The effect of losing a grand final, could it help the next time around?

[vast]

Try telling that to your 8 year old self

I was 9 when essendon lost to collingwood in 90 got over it in a couple of hours.

 

[FootyJunkie]

did you go back to watching Ninja Turtles cartoons on VHS shortly after the GF ?

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Lol, classic Hawthorn type attitude. Like Hawthorn fans of the past 40 years have anything to feel really hurt about!

Nah, losing the GF is the worst feeling in football. I've seen my team lose two, and we were never even close in either of them. The idea of actually winning one is such a pipe dream I can't even imagine it.

Yep I was only 6 in '88 but it still hurts - i finally got around to watching a replay of that game a couple of years ago. 2000 I was there as an 18 year old and that stung. Obviously coming up against Essendon we were rank outsiders but you still think you can pull it off in a 2 horse race.

The only "good" thing about those games was they were so one-sided we'll never have to put up with any highlights for years to come or replays on GF Marathons. The only part I see replayed is Longs hit on Simmonds and Schwarz bodyslamming Hird

Also ******* lol at Hawks fans "only winning 2 flags erases the pain of a loss" for supporters of Melbourne, Saints, Dogs, Tigers and Freo just one flag would erase the pain of DECADES of failure.

 

[The Passenger]

Personally in tight GFs i think the winners get way too much credit and the defeated get slagged off ridiculously

Not just GF's but in footy in general.

Sometimes when a team wins or loses a close won it's because they had or didn't have control of the situation....

But (IMO) in our sport more often it's just a case of one team being in front when the final siren rings which doesn't prove at all that one team was better than the other. It just proves that one team had to win, and that is what happens in sport. Strong cases for this is the 05 and 06 GF. Neither team had that game under control at all and could've easily been won by the other. In 05 Dean Cox's kick could've been marked by one of our guys who slots the goal. In 2006 the boundary throw in could've had 30 seconds to go (instead of 2 or 3) and have ended in a Swans goal.

Such is sport. Buy the ticket, take the ride.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Eddie must be well and truly turned into worm poo by now then given how many the Pies have lost since the lad from Broadmeadows was born...

 

[PerthBoy86]

Well would you rather not get into a GF at all then?

Last year was disappointing, but we weren't really expected to get in, and Hawks were strong favourites, so in that sense it wasn't as if he felt we should've won, though I do feel we could have won, it didn't look that likely...Losing again to Hawthorn, though, the only team we've played in a GF (two GFs) and haven't beat did sting a little more though...

Now 2006, you couldn't have set up a more tense finish, ever. I'm not sure what I would've done if we'd had lost yet AGAIN to the Swans by such a slim margin..

 

[PerthBoy86]

I honestly didn't feel joyous when we won in 2013 - just relief. It wasn't until the next year that I really felt that the hawks had put the pain of 2012 to bed. Having said all this I don't think I'll ever feel as shattered as I did walking out of the ground after the 2011 prelim loss. That was a whole different league of pain.

I guess 5 years must seems like an eternity for those success-starved Hawks supporters lol.

 

[PerthBoy86]

2005 was heart shattering. Was kinda resigned to losing at half time, was a case of "oh well, sucks but looks like we're out of it", only to get back in it and lead by 10 in the last quarter and being so damn close. Also coupled with the entire football world enjoying the Swans win, just open up the earth and swallow me. Was broken for all of 2006 until redemption in the GF. Amazing memory and calling my mum to celebrate. Every fan deserves it at least once.

2015 was more just a bad day. Was pissed but didn't hang with me. Side never turned up so the disappointment was more in the team being s**t than being so close and yet so far.

I feel most for Saints fans, though. Really do. They've been teased more than any other. It's not right.

Well, sport can be cruel. I'm not sure how I would've handled losing the 2006 grand final in that fashion. I wasn't at the MCG, or even in Melbourne, but the tension was unbelievable. 2015 was disappointing but you kinda felt the Eagles just weren't ready yet. You felt we were building again, but 2016 in general was disappointing. That brief spell at the end was good, but I can't say I'm too optimistic for 2017.

I really do feel for the Saints, though. 1997 they got overrun by the 4th quarter Jarman show, 2009 they lost a close one to Geelong, being the best team all year, 2010 was even closer than the Sydney vs West Coast games, being a draw, only for them to be smashed the following week. A good case to introduce overtime in the GF. Some think if given extra time the Saints would've won it. So they were all close games the Saints could've easily one.

 

[PerthBoy86]

I couldn't watch the 2012 GF until we 3-peated. Now the pain is quite minor (if you look at it from the narrative of that loss being a catalyst). Buts it almost as if I needed 3 GF wins to overcome 1 GF loss.

Lol, when grand final wins are subject to inflation. I'm fairly sure if the Dogs win tomorrow, 99% of their fans would assure you it has more than made up for all the PF losses, the 1961 GF, the drought in general. If the Saints win the premiership, it would probably make up for their last 4 agonising losses.

Beating Hawthorn in a GF would certainly do it for me, the way we atoned in 2006. While I remember '92 and '94, I was a bit young, so winning in 2006 was probably the most emotional moment as an Eagles supporter. Definitely more tears shed than during the previous year's loss...

 

[Westy Bogan]

Still prefer we were playing today even if it meant a loss. The build up is awesome.

 

[Gavin Excell]

These are the things that sting the most.

You know if we had have won in 05, if Staker didn't fumble maybe, there would be clips of our players that got repeated throughout time. Iconic images of Cousins as captain holding the cup.

I do think losing a pre lim would be far worse, but to lose on grand final day fills the next 12 months with "highlights" of your team losing.

Winning, at a certain level, is largely the relief of not losing.

Relief yes initially. Then the contentment that follows. Little things like buying the DVD the following week and during the months that follow replaying certain sections.

 

[10571z]

Risk the pain of losing for a chance at glory. Go Doggies

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Perdonally, I reckon it takes me two GF wins to wash away the pain of a loss. 2012 only became irrelevant after 2014, and 87 only healed after 89.

Disagree. 08 will never be healed and the pain never washed away.

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Disagree. 08 will never be healed and the pain never washed away.

Cry me a river.

 

[Hawkers]

What a surprise coming from a Hawks fan. Seriously don't know how touched on the dick they are.
The old Brereton classic who refuses to rate anyone unless they're a premiership player. Amazing attitude really, but I suppose winners are grinners and losers can please themselves.

Did I mention I'm a bitter man?

Plenty of great players never won a premiership. I never inferred that to be one of the best players you need to either

I said that if clubs are playing for a premiership then there is no second prize. Second is just as good as last as neither won the premiership.
If any club sees anything other than winning the premiership as acceptable then the club has issues.

 

[Biffinator]

Some years, it's the race for the silver medal like 1988 and 2000 . . . . . . GFs should be avoided under those circumstances.

 

[BK Eaglesfan]

Preliminary final losses hurt of course, but losing a Grand Final is the equivalent to losing two or three preliminary finals.

The pain is so much more evident with a Grand Final loss as most can attest to this at some point in their supporting lives.

Think some of that comes with who the GF opponent is. On the occasions where there has been a 'stronger' side of the draw in prelims and a team has lost a close one, when they sensed if they'd got past their prelim opponents they were a good chance in the GF, that would hurt knowing you don't even get the chance to see what might have been.

Sure Geelong would have loved another crack at Freo in 2013 at the G', playing GF debutants and lost that chance by 5 points.

The Dockers themselves copped a rampant Hawthorn last year in the prelim after a superb season and likely would have liked their chances against us too.

 

[Xtreme]

If you don't win the GF you may as well have come last.
1st is the only one that counts

In 2008 I was just happy to be there and didn't think Hawthorn were a chance. Happy to be in the bridesmaid role for the year, media also being a huge influence Geelong Geelong Geelong - too strong etc.... half time I started to believe dreams come true though .

 

[BK Eaglesfan]

I guess im different to others. Yes we should have won 2008 but I was still happy from winning the year earlier and it was redeemed the next year anyway. The cumulative 89-95 was much much worse as i wondered if id ever live to see one to the point that the nick davis SF 05 and 06 capitualtion hurt just as bad as losing a GF if not worse. For old timers saints, I bet if saints won 2017 but lost 2018 they would take it in their stride compared to the hurt of 97,09,10. Much like i did in 08.

Don't know how Geelong supporters got through 89-95. They were the AFL Stuart McGill. Outstanding side for several years but were an outstanding side at the wrong time given the sides they ran up against in those four GF's.

 

[mytym]

This is a strange one for me to explain. There's some GF losses that are easier to take than others and some PF as well. Most people think 2002 would be harder to swallow than 2003, because we were so close, not to mention hard done by on the day, but for me 2003 was a thousand times more painful. If I was a Geelong fan, 2008 would sting far more than 1989, for Sydney 2014 much worse than 2006, for Port 2007 is nothing compared to 2001-03 and for Hawks, 2012 much more painful than 2011 (Although I know Hawks fans believe the opposite). For the Dogs, 1997 and 1998 PF are difficult to seperate despite being so vastly contrasting in many ways, but would be clearly superior to any of the more recent PFs. The Saints, I don't even want to speculate - so much heartrbreak. So unfair.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

lol at a Toorak millionaire being quoted in the OP.

 

[MagpieJo]

Losing is one thing. Drawing then losing is another. That really rips your heart out.

Mate losing one after drawing one sure would. Like us to north yonks ago, but I was a kid, and didn't go every week. My record stinks though. I've been to 6 grand finals, 3 80s losses, 1990, then the draw (was in the US for the replay) and the 2011 loss. Thank god for 1990 still the best day of my life ever!

 

[Gavin Excell]

lol at a Toorak millionaire being quoted in the OP.

You don't think his pain at Pie GF losses is genuine?

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Cry me a river.

Lol. Go dees

 

[MagpieJo]

This is a strange one for me to explain. There's some GF losses that are easier to take than others and some PF as well. Most people think 2002 would be harder to swallow than 2003, because we were so close, not to mention hard done by on the day, but for me 2003 was a thousand times more painful. If I was a Geelong fan, 2008 would sting far more than 1989, for Sydney 2014 much worse than 2006, for Port 2007 is nothing compared to 2001-03 and for Hawks, 2012 much more painful than 2011 (Although I know Hawks fans believe the opposite). For the Dogs, 1997 and 1998 PF are difficult to seperate despite being so vastly contrasting in many ways, but would be clearly superior to any of the more recent PFs. The Saints, I don't even want to speculate - so much heartrbreak. So unfair.

Yeah I agree. I was angry with our players 2003. For the saints I'd think the cats loss was the worst, I still reckon they were robbed.

It's funny though, much as watching the 2010 GF is always fun, the game I most watch from that year is the prelim, the first quarter has me in raptures every time. I watch it on my cross trainer occasionally, and I light up my heart rate monitor! Still my favourite game ever.

I've never rewatched a loss, or the draw. The one in my box set is still sealed!