The Decade 2000-2009
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Re: The Decade 2000-2009
My highlight and lowlight of the decade was the 09 prelim final against St Kilda - it was the closest we have been to winning the whole thing, and a very good performance from the team, but bnot quite good enough. However the first final performance against Geelong in 09 was an incredibly disappointing performance lacking the intensity the occassion required.
A major disappointment was Luke Darcys knee - a career killed by injury after he'd been named AFLPA MVP in 2002
Johnson and West the decades standouts - West the most consistent performer I've ever seen, and Johnson not too far behind him.Comment
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Re: The Decade 2000-2009
One of my highlights was beating St Kilda at the MCG in June 2004. We were 15th, they were on top of the ladder. They'd won quite a few games in a row, 9 I think. No one gave us a chance and we beat them by 4 goals. It was my birthday that day too - I think they won it for me!!Comment
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[COLOR="Red"][B][U][COLOR="Blue"]85, 92, 97, 98, 08, 09, 10... Break the curse![/COLOR][/U][/B][/COLOR]Comment
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Re: The Decade 2000-2009
Fun thread -- although, pedantically, the next decade doesn't start till 2011. This decade (and millenium) also started in 2001, not 2000, but nevermind!
These last ten years are broken down into two halves for me -- Pre-Rocket and Post-Rocket. Pre-Rocket going to the footy was as depressing, hopeless and painful as it has ever been, especially with the weekly reports in the papers of our dire financial position and the old EJ stand at the WO decrepit and falling apart.
Post-Rocket -- and of course much of the credit has to go to Rose and Smorgs -- our profile has just skyrocketed and we are no longer a downtrodden poor club (debt notwithstanding, but that's another issue and one that merits nuanced analysis -- but that's a discussion for another thread), but one that is a lot closer to realising our potential as a megaclub with a monopolistic stranglehold on an entire half of Melbourne, both on and off the field.
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Highlights (other than the ones already mentioned) --
1. The new Whitten Oval. The contrast between the depressing, rotting and underused relic and the spanking new community hub, educational faculty and world-class sporting facility (I still think that location-wise, a further-upgraded WO is where Melbourne's third footy stadium should logically be) speaks volumes for the journey we have been on.
2. Johnno kicking 8 goals against the Cats in Round 1, 2007.
3. Our 2008, Round 4 comeback against the Saints after going 7 goals down in the first quarter to finally break the hoodoo.
Lowlights:
1. Prelim 2009. 'Nuff said.
2. Darc's two ACL tears. I did mine the same week he did his first one, and had the same surgeon do my reco, so I felt in some way like I went through the ordeal with him. When he did his second one I was still in rehab and it spooked me bad, and made me ease up on my workload quite considerably.
3. Wallace & Brown. No need to retread old ground, but already going through dark times, it was like a kick in the teeth.
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Best player: Aker would have to come close wouldn't he? I know he's only been here 3 years (4 if we include the upcoming season) but geez, he's been fantastic. Most important player in the last 5 years would be Lake/Harris. But of course, when all else is said and done, there's only one Brad Johnson.
Worst player: So many players came and went without ever making it onto the field (and we thank them all, good or bad), and while no one who makes it to this level is an out-and-out dud, Jesse Wells would have to come close to someone who made an AFL list just because he was born with tall genes. Of those that actually played, Tim Walsh is hard to go past, but I think a fun nomination is Danny Southern, who, like Mick Martyn, was great at what he did without actually being able to play football at all. I remember a rare kick for goal Danny had that seriously ended up closer to the 50 metre arc line than anywhere near the sticks.Comment
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Our 1954 premiership players are our heroes, and it has to be said that Charlie was their hero.Comment
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Re: The Decade 2000-2009
ps. I don't know anymore. Of course 1990 is part of the 90's, right? Yet, it's not, it's the end of the 80's. All because there wasn't a 'Year 0'. Oh, who cares...Comment
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Re: The Decade 2000-2009
Pretty harsh on Southern I reckon. He was a terrific defender for us and his unfortunate suspension for wrestling in Round 22 1997 agruably cost us a premiership. Even though he was only 24 at the time, his body was shot to pieces in 2000, and 5 games in a row on the rock-hard Docklands playing surface early in that season finished him off for good."Look at me mate. Look at me. I'm flyin'"Comment
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