Which Loss Really Stuffed Up Your Club?

[Scanlens Man]

How did winning the 1995 semi set Richmond back? I would say losing John Northey as coach a few weeks later did

Papered over some cracks - again on and off the field - and neither department worked hard enough becuase they thought it was due.

Just ask Robert Walls, when he came in the next pre-season as everyone at the club was still talking about that great come-back win, rather than the Prelim thumping. I read that he walked into a "high up" club officials office the week before the first game of 1996 season and the guy had a big TV unit on wheels and was STILL watching a replay of that 3rd quarter. That's when Walls knew he was doomed. Expectation had vastly out-weighed application.

Took the Tigers 6 years to get back to the finals, wasted a semi decent opportunity from that 1994-2000 era

 

[VanDemonxx]

How long have I got

 

[M Malice]

2004 Grand Final loss really knocked the stuffing out of us, which gradually led up to the round 22 flogging the following season ie. Saints 186 Lions 47.

Except for a brief stint of competitiveness in 2009 it has been downhill ever since.

 

[schmuttt]

Round 23 against the Pies could well be a massive sliding doors moment if our current group goes to s**t.

 

[Mofra]

<insert posters team Grand Final losses>

<Inserts 7 prelim losses in a row in lieu of the Grand Finals we didn't make>

1997 was the big one. Libba's goal signaled a behind, Spider Everitt injured for the saints meant they were always going to be up against it in the GF playing the winner of Crows/Adelaide.

 

[wowlace]

186

 

[Austin_McCrabbs]

The round 20 2016 loss to Melbourne (who were pretty average back then) cost us top spot and a possible first up final v GWS (their first final) at the MCG.

Would have put us in a prime position to get the four-peat. Instead we lose to Geelong with a missed goal after the siren in the QF and go out in straight sets the nest week to the Dogs.

Probably falls under the category of #HawthornProblems but it shits me nonetheless.

View attachment 517309

I just remember Max Gawn murdering us with contested marks all day during that game.

 

[Philth]

Losing the 1982 Grand Final set you back far more than that game did. It changed Richmond's outlook of how to be successful in the modern game, with devastating off-field (e.g. financial) and on-field results

I'd also argue WINNING the 1995 Second Semi against Essendon set you back further than the game you nominated

I'm not sure about that game, but I always think of 1995 being such a promising year and then it all fell apart after Northey left, due to petty management issues/bickering etc. He was a huge loss.

So not a game loss for us, but the end of that year marked the start of some very frustrating, lean times.

 

[Falchoon]

I think the prelim loss to Port Adelaide in 2004 really knocked us around, Gehrig's 100th goal, Wanganeen's heroics.

That whole era from '04 to '10 & since would have been significantly different if we'd got over that one.

Great game though!

 

[Macpotata]

That loss where the aftermath was just as painful as the match itself.

For Richmond it was Round 1 2009,
let me paint the picture for you.

- Terry Wallace was in the final year of his contract, yet to make finals.

- Ended 2008 in fantastic form, winning 8 of the last 10 and defeated the reigning premiers Hawthorn.

- Matthew Richardson almost won the Brownlow medal playing on the wing in 2008, in probably the best individual Richmond season since Kevin Bartlett in the 80s.

- Ben Cousins signs to play with us, giving us legitimately a genuine A+ superstar (we soon find out a shadow of his former self).


The result? In front of the biggest Round 1 crowd in history (at the time), Richmond lose by over 10 goals, Cousins pings the hammy, soon to be followed by Richo.

The aftermath? By halfway through the year Wallace was sacked, we retired all our senior players, hired Jade Rawlings as a caretaker coach and went on the hunt for rebuild number 16 in 30 years.

It was the worst, we’ve lost by more before, but this loss really hurt. It ruined such a promising season before it even started for us.

Over to you BF.

Was at that game. Good memories. We rolled the Hawks the next night and went on to win the flag.

 

[Scanlens Man]

I'm not sure about that game, but I always think of 1995 being such a promising year and then it all fell apart after Northey left, due to petty management issues/bickering etc. He was a huge loss.

So not a game loss for us, but the end of that year marked the start of some very frustrating, lean times.

Yes at the time I remember thinking that was a pretty good team. Maybe even like todays Richmond - some great players but wins came largely on grunt and desire and everyone doing their job

 

[Mogwai]

I actually want to talk about the trajectory of the Gold Coast here.

2014 vs. Brisbane. R18.
Gold Coast looking steady in 9th, at 9-7, even with 7th, behind on percentage. A sloppy loss to a rebuilding WB at Cairns the week prior stung, but they looked good to bounce back against the Lions. Though they lost career-best Ablett in a gritty 5 point win over fellow finals challengers Collingwood in Round 16, Dixon, Prestia, O'Meara, Lynch, Day, Hall, Martin and Swallow still accounted for the young spine.

Basketcase Brisbane comes in to Round 18 with 4 wins all from bottom 6 sides, still reeling from Voss. They're back in rebuild under Leppitsch.

Gold Coast proceed to let Brisbane blaze away to a six goal lead in the first term. Dixon goes down early and Gold Coast were never threatening.

After the game, an inquest led by McKenna creates a rift between players as they go on to win one of their next 5.

They finish 11th with a record of 10-12; an attempt to finish on a high (even ledger) was crushed by West Coast in R23 when WC registered an 11-goal third quarter at Carrara.

As a result of this collapse, foundation coach McKenna was sacked, and Gold Coast never came close to having a winning season since.

 

[Captain_Bender]

Papered over some cracks - again on and off the field - and neither department worked hard enough becuase they thought it was due.

Just ask Robert Walls, when he came in the next pre-season as everyone at the club was still talking about that great come-back win, rather than the Prelim thumping. I read that he walked into a "high up" club officials office the week before the first game of 1996 season and the guy had a big TV unit on wheels and was STILL watching a replay of that 3rd quarter. That's when Walls knew he was doomed. Expectation had vastly out-weighed application.

Took the Tigers 6 years to get back to the finals, wasted a semi decent opportunity from that 1994-2000 era

Richmond probably would have made more finals between 96 and 2000 if they kept John Northey as coach instead of Robert Walls who was never right for Richmond in the first place

 

[Scanlens Man]

Richmond probably would have made more finals between 96 and 2000 if they kept John Northey as coach instead of Robert Walls who was never right for Richmond in the first place

Yeah I think they would have, he was a good motivator and achieved results both with and without talent wherever he went

 

[TigerTime_89]

Danny Frawley.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

More of a loss that NEARLY stuffed up the club (but thankfully didn't).

R23 2016 vs the Swans, a 113 drubbing for us. Really is an exclamation point to a disappointing season. After making 3 finals campaigns in a row (after a 12 season absence), our much anticipated rebuild back to finals seemed short lived. Question marks over nearly every aspect of the club. We had rebuilt the list, tried out best but still couldn't cut the mustard as an AFL flag contender. Other clubs had seemingly overtaken us and the outlook was pretty bleak.

In the coaches' box, serious questions about Dimma and the gameplan were heavily debated. Sections of the media and fanbase saying his time was up and a rebuild was needed. Others said he deserved more time. IIRC, he had 1 more year to go on his contract. Did he deserve to see it out? Did he deserve an extension? Was it time for Richmond to get ruthless and chop him?

The leadership was brought into question. Was Cotchin the right man to lead this group forward into a potential rebuild? Did he have the right mettle to be a good AFL captain? Always was seen as a nice guy but perhaps without a hard edge to him needed to be a successful leader of men. He hadn't hit the heights of his Brownlow season and some said he was the worst Brownlow medalist in history and captain in the league.

The list was also heavily scrutinised. Dusty was going into his final year of his contract. Questions of whether players like Deledio, Riewoldt and others should be traded while they had some currency to help with the supposed coming rebuild by pocketing more draft picks. Should the club take the shortcut route and target a big name free agent. Was the season a flash in the pan or was their potential in this group of players. Dimma had said it was the best list he had during his tenure at the club but was he onto something or was he just selling hope to the fans?

Off the field, the Board was barraged by disgruntled supporters. There was even the infamous rogue 'Focus on Footy' groups attempted (comical) coup. There was the football department audit brought in to dissect the 2016 season and try to understand what internal personnel and systems had worked and which had not.

Obviously this played out in the best possible way for us but it's remarkable to think how close sweeping changes could have been that might have altered the direction and outcomes for the club.

 

[MinerBoy]

Absolutely, the Hawks never came back from that loss.....

Didn't win another game for months.

 

[olimauldon]

Different take, 'A win that stuffed up your club': 2016 Grand Final

Worth it though

 

[Chaisa]

I still think 2014 has hurt us in finals-esque situations.

 

[Freomaniac]

as a freo fan..... too many to say

 

[ossie_21]

2010 prelim against St Kilda. Had finished 4th & pumped by eventual premiers Collingwood in week 1, crawled across the line against Sydney the next week but then fairly easily beaten by a better team that made the GF. Just showed that even after finishing 4th 3yrs in a row we weren’t good enough to make the GF, 3 prelim losses crushed them. Had a very good side over these years, just couldn’t take the next step. Big drop off in 2011 to miss finals altogether after being a top 4 side for so long.

 

[juice t]

The round 20 2016 loss to Melbourne (who were pretty average back then) cost us top spot and a possible first up final v GWS (their first final) at the MCG.

Would have put us in a prime position to get the four-peat. Instead we lose to Geelong with a missed goal after the siren in the QF and go out in straight sets the nest week to the Dogs.

Probably falls under the category of #HawthornProblems but it shits me nonetheless.

View attachment 517309

Got in front by a point in the last quarter and then the Dees just absolutely bulldozed us

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Different take, 'A win that stuffed up your club': 2016 Grand Final

Worth it though

Definitely worth it.

 

[Tas]

would you reckon it fair to say he had become bigger than the club?
what he did was elma fudd despicable and tore your club apart.

He became bigger than reality in his own mind, even on the day of reckoning he couldn't fathom how it could be possibly that the club could find fault with his conduct and how we could possibly hold him accountable for his actions.

I think most megalomaniacs are able to function within a society, when they keep themselves in check, however, the more that society plays on their own fantasy, the harder it is for them to self-control and the more they will unleash their destructive tendencies. Thankfully for us, for Carey, it was just being a scumbag to women, not that in itself is a good thing, there is just the potential for a whole lot worse than that.

I don't think he has reformed, I just think he is back in control of his demons, but the demons are still there, waiting to get out should he let his guard down and he has "relapsed" from time to time since his pinnacle.

As I said, it could be worse, he could have become someone like George Soros, perhaps we are fortunate he doesn't have the business acumen.

One thing I always qualify when it comes to Carey, it takes two to tango and he never forced himself on Stevens' wife, she was a willing participant and in the grand scheme of things, her vows to him are significantly more binding than unspoken bonds between mates. I find it perplexing that we as a society were so quick to forgive her for her actions but were prepared to crucify Carey for his. Don't get me wrong, it was a campaigner of a move but I would be far angrier at my partner than I would be of a friend.

I found it idiotic that Stevens forgave her, perhaps he did it for the sake of the family, but some wounds never heal, how could he ever trust her again? How can you have a relationship without trust? It wasn't a huge surprise it didn't last and you should never live in misery for the sake of children as they are not daft enough to believe in some charade.

Our fault, as a club, is we didn't reign him in earlier on. The signs where there for a long time but it was quite common in that era for the great players to be loose cannons off-field, Carey just caught up in a time media became a far more significant commodity in football. There were more than likely past players as bad if not worse than Carey, as a society we did a lot more to keep skeletons in the closet.

The modern era likes to air our dirty laundry and I am not sure it makes for better outcomes. I think the train wrecks still happen as much as they used to, we just get to witness them a lot more now.

 

[Boxhead_31]

1997 QF, finished the season 2% off of first come out in the first final on a wet night at the MCG and Carey tore the club apart sending us to Adelaide for the infamous non-mark game and out in straight sets when we could have easily made the GF against St Kilda