We didn't win the flag in 1997 - who do you blame?

[always right]

...and Granty dropped a chest mark in the dying moments. Sigh...having flashbacks.

[LostDoggy]

[QUOTE=Mantis;24317]and to put your team into a grand final... Mate, everyone dreams of this moment and it simply should not have been missed. As well as he played on that day this is the one moment that defines him and he stuffed it up.[/QUOT

Comments like this just show your lack of knowledge and understanding for the game

[Twodogs]

[QUOTE=jerry;24322]

and to put your team into a grand final... Mate, everyone dreams of this moment and it simply should not have been missed. As well as he played on that day this is the one moment that defines him and he stuffed it up.[/QUOT

Comments like this just show your lack of knowledge and understanding for the game

I agree with Mantis.

You've got to put everything else out of your mind. You cant afford to think about the bloke on your hammer-a teammate will let you know if he's close enough to do any damage, it's your job to concentrate on the kick-especially on the run. West didnt balance properly, didnt drop his eyes to look for options but just panicked and blazed away. I loved Mark West and his shoulder injuries were a modern day bulldog tragedy. But if he had that moment again he'd do what he'd done at training a million times, do everything properly and kick the goal




Anyway many thanks to DR for dredging up all these hapy memories. My two main nightmare memories are Hudson and Grant running into each other instead of one of them shepherding and one go for the loose ball, from memory it was about 15-20 metres out and there was no Adelaide player goalside of the ball. The other was Libba's goal-I was three rows from the front directly behind the flight of the ball and it was a goal everyday of the week and twice on sundays.

[The Doctor]

My view

In: Kolyniuk, Dimattina, Southern

Out: Martin, Brown, Curley

If only...........sigh

-----------------------------

It was Romero who blazed away when Cook was free in the goalsquare.

Wallace lack of faith in the team thus foolishly playing Romero. Big mistake.

Martin needlessly running into West on the half forward flank late in the last 1/4 resulting in West getting caught as we were going forward and the turnover sending the Crows into attack. Goal result I think?

Wallace taking Cameron off for so long. Can someone spare me a boxing glove?

Smith and Johnson disappearing in the last 1/4.

However I think the big difference was Rehn getting on top of Wynd in the second half.

[mjp]

I dont blame anyone.

In a game lost by such a small margin, it really is a matter of what team was lucky enough to be in front when the final siren rang.

Yes, we were in front. Yes, we were the better side early in the match. But from a Crows perspective, they had the momentum and the more dangerous (and mobile) forward line. And (from recollection), actually had some players they could rotate off the bench.

1997/98 are the seasons I have enjoyed most as a Dogs fan, and I refuse to blame either players or coach or doctors or president or water boys or whoever for the teams failure to go all the way.

[Sockeye Salmon]

First up, this season was in my pre-AFL days. I haven't seen the game but I've read a hell of a lot about it.

Many seem to think that a blind goal umpire robbed us of not only a PF but a seemingly certain flag, but does this really stand up to scrutiny?

1. Obvious question - was it a goal? Seems to be a consensus that it was?

The following year there was an enormous amount of publicity about goal umpiring mistakes. I think Rowan Sawyers was the umpires advisor at the time and he make a comment something along the lines of: "Goal umpiring mistakes are nothing new, they have always been part of football. One of last years finals was probably decided by one".

2. Did we really deserve to win the game? IIRC, we were well ahead and should never have let the Crows back in the game.

Hard one. It wasn't as if we dominated the game, in fact it was the opposite. For the first three quarters we were just more efficent in front of goal than them. They kicked a whole lot of points from memory.

3. As the Crows came back, didn't Wallace have a Plan B? Was he more to blame, the coach or the players?

I hold Wallace totally responsible.
Niogel Smart was ripping us a new one at CHF while Grant froze his bum off in the goalsquare.
While Jarman was killing Curley at FF our regular FB, Steve Kretiuk, was on the bench.
Jose Romero dislocated a shoulder against Sydney two weeks earlier yet Wallace played him. A dislocated shoulder is a 6 week injury. Romero re-did it early in the game.

4. But what if we had won the PF - was a flag so certain the next week? IIRC Spida Everritt had done his shoulder in the finals and one of young gun forwards that season was missing from the GF. If I was genie and could take you back then, if we want to discuss "ifs", how about I give Libba the goal and Spider a good shoulder and be available. Who would win that Dogs v Saints GF?

Romero would have missed the grand final with injury.
James Cook and Mark West got reported in the PF and rubbed out.

Most people forget that Rohan Smith got reported for kicking in the PF but got off. If we had won that game this would have been the story of the next week. With all the extra scrutiny (and politics) would the tribunal have made the same decision?

[always right]

In '97 I was distraught but in '98 I was just plain angry. Rohan Smith at CHB on Robran, Libba at HB on McLeod...and we didn't give a yelp.

[hujsh]

I'm glad i can't remember that far back. I get bitter and angry enough from the stories. If i had seen it myself... that would suck

[LostDoggy]

In '97 I was distraught but in '98 I was just plain angry. Rohan Smith at CHB on Robran, Libba at HB on McLeod...and we didn't give a yelp.

While we had 2 or 3 backman playing reserves.

[Dry Rot]

In '97 I was distraught but in '98 I was just plain angry. Rohan Smith at CHB on Robran, Libba at HB on McLeod...and we didn't give a yelp.

That's a game I do remember and worthy of a thread itself.

[mjp]

That's a game I do remember and worthy of a thread itself.

Pretty sure we have done that already....but we were 'gone' by prelim final day. If the '98 GF had been in June we would have won.

[hujsh]

Pretty sure we have done that already....but we were 'gone' by prelim final day. If the '98 GF had been in June we would have won.

Yes because he did it.

[mjp]

Yes because he did it.

Not exactly...check the archives.

Yes, there is a new thread - my point was we have HAD the 1998 discussion. Anyway, thanks for the wink - it made all the difference.

[Sockeye Salmon]

While we had 2 or 3 backman playing reserves.

Danny Southern got 2 weeks for wrestling v Hawthorn (wrestling FFS!), so I think he would have still had 1 week to serve*.

Horse had missed a few games and played reserves rather than ome straight back in.



*Southern got 2 weeks for wrestling because he was done for wrestling the previous week as well. Hawthorn knew he was on a warning, jumped on him and the poor bugger was gone.

Raydon Tallis got 2 weeks for striking in that game as well. Hawthorn missed the finals but their reserves were in. Tallis was allowed to play in the reserves finals because he wasn't suspended playing reserves or some such shit. He served his 2 weeks in the Wizard cup the next February.

[aker39]

Danny Southern got 2 weeks for wrestling v Hawthorn (wrestling FFS!), so I think he would have still had 1 week to serve*.

Horse had missed a few games and played reserves rather than ome straight back in.

IIRC Southern was reported in Round 22 and got 2 weeks.

We won the Qualifying Final against the Eagles, so the prelim was his 2nd week.

He would have been available for the GF