Top 5 Moments of Season 2009

[BRING IT ON]

1 - The Beard
2 - Nup , still The Beard
3 - Yes , its still The Beard
4 - Of course , The Beard
5 - Josh " Sticky " Hill ( seriously just how " Sticky " are his hands, pure class )


.

[EasternWest]

You know, each year, after some inevitable form of disappointment, i ask myself quietly, why do i fork out a couple of grand for the family to see the footy each year, only to have our hearts ripped out (which i inevitably ignore as i always hand over my hard earned dosh)

BUT, i have to say thinking of all these moments, the sheer elation for those few moments, the little things like turning around to watch The brisbane lions coaching staff's face when aker kicked that goal, the moment at half time against hawthorn, when i realised exactly how far in front we were against the reigning premiers. etc etc

Thats why i love it, thats why i pay god knows how much money each year, and although i've never been to paradise, these moments are pretty bloody close, even if only for a fleeting period of time.

One day its going to happen, i know it, and when it does, my god.

Yeah I agree ReLoad.

Since I signed up, I've never once thought about going back.

The only consolation about having our hearts ripped out is that these days it's pain caused by coming so close and not by being smashed and embarrassed as we dwell in the cellars once more. I'm a pretty level headed supporter, but being laughed at by other supporters made my blood boil.

My top 5 (could have been a bunch of others, but here goes):
5. Liam Picken smashing Deledio in the head going for a spoil. Not because he hit him, I don't mind Deledio, but it was a statement of intent from Liam. If you are going to beat me, you'll have to be harder and tougher than me. It was a credo he employed all year.
4. Dylan Addison (well I couldn't not mention him) in the same game sprinting flat out for 30 metres to make a spoil, recover the ball himself before hitting Aker up 30 out directly in front. Gutsy footy, and why I love this kid. Really enjoyed the leadership shown by the older guys to get around DFA afterwards. Particularly Aker, who ran about 50 metres just to pat him on the back.
3. Hawthorn first half. I don't know that I've ever seen a better, more clinical display of football slaughter. Our players were so hard and still so desperate.
2. Callan Ward. What an incredible kid who continues to develop. He's just fearless.
1. PF. The loss that shouldn't have been! It was heartbreaking, no doubt, but I defy anyone to question the commitment, effort or desire of any of our players in that game. I had that nagging feeling in my head before the game that said we couldn't win, we wouldn't win. But from the first bounce our guys were so focussed that I almost immediately felt like we would win. I became so convinced that it almost did not compute when we didn't. No footy game has ever made me feel so excited and so desolate (including 97 PF) as this one. But what a game.

[MrMahatma]

Great moments.

Sure are!

[LostDoggy]

Clearly the Sydney and Hawthorn domination games. The Pies game (getting the margin), but i think main the highlights were:

Jarrod Harbrow - a season that could have seen him fall by the wayside like Faulkner and Lynch, but he found a new position and bloomed.

Liam Picken - Liam Who? @ the start of the year. Up there with the best come from nowhere seasons by a player in recents times. How long was his list of heads taken?

Easton Wood - Showed promise in his limited gametime. Will become a force off HB in season to become

[chef]

1. Cooking breakfast for Ben Hudson in January. His girlfriend has family up here and he comes in for eggs Florentine(with an extra egg) whenever he is in town.

2. Jarrad Grants NAB debut. This got me excited, as i have been waiting a while for a young key forward to show something. To bad that was all he showed all year, but i have faith that he will turn out alright.

3. The two H&A games against Geelong. We showed we compete and defeat the best in the league.

4. The first half against Hawthorn. Poetry in motion.

5. Trade week. Signed up Lake for life and added Hall to our list. the best trade week ever.

[craigsahibee]

5. The emergence of Callan Ward
4. Hawthorn win
3. Canberra Weekend
2. Wins over Collingwood, Essendon, Melbourne and Richmond. I hate all with a passion so I really can't split them.
1. The arrival of the BHBAS T-Shirt

[LostDoggy]

I thought about it, and came up with 6 + 1 special mention. In reverse order, then:


1. Callan Ward's coming of age in the 4th quarter vs. Geelong, completely outplaying Joel Selwood and sparking a memorable comeback, and confirming his potential as a Dogs superstar in the making. Spine-tingling stuff.

I must agree with that highlight. So glad someone other than me posted it. I have been accused of being a little too much of a Callanophile. (I call him Psycho, coz he's fully sick, mate!!)

And a personal highlight for was to watch our '09 home games from the front row whislt exchanging comments and thoughts in between beers with Ernie Sigley. No, not you ES, I made that mistake once before if I recall. Although I have read somewhere you come up with some great material under scoreboard pressure!

[always right]

I appreciate the number of times other teams supporters comment on the way we play the game. We really have an exciting team to watch...so much so that there are numerous examples of favourite moments we can throw up. A far cry from the days when we were deemed "blue collar battlers". Is there a more exhiliarating team going round when we are on our game?

My favourite moments nor necessarily in order;

1. The Hawthorn match....perfection during the first half
2. Johnno's goal to seal the game against Geelong
3. The Collingwood game where we pinched third spot.....surreal
4. The prelim final. Devastated but so proud. The match I thought we had really arrived
as a ligitimate premiership contender.
5. The Aker goal against Brisbane. I swear he ran out wider to make it more difficult.

Honourable mentions.....Harbrows bursts out of defence, Lake's humiliation of John Anthony, Callan Ward's numerous acts of courage.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

5. The Aker goal against Brisbane. I swear he ran out wider to make it more difficult.

Watched this game again the other day and replayed Aker's goal a couple of times. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, despite making it a more acute angle. The goal umpire didn't have to move.

Aker booted a 50-55m goal off one step v North Melbourne in one of the earlier games of the year that I remember too.