On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

[Ghost Dog]

THE big talking point has been the unusually open race for the flag. With as many as 10 teams in the mix, the fact that all the heavyweights are there adds particular spice.
On the flipside, the usual suspects are among the exclusions. You start to wonder whether any of them will ever make it to the summit. If this sounds pessimistic, look at the history. The last genuine battler to taste success was North Melbourne and it had an extraordinary circumstance: a once-in-a-generation player named Wayne Carey. While the Roos showed it's possible, 1999 is a light year away. These days the talk is of superpowers and an arms race.
A long drought preceded Geelong's 2007 premiership, but the Cats were never of the true underclass. Although a flag wasn't won in 44 years, neither was a wooden spoon. The Cats didn't miss the finals in the '60s, were three times in the top-three in the '80s, and played in three grand finals in the '90s.


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-new...#ixzz1vMpzpcg6

[LostDoggy]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

Painful reading, and I wanted to disagree, but I couldn't. We've made as many preliminary finals (7) as other clubs have averaged Grand Finals in the last 50 years.

That's quite pathetic, and makes people who think prelims are worth anything (like me) deserve a smack in the mouth.

[Eastdog]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

Prelim Final appearances don't mean much at all. 1997 and 2009 in those prelim finals we were so close to making the Grand Final. 97 we should have been there and most likely would have won the premiership the next week. 2009 was so close and we probably wouldn't have won the next week but making the Grand Final is such a big thing for any club and week building up to it would have been exciting for all concerned.

[SonofScray]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws



I can't even imagine the manner in which it will happen, us making a GF, let alone winning one. I imagine what it'd feel like, the joy and tension, but not how it happens. Every scenario sees us miss out.

[Eastdog]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

I can't even imagine the manner in which it will happen, us making a GF, let alone winning one. I imagine what it'd feel like, the joy and tension, but not how it happens. Every scenario sees us miss out.

I reckon we can. We have to develop the team again and draft well and I'm sure we can be up there again and hopefully make the big one. As I said 2009 could have gone either way we were unlucky and 97 we were in the box seat and should of won.

[SonofScray]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

I reckon we can. We have to develop the team again and draft well and I'm sure we can be up there again and hopefully make the big one. As I said 2009 could have gone either we were unlucky and 97 we were in the box seat and should of won.

We'll just have to get lucky I guess, I think Mac will address some of the issues that saw us fall short recently. We have lacked a bit of toughness, not at the contest, but ore around nerve. Get that right in 09 we make a GF. 97 was just a nightmare.

[KT31]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

[Eastdog]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

At least we are not the only Victorian team stuck on 1 premiership and there are quite a few clubs now with long premiership droughts. The one thing we need to do and haven't for a long time is make that Grand Final appearance.

[LostDoggy]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

I can't even imagine the manner in which it will happen,

I use to think like this. The closest I have came is when we snagged Hall and won the NAB cup. After that game I thought "we got it this year" . I thought with Hall and Hahn upfront, Aker chiming in (both him and Hall with Premiership experience). Strong defense (Morris , Lake, Williams), the first time I thought we had all boxes ticked. Didn't see Hahn being injured and not returning, Cooney's Hamstring, the flu that wiped out a season, Morris' back injury, and the Aker meltdown.

[Remi Moses]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

Gee Tim, tell us something we don't know!

[Greystache]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

It's a horendous record, one that many, including our own supporters, aren't truly aware of.

It's actually worse than what's been written, if Tim delved a little deeper, he'd see only once in AFL/VFL history has a team won the premiership from outside the top 4 (Adelaide in 1998 due to a quirk in the stupid final 8 they had at the time allowing them to lose week 1 and stay in the finals) and we haven't beaten a top 4 team in a final since 1961.

So in essence we haven't beaten a genuine premiership contender in a final for 50 years. When I did the research a couple of years back it worked out to be something like 16 consecutive finals losses to top 4 teams. It's incredible to think we've been that far away from winning a flag for such a long time.

[SonofScray]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

It's a horendous record, one that many, including our own supporters, aren't truly aware of.

It's actually worse than what's been written, if Tim delved a little deeper, he'd see only once in AFL/VFL history has a team won the premiership from outside the top 4 (Adelaide in 1998 due to a quirk in the stupid final 8 they had at the time allowing them to lose week 1 and stay in the finals) and we haven't beaten a top 4 team in a final since 1961.

So in essence we haven't beaten a genuine premiership contender in a final for 50 years. When I did the research a couple of years back it worked out to be something like 16 consecutive finals losses to top 4 teams. It's incredible to think we've been that far away from winning a flag for such a long time.

Such a long span. It can't be as simple as finances and league systems. It is something about us a a Club as well, our handling of the big stage and the perceptions others hold about us.

[1eyedog]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

I'm originally from Geelong and 89-94 really hurt the cats and their supporters. I remember in 2006 after their finals defeats that many of my friends said they wouldn't play in a Grand Final in the next 5 years.

[Bornadog]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

With 18 teams its so much harder now then it ever was to win a GF. If all teams had a go that is 18 years to wait

[LostDoggy]

Re: On football's struggle street, burning hunger still gnaws

With 18 teams its so much harder now then it ever was to win a GF. If all teams had a go that is 18 years to wait

Well, if it's about "waiting one's turn" surely it's our turn now since we haven't actually made the big dance in 50 years.