The "If Only" file

[Mr Ripper]

"If only he hadn't handballed
I know we woulda won
I coulda bit me fingers off
To see what he's gone and done"
- Greg Champion

We all have 'em - those cruel twists of football fate that still gnaw away at our insides; even as the years and decades roll by. Such as:

If only Micky Nettlefold hadn't been pinged for 'deliberate' in the 1983 QF, we woulda won the flag.

or

If only Parko had left Roos on Kernahan in rd. 9, 1987, we woulda beaten Carlton, eventually made the finals and won the flag.

There's a million-and-one of 'em, so add your faves to the list.

 

[lioness]

OK I have a recent one......from the past season........*cringe*........If only the siren had gone a minute later.......anyone remember the game I am talkin about??? Massive comeback in the last quarter, only to lose by a few points to a certain team we have a truce with???? I am not ashamed to admit, that game HURT!!!!!!!! Dammit. Jacs

 

[Danni]

I agree with that one Jacs!

Or the - If only Voss hadn't done his ankle during the finals! Or if only J MacCartney's high swinging arm had missed (or put another way if only Keating had seen it coming, or actually slipped over at that point!)

And If only I could find my copy of the 99 Bulldogs Final in my video collection I would be a happy chappy! (think someone taped over the bugger!)

[This message has been edited by Danni (edited 28 October 2000).]

 

[blackys_chick20]

i remember that one

i'll second what danni said coz i can't be bothered bringing that game back into my mermory

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GO LIONS!

 

[InTheBack!]

If only we had won 1 extra game in 1999 & finished 2nd & then had a better ping at a GF berth.

 

[Paul D]

If only Richard Osbornes need hadn't buckled under the wait of Darren Millane in 1989, we would have made the finals.

This after he had kicked 10 the previous week (I think) against Melbourne. 9 before 3 quarter time.

 

[TigerTank]

If only Matthew Rogers had have kicked that goal against Sydney, in round 21.

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TT

 

[walshy1993]

if only fraser brown couldnt tackle - i think you all know what i mean

 

[InTheBack!]

If only the wind had been blowing 5 degrees more from the south & the planets were in better alignment & my beer had more froth on top - we coulda won!

 

[Olmy]

Steve, wasn't it Frank Marchesiani (sic?) who was pinged for deliberate in that 83 final?

 

[S.Robbo]

If only Peter Sumich had of kicked that goal on the siren in 90' QF, Essendon would've won the flag.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Olmy deposited his size 10 lefty in his gob with :
Steve, wasn't it Frank Marchesiani (sic?) who was pinged for deliberate in that 83 final?

Michael Nettlefold was the man in question. Frank MARCHESANI was a Bluebagger from 1981 to '85!

BTW, Olmy, I will be passing on this monumental error of yours onto the VLSG. Your expulsion from the group should be imminent!

 

[gocatsgo]

These are only average If Only's

I am the King of If Only's

Lets See

1. If only leigh Colbert had have been paid THAT mark against Adelaide in the 1997 Semi Final, Geelong WOULD have won the flag - Absolutely No debate.

2. If only Geelong hadn't have wasted a 45 point half time lead against Fitzroy in round 11 1993, to win only by 7 points, Geelong WOULD have made the finals and WOULD have won the flag, after knocking off the top 4 teams in the final 4 four rounds, by an average margin of 80 points, including a 32 point victory over eventual premiers Essendon. Geelong missed the finals by 4 percent.

3. If only there was another 1 minute in the 1989 Grand Final - Geelong WOULD have won the flag, and if only Robert Scott did not miss a simple goal in the third quarter which would have bought the game back to 2 goals the difference.

4. If only Malcolm Blight had have coached Geelong in 1995, we MIGHT have won the flag.

5. If only Gary Ablett had have knocked out Peter Matera in the 1992 Grand Final, instead of Don Pyke, Geelong WOULD have won the flag.

6. If only that goal in the 1967 Grand Final had have been payed in the last quarter, when it WAS CLEARLY MARKED OVER THE LINE, Geelong would have won the flag.

IF ONLY!

 

[dees01]

Obvious here, if only Jim Stynes had not crossed the mark, give away the 15 metre penalty resulting in Melbourne losing the prelim after the siren. In saying that, Melbourne had so many chances to win that game. I still get depressed about it.

 

[mud n blood]

"If only" we had more legends (or is that leg ends ?) like Muir, Crackers, Doormat, Jezza, Jacko, Brownie ..... the one area the game lacks are these types of characters.

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Anyway, that's what I reckon ........

mud n blood

 

[Pessimistic]

If only

West coast had tried to get judgy two years earlier - Hawks might be more advanced now.

Joseph Gutnick was a fitzroy supporter.

We hadn't picked up Barry Young in 1999.

Some AFL people lived east of warrigal road and were more sympathetic to waverley.

 

[Tom FC]

I reckon the saints would have beaten Geelong, Gocats.

 

[goatmaster]

Walshy
Don't you mean if only Wallis had a brain in his head.

 

[gocatsgo]

Hey Tom, They couldn't beat Adelaide at the MCG, and Geelong got within a goal of Adelaide at Football Park.

Add to that, the only time Geelong played StKilda in 1997, Geelong won by 28 points, in the middle of the saints run of wins.

Actually, I was more concerned that the Bulldogs would have beaten us in 1997, not StKilda.

 

[Denno]

lol @ pessimistic

True about Gutnick - if only.....

 

[Olmy]

Hah! Never mind Steve, I'm not getting my answers from a book! Anyway, it was a 'q' not an 'a'!

Btw, looks like touble brewing for Garfield and Quinnan this week! (although I've missed the last couple). When's Burnside next appearing?

 

[Mr Ripper]

Next Tuesday.

You didn't miss much, Olmy - the first part of the 'George/Jenny/Dave love triangle' series was close to the worst ep I've ever seen.

 

[Savatage]

Pretty feeble arguement there GCG.

Geelong lost to Adelaide by 6 points in Adelaide? Exactly as the saints did (6 points).

Geelong bet St.Kilda? Yes and at Kardinia Park where Geelong HAD a decent advantage...if that was at Waverley we probably would've beaten you.

Was it in our great winning run? No it was not, it was prior to it.

Feeble arguements all round...I could argue similar points.

I've got a what if, What if Gary Ablett didn't knock out David Grant (all australian that year) & Nathan Burke (likewise) in the 1991 final in the first quarter in a typical, cowardly THUG like act? We probably would've won the game, as we were exposed in the backline to JUST lose that day by 8 points from memory. Both Grant & Burke played a CRUCIAL part all year in the backline that year.

What if's just piss me off! They're bullshit arguements!

 

[S.Robbo]

GCG, no way you would've beaten Essendon in 93 had you have made the final 6. That 32 point win was at Geelong and we were far from our best side that day.

If you want to guage how you would've fared against Essendon in the finals that year, look no further than the rd 6 clash when Ablett kicked 14, yet still wasn't enough to beat us. Finals are played on the G' pal, not Kardinia Park!

And don't make us laugh. Geelong win a GF? What a joke. Perrinial bridesmais pal. HAHA

 

[Olmy]

If only Lynch had done a Chris Grant!