The footy life can be a tough one

[SBD Gonzalez]

Something here about the early-90s playing career of former Swan Neil Brunton:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/for-every-winner-a-loser-20130507-2j5uy.html

10 wins from 71 games. Ouch.

We're so accustomed to success at the Swans these days.

2005 and last year (and even 96 and 06) must have been a very bittersweet experience for many of those guys.

 

[Sanecow]

I lived in Sydney for one year of that period. Then I moved to Perth for three more years of losses. Pretty bad timing, but to have been a player for the Swans in that era must have been gut wrenching.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

I lived in Sydney for one year of that period. Then I moved to Perth for three more years of losses. Pretty bad timing, but to have been a player for the Swans in that era must have been gut wrenching.

Yes, though I jumped on board with the Swans as soon as they moved to Sydney, I was overseas a lot in the 80s and 90s, and though I still travel just as much, there wasn't the ability back then to keep in touch with the club's fortunes through the internet, so I must confess my knowledge of the Swans through that period has huge gaps in it, and would love to learn more about how some of the players from that period are reconciling their stories with the club's phenomenal success these days.

 

[mattwillcoz]

Was only a kid in the early 90s.

One of my earliest memories was being at the SCG being absolutely pumped by the Tigers. Another, being dominated by the Carlton at Optus Oval.
I still remember crying all the way home to Mullengandra after the 96 Grand Final (I was about 9 or 10).
After having been to every final we played in that series, I can never/ever look at Nth Melbourne/Carey the same way. Especially after Crezza's goal (against the Hawks) and Plugger's unforgettable point to get us there.

Having been to our 3 granny appearances since (2 winning!), you must respect the players who put it on the table and more often than not got spanked.

Guys like Brunton put in the hard yards and deserve a large share of the success we've been so lucky to have experienced in more recent times.

 

[MF]

Sadly, most of our clubs history was built on the backs of guys like Brunton; average, blue collar players who stayed loyal despite being on the receiving end of hidings most weeks.

As a kid I remember running around the change rooms after 100 point thrashings hassling guys like Brunton, Wright & Bayes for their autographs. They were always happy to oblige, despite the fact they obviously weren't overjoyed at the result of the game and could probably see I already had their autographs in my book 10 times over. They were every bit as much my heroes as players like Kirk & Goodes, even though they're not household names for most people.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Yeah the early 90's were bad so much of my childhood was dominated by swans loses and dad swearing about the VFL bastard's still running the comp for the "big four"

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Yeah, same boat here. Was but a young lad in 1996 however I still remember that feeling... I'd never had it before. That feeling that "it isn't just a footy club" that I actually had an attachement to the players and club. Bittersweet really, we lost the GF but that loss actually made me barrack for the club moreso than I would have otherwise I reckon.

Big hats off to Carroll and all the others who moved over from VIC &/or stayed in Sydney and plugged away without too much success. They were the ones that kept the club alive enough to be eventually revived.

 

[CAS79]

I remember listening to something years ago about the "Rot" that was cause and effect of sydney’s losing culture of the time that was in.

Two players who avoided the crap that was going on off the field but were removed because they were considered to have a scarred mentality about their football and stuck in a losing culture and they were Brunton and Holmes.

I remember my old man getting stuck into Dean McRae once telling him he was earning twice what Brunton was getting for half the result.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

For me that was 93 plugger the pig, I remember at first I had no idea what everyone was laughing about.

After that moment I looked forward to a swans game every chance I got, I used but the footy record from newsagent whenever we played an away game.

It was just great, everybody pointing and laughing it was amazing site. come to think of it I'm pretty sure we lost that game. But it seemed like nobody cared.

 

[Bobbykirkkelly]

I started following Sth Melb back in the 60's when Bobby Skilton was my hero, (seeing him in the middle of the MCG alongside all the players last year he looked as proud as punch). It took until 1970 for them to play in a final. I then waited another 26 years to see them play in a grand final in 1996 and then was lucky enough to be at the 05/06 Grand finals and again was at last year's winning grand final which was the most satisfying as I felt we really deserved it. My father followed South all his life and didn't even get to the 1996 grand Final but was pretty happy about them making it. Unfortunately he didnt live long enough to see them finally win one in 2005. My son began following Essendon as a nipper as we live only a good torp from Windy Hill and my wife is a mad keen Bombers supporter, (finding it hard to believe her Bombers are the Bad boys now). Then when Plugger came to Sydney I would sit down on a Sunday and cheer for him to kick another goal. My son became curious and would ask which one was Plugger and soon he was on board. In his time of following the Swans he has seen them play in 4 Grand Finals for 2 wins and has been with me for the past 3 Grand Finals for 2 wins so he thinks this is how it always is.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

I never tire of hearing that story.