And here I was thinking that the curse was dead

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Melbourne have had a dream run at it, but Port have had a legup this year almost so much that you’d have to consider an * if they win it all. It hasn’t been a level playing field at all.

The injuries certainly haven’t been balanced. How one side can lose their leading goal kicker, best defender, best small forward and have an injury cloud over their best player, while another club only loses their 22nd best player is just cruel.

[mjp]

The injuries certainly haven’t been balanced. How one side can lose their leading goal kicker, best defender, best small forward and have an injury cloud over their best player, while another club only loses their 22nd best player is just cruel.

Which will make victory all the SWEETER.

Can we beat Port 10 times without Alex Keath? Probs not. But we only have to beat them once.

This game will be over before half time and our lead will exceed 7-goals. Mark it down. With every (Dogs) player who goes down, the pressure on the Power builds. They have had a week off. Their opponents have flown from Tassie to Brisbane to Perth to Adelaide. They have had to travel around the corner to buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk (maybe). Their opponents look like they have key players dropping out of the side - they have (with the exception of a 19yo kid with potential who has yet to put together 3-good games in a row) a FULL SQUAD to choose from. They have NO EXCUSES. They JUST MISSED OUT last year. JUST. This is their time.

It's gonna get to them. They are gonna crack. Our players/staff have overcome a lot in the last few weeks - criticism in the media etc not the least of it...hell, there was a thread on here a few weeks ago asking for the coach to be sacked.

It's gonna be OK. We will win this game going away.

[Twodogs]

Which will make victory all the SWEETER.

Can we beat Port 10 times without Alex Keath? Probs not. But we only have to beat them once.

This game will be over before half time and our lead will exceed 7-goals. Mark it down. With every (Dogs) player who goes down, the pressure on the Power builds. They have had a week off. Their opponents have flown from Tassie to Brisbane to Perth to Adelaide. They have had to travel around the corner to buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk (maybe). Their opponents look like they have key players dropping out of the side - they have (with the exception of a 19yo kid with potential who has yet to put together 3-good games in a row) a FULL SQUAD to choose from. They have NO EXCUSES. They JUST MISSED OUT last year. JUST. This is their time.

It's gonna get to them. They are gonna crack. Our players/staff have overcome a lot in the last few weeks - criticism in the media etc not the least of it...hell, there was a thread on here a few weeks ago asking for the coach to be sacked.

It's gonna be OK. We will win this game going away.

It feels a bit like the 1998 prelim final but in reverse. We were desperately unlucky to lose the prelim final in 1997, we cruised into the prelim in 1998, we were overwhelming favourite to win the 1998 prelim because everything seemed to have fallen into place for us- the game was in our home state and Adelaide had to travel to Victoria, we were an inform team, our opponents had come from outside the top four (Adelaide had finished 5th like we did this year) and we were set to avenge the unlucky loss we'd had in the same game the year before. We had to win. It was the only thing that made any sense.

In a nice bit of symmetry we were 34 points down at half time and went on to lose by 68 points.

[mjp]

It was the only thing that made any sense.

In a nice bit of symmetry we were 34 points down at half time and went on to lose by 68 points.

I thought we were cooked that day...had just been looking and playing tired since we lost that R#22 game (and top spot) to North. Today we'll be fine.

[Mantis]

I thought we were cooked that day...had just been looking and playing tired since we lost that R#22 game (and top spot) to North. Today we'll be fine.

I thought we were still going to win at 1/2 time. IIRC we kicked the first 2 goals of the 3rd before Grant marked about 30m from goal directly in front. He handballed to Hudson running past, but we fluffed it and Adel held firm. They kicked the next and once we were done our heads dropped and Adel kicked away.

If Grant goes back and kicks the goal, and given he was just about the best player in the competition at the time he should’ve, then we carry all the momentum and who knows where it takes us.

Oh, the memories!

[bornadog]

I thought we were still going to win at 1/2 time. IIRC we kicked the first 2 goals of the 3rd before Grant marked about 30m from goal directly in front. He handballed to Hudson running past, but we fluffed it and Adel held firm. They kicked the next and once we were done our heads dropped and Adel kicked away.

If Grant goes back and kicks the goal, and given he was just about the best player in the competition at the time he should’ve, then we carry all the momentum and who knows where it takes us.

Oh, the memories!

All I can remember about that game is we made Robran look like Carey.

[Twodogs]

I thought we were cooked that day...had just been looking and playing tired since we lost that R#22 game (and top spot) to North. Today we'll be fine.

I'd just become a dad for the first time about a month before. I reckon that I slept through most of the game. He's 23 now and ironically I'm still up most nights with him. It's EPL tonight.

All I can remember about that game is we made Robran look like Carey.

Rohan Smith manned him up so it's not surprising. Bubba was a great player but playing as a tall defender wasn't exactly his one wood.

[Grantysghost]

I thought we were cooked that day...had just been looking and playing tired since we lost that R#22 game (and top spot) to North. Today we'll be fine.

Hadn't we only played one final after that v the Eagles and pounded them?
I remember being confident in a prelim for the first time ever. Wrong bet! Plus I think somehow the Crows lost in the first week from outside the top 4 and stayed in the finals. It was the old final 8 system.

Edit :another memory from that day was someone in the dogs cheer squad where I was sitting someone actually had a pole with a real dead crow on the end of it. No joke.

[The bulldog tragician]

Hadn't we only played one final after that v the Eagles and pounded them?
I remember being confident in a prelim for the first time ever. Wrong bet! Plus I think somehow the Crows lost in the first week from outside the top 4 and stayed in the finals. It was the old final 8 system.

Edit :another memory from that day was someone in the dogs cheer squad where I was sitting actually had a pole with a real dead crow on the end of it. No joke.

It was going to be redemption for 97, we were sitting pretty with a fit and rested squad, blah blah blah. In many ways even more disappointing than 97 in terms of what we produced on the day compared to how we’d performed through the year.

[Grantysghost]

It was going to be redemption for 97, we were sitting pretty with a fit and rested squad, blah blah blah. In many ways even more disappointing than 97 in terms of what we produced on the day compared to how we’d performed through the year.

Yes agree TBT it was the expectation of redemption. Think in 99 we played them at the G and came from behind with Powell kicking a few late ones. I remember feeling like I'd got some payback that day... But not really. It was fleeting.

[Raw Toast]

Which will make victory all the SWEETER.

Can we beat Port 10 times without Alex Keath? Probs not. But we only have to beat them once.

This game will be over before half time and our lead will exceed 7-goals. Mark it down. With every (Dogs) player who goes down, the pressure on the Power builds. They have had a week off. Their opponents have flown from Tassie to Brisbane to Perth to Adelaide. They have had to travel around the corner to buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of milk (maybe). Their opponents look like they have key players dropping out of the side - they have (with the exception of a 19yo kid with potential who has yet to put together 3-good games in a row) a FULL SQUAD to choose from. They have NO EXCUSES. They JUST MISSED OUT last year. JUST. This is their time.

It's gonna get to them. They are gonna crack. Our players/staff have overcome a lot in the last few weeks - criticism in the media etc not the least of it...hell, there was a thread on here a few weeks ago asking for the coach to be sacked.

It's gonna be OK. We will win this game going away.

I would like to hail the prophetic MJP.

More seriously, I took great solace from this post, as I have from many other things that he's taken the time to write these past few season. I'm thankful for all the work he and so many others put into make Woof glorious.

And obviously it's thrilling that this superb prophetic vision was so accurate.

[The bulldog tragician]

I would like to hail the prophetic MJP.

More seriously, I took great solace from this post, as I have from many other things that he's taken the time to write these past few season. I'm thankful for all the work he and so many others put into make Woof glorious.

And obviously it's thrilling that this superb prophetic vision was so accurate.

It lifted my spirits too in the middle of the Alex Keath gloom I suddenly felt hope. Thanks mjp