this game..

All I remember is the feeling of helplessness as it dawned on my what the Hawks were doing with the rushed behinds. Knowing that they had us by the balls and that our game way beaten by such a dirty tactic. I think the players had the same feeling and it caused them to panic. Suddenly the immense pressure we were able to apply in our forward 50 was useless. They would just take it over the line and reset.

I am still angry about it. Not that we lost, but the fact that nothing was made of the rushed behinds. The rule was quietly changed, but the history books do not reflect that they won the games by employing a tactic that is 100% against the spirit of the game.

 

[bigfarter]

Have never tried to rewatch the game and don't think I ever would. I thankfully don't remember much of it (other than the Mooney miss before half-time that gets replayed a lot) but it was a bad day all around. I was at the game but could only score a ticket sitting by myself. As the game got away from us I got waaay too drunk, annoying everybody in my row by constantly getting up for more drinks and generally being a pretty poor patron. I'm NEVER ill-behaved at the footy but I was just not emotionally prepared for what happened that day. I left with 10 minutes to go in the final term with a lot of strangers disliking me. Got to the pub and immediately ran into two (very cruel) friends who immediately pointed and laughed about the result. Surprised I didn't hit them!

I think in the long run it did make us stronger as a team as we'd become accustomed to winning and expected it as a formality. To have the pride of the players (and fans) pricked in such a devastating manner meant that in '09 and '11 the boys were never going to give up. It's funny now with the rivalry it kicked off with Hawthorn, many fans (in this thread) say they'd trade in '09 for '08 but I actually think had we won '08 we would have taken it somewhat for granted. We felt it was our 'right'. By losing it, it meant the team and it's supporters absolutely cherished the next two flags because we'd seen an apparently unstoppable team fall at the final hurdle.

All that being said, I'd like Geelong to beat Hawthorn in a Grand Final one of these days just to shut up the Hawks fans who insist we can't beat them in a final, ignoring the '11 QF and shifting the goal-posts, as they do.

 

[Vdubs]

To me that's easily the worst grand final loss. By a long, long way.

Agree.
All the others, except maybe and arguably 1967, we were not the best team those seasons. Losing it from that background, being the best performed team all year, like Saints in 2009, is more distressing.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I have a permanent reminder of the game in the form of a scar on my hand.

I watched the game at a sports bar in St. Kilda, after Ablett slotted his goal (2nd quarter? I was hammered ..) I went to punch the wall in celebration - except it wasn't actually a wall next to me, it was a trophy cabinet. Put my hand straight through it, instantly had about 300 pairs of eyes on me as blood poured from my hand.

watched the game til the bitter end, then had to be restrained from killing a lippy Saints supporter afterwards (a Saints supporter of all things! Where do they get off!?) - luckily I had a good fella who was a member of the club with me who a) got me out of paying for the trophy cabinet, and b) intervened with myself and the Saints supporter before things got ugly.

There's no need for me to watch the game again, I recall bits and pieces, and freakin' Ch7 seem to replay it every other month.

One thing I will say is that Hawthorn's field kicking that day was very good, they often seemed to have loose men outside their defensive 50 and they had the kicking skills to find those men, who were then away with little pressure.

We were horrible though, and I had to put up with 12 months of my little brother, who had just moved in with me, asking me if I wanted to watch the dvd of the game *every single day after I got home from work*.
Eventually I had to remind him who the big brother was by putting him on his clacker in front of his girlfriend.

so, as you can gather, that game and result brought out the very worst in me .

 

[romeoh]

Never watched it, never will.
Was at all the other losses-89, 92, 94, 95-they were all hard in different ways (actually 89 was ok-nothing was expected from us really and such a great game).
We were not the best team of the year in any of those losses, so even though it was painful, it was in the scheme of things.
2008 we were easily a 6 goal better team, its that simple and I will not ever really accept the loss.
Admittedly 09 and 11 have been wonderful remedies and I think 3 for the era is good return.
But its a long time and the 'emotional' pain of it faded for me long ago, but it will always be an 'intellectual' pain, if that make sense.
So am happy but would like the Saints to have gotten one.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I might have, but only for tactical carpark reasons. And if I did it when losing, I did it equally when winning.

Actually, I do remember leaving in 09.
Son was 2, driving me insane, it was about 9:30 and we were getting done.
Think it was against Carlton. Copped a ton of swearing as I was leaving. Thought it was great considering I had a 2 and 6 year old. NEVER been to a night game since.

you know how you said to me in chit chat some things stick in the memory. that 09 carlton game sticks in the memory, only because apart from being beaten by the blues (with fev having 10 shots!), the MCG big screen showed a progress score from the 4th ashes test at headingley... a huge cheer ensued as the Aussies had scittled the poms in the first session of the match (for 102)... funny how something completely unrelated has engrained that match in my brain for life.

 

[karencatsfan]

To me that's easily the worst grand final loss. By a long, long way.

I agree. Was the worst.
Erased the recording so I couldn't be tempted to EVER see it again

 

[year of the cat]

To put that in its historical context Bobby- i heard Bruce McAveney ( the king of the stats) say - in the Haw v Nth Melb game- last Friday night- in the last qtr - with the Hawks well behind - that in the Hawthorn Football Clubs entire history - that the biggest deficit at 3qtr time they come from to subsequently win the game was 25 points- against Richmond in the mid 1950s

So Geelong are 20 pts in front of them at 3qtr time in a prelim final - and we somehow lost - that 4th flag - slipped through the net - slipped through the fingers

Is that right? I remember the Hawks coming from miles back to beat the Saints at VFL Park back in the 90's I think. Not sure what the 3/4 time margin was but I thought it might have been more than 25 pts.

 

[vinum coupe]

Got to love that we get the chance to discuss which GF we would have preferred to win or lose.

 

[Vdubs]

Got to love that we get the chance to discuss which GF we would have preferred to win or lose.

So true, we are a very fortunate supporter group, yet just 8 years ago, who would have thought?

 

[SydneyMalakellis]

Got to say it's quite cathartic reading all of these anguished posts. Here's my tale of woe.

I was living in Sydney for work at the time. I'd seen us lose the 89, 94, and 95 GFs in person, and missed 2007 after dipping out in the ballot.

Surely this was our year.

Even at 3/4 time I was convinced things would turn. It soon became apparent it would not.

With ten mins to go I gave up- the first time I'd ever left a game early.

I just started walking. Mindlessly. Aimlessly. Hawthorn fans were streaming into the G knowing the flag was theirs.

I kept walking.

And walking.

And walking.

Until I awoke from my sleepwalking stupor and realised where I'd got to - Glenferrie Freaking Road in Freaking Hawthorn.

Heckled on the street by multitudes of Hawthorn supporters.

Abused from passing cars.

It was a living nightmare.

I ducked into a servo to escape the hordes of Hawk fans to see a lone, sad, Geelong fan. She with a face painted like a cat. Me in my 20 years old woolen Jumper. We gave each other a knowing look, bought a sausage roll each, never uttering a word, and stalked back into the world, broken.

Yes, we supported Geelong. And we were cast back into normalcy- the team that let's you down when the stakes were highest.

Thankfully, our team were made of sterner stuff than us mere supporters, and turned the next year into a most glorious triumph that I believe has turned the fabric of our club into one woven with winners.

God, I love the Cats.

 

[4quarter_cat]

Thats a fantastic point Sydney. Others have made it too, and I think you've nailed it.

We were a really talented football team, but that game turned all our stars hearts to stone, and played a big part in the culture we now have at the club where everyone just hates to lose. I've heard them say, that its not a love of winning its a hate or losing.