Which Flag was best...2005 or 2012?

[BarneyBent]

Retired mid year from memory with an injury. He was one of my favourite players from 96 onwards and played a huge part in the success the club had that year. And this year as well probably, still involved at the club as a runner.

He's the forgotton person in all of this imo. Roos, Longmire, Kirk etc. get most of the credit for the culture the club has built but as an outsider looking in, I think Maxfield has been massive for the club and in a fairly unsung manner.

It was Maxfield that convinced Roos to keep Kirk at the end of 2002.

 

[NobleBlood]

To put it simply, 2012 reduced me to tears for the first time in my sporting-life.

I started supporting Sydney and watching every game in 2004 and I became a member in 2005 at 15. 2005 was fantastic but I hadn't suffered the pain of '96 and had barely had to wait at all for a premiership.

I honestly doubted we could win another premiership for ages. Nothing more than a pessimistic outlook. After Hawthorn were bagging us out after R22 I felt really crap. So to go and beat that same team as underdogs was amazing so I vote 2012. And as others have highlighted, there are so many meaningful sub-stories peppered throughout the team.

 

[PVF]

Soo hard to chose but I'm going to go with 2012.

2005 was great but I was younger and didn't have to experience the hard years as I was only 14 at the time. But this year it means alot more because I'm alot more passionate about the club than I ever have before and everyone was writing us off all season really and we got the job done.

 

[BarneyBent]

2005. I was there, and that was when I truly fell in love with club (South Melbourne included), rather than just being a fan of the team.

Also, this year, I've been unable to really enjoy it, for reasons completely unrelated to footy, which is why I've been kinda obsessively posting on BigFooty instead of actually basking in it, watching replays, enjoying it with fellow Swans fans, etc. It's just not the same.

 

[AG]

It was Maxfield that convinced Roos to keep Kirk at the end of 2002.

Wow, didn't know that.

Glad Maxfield got mentioned on 360 last night in regards to the culture the club had built.

 

[bedford]

Another positive about this year: This time the dirty South Melbourne Hellas weren't around to stop us celebrating at Lakeside Oval.


Unrelated note: I find it so awesome that they have Lakeside Stadium in Sydney and Lakeside Oval in South Melbourne.

Please don't mention those Hellas scum, they don't have control anymore.
Just enjoying both, don't want to split them. Getting better coverage now because of fox footy

 

[Sydney Bloods]

For me it was 05 there with the whole family grand dad got to see the flag at age 71 something he always said he knew he'd see.

It was amazing we had actually won a premiership, don't get me wrong this is ****ing fantastic but 05 for me will always be the best.

Match wise 2012 is better but I did enjoy 05 more I grew a beard from the start of the finals series so I had an epic one to sneak into pubs back in 05

 

[Arwib]

2005 was an enormous sense of relief and that final series was one if the most amazing things ever to happen in our sport. I think it is the more storied one, the more dramatic and the more important.

However at a personal level having been able to attend at the MCG this year just made it so very very sweet. The fact that we now look like a competition heavyweight is also very validating. We can't be dismissed as flukes any more. As Richard Colless said, 05 was relief, this is pride.

I vow to enjoy footy next year regardless of what we do.

 

[drasticswans]

2012 for me. I was only 15 at the time of the 2005 GF and had only been following AFL for about 5 years. At that stage I also hadnt attended any games. I guess since I hadnt been waiting for very long I dont truly appreciate how big 2005 was. But for me the 2012 team plays footy that looks more attractive and has alot more flair (with jetta and the slingshot).

 

[Bonz]

After a very sad year (personally) in 2004... Football was the only thing that ever really brought a smile to my face...

So when we came out and won in 2005... I don't think I actually stopped smiling for at least 5 or 6 months... Was truly ecstatic...

I guess in many way's the 2005 flag was a bit of a turn around in my life... (Yeah I guess that sounds quite sad... But I have my reasons for it)

Whilst the 2012 flag is still one of the two happiest days of my life (Equal if not more happy than the 05 flag) and I am very very confident nothing is going to wipe the smile of my face for a very very long time... (And hanging around with some of the other supporters after the game is something I am never going to forget...)

I still don't think it will have the same impact on me personally as the 05 flag did.



As a spectacle I think you can really compare the two... Both games had huge momentum changes, brilliant players from both sides and both results were still up in the air right until the last minuet (Or in 2005 the final siren!!!).


Either way I don't think you can really compare the two years... Just feel happy that we have witnessed two AMAZING grand final wins in our lifetime... (Cause god knows how many south fans never got the privilege.)

 

[Rhysswans13]

For me I enjoyed the games leading up to our Gand final win in 2005 more than this year. But this years grand final was do much sweeter as I believe it's a coming of age and the polishing touch on our club that is now a powerhouse of the AFL

 

[shadowfeet]

2005 was special, but being younger I probably didn't truely appreciate how hard they had to work that game, I was over the moon, but it didn't hit me like this one has. I was just an emotional wreck until Malceski snapped that goal. Hawthorn were the favourites, the 'unbeatable' team some liked to call them and Sydney came along and pulled off the best performance I have ever seen from this team. Never seen a team tackle like the way Sydney did, you know your a hard working side when you make 110 tackles. I really hope this ignites a rivalry between the two clubs in the same way those finals did with the Eagles.

same. I don't know how to describe it. It was just plain AWESOME, I was screaming/jumping around in front of the tv like a maniac when Malceski kicked the final goal.

 

[Tuco]

Such different Grand finals.

One was a nightmare that I had to wake up from, a horror full of fears and doubts and insecurities, but with a glorious ending, a triumph against the odds.

The other was a celebration, an affirmation of how great our club is, an action packed joyride and a dream that I never wanted to end.

I thought that 2005 was a more emotional victory - that sense of release after 72 years was unrepeatable. When the Eagles took the lead in the 4th qtr I froze, absolutely froze in fear...couldn't even speak. Couldn't barrack. Couldn't move.The dread was palpable. Then the miracle goal. And we had a lead. From then to the end it was so loud in the ground it was oppressive. Like being under water or something. No one heard the siren. Leo's mark wasn't even the end of the game for me, I had no freakin idea what was happening. I was still screaming when I realised half the bench was on the field and that it was all over.

2012 was a far more joyous victory. You couldn't shut me up. That 8.1 to 0.1 patch in the second and third quaters was reminiscent of the final qtr of the St Kilda Prelim in 2005. It was just plain FUN to be there. That run by Jetta. Those glorious goals up the guts finished by Sammy and Joey...we eren't battling to win a Granny, we were dominating a Granny. Even when Hawks came back hard but I never felt it was beyond us. The terror at the end was still intense, but we kicked the last 4 goals, com,pletely owned the midfield, and I never...just never contemplated we were going to let it slip again.

 

[l337_Azza]

2012 for me... Actually being there and the atmosphere at the ground was electric... 2005 was good because it broke the drought, but this one was awesome.. No1, No1 gave us a chance at all... All year... shove that up ya f**king a**es !!! BOOYAA !!!

 

[Bob Skilton]

I was there in 2005 - it broke a massive drought and was super close, it was simply amazing to witness the Leo Bary mark...to see all the Swans legends run on the ground after the game was something never to forget.

2012 was good - but not as good as 2005.

 

[Bob Skilton]

Another positive about this year: This time the dirty South Melbourne Hellas weren't around to stop us celebrating at Lakeside Oval.


Unrelated note: I find it so awesome that they have Lakeside Stadium in Sydney and Lakeside Oval in South Melbourne.

Yeah - that was a downer in 2005, how come it changed this year, they were real jerks about that.

So glad it is now Lakeside again and also th eold stand is renovated and hopefully the swans open a base there.

 

[MF]

Such different Grand finals.

One was a nightmare that I had to wake up from, a horror full of fears and doubts and insecurities, but with a glorious ending, a triumph against the odds.

The other was a celebration, an affirmation of how great our club is, an action packed joyride and a dream that I never wanted to end.

I thought that 2005 was a more emotional victory - that sense of release after 72 years was unrepeatable. When the Eagles took the lead in the 4th qtr I froze, absolutely froze in fear...couldn't even speak. Couldn't barrack. Couldn't move.The dread was palpable. Then the miracle goal. And we had a lead. From then to the end it was so loud in the ground it was oppressive. Like being under water or something. No one heard the siren. Leo's mark wasn't even the end of the game for me, I had no freakin idea what was happening. I was still screaming when I realised half the bench was on the field and that it was all over.

2012 was a far more joyous victory. You couldn't shut me up. That 8.1 to 0.1 patch in the second and third quaters was reminiscent of the final qtr of the St Kilda Prelim in 2005. It was just plain FUN to be there. That run by Jetta. Those glorious goals up the guts finished by Sammy and Joey...we eren't battling to win a Granny, we were dominating a Granny. Even when Hawks came back hard but I never felt it was beyond us. The terror at the end was still intense, but we kicked the last 4 goals, com,pletely owned the midfield, and I never...just never contemplated we were going to let it slip again.

This pretty much sums up my experience of 2005 perfectly. 2012 was similar for me but I definitely had my doubts when the Hawks came back.

 

[magic.merkin]

2005 even though I attended 2012.

72 year drought broken. Also the underdogs, the other team filled with stars. Knocked by everyone including the head of the comp publicly. The quality of finals build up (including the extra game). That Mark.

Don't get me wrong 2012 had much the same ingredients and was the better game of football.

 

[magic.merkin]

I think the average age of poll participants has alot to do with the votes.

There'd be very few Swans supporters over 30 which would rate 2012 higher I think

 

[GotTheGoodes]

I think the average age of poll participants has alot to do with the votes.

There'd be very few Swans supporters over 30 which would rate 2012 higher I think

Yeah completely agree mate. If you went through 1996 with Plugger, Dunks, Kel and crew you'd really hold the 2005 GF series in a much higher regard. I was just a kid in 1996 and had only really been watching the Swans for a couple of years and as a young adult watching 2005, just to see so many years of hard work go into what would become the 2005 premiership is what just tip's the 2005 over the line for me.

The build ups I found to be different in so far as in 2005 we had Nick Davis! Nick Davis! Nick Davis! And having to play it into the GF the hard way. This time round it was Hoodoos and we were much much more underrated against the Hawks than the Weagles. I don't know why but this year I just had this faith we were being underrated and was more confident of winning thsi year than in 2005.

From the point of view of the actual GF game itself the 2012 game was more action packed (as is the case with the way the games going atm and our game style)... Not that there wasn't drama in 2005 with mis-kicks (Ablett?), goal saving runs (Kennelly?) and of course 'that mark' (LLYStaaarrr!!), but the style of game play was slower and more monotonous than this years GF. Not to mention 2005 had the first Irish premiership player (and one of my all time favourites).

I don't think anything could take the place in my heart of seeing the ridiculous outpouring of emotion after 2005. The "Nick Davis Nick Davis Nick Davis!", the "ugly ducklings" tag, the "Here it is" and the "Leo Barry You Staaar!" was the culmination of 72 years of heartache, frustration, persistence and determination. Our bloods culture was reborn in that era and our club grew into what you see before you today over that time. So in a way 2005 set us up for the party in 2012.

Both are as memorable (for different reasons) and I don't think one is "better" than the other. I do feel though 2005 was more emotional while 2012 was more exciting.

 

[MF]

I think the average age of poll participants has alot to do with the votes.

There'd be very few Swans supporters over 30 which would rate 2012 higher I think

I'm over 30 and rate 2012 higher, or at least equal.

'05 was more important, and I'll probably look back on it as the more significant of the 2 but 2012 just felt better at the time.

'05 felt like a huge weight had been lifted and was a surreal kind of feeling, '12 was just pure joy.

 

[The King!]

2012 felt like a better quality performance, i dont know 2012 almost validates 2005 in a way, it wasnt a fluke, its close enough to be part of a bit of an era

 

[GrayNicolls]

Would still have to be 2005 - it got the monkey off the back and I still remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[Swan Dive]

I found 2012 a more satisfying win, because it's the first time since 1933 we've beaten a Melbourne-based team in a Grand Final.

That is what's been missing from the club's history for such a long time - competitiveness against the super-clubs of Melbourne.

And I reckon we're better placed to go back-to-back than we were in 2005.

 

[The King!]

I found 2012 a more satisfying win, because it's the first time since 1933 we've beaten a Melbourne-based team in a Grand Final.

That is what's been missing from the club's history for such a long time - competitiveness against the super-clubs of Melbourne.

And I reckon we're better placed to go back-to-back than we were in 2005.

Agreed,
I also think watching the season highlights back in comparison this side was a lot better performed