Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

[Mofra]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

Interesting trend: low expectations + new coach = enjoyable season as a fan.

Unpopular nomination: 2017. We sucked, we didn't meet anywhere near our expected output, but we had a full season of being called "reigning premiers" which is not something I was sure I'd ever experience in my lifetime.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

I really enjoyed 98. We were good.

Redemption was on the cards, we were smashing teams at Princes Park we were 8 - 1 to start the season and that round 11 game v the Crows was a thing of beauty after the PF (155 to 88).

Second half of the season we had a little wobble when the Blues reversed the earlier result and smashed us out of the blue by 80 points (anyone remember what happened there? Injuries?) and we lost a close one to the Cats.

Then of course the ultimate game of the season, probably one of the best ever I’ve seen the Carey v Grant show in rd 22 at the G. Amazing game for top spot and we just couldn’t get there.

Then finals. We destroyed West Coast in the QF, then the season ended and there were no more games.

HEY WAIT MAGIC MJP IT'S NOT A POLL OPTION! G - use your powers for good can you.

[Sedat]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

I went with 2006 and loved what Rocket brought to the club.
We were exciting to watch when we won it was regularly with a 3 digit score.
We had the likes of Cooney, Boyd, Cross, Gilbee, Grant, Griffen, Hahn, Johnson, Morris Murphy Smith and West.
We should have won a Grand final or two in that era but wasn't to be.
The Eade era was fun times.

Minson was our notional key forward in 2008 and Scott Welsh in 2009. We got Barry Hall to the club 1-2 years too late.

I reckon Rocket worked miracles with our club to get us so close to absolute gun teams like Geelong (21-1) and St Kilda (19-3) in the 2008 and 2009 PF's. On paper we should not have been anywhere near either of them but we pushed Geelong to within a couple of goals (and our inept goal kicking *cough Eagle cough* stopped us from leading) to the 20 min mark of the last qtr until Max Rooke's blatant front-on free against Johnno was criminally overlooked, and of course Floppy Roo and the umpires got St Kilda over the line in the most undeserved PF win ever - still the only game that Rocket has been involved with as a player or coach that he believes the rightful winner was completely shafted. Crows in 1997 was slightly more heartbreaking but in truth they dominated the game for 3 qtrs and just didn't kick straight - I was just angry after 2009 and celebrated long and hard the following week when St Kilda were arguably the better team but were pipped by the Cats (who I now hate with their pissy toy ground with no wings that I helped pay for).

[1eyedog]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

Not the best season. Just the most fun. And I want to exclude 2016 because that final outcome kind of muddies the waters...but for me it came down to a few seasons:

1/. 1985:

Coach: Malthouse
Captain: Jim Edmond
Finished (Ladder) 2nd.
Eliminated in the prelim by Hawthorn (well, Leigh Matthews really).
Beasley won the Coleman.
Hardie won the Brownlow.
Only lost 6 games - somehow lost to the Saints (wooden spoon), Melbourne finished 2nd last and Sydney (who finished 3rd last).

Background - Had finished 7th in 1984 and 1983 but in 1982 had 'won' the spoon.


Option 2/. 1992

Coach: Wheeler
Captain: Hawk
Finished (Ladder) 3rd.
Eliminated in the prelim by Geelong...when we beat the Saints in the Semi though it 'felt' like we were rolling!
Won 14-games, lost 6.

Background - Finished 10th with just 8 wins the year before (93).

Option 3/. 1997

Coach: Wallace
Captain: Wynd
Finished: 3rd (14 wins)
Eliminated in the prelim by Adelaide in the Prelim!
Won 14-games, lost 8.

Background - Finished 2nd last in 96 but the club was on it's knees...Joyce sacked, Wallace installed, only Fitzroy below us and the AFL were genuinely trying to wind up the club!

Option 4/. 2006

Coach: Eade
Captain: Darcy
Finished: 8th
Eliminated in the semi final by West Coast (at Subi - and it was bad) BUT beat Collingwood at the G in the elimination week.
Won 13-games, lost 9.

Background - Had been out of finals since 2000 with a spoon in 2003...came flying out of the blocks, run and gun and Gilbee and the bald eagle and just EXCITING footy that was so refreshing after the dour/dismal Rohde years.

Option 5/. 2015

Coach: Bevo
Captain: Bob
Finished: 6th
Eliminated in the elimination final by Adelaide...7 points down (and of course, there was controversy!)
Won 14-games, lost 7.

Background - Well, the Captain quit, the coach quit/walked...I'm not going to rehash the story we all know about the end of 2014 but I think all of us were questioning how we might EVER get back on the winners list.

You've pretty much written out my order in the OP and your brief summary of each year pretty much reflects why I was exicited by each of them in a different way. Gee Whizz it was hard not to upvote the 2006 season after disposing of the Pies the way we did though.

I couldn't get to the game, but I watched it at the Rose Hotel in Fitzroy, a dyed in the wool Fitzroy Lions pub packed to the rafters with Bulldogs, Lions and Pies supporters. The pub has been fully gentrified now but even back then it looked like the inside of a Fitzroy cheer leaders man cave. A real footy pub. What a night that was singing the Bulldog theme song and then having to sing the Fitzroy theme song straight after it. I miss the old Roy they were closest to us as a club. I was never totally shattered when Doug went and played there. They did steal some of our great players though.

I lived around the corner from the Rose at the time and remember catching Scotty West, Griffen, Mitch Hahn and a few others on the tail end of a mad Monday during West's last year. Man they all looked shady as. I think I rang my whole faily and told them who was there.

[Rocket Science]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

I'm reminded of the old adage 'Life is not to be endured, but enjoyed. Unless of course you're a Bulldogs supporter'.

'15 was pretty fun because it curried fresh hope, that irrepressible win over Sydney in the wet and our first true sense of what we had in the Bont.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

Minson was our notional key forward in 2008 and Scott Welsh in 2009. We got Barry Hall to the club 1-2 years too late.

I reckon Rocket worked miracles with our club to get us so close to absolute gun teams like Geelong (21-1) and St Kilda (19-3) in the 2008 and 2009 PF's. On paper we should not have been anywhere near either of them but we pushed Geelong to within a couple of goals (and our inept goal kicking *cough Eagle cough* stopped us from leading) to the 20 min mark of the last qtr until Max Rooke's blatant front-on free against Johnno was criminally overlooked, and of course Floppy Roo and the umpires got St Kilda over the line in the most undeserved PF win ever - still the only game that Rocket has been involved with as a player or coach that he believes the rightful winner was completely shafted. Crows in 1997 was slightly more heartbreaking but in truth they dominated the game for 3 qtrs and just didn't kick straight - I was just angry after 2009 and celebrated long and hard the following week when St Kilda were arguably the better team but were pipped by the Cats (who I now hate with their pissy toy ground with no wings that I helped pay for).

Quoted for quality.

[jeemak]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

Minson was our notional key forward in 2008 and Scott Welsh in 2009. We got Barry Hall to the club 1-2 years too late.

I reckon Rocket worked miracles with our club to get us so close to absolute gun teams like Geelong (21-1) and St Kilda (19-3) in the 2008 and 2009 PF's. On paper we should not have been anywhere near either of them but we pushed Geelong to within a couple of goals (and our inept goal kicking *cough Eagle cough* stopped us from leading) to the 20 min mark of the last qtr until Max Rooke's blatant front-on free against Johnno was criminally overlooked, and of course Floppy Roo and the umpires got St Kilda over the line in the most undeserved PF win ever - still the only game that Rocket has been involved with as a player or coach that he believes the rightful winner was completely shafted. Crows in 1997 was slightly more heartbreaking but in truth they dominated the game for 3 qtrs and just didn't kick straight - I was just angry after 2009 and celebrated long and hard the following week when St Kilda were arguably the better team but were pipped by the Cats (who I now hate with their pissy toy ground with no wings that I helped pay for).

You've never mentioned this before!

Eade was a bloody good coach and the teams he put up between 2005-2010 were so much fun to watch even though he didn't have the full picture of personnel back or, in particular forward to give us full talent cred to match it with the eventual premiers of the day.

By the time we hit the finals in 2008 we were able to match the contested nature of other teams, but we lacked the easy route forward they enjoyed. Our first final against Hawthorn was terrible and almost the worst game I've been to as a supporter, outside of the 97-98 prelims of course, but we were up to our eyeballs in that prelim against Geelong and things could have been different with a bit of luck.

2009 was another year I really enjoyed. Again, we were just so awesome to watch. You knew when you turned on the tele or rocked up to a game you were going to be entertained by a team of awesome players across the lines bucking the miserable Saints trend (the round 9 and 21 games from that year against Geelong is what footy should be about, amazing games). Enough's been said about the prelim, but not enough is said about the bullshit we dished up again in the first final that year. Unforgiveable, and a dying legacy of that group and Eade himself, which may sound harsh but is what it is.

[The Doctor]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

1997 just pips 1985 for me. I really thought we could win it that year and from early on in the season. What a team it was with Grant, Johnno, Smith, West, The Wog Squad, Danny Southern and those tough nuts in defence, Kretiuk, Croft, Dent. They were compelling viewing and superbly coached by Wallace.

85 was brilliant. Brad Hardie was unbelievably good. Choco, Hawk, Edmonds, Wallis, Purser, Super. They could and did beat everyone. The smashing of Essendon with Lally Bamblett running riot the highlight of the season just edging out the great come from behind win v Hawthorn in the mud at WO to secure the double chance.

Special mention to the 1990 team. After what we had just been through in 1989 this team rose up and did the club proud and made me all the more proud of our club. I was at the SCG for the round 2 clash v Swans with Willams, Healy & co in their team and we smashed them. I was in awe of 2 young teenagers. Grant who destroyed Tilt Carter kicked 4 (should have been 6 or 7) in his 2nd game and a skinny kid Leon Cameron ripped them to pieces. Tony McGuinness was sensational. This win made me feel good about footy again & hopeful of a brighter future. This team gave everything and were right in the finals hunt til late in the season. The great win v Collingwood had us in the top 5 from memory. They ran out of puff after that.

[The Doctor]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

Here they are in 1985! Choco, Hardie, Beaser, Jimmy, Hawk, Super, Magic, Budgie & co destroying reigning premiers Essendon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqKySymHmWE

1997 v West Coast. Did Billy ever miss a goal on the run?

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=western+bulldogs+v+west+coast+1997&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:24245de1,vid:BkSiZ9s7-bY

[mjp]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

I really enjoyed 98. We were good.

I have this memory of a game early in 98 that we were not involved in. The score at 3/4 time was 7 goals to 5 (or something equally rubbish) and I remember looking at the screen, seeing the score (I hadn't been watching by my missus had) and saying:

"If the Bulldogs were to start playing now vs either of these teams - even with just 30-minutes to go - we would overtake them and win".

Never have I been so confident going into a season as I was in '98...it just felt like it was our time and - importantly, our 'TURN'.

But that last game of the year vs North really seemed to snake-bite us and we never recaptured the form we displayed that day in the finals...we lost top spot and seemingly our season that afternoon and when we rolled out in the prelim I genuinely thought our chances were somewhere between zero and none - the spark just seemed to have been blown out.

[Mantis]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

I have this memory of a game early in 98 that we were not involved in. The score at 3/4 time was 7 goals to 5 (or something equally rubbish) and I remember looking at the screen, seeing the score (I hadn't been watching by my missus had) and saying:

"If the Bulldogs were to start playing now vs either of these teams - even with just 30-minutes to go - we would overtake them and win".

Never have I been so confident going into a season as I was in '98...it just felt like it was our time and - importantly, our 'TURN'.

But that last game of the year vs North really seemed to snake-bite us and we never recaptured the form we displayed that day in the finals...we lost top spot and seemingly our season that afternoon and when we rolled out in the prelim I genuinely thought our chances were somewhere between zero and none - the spark just seemed to have been blown out.

There's a bit I don't agree with in here.

Our last 2 games of the '98 were big Friday night games against 2 good teams (Ess & North) in which over 65k attended both games. We beat Ess by a couple of goals and then in a classic game lost to North with pretty much the last kick of the game.

We absolutely smoked WC in the 1st final by the tune of 70 points with Grant dominant again.

The PF was a disaster...we got 2 match-ups horribly wrong (McLeod v Libba and Robran v Smith) and didn't kick well for goal in the 1st half... but as I've mentioned in the past after kicking the 1st goal of the 2nd half Grant took a mark 30m from goal to get us back to within about 20 points and with all the momentum... but he fluffed the handball to Hudson, the moment was gone and we fell apart as the game wore on.

[jazzadogs]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

It's not really in the vibe of this thread, but I didn't think it needed its own thread...I used Chat GPT today for the first time and gave it the prompt "the western Bulldogs 2016 AFL premiership was the greatest success in sporting history" - I'm thinking I might use it to formulate all of my responses on woof from now on...

As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions, but I can provide you with some key points to support the claim that the Western Bulldogs 2016 AFL premiership was the greatest success in the history of sport.

- Underdog status: The Western Bulldogs were not favored to win the premiership in 2016. They finished seventh in the regular season and had not won a premiership since 1954. Their underdog status made their victory even more remarkable.
- Tough road to the Grand Final: The Bulldogs had to win four consecutive games to reach the Grand Final, including upset wins over top teams like West Coast and Greater Western Sydney. They showed incredible resilience and determination to overcome such tough opponents.
- Winning from the bottom: Unlike other teams who had multiple star players and high-profile recruits, the Western Bulldogs built their team from the bottom up. They developed young talent and promoted players from lower leagues, showing that a successful team can be built without relying on big names or big budgets.
- Emotional connection with fans: The Western Bulldogs represented more than just a football team for their fans. They represented a working-class suburb and a community that had faced tough times in recent years. Their victory brought great joy and pride to their fans, who felt a deep emotional connection with the team.
- Impact on the wider community: The Bulldogs' success had a positive impact beyond the football field. Their premiership generated a sense of hope and optimism in the wider community, and inspired many people to believe in the power of teamwork, perseverance, and resilience.

In conclusion, while it is difficult to make a definitive statement about the "greatest success in the history of sport," there are certainly strong arguments to be made for the Western Bulldogs 2016 AFL premiership being one of the most remarkable achievements in sporting history.

[mjp]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

There's a bit I don't agree with in here.

Our last 2 games of the '98 were big Friday night games against 2 good teams (Ess & North) in which over 65k attended both games. We beat Ess by a couple of goals and then in a classic game lost to North with pretty much the last kick of the game.

We absolutely smoked WC in the 1st final by the tune of 70 points with Grant dominant again.

The PF was a disaster...we got 2 match-ups horribly wrong (McLeod v Libba and Robran v Smith) and didn't kick well for goal in the 1st half... but as I've mentioned in the past after kicking the 1st goal of the 2nd half Grant took a mark 30m from goal to get us back to within about 20 points and with all the momentum... but he fluffed the handball to Hudson, the moment was gone and we fell apart as the game wore on.

I know we are out of step on this from past posts...I honestly didn't take much from the game vs Sydney (though I have a long-lasting memory of Simon Garlick running/bouncing the ball down the wing in that game) and just felt it was over...I rarely feel that way...

The prelim to me just had a feeling of doom all over it.

I think had we beaten North everything changes. It would have been the first time we had ever finished #1 on the ladder and (once again) at the last hurdle (just like the year before) we gave it a good crack but fell short. Seemed to set a tone.

[The bulldog tragician]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

I have this memory of a game early in 98 that we were not involved in. The score at 3/4 time was 7 goals to 5 (or something equally rubbish) and I remember looking at the screen, seeing the score (I hadn't been watching by my missus had) and saying:

"If the Bulldogs were to start playing now vs either of these teams - even with just 30-minutes to go - we would overtake them and win".

Never have I been so confident going into a season as I was in '98...it just felt like it was our time and - importantly, our 'TURN'.

But that last game of the year vs North really seemed to snake-bite us and we never recaptured the form we displayed that day in the finals...we lost top spot and seemingly our season that afternoon and when we rolled out in the prelim I genuinely thought our chances were somewhere between zero and none - the spark just seemed to have been blown out.

On the other hand… wasn’t that the season of a match v Eagles where we were absolutely killing them & playing a brand of footy that was completely exhilarating … and infamously collapsed?

[jazzadogs]

Re: Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

In keeping with the thread, I voted for 2006 as it was the only season I attended most games. 1997 I know I was there but I don't remember it in detail, and 2015 I was overseas - great wins at 4am on a muted iPad don't really hit the same.

My second place would be 2010, as I loved watching Barry Hall go to work.