Your club’s best non-premiership year

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I enjoyed 2014 the most with the epic comeback vs Hawks only to fall a kick short. Coming from nowhere, was an entertaining team many neutrals also got behind.

The 02/03 teams could get a mention, as could a recent covid one.

Carlton 2000 was my obvious one. St Kilda has 2 or 3 too.
 
On paper it's probably 2009 but the anxiety I had through the finals that year means I definitely didn't enjoy it as I should have.

I'll go 2004.

That was a season with no expectations and full of potential. Gehrig kicks 100 goals. Riewoldt puts his name down as one of the best in the comp. We pushed the premier to the absolute limit at their home ground. Pinch that and we would have had an unreal shot at beating the Lions on GF day.
St. Kilda in 2004 did begin with a long winning streak and fell off after a shock loss to the Bulldogs when still undefeated, but it was certainly satisfying for the fans after the doldrums of 1999 to 2002.

1991 — after seventeen seasons with a combined record of 101–268–5 — was similarly so, especially after there were so many worries over Lockett in April and then he kicked 35 goals in three games in May and even kicked eight on that amazing West Coast defence in Perth.
 

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St. Kilda in 2004 did begin with a long winning streak and fell off after a shock loss to the Bulldogs when still undefeated, but it was certainly satisfying for the fans after the doldrums of 1999 to 2002.

1991 — after seventeen seasons with a combined record of 101–268–5 — was similarly so, especially after there were so many worries over Lockett in April and then he kicked 35 goals in three games in May and even kicked eight on that amazing West Coast defence in Perth.
Lockett
Winmar
McAdam
Micky Dwyer
Loewe
Grant
Frawley
Harvey

Man you guys had some talent. A young Spider Everitt. The Sainters were a good watch. Epic final against Geelong in 91 and us in 92. campaigners.
 
2002 for me. We were bottom of the ladder a few years earlier and complete rubbish. Had some bog average players but somehow managed to nearly win a premiership against a legendary side.

Honorable mentions to:
2011. It was a joy except for the GF. We were smashing teams and it was fun to watch.

2022. So many close games and unexpected after the shit show of 2021.
 
1999 i think. I would argue that our prelim final win over the Bombers that year, was our greatest ever victory outside of grand finals.

It was revenge for 1993 and it denied Essendon a possible 17th flag as well. I enjoyed that 2011 season as well. Too bad it was a false dawn though!

The weird thing was I dont remember too much about the 2011 finals series, Except the Grand final, the 2 prelim finals and Carltons 2 finals in that series.


I still remember that 2011 Semi final game between West coast and Carlton in WA.

eagles lead 100-79 with a few minutes left.

My crazy Carlton supporting mate said "Stuff it, lets get out of my house and play pool".

We go on the car and start listening to the game on the radio. Literally switched the radio on, Carlton kicked a goal. Eagles lead 100-85.

Carlton kicks another goal, eagles still lead 100-91.

Carlton kicks another goal in the 32nd minute , eagles still lead 100-97.

Carlton goes forward and its rushed, Eagles still lead 100-98.

Patrick McGinnity scores a behind for west coast, They lead 101-98.

Siren Sounds just after that.



I gave my Blues supporting mate tons of verbal abuse after that. I remind him never to turn the TV off or leave the game early.
 
1989 and 2008 for Geelong... Hawks snuffled Cats chances in both years!

In 89 Ablett stamped himself as an absolute champion. Geelong oozed talented goal kicking forwards - Brownless, Stoneham, Exell, Cameron, Lindner, and of course Ablett who played FF in the finals. Strong midfield led by Couch, Bairstowcand Buddha Hocking, but an average defence. Sadly, Hawks had Cats measure in the 2 encounters.

In 08, Cats lost one game in H&A.
 
1989 and 2008 for Geelong... Hawks snuffled Cats chances in both years!

In 89 Ablett stamped himself as an absolute champion. Geelong oozed talented goal kicking forwards - Brownless, Stoneham, Exell, Cameron, Lindner, and of course Ablett who played FF in the finals. Strong midfield led by Couch, Bairstowcand Buddha Hocking, but an average defence. Sadly, Hawks had Cats measure in the 2 encounters.

In 08, Cats lost one game in H&A.

The 1989 game at Princes Park. Geelong kicked over 160 points and still lost. Freak game, amazing comeback from Hawthorn from an 8 goal half time deficit.
Hawks were never going to lose the grand final that season after that performance.
 

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The weird thing was I dont remember too much about the 2011 finals series, Except the Grand final, the 2 prelim finals and Carltons 2 finals in that series.


I still remember that 2011 Semi final game between West coast and Carlton in WA.

eagles lead 100-79 with a few minutes left.

My crazy Carlton supporting mate said "Stuff it, lets get out of my house and play pool".

We go on the car and start listening to the game on the radio. Literally switched the radio on, Carlton kicked a goal. Eagles lead 100-85.

Carlton kicks another goal, eagles still lead 100-91.

Carlton kicks another goal in the 32nd minute , eagles still lead 100-97.

Carlton goes forward and its rushed, Eagles still lead 100-98.

Patrick McGinnity scores a behind for west coast, They lead 101-98.

Siren Sounds just after that.



I gave my Blues supporting mate tons of verbal abuse after that. I remind him never to turn the TV off or leave the game early.
bloody qtr went for nearly 40 mins

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Adelaide: 2005 easily

2016 before Round 23

1993, 2006, 2012, 2015, 2017

Ah I remember the 2005-6 seasons under coach Neil Craig.

2006 still will be a personal favourite season for mine. Mainly because of the Prelims. You knew that cup wasnt staying in Victorian soil in 2006.

Crows 2016 season. yep that home loss to the eagles. That win or heavy win could of given the crows 2nd or 3rd.

It could of been worse for the crows in 2016, you could of lost the home elim final to North.
 
1989 and 2008 for Geelong... Hawks snuffled Cats chances in both years!

In 89 Ablett stamped himself as an absolute champion. Geelong oozed talented goal kicking forwards - Brownless, Stoneham, Exell, Cameron, Lindner, and of course Ablett who played FF in the finals. Strong midfield led by Couch, Bairstowcand Buddha Hocking, but an average defence. Sadly, Hawks had Cats measure in the 2 encounters.

In 08, Cats lost one game in H&A.
The 08 Cats are the greatest runners up in the history of the game.
 
2021.

Miracle run to make the Granny, leading half way through the 3rd quarter - you know what happened next. Had we finished top 4 and not had to play 4 finals games, and ran out of legs in the granny we may have gone all the way that year.
 
1996 for me.

Coming off an 8-14 season in 1995 and finishing in 1st at the end of H&A

Tony Lockett kicking 121 goals that year

And if only that pass from Kelly to Lockett had stuck before halftime in the GF a happier ending.
 
2013 for me.
We were ‘too old too slow’ in 2011 and somehow proved everyone wrong but by 2012 I thought we looked it and by 2013 we hadn’t really progressed IMO with much quality new blood. Duncan was still on the up, that was about it - Hawkins came out and had a superb year. We got mocked for picking up Rivers from Melbourne, playing an athlete in Blicavs, Caddy wasn’t what we’d hoped, Murdoch was average, Guthrie started slow.

We went 18-4 and took an all time great side to within an offline Travis Varcoe kick in a prelim and while shattered about the result I was as proud of that season as probably any of our flags

2013 is just behind 2008 for me.

We played the other top 4 teams (Hawthorn, Sydney, and Fremantle) 5 times during the home and away season. Our record against them was 5-0. We were told all year that despite looking clearly hobbled Hawkins' back wouldn't get worse - until it did and he missed the Qualifying final. The replacement in Josh Walker was worse than useless. They decided to go with a ruck duo of Vardy and (worse) Blicavs against Sandilands - in one of the more one-sided ruck maulings you'll ever see in a final. Plus starting Paul Chapman as the sub in his 250th game despite him playing very, very well the week before against Brisbane. Basically we handed Fremantle the keys to Prelim final week with those decisions alone.

As for Varcoe's miss in the Prelim, it's amusing to this day how many fans just know with complete certainty we would never have won the following week. Anytime you play an interstate team in a Grand final there's some chance they just won't show up. We had a team full of premiership players, how anyone could possibly know what would have happened is beyond me. But Varcoe choked horribly and made it irrelevant.
 

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