Premiership hangover

[MmkMrMackie]

One of the reasons football used to make my blood boil was that the team I had followed since day one, despite being so close to winning a flag on numerous occassions had always been so far away. This year, I knew from the preseason that something special was going to happen. I was calling it at a very early stage. Come the end of the season, it seemed as though teams were just filling in time until the inevitable. On grand final day, the excitement was back, and with all the shit coming out of Alberton during grand final week, I expected the game to be a battle for the ages. The game was over by half time though, and I hate to say it, but being such a one sided contest, I'd say I got more excited watching other teams win flags over the years. Thanks for that Port.

Now, I'm not complaining, and it wasn't hard to pour it down my throat, but the beers didn't flow as easily as I always expected. Was that what I had waited my whole life for? Was that it? I don't know what I expected, but needless to say, the feeling was kind of empty. Easiest way to explain it, is that the negative feelings created when Geelong lost finals far outweighed the happiness I experienced when Geelong actually won one.

That was it though, and I made the most of it. I've drunk enough alcohol over the last few months to kill a large elephant. I've woken up in gutters, in random beds, in parks, you name it. Basically, any intelligence I had prior to the grand final, not that I had much, is severely depleted. During the year, I was so happy, and my life was going really well as a result. I was meeting heaps of new people and had a positive outlook on life, and doing really well in anything that I applied myself to. Now though, I've ****ed a lot of it up. It's only now that I realise how pointless it all is. Obviously, the players have a job to do, and will continue to do it. As fans though, everything we do seems rather pathetic.

The season was a roller coaster ride full of mainly ups and a few downs, but now the ride's over, and I'm over it. I will still sign up for a membership, and I will still call myself a cats fan, but I just don't think it will ever be the same. I expected victory to taste so much sweeter. Now that they finally won one, and it was such an anti climax, my football viewing experience has been destroyed.

I know this is a ramble and a half, but does anyone else know what I mean?

 

[scottydeewah]

The way I look at it. The PF was our GF, the GF was our celebration!

 

[MrWolf]

One of the reasons football used to make my blood boil was that the team I had followed since day one, despite being so close to winning a flag on numerous occassions had always been so far away. This year, I knew from the preseason that something special was going to happen. I was calling it at a very early stage. Come the end of the season, it seemed as though teams were just filling in time until the inevitable. On grand final day, the excitement was back, and with all the shit coming out of Alberton during grand final week, I expected the game to be a battle for the ages. The game was over by half time though, and I hate to say it, but being such a one sided contest, I'd say I got more excited watching other teams win flags over the years. Thanks for that Port.

Now, I'm not complaining, and it wasn't hard to pour it down my throat, but the beers didn't flow as easily as I always expected. Was that what I had waited my whole life for? Was that it? I don't know what I expected, but needless to say, the feeling was kind of empty. Easiest way to explain it, is that the negative feelings created when Geelong lost finals far outweighed the happiness I experienced when Geelong actually won one.

That was it though, and I made the most of it. I've drunk enough alcohol over the last few months to kill a large elephant. I've woken up in gutters, in random beds, in parks, you name it. Basically, any intelligence I had prior to the grand final, not that I had much, is severely depleted. During the year, I was so happy, and my life was going really well as a result. I was meeting heaps of new people and had a positive outlook on life, and doing really well in anything that I applied myself to. Now though, I've ****ed a lot of it up. It's only now that I realise how pointless it all is. Obviously, the players have a job to do, and will continue to do it. As fans though, everything we do seems rather pathetic.

The season was a roller coaster ride full of mainly ups and a few downs, but now the ride's over, and I'm over it. I will still sign up for a membership, and I will still call myself a cats fan, but I just don't think it will ever be the same. I expected victory to taste so much sweeter. Now that they finally won one, and it was such an anti climax, my football viewing experience has been destroyed.

I know this is a ramble and a half, but does anyone else know what I mean?

You need to get your s__t together cowboy! There's more to life than football.

 

[FoxC]

One of the reasons football used to make my blood boil was that the team I had followed since day one, despite being so close to winning a flag on numerous occassions had always been so far away. This year, I knew from the preseason that something special was going to happen. I was calling it at a very early stage. Come the end of the season, it seemed as though teams were just filling in time until the inevitable. On grand final day, the excitement was back, and with all the shit coming out of Alberton during grand final week, I expected the game to be a battle for the ages. The game was over by half time though, and I hate to say it, but being such a one sided contest, I'd say I got more excited watching other teams win flags over the years. Thanks for that Port.

Sure it was one-sided, because Geelong were too good, Port too poor or both, but it was enjoyable no less to me. Especially with all the pre-game bravado from Port, the smashing result was just desserts.

Now, I'm not complaining, and it wasn't hard to pour it down my throat, but the beers didn't flow as easily as I always expected. Was that what I had waited my whole life for? Was that it? I don't know what I expected, but needless to say, the feeling was kind of empty. Easiest way to explain it, is that the negative feelings created when Geelong lost finals far outweighed the happiness I experienced when Geelong actually won one.

I still remember clearly how devastated I felt after we lost 4 previous grand finals, and that wasn't fun. Even at the end of last year, the feeling was somewhat similar, and footy was the furthest thing on my mind come the end of the home and away season. If we had lost another grand final I could have given the game away for good.

Basically, any intelligence I had prior to the grand final, not that I had much, is severely depleted. During the year, I was so happy, and my life was going really well as a result. I was meeting heaps of new people and had a positive outlook on life, and doing really well in anything that I applied myself to. Now though, I've ****ed a lot of it up. It's only now that I realise how pointless it all is. Obviously, the players have a job to do, and will continue to do it. As fans though, everything we do seems rather pathetic.

Don't be too harsh on yourself here.

The season was a roller coaster ride full of mainly ups and a few downs, but now the ride's over, and I'm over it. I will still sign up for a membership, and I will still call myself a cats fan, but I just don't think it will ever be the same. I expected victory to taste so much sweeter. Now that they finally won one, and it was such an anti climax, my football viewing experience has been destroyed.

I know this is a ramble and a half, but does anyone else know what I mean?

Max Rooke was quoted as saying that he had expected the premiership to feel so much more overwhelming than he felt the day after the grand final. I guess we're all different but I had never enjoyed the game more than I did this year, and the outcome couldn't have been more perfect for Geelong supporters.

I have watched the game again and again and it still bring tears to my eyes every single time. I'm the proudest I could be of the whole club for the way everyone conducted themselves from the start of the season right through to the grand celebrations.

And if you are at all worried about the lack of hunger for back-to-back success, read this interview with Tom Harley in yesterday's Herald Sun here.

My feelings are exactly how Billy Brownless and Matthew Scarlett summed it up after the game: Geelong are no longer the so-called handbags of the competition; the players had let themselves, the club and supporters down too often in the past, and it's not going to happen anymore at Geelong.

I cannot wait until the season starts again.

 

[Brasil2007]

You need to get your s__t together cowboy! There's more to life than football.

More to life than football?! You have my sympathy!

 

[hotdog_hotdog]

You need to get your s__t together cowboy! There's more to life than football.

What is this man talking about?!?

 

[Mooney_d'King]

One of the reasons football used to make my blood boil was that the team I had followed since day one, despite being so close to winning a flag on numerous occassions had always been so far away. This year, I knew from the preseason that something special was going to happen. I was calling it at a very early stage. Come the end of the season, it seemed as though teams were just filling in time until the inevitable. On grand final day, the excitement was back, and with all the shit coming out of Alberton during grand final week, I expected the game to be a battle for the ages. The game was over by half time though, and I hate to say it, but being such a one sided contest, I'd say I got more excited watching other teams win flags over the years. Thanks for that Port.

Now, I'm not complaining, and it wasn't hard to pour it down my throat, but the beers didn't flow as easily as I always expected. Was that what I had waited my whole life for? Was that it? I don't know what I expected, but needless to say, the feeling was kind of empty. Easiest way to explain it, is that the negative feelings created when Geelong lost finals far outweighed the happiness I experienced when Geelong actually won one.

That was it though, and I made the most of it. I've drunk enough alcohol over the last few months to kill a large elephant. I've woken up in gutters, in random beds, in parks, you name it. Basically, any intelligence I had prior to the grand final, not that I had much, is severely depleted. During the year, I was so happy, and my life was going really well as a result. I was meeting heaps of new people and had a positive outlook on life, and doing really well in anything that I applied myself to. Now though, I've ****ed a lot of it up. It's only now that I realise how pointless it all is. Obviously, the players have a job to do, and will continue to do it. As fans though, everything we do seems rather pathetic.

The season was a roller coaster ride full of mainly ups and a few downs, but now the ride's over, and I'm over it. I will still sign up for a membership, and I will still call myself a cats fan, but I just don't think it will ever be the same. I expected victory to taste so much sweeter. Now that they finally won one, and it was such an anti climax, my football viewing experience has been destroyed.

I know this is a ramble and a half, but does anyone else know what I mean?

Don't worry. Our 2008 win will be a more exciting game

 

[MmkMrMackie]

Don't worry. Our 2008 win will be a more exciting game

Hope so.

 

[Ashb23]

Man, I know exactly how you feel. I feel exactly the same..... I guess its partly because from about 3/4 of the way through it was expected. Still, after all those years I would have thought victory would have felt better.....

 

[cats2rise]

Im with Mackie and Ashb23 on this one. Thought I would feel alot more than what I did. I sort of just took it in my stride.

 

[noclashjumpers]

Well done MmkMrMackie for having the courage to bring this up.
I've been ill since the beginning of the finals, so up until now I put my low key reaction down to that. But now this has been brought up, it's made me think about it a little more.

In the end I don't think anyone should feel guilty for feeling this way. It's natural. I went to the last four losing GFs, the first with my Dad when I was 13. And each of them was was a big turning point in my life. The 1995 GF in particular was particularly devastating for some reason (not sure why, given that it was probably the most expected loss).

I guess what I'm saying is that accumulated hurt was real and will be there forever, and even if we win the next five GFs, nothing will ever change that.

But the problem is that we were never to know that. I, like everyone here, thought that once we won a premiership, everything would be OK and all would be forgotten. Well life isn't like that. Nothing can wipe away that pain, because it's printed permanently on our hearts.

This sounds kind of negative, but I don't think it is. We just have to see things in perspective. Yes we finally won a premiership and it's amazing, but to expect it to change what it means to be a Geelong supporter was unrealistic.

And what it means to be a Geelong supporter is to feel the pain and the glory at the same time, because they will both last forever.

Football is life, and life is football.

 

[catswhiskers]

You need to get your s__t together cowboy! There's more to life than football.

I have a quote pinned to the board above my computer. Its from Bill Shankley the legendary manager of the Liverpool football club. It reads:

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure them it is much more serious than that".


Sums it up pretty well really!!

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

One of the reasons football used to make my blood boil was that the team I had followed since day one, despite being so close to winning a flag on numerous occassions had always been so far away. This year, I knew from the preseason that something special was going to happen. I was calling it at a very early stage. Come the end of the season, it seemed as though teams were just filling in time until the inevitable. On grand final day, the excitement was back, and with all the shit coming out of Alberton during grand final week, I expected the game to be a battle for the ages. The game was over by half time though, and I hate to say it, but being such a one sided contest, I'd say I got more excited watching other teams win flags over the years. Thanks for that Port.

Now, I'm not complaining, and it wasn't hard to pour it down my throat, but the beers didn't flow as easily as I always expected. Was that what I had waited my whole life for? Was that it? I don't know what I expected, but needless to say, the feeling was kind of empty. Easiest way to explain it, is that the negative feelings created when Geelong lost finals far outweighed the happiness I experienced when Geelong actually won one.

That was it though, and I made the most of it. I've drunk enough alcohol over the last few months to kill a large elephant. I've woken up in gutters, in random beds, in parks, you name it. Basically, any intelligence I had prior to the grand final, not that I had much, is severely depleted. During the year, I was so happy, and my life was going really well as a result. I was meeting heaps of new people and had a positive outlook on life, and doing really well in anything that I applied myself to. Now though, I've ****ed a lot of it up. It's only now that I realise how pointless it all is. Obviously, the players have a job to do, and will continue to do it. As fans though, everything we do seems rather pathetic.

The season was a roller coaster ride full of mainly ups and a few downs, but now the ride's over, and I'm over it. I will still sign up for a membership, and I will still call myself a cats fan, but I just don't think it will ever be the same. I expected victory to taste so much sweeter. Now that they finally won one, and it was such an anti climax, my football viewing experience has been destroyed.

I know this is a ramble and a half, but does anyone else know what I mean?

Im sorry to disagree MmkMrMackie - but it is attitudes like this that has kept us losing and revelling in mediocrity for so long.
Bugger that.
Port Adelaides unofficial slogan should give you a hint to what we should be thinking - "WE EXIST TO WIN PREMIERSHIPS".
Less than that is a failure to acehive our goals - and I dont endorse failure. Ever.
Anything less is not an acceptable atittude - from the team and from us supporters.
Lets revel in our victory for antoher 4 months, then get ready to climb the mountain again.
Yippee Kai Aye M*th*r F*ck*rs...............

 

[DanA]

I am not satisfied I wait in anticipation for back to back premierships.

 

[Copernicus]

Sounds like you might have an alcohol problem more than anything! Don't know what else to tell you there...

I am with you with the fact that it was somewhat underwhelming, in a way, when we won, but that could have been because it was so easy in the end. Perhaps if we'd won in a nail-biters, some of our reactions wouldn't be nonchalant.

That said, it's still a great feeling to follow the reigning premiers, and to be able to take genuine joy in the way the team plays the game.

 

[winty]

I agree with Scotty. I think the fact we had to scrap for a win in the PF and the fact that the end result in the GF was sewn up at half time made it a lot less exciting. Don't get me wrong, I loved watching the team go about their business on the grand stage, but I think the feeling would've been a lot better if the game was tight for three quarters before we pulled away in the last quarter to win by four or five goals.

I wonder how much of it has to do with Williams shooting off his mouth during grand final week. IMO, that just gave us more ammunition to come out and ram his words back down his throat. I wonder if he just shut up whether the result would've been different. Guess we'll never know.

 

[Jan44]

I always thought I would be drunk for a week if we won the flag. But over the years one gets older and ones ideas change.
All I can say if you took a look around the ground and saw the tears that were shed. Grown men crying with delight. Older women who have been to everyone one of those game since 1963 crying while singing the club song.
Man it could not be any sweeter. Just do as I have and watch the GF at least 5 times then buy the DVD pack and watch that over and over again.
We have waited so long for this moment that don't feel empty, we are the premiers for 2007 and we deserved it.
Look at our achievements throughout the year we are the greatest team of all and the scoreline at the GF only confirms this.
All I can say is enjoy this moment because they don't come around very often don't we know that.

 

[Xcat]

The 1995 GF in particular was particularly devastating for some reason (not sure why, given that it was probably the most expected loss).

Probably because it was our best season and team that we had out of all the GF years.
I too just took GF day in stride. Once I knew the result I just enjoyed everyone's company and relaxed knowing I could watch the shellacking again at home on dvd... about 30 times! Knowing that's all it takes to win a flag makes me hungry for a dynasty to rival the Lions because I think we are definitely in that class.

 

[Cohzee]

I was expecting a tight game and then a burst of excitement when we won.

But we had won by halftime so my excitement was spread over the last half, all I could do was chuckle.

I loved it. Evil chuckling for an hour then just the feeling of relief at the pub afterwards.

The best bit was getting back to Geelong and the only place I could get a drink was Jokers... I hate that place but **** I had a good time drinking by myself for half an hour till I could gather my mates.

I'm still enjoying it.

I hope this makes sense, it's late.

 

[MmkMrMackie]

I guess I'm also kind of upset that I wasn't able to get tickets to the grand final. As you said, the don't come around very often, and I don't think that I made the most of it. I would've loved to be at the ground, but instead watched it with a bunch of mates, only one of which was a Geelong supporter. I had to put up with girls giggling and carrying on as they a.) did not go for Geelong, and b.) probably only claim to like football because they find attractice, and although I enjoyed watching the game, several of my friends were that drunk and bored, that they took themselves off for a nap in the middle of the 3rd quarter. To make things worse, when the game finished, the guy who owned the house kicked everyone out and said that they had to go to the pub. Although I watched most of it, I missed seeing a lot of the post game celebrations...

 

[Cat for Life]

Could it be that we weren't as excited as we could be because we were so used to keeping the lid on?

 

[Partridge]

Could it be that we weren't as excited as we could be because we were so used to keeping the lid on?

Nah we all said the lid was coming off on September 29th, around 5.30pm. Then it blew off like a volcanic eruption.

Sadly, it took most of my liver with it!

 

[MmkMrMackie]

Could it be that we weren't as excited as we could be because we were so used to keeping the lid on?

I still think the lid was a ploy by the club. They knew that if they mucked it up again, people would be tearing Geelong apart out of frustration. The lid (not that I ever adhered to it) was a way of keeping the people somewhat level headed.

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

Nah we all said the lid was coming off on September 29th, around 5.30pm. Then it blew off like a volcanic eruption.

Sadly, it took most of my liver with it!

I remember - thats not all it took................

 

[Jan44]

I guess I'm also kind of upset that I wasn't able to get tickets to the grand final. As you said, the don't come around very often, and I don't think that I made the most of it. I would've loved to be at the ground, but instead watched it with a bunch of mates, only one of which was a Geelong supporter. I had to put up with girls giggling and carrying on as they a.) did not go for Geelong, and b.) probably only claim to like football because they find attractice, and although I enjoyed watching the game, several of my friends were that drunk and bored, that they took themselves off for a nap in the middle of the 3rd quarter. To make things worse, when the game finished, the guy who owned the house kicked everyone out and said that they had to go to the pub. Although I watched most of it, I missed seeing a lot of the post game celebrations...

I feel for you MrMackie I would have been devastated if I had missed this one. But being a September member had its advantage this time. My son and his wife went in draw and were lucky to get pulled out and my daughter and her partner because of working commitments did no become members paid $800 for two seats up the top of the southern stand.
I think that where your problem lies you were not with loyal Geelong supporters to live the dream with you.
I admit the huge margin did have its draw backs but hey if it had of been Port in front I would have been devastated this way we knew by three quarter time it was ours. Many many supporters were singing and hi fiving around the ground.
I know quite a few older members like me who have been around for years and interstate supporters who have followed Geelong for years and to see the tears of joy in their eyes just made my day.
If we can make it back to back it will be unbelievable but nothing and I mean nothing will ever take this wonderful overpowering win away from our beloved cats.