The biggest "What could've been?"

didaksrightfoot

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Ross Lyon could be a 2, maybe 3,-time premiership coach.

If the Hawkins post was called correctly, or that ball bounced slightly closer to Milne - that could've been back-to-back flags for the Saints.
(And then there's Freo's woeful kicking for Goal).

If Malthouse didn't go against his own succesful philosophy of 12 months earlier and not play an underdone Reid in 2011, or switch him with Tarrant much sooner (should've been done once Pods got injured).
 

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Ricky Vaughn

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Ross Lyon could be a 2, maybe 3,-time premiership coach.

If the Hawkins post was called correctly, or that ball bounced slightly closer to Milne - that could've been back-to-back flags for the Saints.
(And then there's Freo's woeful kicking for Goal).

If Malthouse didn't go against his own succesful philosophy of 12 months earlier and not play an underdone Reid in 2011, or switch him with Tarrant much sooner (should've been done once Pods got injured).
I think he did make the switch briefly, before he sent Tarrant to Johnson because he was cutting the Pies up.
A bit of a pick your poison with Hawkins and Johnson was on display in that GF, Reid couldn't go with Hawkins, nor could O'Brien go with Johnson.

Tarrant couldn't play on both of them.
 

iameviljez

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- With cousins kerr and judd, whose chronic OP benefits from the extra week of rest, west coast dismember north in the PF, and make a third successive grand final, where their experience on the big day easily accounts for untested Geelong on 29 September 2017.
Given that we won that game by 119 points, being "untested" on the big day probably doesn't hold that much water.
I don't think it's particularly subjective to say that we were miles ahead of everyone else in 2007.
 

fidstar

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Given that we won that game by 119 points, being "untested" on the big day probably doesn't hold that much water.
I don't think it's particularly subjective to say that we were miles ahead of everyone else in 2007.
Weird statement. By saying that you won by 119 points is confirming you were not tested.

fwiw I think you win as well, but a fully fit WCE would have been the only team with a shot at beating you.
 

iameviljez

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Weird statement. By saying that you won by 119 points is confirming you were not tested.

fwiw I think you win as well, but a fully fit WCE would have been the only team with a shot at beating you.
Both that we weren't tested, AND we turned up to play. You don't win a game against the second-placed team by 20 goals without playing well from start to finish.

It was highly unlikely that we'd have lost to a side that couldn't put away Collingwood at Subi.
 

fidstar

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Both that we weren't tested, AND we turned up to play. You don't win a game against the second-placed team by 20 goals without playing well from start to finish.
You were an awesome team that wasn't tested. There's nothing wrong with that.

It was highly unlikely that we'd have lost to a side that couldn't put away Collingwood at Subi.
You mean the team without Cousins, Kerr or Judd but still forced the Collingwood into overtime. Collingwood being the team that only lost to you by 5 points the following week.

That's sort of the point.
 

MisterMarcus

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Weird statement. By saying that you won by 119 points is confirming you were not tested.

fwiw I think you win as well, but a fully fit WCE would have been the only team with a shot at beating you.
WCE weren't fully fit, that was the issue. I remember cheering hard for WC that game, because I'd much rather have faced a battered and sore Eagles outfit playing 'away', then a red-hot Collingwood.
 

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fidstar

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WCE weren't fully fit, that was the issue. I remember cheering hard for WC that game, because I'd much rather have faced a battered and sore Eagles outfit playing 'away', then a red-hot Collingwood.
You are 100% right in saying playing a decimated Eagles would have been better for you.

That's not the conversation that is taking place though. This all came about when someone said a fully fit WCE could have beaten Geelong.
 

iameviljez

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You are 100% right in saying playing a decimated Eagles would have been better for you.

That's not the conversation that is taking place though. This all came about when someone said a fully fit WCE could have beaten Geelong.
Geelong lost three games in an over-two-year stretch through 2007 to 2009 - obviously the 2008 GF, plus a pasting against Collingwood (who seemed to be the one side we had trouble with) and a five-pointer to Port Adelaide. I think that to argue that any side at that time would have been a likely chance against us would be a pretty long stretch. Lyon's Saints and Malthouse's Pies were also excellent sides and we just had the misfortune of sharing the league with each other.
 

fidstar

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Geelong lost three games in an over-two-year stretch through 2007 to 2009 - obviously the 2008 GF, plus a pasting against Collingwood (who seemed to be the one side we had trouble with) and a five-pointer to Port Adelaide. I think that to argue that any side at that time would have been a likely chance against us would be a pretty long stretch. Lyon's Saints and Malthouse's Pies were also excellent sides and we just had the misfortune of sharing the league with each other.
If you read what I had written previously, I agree. I said we would have been the best chance to challenge you.
 

Young Gun #6

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What if we could convert set shots..

We'd in a grand final against Sydney in 2014 and probably won judging on the complacency they showed after belting North in the prelim. Would still be in the finals this week too.

Set shot kicking is ******* massive :(
 

FootyJunkie

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If WC v Syd in 2006 GF ended in a draw (Taegh Kennely doesn't concede a behind late in the 4th), replay the following week causes absolute chaos for both traveling sides... likely WC are worse off and Syd go back 2 back

AFL removes the GF replay from 2007, extra time is played when scored are level

Saints beat the Pies comfortably with momentum on their side in extra time of the 2010 GF

So.... Taegh Kennely cost St.Kilda a flag
 

BigVic

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If WC v Syd in 2006 GF ended in a draw (Taegh Kennely doesn't concede a behind late in the 4th), replay the following week causes absolute chaos for both traveling sides... likely WC are worse off and Syd go back 2 back

AFL removes the GF replay from 2007, extra time is played when scored are level

Saints beat the Pies comfortably with momentum on their side in extra time of the 2010 GF

So.... Taegh Kennely cost St.Kilda a flag
Or Embley caught HTB in the dying minutes which would allow a free kick to Sydney. If either scenarios had happened, it would've been 29 years since the last draw....Spooky

The AFL would've abolised the replay after backlash from the fans.
 

Monkster

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Modra doesn't do his knee in the 97 final and plays in the grand final. And doesn't get dropped for the 98 grand final. And doesn't get traded the next yr.
If Modra doesn't do his knee then Jarman doesn't run riot and we win the PF
 
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If Menzel never did his knee in that fateful QF in 2011 (and thus would've been a premiership player that year). He's a helluva player now, but I can only imagine how good he would've been and how much he could've given the club during those lost years.
 

Gydafud

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Thread starter #321
If Menzel never did his knee in that fateful QF in 2011 (and thus would've been a premiership player that year). He's a helluva player now, but I can only imagine how good he would've been and how much he could've given the club during those lost years.
Might have made a difference in 2013
 

cb16

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What if we could convert set shots..

We'd in a grand final against Sydney in 2014 and probably won judging on the complacency they showed after belting North in the prelim. Would still be in the finals this week too.

Set shot kicking is ******* massive :(
Hawks missed their fair share in that prelim don't forget. Brad Hill had any easy one from 30 out to seal it at about the 20th minute mark. He misses, Monfries gets a gimme free straight in front of goal and it's game on.
 
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