Scape Goat The Lid: Where is it at?

[Jewelsbon]

I thought I'd nailed the lucky combo in GF results.
We drove down in 05
Flew down in 06
Drove down in 12
Flew down in 14

Then 16 happened and blew it all away

 

[mattpolo8]

I attended 12, 14 and 16.

Difference is in 14 and 16 I was sitting with a bunch of people from the board (grimlock alanlau34 vonn SM )

In 12 I was sitting by myself.

I'm sitting by myself if we make a grand final again.

I went to 12, 14 and 16 all on my own.

This year I could sacrifice my priority 1 and drop down to priority 3 and sit with about 4 mates.

Decisions.

 

[robbieando]

Lid on.

I've supported this club for far too long to get ahead of myself

 

[Kennedy Parker]

Lid on

Even if we carry our best form into finals, you never know if a freak accident may deny us just like in 1935.

Our best player Ryan Clarke

4

Ryan Clarke

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.8

5star

K

9.1

4star

HB

9.7

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.2

2star

D

18.5

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.5

3star

G

0.3

3star

D

19.6

5star

K

7.0

3star

HB

12.6

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.2

4star

G

0.0

1star

might get hit by a truck on grand final eve.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Lid on

Even if we carry our best form into finals, you never know if a freak accident may deny us just like in 1935.

Our best player Ryan Clarke might get hit by a truck on grand final eve.

The truck would be a bloody mess.

 

[elastic]

Need to win this week. St Kilda will not be a pushover and just as likely to fire now the pressure is off. Suddenly Max King

12

Max King

Age

24

Ht

202cm

Wt

100kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.3

2star

K

4.7

2star

HB

2.6

2star

M

2.7

3star

T

0.7

3star

G

1.4

5star

D

7.3

2star

K

4.7

2star

HB

2.6

2star

M

2.7

3star

T

0.7

1star

G

1.4

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

2.8

3star

M

2.8

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

1.4

5star

has no pressure and kicks straight. Who knows?
I'm with Horse. Stay focused on this week's match.
I'm also a bit concerned about the effects of the pre finals bye. We were building up good form before the last bye then dropped off and took some time to get going again.
I'm not sure having two weeks off during the finals would work to our young team's advantage

 

[the hypnotoad]

But 05 and 12 were orgasmic!

It can't be any worse that 14 and 16 and you survived, and still support them with the dream of flag in your heart. No matter what your head says, your heart still believes... Anything less will be shattering, no matter how hard you try to protect against it.

So give it free reign, believe... and we might just add 22 to 05 and 12!



And let's face it... I'll be so much less annoying if you believe along with me!

'14 and '16 came with expectation, i think because of the experience of the player group, and franklin still being an exotic novelty we all believed would deliver us a premiership, so getting to grand finals those years it felt almost inevitable ... yet it didn't happen
this year there has been almost no expectation (at least until the past few weeks) because i think we all clearly saw the trajectory we're on ... going back to early last season
it just so happens that this younger, less experienced group is full of remarkable, in some cases unique, talents so anything is actually now possible

our problem this season has been lesser opponents, probably a mental thing (which may yet be tested this week)
but after st kilda every game is big, the players know it, and they have not shown any hint of fear of the big occasions this season
and most will have tasted (bitter) finals experience last year, which i believe is an important factor going into finals this time

something has clicked ... lessons have been learned ... we're maturing ahead of the curve
i think every other finals team will be in fear of us
not winning the flag would be disappointing but this time around we all know, win or lose this season, we'll be even better next season and beyond
this has been a very successful season that could end with the ultimate prize ahead of schedule

as for threats ... geelong, brisbane and melbourne ...
i think we'll be too fast and fit for geelong, and longmire is a better coach than the attention-seeker
i don't think brisbane are any better than they have been and daniher is a flake, i think we're a better side
melbourne at best are still the team i'm most wary of ... but scared? no ...

so ... lid? what lid?

 

[mtooler]

Can't likely finish 2nd with the lid on surely.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

Lid on

Even if we carry our best form into finals, you never know if a freak accident may deny us just like in 1935.

Our best player Ryan Clarke might get hit by a truck on grand final eve.

The forensic investigation would show that Ryan Clarke had been proactively chasing the truck.

 

[the hypnotoad]

The forensic investigation would show that Ryan Clarke had been proactively chasing the truck.

and in fact kept the truck to a season-low four deliveries while inflicting a flat tyre, and causing it to incur a parking fine and to back over a traffic bollard

 

[Kapers]

LIIIIIIDDDDD ONNNNNNNNNN

I still remember reading the papers about the grand final preview, thinking of how lucky we were that the dogs beat the giants and all we would have to do is tap it in.

Since then I've internalised the Horse mantra, all I care about is next week.

 

[Nuggetz]

 

[SM]

Yeah lid's off. We're making the GF. Called it a few weeks ago and stand by it.

 

[Indie_]

In five of the last six years the team that won the 1st vs 4th qualifying final has lost its home preliminary final - in the same time frame, the 2nd vs 3rd qualifying final winner is 4-2 in its home prelim.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Lid on

Even if we carry our best form into finals, you never know if a freak accident may deny us just like in 1935.

Our best player Ryan Clarke might get hit by a truck on grand final eve.

Nooooo!
Knowing Clarkey, he'll hip and shoulder the truck off the road, dust himself off and get back into it.
Shades of Mitch Morton!

 

[GoTheSwannies]

What lid?

 

[GoTheSwannies]

My dodgy phone Photoshop skills

 

[Bandicoot]

Lid completely off.

Taking work off from Thursday on Week 1 and Week 3 of the finals to watch the games, and I'm planning how much I'll have to pay on top to a scalper for GF tickets

GF at worst imo.

Are there any other teams in history to lose 3 grand finals in a row? So pretty much locking the flag in

Collingwood. And I loved every one of them.
That's where the term Colliwobbles came from.

 

[Bandicoot]

Whilst we're on the subject of grand final pain, let me take you back to 2013-2015. I'm straight out of high school, working weekends in two shitty bars to get through uni. For our five year anniversary, I take my Freo-supporting girlfriend to Melbourne for the grand final, which they were in that year. They lose, she's miserable.
In 2014, I'm doing a little better financially, so I decide, what the heck, treat yourself Caesar. So again I go to Melbourne for the grand final, which the Swans were in. They lose, I'm miserable.
2015 rolls around, and my girlfriend and I decide to treat my Eagles-supporting granddad to a surprise trip to Melbourne, because hey, it might be the last time he gets to see them in a grand final! So off we go to a third straight grand final, this time with granddad in tow. They lose, he's miserable.
2016 rolls around, and surely, suuuurely, this time it's gonna happen. We're playing a rubbish team and we'd been the best team all year. Lock it in Eddie. Over my girlfriend and I go to the grand final, for a fourth year in a row, this time to definitely see the Swans win. They lose, I'm miserable.

The moral of the story is don't go to grand finals. They're miserable.

I've been fortunate enough to have been at all of our grand finals. 1996 to 2016.
1996 was disappointing in the sense that we had North on toast early in the third and if not for some poor delivery into the forward line could have broken them then. The experience of witnessing my team in a grand final however was something I thought I would never see so it wasn't all bad.
2005 GF day was the greatest day of my life without a doubt. There was me, my wife, my 14 y/o daughter, my sister and her hubby and all their kids in a standing room bay under the Great Southern Stand. When the final siren finally blew, we jumped up and down with delight for probably 15 minutes and singing the song "We are the Champions" for most of those 15 minutes. Went to Albert Park the following day to cheer all the boys on and it all still feels like it only happened yesterday.
2006 was obviously disappointing as to lose a GF by a single point is heart breaking but the fact that we beat them the year before made it bearable. To learn some years later that half the WC team were drug takers and were playing beyond what their bodies would have otherwise allowed them to do is sickening. There is no doubt that the 2006 premiership awarded to WC should be voided irrespective of whether we be deemed the true winner.
Along came 2012 and my wife and daughter joined me behind the Punt Rd goals on level 3 and we were ecstatic, then miserable and this went on most of the day until Malceski kicked that wonderful snap goal and we along with all the players knew we had won it. Oh, what a joyous feeling albeit not quite the same elation as 2005. Nothing will ever feel as good as the moment the siren went in 2005.
2014 was disappointing as we were clearly the best side during the year but then again Hawthorn had been the best side in 2012, so things even out.
2016 was the grand final loss that still burns deep in my gut. We were clearly the best side during that year and when the dogs turned out to be our opponents I was quite pleased as my two brothers and all of their kids barracked for the dogs. Even though I thought "they're going to be shattered on GF night" but at least they can enjoy the lead up to it. We were not only the best side all year but we were also the better side on the day. It is sometimes said "umpires don't make a difference to the result" but that was completely blown out of the water on this infamous day. Ok, the Melbourne media were all over the fairy tail of the dogs being in a GF. Their first since 1954. There's no doubt that the three &?+# who officiated that day were also caught up in the fairy tail as I cannot recall a game in all of my 50+ years of watching football that was so biased to one team. We actually went for a period of over 40 minutes of game time without receiving a single free kick. And there were plenty in that 40 minutes that should have been paid.
So here we are at 2022 and I could be there again. Who would I prefer our opponent to be if we are there purely from a crowd and umpires being swayed perspective. Certainly not Collingwood as the tribality of their supporters and the noise they would create can certainly be a factor. Melbourne with most of the MCC members baying for our blood could also be a factor. At the very moment, Geelong seem to have no weakness at all and would be the hardest team to beat so I hope someone knocks them out earlier. I suppose it's fair to say I would love to be playing Brisbane in the GF this year and a win will appease some of the hurt of 2016.
Fingers crossed.

 

[Day_night_honourer]

I remember going to crown after 2016 (to drown my sorrows) and the bouncer (seeing the look of devastation on my face) gave me a fist-bump as I walked through the doors, I assume in an attempt to cheer me up, but nothing helped. There was just this overwhelming sense of devastation that I couldn't shake. It was particularly hard after having to sit through the total obliteration that was 2014. That day was rough, as was the next, and probably a few more after that.

I did exactly the same - went to Crown afterwards. Thought I could get my head away from 'that' game and have a few drinks & play some blackjack, both of which I don't mind at all. It just so happened Crown had (since my last visit) decided to install little screens into the tables and were replaying the GF on most of them - arghhhhh!!!

I'm still waiting for the day a big expose headline comes out revealing how much extra the 3 umps were paid by the AFL to make Swans lose that flag.

 

[Ed_Gein]

Only Grand Final I attended is 2005 which was great even though it was standing room (also wanna say get stuffed to the scum lawyer I dealt with regarding the ticket)
1996 I wasn't of working age and couldn't get a ticket, so my parents took me to the Entertainment Centre across the road from the MCG. I thought we were a shoe-in since we belted them by 79 points earlier in the year. But, not to be. 4th qtr was terrible knowing we were going to lose.
2006 I was at the Swans supporter club in Sydney and I later found out I was chatting with a member from this forum (can't remember who now) was shattered when the siren went. Gut wrenching to lose a GF by a point.
2012 I travelled down to the Walkabout in London which was heaving with people (1k+ easy, could barely move). Celebrated with a guy in a Bombers jumper who acted like it was his own team that won.
2014 I went into a pub showing it in Edinburgh, was mostly Hawks supporters. Miserable day, I knew by half way through the 2nd qtr we were done for.
2016 I stayed home and watched it, but got really drunk and passed out at 3 qtr time. Woke up later and checked the AFL website for scores in a haze only to see Bulldogs photo celebrating. Turned off my phone and went back to sleep.

By the way, KO here in the UK for the last three GF's we were in is 4:30am for me from memory... Pretty early to be getting on the booze!

 

[scaryness]

Lid on.

Lid has been welded on tight ever since 2017

 

[Jewelsbon]

2016 I stayed home and watched it, but got really drunk and passed out at 3 qtr time. Woke up later and checked the AFL website for scores in a haze only to see Bulldogs photo celebrating. Turned off my phone and went back to sleep.

Wish I'd have watched it that way

 

[ScottBo]

Checked, the lid is on.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I did exactly the same - went to Crown afterwards. Thought I could get my head away from 'that' game and have a few drinks & play some blackjack, both of which I don't mind at all. It just so happened Crown had (since my last visit) decided to install little screens into the tables and were replaying the GF on most of them - arghhhhh!!!

I'm still waiting for the day a big expose headline comes out revealing how much extra the 3 umps were paid by the AFL to make Swans lose that flag.

Yeah, I went to crown after 2012, and it was magnificent. Replays on repeat so I got to re-live the moment the whole time I was there. I must have blocked the screens out in 2016 because I don't remember seeing the replays. I probably actively avoided the screens at the time.