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Teams which underachieved?

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The narrative is that of all the years between 2012 and 2022 there were only two where the Cats were genuine contenders and could/arguably should have won - 2008 and 2013. It's not sour grapes; it's merely addressing the claim by posters that the Cats underachieved between '11 and '22.

And "deep down" I quietly expected the Cats to prevail, as they had done every time since the 2008 GF. As Ben Stratton said after the game about Travis Varcoe's shot for goal in the dying seconds, "Varcoe would kick that nine times out of 10 and these things keep on happening to us against Geelong".




Theres a difference saying you should have won as opposed to being confident of winning because of past history. You know this. All Im saying is we seem to be treated like chopped liver around 2013, not just the prelim but also the GF, undeserving winners all this sort of stuff. This commentary has been happening ever since. Recently they showed a 2013 replay on Fox under the category "Biggest upsets in football" 😂. It's not our problem the media were blowing smoke up Freo's arse all week saying the purple haze would overwhelm us. Still to this day they clearly feel we got up unexpectedly. No other explanation makes sense. This narrative has fed into the public spectrum too.
 
Theres a difference saying you should have won as opposed to being confident of winning because of past history. You know this. All Im saying is we seem to be treated like chopped liver around 2013, not just the prelim but also the GF, undeserving winners all this sort of stuff. This commentary has been happening ever since. Recently they showed a 2013 replay on Fox under the category "Biggest upsets in football" 😂. It's not our problem the media were blowing smoke up Freo's arse all week saying the purple haze would overwhelm us. Still to this day they clearly feel we got up unexpectedly. No other explanation makes sense. This narrative has fed into the public spectrum too.
I never gave Dockers a chance. And you guys were favourites like $1.40 weren't you? It's not as if the Dockers were favourites.
 

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Theres a difference saying you should have won as opposed to being confident of winning because of past history. You know this. All Im saying is we seem to be treated like chopped liver around 2013, not just the prelim but also the GF, undeserving winners all this sort of stuff. This commentary has been happening ever since. Recently they showed a 2013 replay on Fox under the category "Biggest upsets in football" 😂. It's not our problem the media were blowing smoke up Freo's arse all week saying the purple haze would overwhelm us. Still to this day they clearly feel we got up unexpectedly. No other explanation makes sense. This narrative has fed into the public spectrum too.

I never gave Dockers a chance. And you guys were favourites like $1.40 weren't you? It's not as if the Dockers were favourites.
Your one of the sensible ones clearly.
 
I remember in 2013 Sydney were flying then they lost to Port and the wheels seemed to have fallen off. I think they got injuries, can swans fans confirm? Certainly got them in 2015. Freo barely beat them in the qualifier. 2014 just got smashed on the day. They've been a lot like Geelong although the Cats have finished higher more. Buy so many finals campaigns since 2003.
 
St Kilda not winning a flag between 04-10 is criminal. 5 prelims and 3 Grand Finals.☹️
Should have won both in 09 and 10. Not sure about lions in 04 had you got through. West Coast In 05 were gettable. They had no forward line.
 
I still think the 2014 Sydney team was a good team, they just shat themselves on Grand Final day.
Hawthorn played on another level that day. I still remember thinking how surgically they were moving the ball and cutting the Swans to ribbons all game. That was the masterpiece of that threepeat IMO
 
St Kilda not winning a flag between 04-10 is criminal. 5 prelims and 3 Grand Finals.☹️
Best team in it in 09. Cats finals experience was the one percent advantage that got them over the line. That and no goal review for Hawkins goal that ricochet at 90 degrees off the goal post pretty much. 2010 you were on the decline as the Pies were rising and were stiff that Milney forgot that he wasn't playing basketball. 2 absolute heartbreakers back-to-back
 
I remember in 2013 Sydney were flying then they lost to Port and the wheels seemed to have fallen off. I think they got injuries, can swans fans confirm? Certainly got them in 2015. Freo barely beat them in the qualifier. 2014 just got smashed on the day. They've been a lot like Geelong although the Cats have finished higher more. Buy so many finals campaigns since 2003.

It has been a long time but from memory injuries really hit us in the back half of the year. I could be mistaken though as it has been a while.
 

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Lions destroyed the Saints in the QF. Saints may have reversed the result who knows.
I know. But they've were great against Port. Hence if they got over the line. An extra day's rest as well. You'd think Brisbane but who knows. That stupid MCG rule cost you imo. Should have played the Cats at the GABBA you would have won by 10 goals as well.
 
Hawthorn played on another level that day. I still remember thinking how surgically they were moving the ball and cutting the Swans to ribbons all game. That was the masterpiece of that threepeat IMO

I rate the 2014 GF as the best performance I have seen from any Hawthorn team in my 40 + years watching, and certainly the high point of the threepeat.
 
I rate the 2014 GF as the best performance I have seen from any Hawthorn team in my 40 + years watching, and certainly the high point of the threepeat.
I went to all 4 of the hawks grand finals 12-15. Wish I went to 2008. That was my favourite.

Went to both prelims in 14 and 15 too. And the 2011,13 and 2015 qualifiers vs Geelong, Sydney and West Coast.
 
2007 West Coast straight setted by the angry Footy Gods.

Power 2001 - 2004 the greatest underacheivers. Yes the Pies could match them 2001 -2003, their bogie side for sure. But a side spitting that much talent & rocking that well for 4 years straight had no excuses to lose at home to the Hawks, Pies & Swans in finals. If we had 3 years of Power v Lions GF's i'd say history would have been far more interesting. That loss to Sydney was both helarious for non Power supporters & incredibly sad for them at the same time.
There's some off field misbehaviour that cost them the 2003 finals series. Brent Guerra got drunk with a few of the boys before the finals series. Long story short, Guerra was traded to St Kilda after it.
 
There's some off field misbehaviour that cost them the 2003 finals series. Brent Guerra got drunk with a few of the boys before the finals series. Long story short, Guerra was traded to St Kilda after it.

Unless it was the night before, that doesn't explain how they'd choke thst bad again after already losing the home final in 2001 & 2002.
 

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Unless it was the night before,
I'm not sure when it was, I thought maybe some of them could have been hung over playing, though. Also, for finals 03 they were missing Roger James who was one of their key inside midfielders.
that doesn't explain how they'd choke thst bad again after already losing the home final in 2001 & 2002.
2002 I think they had injuries like to Mead, 2001, they were more inexperienced and were 3rd. The fact that Guerra was traded is a big sign it was a serious problem.
 
I'm not sure when it was, I thought maybe some of them could have been hung over playing, though. Also, for finals 03 they were missing Roger James who was one of their key inside midfielders.

2002 I think they had injuries like to Mead, 2001, they were more inexperienced and were 3rd. The fact that Guerra was traded is a big sign it was a serious problem.

Guerra wasn't even that integeral to the side. I think it was more collectively they were scarred after each choking. Power were easily on the level with Brissy. The Lions success was amplified by Port crapping the bed.

Meads stats towards the end of 2002 suggest his significance wasn't that great that year. They were more playing him out of loyalty. He wasn't a excuse to lose at home to a Buckley-less Pies.

Anyways yea Port Adelaide FC the biggest choking AFL side. 01, 02, 03, 20, 21, 23 were hard choke years. 2007 was cummufins because they really shouldn't of been there and 2017 was just helarious (they weren't gonna win it from 5th)
 
Guerra wasn't even that integeral to the side.
Dean Brogan in an interview back in 2023 said Guerra was in their best 22, and probably just a bad influence on the team it seemed. So, culturally Port weren't the best standard until 2004 where they locked in.
I think it was more collectively they were scarred after each choking. Power were easily on the level with Brissy. The Lions success was amplified by Port crapping the bed.
I thought about this, Brisbane had choked themselves, losing 5 finals series previous starting in 1995, they finally got it together in 2001. Same with Brisbane of the 2020s, they choked for 5 finals series in a row before finally breaking through in 2024. Sometimes teams need real heartache to break through, similar to Port's 2004 premiership coming from 4 failed finals series campaigns from the previous 5 seasons.
Meads stats towards the end of 2002 suggest his significance wasn't that great that year. They were more playing him out of loyalty. He wasn't a excuse to lose at home to a Buckley-less Pies.
I was going from Choco Williams' assessment of why they failed in 2002, but I also think they just weren't that good enough. I think Brisbane were just the best, then they kinda got cooked a bit near the end of 04, which Port took advantage of.
Anyways yea Port Adelaide FC the biggest choking AFL side. 01, 02, 03, 20, 21, 23 were hard choke years. 2007 was cummufins because they really shouldn't of been there and 2017 was just helarious (they weren't gonna win it from 5th)
This happens to every team, though. West Coast for example completely wasted 05 and 07 with the horrible party culture and Cousins antics, that could have really been a dynasty.
 
Port were nowhere near Brisbane in finals 2001, 02 or 03. Might have been different too had the Lions played the prelim at the GABBA in 04.
 
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Adelaide 2005/06
Adelaide 2016/17

Fremantle 2015, 2015

Should have had at least 1 premiership from each of those windows.
 
Adelaide 2005/06
Adelaide 2016/17

Fremantle 2015, 2015

Should have had at least 1 premiership from each of those windows.
Disagree. Eagles beat you both prelims. Saints got you omin the qualifier where Harvey weaved his magic living 3 our of 6 goals. You guys just didn't have it in September.

Same for 2016 and 17. Nowhere near it. Harsh but true. Beat an average North Team then spanked in Sydney. 2017 got pole-axed.
 

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