The what ifs in footy

[cammo78]

What if the final 8 was in its current format in 1998 and Adelaide did not get a double chance after finishing 5th. We may have been the first team to go from wooden spoon to premiership.

How so?

You beat Adelaide. They had no further impact on your 1998 Finals Campaign.

You would have played the top side in North Melbourne, and most likely the Bulldogs in a Prelim. Both of whom beat you in 1998.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Laurie Serafini hadn't broken down on the eve of the '83 finals. Peter Knights wouldn't have (alright, probably wouldn't have) booted 6 in the Quali Final and the Roys would have marched straight into the second semi against bunny side (that year) North; then subsequently gone straight through to the Granny.

*sigh*

What if Rocca's kick was rightfully paid a goal in the 02 GF.

Missed by a foot. But anyhoo...

 

[MarkT2]

you have to say, Leigh winning the Pies flag in 90 put him on the map in terms of coaching and broadcasting prospects...

Did you know that in 10 years at Collingwood Leigh Mathews did not win a final outside of 1990?

 

[i_need_a_pencil]

What if Hawkins 'Goal' had been paid as a point in the 09 GF?

 

[skywalker1977]

what if fev wound up at essendon and lloyd wound up at carlton when they did?

what if the saints got their zone picks in the 1980s intead of the hawks and what if sticks and braddles ended up at carlton as early as 1981 intead of 86?

what if north hung on in 1994 against geelong in that prelim?

what if the saints kicked straight in the 97 grand final?

 

[Vaccination]

Cheeky 11 year bump but have a big one.

What if Richmond fire Hardwick at the end 0f 2016?
Changes pretty much everything about the last 4 years. Personally reckon Geelong would've been the main benefactors.

 

[MadMundy]

- What if Michael Barlow doesn't break his leg in 2010? What if Anthony Morabito doesn't become injury prone?

- What if we drafted Jack Darling instead of Jayden Pitt and we develop a forward duo of Pavlich & Darling?

- What if Mark Harvey never gets sacked?

-What if Fremantle kicked straight in the 2013 GF?

- What if Tom Sheridan hadn't dropped that mark in 2015?

- What if Fremantle don't trade in Jesse Hogan and instead draft Ben King?

- What if Ross Lyon never got sacked?

 

[mr bagcroft]

Grand final day 2009..
What if I hadnt had Macca's before I got on the train to go to theground?
What if I didnt get mashed before the game at the pre game breakfast?
What if I was facing Mecca when hawkins "goal" hit the post in the last quarter?

 

[Demonic Ascent]

Cheeky 11 year bump but have a big one.

What if Richmond fire Hardwick at the end 0f 2016?
Changes pretty much everything about the last 4 years. Personally reckon Geelong would've been the main benefactors.

You could extend that to what if the Cats sacked Bomber Thompson at the end of 2006?

 

[maskmcgee]

what if covid never happened

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

What if Geelong had sneaked into the finals in 1993? Had an awful season up until the final two months or so and in the last H&A stretch they won 6 or 7 in a row, including pretty comfortably accounting for 5 of the top 6, culminating with West Coast in WA in the final round.

What if Matthew Egan and Nathan Ablett weren't essentially lost to the game by the end of 2007? Possibly a double edged sword: with Ablett and Egan holding down key positions for the better part of a decade, would we have ever seen anything from Tom Lonergan?

Darkhorse (opposition supporters will probably say 'delusional') call: Geelong wins the 2013 flag with either (not even both) a fully fit Tom Hawkins, or - get this - Dawson Simpson. The latter debuted that season and had about a month where he dominated, before breaking his leg.

 

[Oliver09]

What if Geelong had sneaked into the finals in 1993? Had an awful season up until the final two months or so and in the last H&A stretch they won 6 or 7 in a row, including pretty comfortably accounting for 5 of the top 6, culminating with West Coast in WA in the final round.

What if Matthew Egan and Nathan Ablett weren't essentially lost to the game by the end of 2007? Possibly a double edged sword: with Ablett and Egan holding down key positions for the better part of a decade, would we have ever seen anything from Tom Lonergan?

Darkhorse (opposition supporters will probably say 'delusional') call: Geelong wins the 2013 flag with either (not even both) a fully fit Tom Hawkins, or - get this - Dawson Simpson. The latter debuted that season and had about a month where he dominated, before breaking his leg.

In 93 Essendon had Geelong under control at KP in r.21. We then copped a number of injuries to Hird, Misti, Fletcher, Thompson and Wallis. Geelong got on top and won. If not for those injuries Essendon more than likely win and any talk of Geelong being unlucky in 93 doesn't exist. All 5 of those players missed our first final v Carlton 2 weeks later as we had the bye in r.22.

 

[caveman72]

What if the Bombers had have kept Knights and not brought in Hird ?

 

[sdfc]

What if Varco had not missed a shot at goal in the last 30 seconds or so of the 2013 prelim? Freo play Geelong in the GF and probably win.

We'll never get that close again.

 

[BigVic]

What if Embley was holding the ball in the dying minutes of the 2006 Grand Final?
Sydney would have a chance to kick any score after the siren.

A behind would see a draw and both teams bought back next week for a replay. Fans will be out of pocket and the replay would’ve been axed earlier.

 

[Shane Heard]

THE WHAT IFS WITH FOOTY

Footy is a rather funny game at hand and alot of times reults pan out the way most would expect and the rest of the times there are the games that leave most footy fans stunned in their wake.

Im interested in hearing what most supporters believe are their what ifs in footy seasons gone by and what they believe may have eventuated certain marks kicks or play been allowed.

For me I will alwaws wonder what might have been with season 1993, the year in which the crows would score 8 goals 20 behinds against an ageing blues outfit out at waverly, inaccuracy cost the crow, a win would have put them in the grand final in only their third year.
But thats not the biggest what if of the year for me personally, holding a 42 point lead against the dons in the prelim final, i recall listening and thinking this essendon team with sheedy as coach and the older experiencedplayers in harvey, daniher, grenvold, thompson, odonell, salmon and long were not done with yet.
I recall seen the pain on their faces after the 1990 grand final and felt disappointed that liptak and riccuitto missed easy goals and could have lead by as much as 9 or 10 goals.

it wasnt to be and the dons came back fighting hard and won the flag.

but given how we went to sleep in the second half, its worth asking crow fans just how far they could have gone the following week against the blues?

there are lots im sure, for instance the 1999 prelim final with the blues and the dons, the dees inaccuracy in 1987 prelim final.
how bout the rest of u footy fans out there what are ur what ifs?

interested in all ur thoughts

Tim Watson’s goal late in the 93’ preliminary final and Cornes’ shake of the head in disgust is..priceless

 

[BigVic]

What if the result of the Sirengate match stood?

 

[sdfc]

What if Embley was holding the ball in the dying minutes of the 2006 Grand Final?
Sydney would have a chance to kick any score after the siren.

A behind would see a draw and both teams bought back next week for a replay. Fans will be out of pocket and the replay would’ve been axed earlier.

Given the record in games between those teams at that time a replay probably would have been just as intense.

 

[DEVO]

1993 - What if Longmire, Carey, Fairley, Laidley, Rock and Romero didn't get injured late in the season.
1994 - What if North didn't have such a poor game in front of goal against Geelong in the PF.
1998 - What if North didn't have such a poor first half in front of goal against Adelaide in the GF.

North win at one more Premiership in the 90's and have a shot at two others.

 

[sdfc]

1993 - What if Longmire, Carey, Fairley, Laidley, Rock and Romero didn't get injured late in the season.
1994 - What if North didn't have such a poor game in front of goal against Geelong in the PF.
1998 - What if North didn't have such a poor first half in front of goal against Adelaide in the GF.

North win at one more Premiership in the 90's and have a shot at two others.

What if Carlton don't upset Essendon in the 1999 prelim? You have one less.

 

[sdfc]

What if the result of the Sirengate match stood?

Freo still don't win the flag.

 

[The_Eagles]

What if Mayne hadn’t missed a sitter in 2015 prelim to put them well clear and Eagles played a Fyfe free Freo in the GF

 

[Vaccination]

What if Mayne hadn’t missed a sitter in 2015 prelim to put them well clear and Eagles played a Fyfe free Freo in the GF

We probably beat Freo given how banged up they were at the end of 2015. But if we were to win in 2015, would we have won in 2018?

 

[MisterMarcus]

All North Melbourne had to do in the final round of 2008 was beat cellar-dwellars Port Adelaide in Melbourne, to lock up a top 4 spot.

Instead, they got thumped by 70-odd points....plus combined with other results, they went crashing down to 7th. Instead of a guaranteed 4th spot and a chance to shake things up, they had to play an away final in Sydney and were bundled out after the first round.

 

[The Warlord]

What if Taylor Garner had the durability of Shaun Atley.

Garner has played under 50 games in nine years. But comes in for his first game of the season, kicks 3, North win their first game, a forward line that all year has been utterly dysfunctional starts to hum nicely. He's played big quarters in finals when it counts, has everything you want in a player - good skills, kicks goal, takes marks, tackles like demon.

Atley has played 220+ games and while that is a fine achievement, there's always been a sense he's never quite delivered on his ability. He also has an awful knack for making mistakes at the worst possible time. I can think of multiple losses that resulted from one Shaun Atley decision/stuff up.

If Taylor Garner had Shaun Atley's durability, we would have seen a fine football career I feel.