The most disappointing AFL season for PAFC is ...

[pafc88]

I wouldn't go as far as saying that re pessimism.

Yep, on-field good, off-field has reverted to the bad times.

You mean the other way around?

 

[raptalia]

Presentism.

Not really. Disappointment is a pretty subjective term and what is disappointing to me may not have the same affect on the majority of supporters. To me, in many of the years mentioned by others as 'disappointing' we made the finals but were simply not good enough on the day. While that was a disappointment on the day it does not have the sense of prolonged disappointment associated with 2015. In retrospect I can find long term positives in most years but from a team perspective I am struggling to find any positives from this year.

There was a sense of missed opportunity in 2001-2003 and again in 2007 but I did not have that sense of going backward. We simply had to learn how to win finals. In each of these years there was disappointment but it was associated with a single game or a finals series. This year just about the entire season has been as disappointing as it has been frustrating.

In 2013 our young guys had played finals for the first time in six seasons, in 2014 they had advanced to a Prelim despite finishing outside of the top four. It would have been nice to go all the way in 2014 but at least we progressed and I fail to see how anyone could be disappointed with that aspect. In the big picture we came from nowhere in 2012 to third in 2014 which was a good effort and I thought we had taken another step toward a flag.

In 2015 we have gone backward and that is what I find bitterly disappointing about the year. We have a side that is good enough to win but we have put in some really sub par efforts in what really should have been 'our year'. I also thought we had the Coach and the support personnel to capture a flag either this year or next but now I am having real doubts. I find all that disappointing and think only 2005 and 2008 come close to the fall from grace that we have had this year.

The other disappointing aspect about 2015 is the potential 'off field' effect. We experienced great success in selling our brand based on our on field presence. Our media presence had intensified, our Membership grew and our home game attendances soared. We cannot do much about the fickle media but 2015 will be even more disappointing if Memberships and attendances fall away after a poor season on the field. This is what happened in 2005 and I am hoping it does not happen again.

One lesson to be taken by players and supporters alike from the wreckage of our frustration and disappointment is to believe in ourselves and not the hype put about by a fickle media.

 

[tnk64]

It's interesting how age affects your level of disappointment. I turned seven in 2003, and it was the first season where I closely followed the football (specifically I started watching just about every game from our round six match against Richmond). I have almost nothing but positive memories from that season. Of course, at the time neither I nor most of my friends really understood the significance of a premiership as compared to just a good year, and so that affects things quite significantly.
Of course, no amount of age related distortion could change the fact that this year has been f*cking awful.

 

[Magpiespower]

It's interesting how age affects your level of disappointment. I turned seven in 2003, and it was the first season where I closely followed the football (specifically I started watching just about every game from our round six match against Richmond). I have almost nothing but positive memories from that season. Of course, at the time neither I nor most of my friends really understood the significance of a premiership as compared to just a good year, and so that affects things quite significantly.

Ha! Yeah, the first year I really started going to the footy was 1982. Vividly remember, as a 7 year-old, sitting on the bus at Footy Park after the Prelim with the old man.

Dead silent. Filled with devastated Port supporters. Seriously, it was like a funeral.

And I turn to my Dad and say: "We came 3rd. That's a pretty good year. What a bunch of sooks!"

Kids, eh...

 

[Macca19]

If 2007 didn't happen we would still have Burgoyne.

Interesting call

 

[1954]

You would hope the bandwagoner supporters would cop 1 bad year before disappearing, but I doubt they will put up with 2, so firstly the team has to get back on track and at least finish this year strongly to give a platform for 2016, plus we don't see a repetition of the sunnies and deck chair next preseason.

 

[Coobk001]

No order:
2010
2011
2012

Then
2000
2008

 

[Premiers04]

02,03,14 - All seasons of a genuine missed flag opportunity, nobody was stopping Geelong in 07. Can add half of this season too.

Watching the team struggling to play anything that resembles a gameplan this year, makes last years finish hurt even more. Since joining the AFL, this club has only ever been consistent in finding some way to screw ourselves out of our own success.

 

[PA88]

You mean the other way around?

Oh my ... yes ... I was tired.

 

[pafc88]

Oh my ... yes ... I was tired.

Yeah dunno about that we have already won the same amount as 2012. If you want to compare this season to anything else youd have to say 2008. The level of expectation and the failure.

 

[PA88]

Yeah dunno about that we have already won the same amount as 2012. If you want to compare this season to anything else youd have to say 2008. The level of expectation and the failure.

Now that you've mentioned it, in the sanfl we thrived on expectation. In the afl we use it as an excuse to explain failure. It starts at the top with Koch and then Boak ... it is just disappointing that things have changed.

 

[SgtSchulz]

Now that you've mentioned it, in the sanfl we thrived on expectation. In the afl we use it as an excuse to explain failure. It starts at the top with Koch and then Boak ... it is just disappointing that things have changed.

Can you imagine the pressure to perform from 1990 till 1995.

 

[QPower]

2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.

 

[1954]

Can you imagine the pressure to perform from 1990 till 1995.

Absolutely, but arguably the equal strongest coach in the club's history plus the us against the world mindset of the players got us through that period, and very successfully.

 

[Adam Marrett23]

2003 was a shocker after so much good work done all year. Felt we were robbed by injuries and beaten by 2 sides in September we were well better then.

2005 was a bad year, never felt we were in it that year, and really was a huge effort to make the finals, belting North was a good moment, going out to the Crows a shocking moment.

Anything from 2008-2012 was the hardest time supporting our club I've had. Was just one kick in the guts after another. It did set us up to get Wingard, Wines etc and got us to where we are now but going to work or wearing Port clothes after getting belted by 165 and 138 points back to back was as hard as it gets. Also special mention to the 2007 Grand Final still can't face that and look away whenever I see anything from it.

But that's the life of a football fan alot more disappointment then success but the ride is worth it and will be again when we sit top of the tree again.

 

[Willsy10]

02, 03 and 07 were disappointing in the way they ended but we were a quality outfit during the season and had some amazing wins.

But for a full season of disappointment and or missed opportunities the worst would have to be 2005, 2011 and so far 2015.
2005 = Massive opportunity to go back to back, Sydney weren't that good, we rested on our laurels and just scraped in to finals and then were embarrassed by the crows in a semi. Shit year from start to finish.
2011 = When we hit rock bottom. Our on field performances were as bad as it gets and from an off field point of view things looked very bleak.
2015 = Like 2005 i went in to the season thinking we were a big chance for a flag. This has been the most frustrating year for me so far because we are much better than this but there is still time to wipe this year off this list.

 

[PA88]

Can you imagine the pressure to perform from 1990 till 1995.

Yep, great point.

 

[TeeKray]

2003 by a mile. Viewed in the post-2004 light of day, it's easy to forget just how empty a feeling we were left with that September. 'Disappointing' doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

[Vagabond0]

Special mention to 1997.

A good debut season but very disappointing in the end to miss the finals after being 10-7 after 17 rounds, failing to salute in the last 5 games, throwing away big leads against Adelaide and Brisbane, when just one more win would have got us into the eight.

The lost to the cows coming from the last two goals to McLeod & Bond to me was hard to take, and the fall out of that loss was worse again. Like having to watch your daughter split up with a son in law you'd rate for some new guy who's a complete tosser.

However 11-12 has to be the worst. It felt like we were beyond hope as everything was going wrong and hard to see how we could turn it around.

 

[Scholz Supremacy]

Speaking of 2003, I remember being at the Preliminary Final against Collingwood at the MCG as a 7 year old and it was pretty horrible! All my family, friends and relatives that were there that day will tell you how feral the Collingwood supporters were! Someone told me that on her way back to her hotel, Collingwood supporters were leaning out of their cars screaming "I hope you fcuking die! I hope you get hit by a fcuking bus!

But...that just made the 2013 Elimination Final that...much...sweeter

 

[Andre]

Special mention to 1997.

A good debut season but very disappointing in the end to miss the finals after being 10-7 after 17 rounds, failing to salute in the last 5 games, throwing away big leads against Adelaide and Brisbane, when just one more win would have got us into the eight.

1997 only deserves a mention at all for if we'd held on against Adelaide chances are, even with one of the most idiotic finals system ever developed, they wouldn't have Bradburyed their way to the flag. Though 97 and 98 are part of the reason why I don't like St. Kilda and North. Bloody North. It's been almost 20 years now since they've been raising to another level when playing us and dropping the pants and assuming the position for Adelaide.

 

[tribey]

Special mention to 1997.

A good debut season but very disappointing in the end to miss the finals after being 10-7 after 17 rounds, failing to salute in the last 5 games, throwing away big leads against Adelaide and Brisbane, when just one more win would have got us into the eight.

The reverse of the front-ended draw really bit.

Waverley then Subiaco.
MCG then Kardinia Park then Showdown then Gabba then MCG.

You could see the logic in giving us a slew of early home games, but a hardened finals aspirant would've struggled to make much of those July-August fixtures, let alone a young first year team.

Had we enjoyed a normally-patterned draw - after all, the team bounced back from that early shellacking at the hands of a submediocre Collingwood - the team probably has enough in the tank to hold on against Adelaide and Brisbane.

 

[RangaInTeal]

03 and 97

 

[GreyPower]

Bit ironical we played our very first AFL game on the MCG, and barely been back there for a minor round game since.

 

[Willsy10]

now when i really think about it 2003 was pretty bloody horrible, we dominated the season and were easily the best team of the minor round, and then fathers day happened.