Opinion Worst/least favourite 10 matches you have seen involving your club

[mianfei]

long story short, my favourite match of all time is R01 1997...against the Saints and I can't remember if we won or lost...probably not, but I don't care!

Hawthorn won by a goal, but Dunstall's premature comeback may have cost him a goalkicking record even though he had more bad matches in 1996 than in most previous years - whereas Lockett was allowing for the adverse conditions a better player than ever in 1996. The way Hawthorn collapsed in late 1997 and early 1998 - winning only three of 25 games between Round 15 of the former year and Round 17 of the latter for a success rate worse than in their embarassing first 29 years as a League club - suggests that they took a long time to recover from his loss and that of Nick Holland, Platten and Langford!

 

[Gibbke]

The way Hawthorn collapsed in late 1997 and early 1998 - winning only three of 25 games between Round 15 of the former year and Round 17 of the latter for a success rate worse than in their embarassing first 29 years as a League club.

True. But I got my team back!

And what's less than a year to anyone? Later, I rate the rebuild from the start of 2005 through to the flag in 2008 as the most satisfying period of the 35 years I've barracked for this team, even better than the 1980's dominance. It was so good to watch a young group learn and develop virtually from scratch, and turn themselves into a powerful team, and you appreciate it more when you know how different it all could have been. Would I have barracked for the Melbourne Hawks, or would I have jumped ship to the Lions, after having just moved to Brisbane before they were to have that period of success...? Or would I have said f### it and just drifted away, because the passion born of grudges was dead...?

 

[Vekgib]

First post on here. I'm a virgin. Here goes:
1 1973 Grand Final Richmond 16.20 def Carlton 12.14
My dad (R.I.P) talked up their chances.My sister was going out with Sheedy at the time.Still hate my sister.
2 1974 Round 4 North 19.9 def Carlton 6.15
Going to school the Monday after was embarrassing
3 1977 Round 6 Collingwood 22.20 def Carlton 7.8
3 months after my dad died, my now brother in law ( not Sheeds ) took me to VFL Park to see Carlton play live for the first time. He was well intentioned, trying to cheer me up.....
4 1983 Round 10 North 29.19 def Carlton 11.16
By now, living in N.S.W and still basking in the joy of 3 premierships in four years.Broke up with first serious girlfriend so thought I'd console myself by sitting on the lounge watching my team play.More good intentions....
5 1986 Grand Final Hawthorn 16.14 def Carlton 9.14
The embarrassment of sitting there at home watching it with a Hawthorn supporting mate.
6 1993 Grand Final Essendon 20.13 def Carlton 13.11
If I had a dollar for every time I've seen a replay of Michael Long's running goal.......
7 1994 Round 9 Essendon 9.9 def Carlton 7.20
Bad enough losing to Essendon again.But by 1 point with 50% more scoring shots.....And watching Darren Bewick running around celebrating after the game was torture.
8 1999 Grand Final North 19.10 def Carlton 12.17
Never really in it despite having same number of scoring shots.Emotion and euphoria from week before made it tough.North were seeking redemption from 1998 GF too just to make it even trickier.
9 2000 Qualifying Final Melb 15.6 def Carlton 12.15
I honestly thought we were a show of beating Essendon if we played them in the GF.Same as Sheedy saying he was disappointed they did'nt get a crack at us in the '95 finals.
10 2013 Semi Final Sydney 13.8 def Carlton 8.14
I was'nt confident. Did'nt want to go. My wife dragged me there anyway.We sat down at the fence.Midway through the 3rd quarter of an inept, spineless performance, Chris Judd told a player ( who shall remain nameless ) to "go onto McVeigh" who was running riot at the time.
Said player replied: "What's the point ? Who cares?"
Keeping Sydney scoreless in the last quarter made it worse.
He did'nt care. There was still 30 or so minutes of play left and he was already planning mad Monday.If he did'nt care, why should I, in my 41st year of supporting the club ?
I did'nt include last Sunday's effort ( ? ) against Essendon as I did'nt see any of it. If I had, the '99 GF would'nt be listed above.

 

[radiojake]

10 2013 Semi Final Sydney 13.8 def Carlton 8.14
I was'nt confident. Did'nt want to go. My wife dragged me there anyway.We sat down at the fence.Midway through the 3rd quarter of an inept, spineless performance, Chris Judd told a player ( who shall remain nameless ) to "go onto McVeigh" who was running riot at the time.
Said player replied: "What's the point ? Who cares?"
Keeping Sydney scoreless in the last quarter made it worse.
He did'nt care. There was still 30 or so minutes of play left and he was already planning mad Monday.If he did'nt care, why should I, in my 41st year of supporting the club ?

Said player still at the club?

 

[Vekgib]

Said player still at the club?

Yeah

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Only going to do Brisbane Lions not Fitzroy

10. Rnd 23, 2013, 1 point loss to Geelong, should have won but for a certain umpiring decision. If we had of won and Carlton lost to Port later that night (they won by 1 point) we were in the finals.
9. Rnd 2, 2005, 2 point loss to Port in GF replay, enough said.
8. Rnd 21, 2007, 26 point loss to Adelaide, decided who would make the finals out of the two teams, after a good start to the season we choked which was common in the years between 2005-2008.
7. Rnd 21, 1998, 77 point loss to Richmond guarantees wooden spoon.
6. Rnd 7, 2011, 8 point loss the Gold Coast, first Q-Clash, it stung.
5. Rnd 5, 2010, 50 point loss to Melbourne, had mates telling me they were backing us to win the flag that year and that Fev was due for 10 that week, I got sucked in. This was the last time we were good.
4. Rnd 15, 2008, 1 point loss to Melbourne. Should have made top 4 this season, or at least top 5, but 4 losses by under 8 points to finish the season (this one being the worse) really ****ed us over, disgraceful.
3. 1999 Preliminary Final, lead at half time and were down by only 2 goals at 3 quarter time, even though we were underdogs. And the way we had handled Carlton in the Qualifying Final as well as the way North handled them in the GF made it clear that we could have gone all the way.
2. Rnd 22, 2005, 139 point loss to St. Kilda, nailed in the reality that it was going to take some time to get back to the top, also the fact that 3 straight losses to end the season when we had been in the top 8 at round 20.
1. 2004 Grand Final, we had all the momentum running into the half.

 

[ioppolo]

9. Rnd 2, 2005, 2 point loss to Port in GF replay, enough said.

You guys kicked 6 goals in the last 8 or so minutes that night if memory serves me right.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

You guys kicked 6 goals in the last 8 or so minutes that night if memory serves me right.

It was something like that, at least 5 or so

 

[ioppolo]

It was something like that, at least 5 or so

About 10:20 onwards:

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

About 10:20 onwards:

Cheers!

 

[joop]

St Kilda beating Essendon in R22 2008 to end our top 4 hopes and send us into a home final vs Collingwood.

This still cracks me up. Now my memory isn't the best, but didn't we go into that game in 7th, and thanks to Essendon ending their season early we smashed them by over 100 points to leapfrog 3 teams by percentage? Bloody hilarious

 

[mianfei]

9. Rnd 2, 2005, 2 point loss to Port in GF replay, enough said.

That was, if I am not mistaken, the hottest AFL game ever played at something like 37˚C earlier in the day. How tough was it for the Port Adelaide players – and the Power were to decline as rapidly as the Lions did between 2004 and 2006, when the 2004 Grand Finalists were twelfth and thirteenth??

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

That was, if I am not mistaken, the hottest AFL game ever played at something like 37˚C earlier in the day. How tough was it for the Port Adelaide players – and the Power were to decline as rapidly as the Lions did between 2004 and 2006, when the 2004 Grand Finalists were twelfth and thirteenth??

Yea, in reality, Port was the second or even to some the best team of that era (2001-2004), just couldn't do anything in the finals until 2004, and so as they aged similarly to Brisbane, both teams found themselves at a similar situation to each other although that Brisbane had come off a 3-peat

 

[I Lost My Keays]

1. 2006 Preliminary Final vs West Coast (what can I say? Bock kicked an amazing goal to cut the lead by under a goal , we needed a quick kick to have a chance. I remember Stenglin got held while Goodwin had the ball heading towards the goal which could potentially win the game)

2. 2013 Showdown vs Port ( that hurt , we gave up a 4 goal lead with 5 minutes to go. Lewis Johnston had the ball and all he had to do is kick it to Danger 20 metres from goal however he was selfish and went for glory and it went out of bounds. That monfries goal was an absolute fluke!

3. 2009 Elimination Final v Collingwood ( After Tippett kicked that goal to put us in front I had such high hopes that we would win that game. I think it was Otten who went for the mark however John Anthony apparently got pushed! But if you saw the replay I was convinced that Medhurst pushed Otten. I was crushed :/

4. 2012 Preliminary Final vs Hawthorn ( That day I was semi confident , we played very well all season and it was the final 5 minutes? that Burgyone and Rioli went into the midfield and I believe that changed the game in Hawthorns favour. I was very proud that day , take nothing away from Hawthorn they played well and they deserved it.

5. 2007 Elimination Final v Hawthorn ( That Scott Thompson error cost us and that was the error which knocked us out :/ Lance Franklin was owning Kris Massie that game and Neil Craig persisted to keep Massie on him! Turns out Franklin kicked the winning goal an you saw so many replays of it which hurts a great deal.

6. 200 Preliminary Final vs West Coast ( That game we were close until Daniel Chick had to break the game in half and kick that vital goal and once he did I knew it was over)

7. Round 8 2006 v Richmond ( That kick backwards tactic by Terry Wallace annoyed the fu*k out of me , it had to be one of the most boring game i've seen)

Can't think of many more :/

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

1. 2006 Preliminary Final vs West Coast (what can I say? Bock kicked an amazing goal to cut the lead by under a goal , we needed a quick kick to have a chance. I remember Stenglin got held while Goodwin had the ball heading towards the goal which could potentially win the game)

2. 2013 Showdown vs Port ( that hurt , we gave up a 4 goal lead with 5 minutes to go. Lewis Johnston had the ball and all he had to do is kick it to Danger 20 metres from goal however he was selfish and went for glory and it went out of bounds. That monfries goal was an absolute fluke!

3. 2009 Elimination Final v Collingwood ( After Tippett kicked that goal to put us in front I had such high hopes that we would win that game. I think it was Otten who went for the mark however John Anthony apparently got pushed! But if you saw the replay I was convinced that Medhurst pushed Otten. I was crushed :/

4. 2012 Preliminary Final vs Hawthorn ( That day I was semi confident , we played very well all season and it was the final 5 minutes? that Burgyone and Rioli went into the midfield and I believe that changed the game in Hawthorns favour. I was very proud that day , take nothing away from Hawthorn they played well and they deserved it.

5. 2007 Elimination Final v Hawthorn ( That Scott Thompson error cost us and that was the error which knocked us out :/ Lance Franklin was owning Kris Massie that game and Neil Craig persisted to keep Massie on him! Turns out Franklin kicked the winning goal an you saw so many replays of it which hurts a great deal.

6. 200 Preliminary Final vs West Coast ( That game we were close until Daniel Chick had to break the game in half and kick that vital goal and once he did I knew it was over)

7. Round 8 2006 v Richmond ( That kick backwards tactic by Terry Wallace annoyed the fu*k out of me , it had to be one of the most boring game i've seen)

Can't think of many more :/

come on noob, that was the semi!

 

[Bailey01]

In no particular order
1. First Showdown at Adelaide Oval
2. St Kilda loss by 104 points in 2011
3. Loss against West Coast in 2006 prelim
4. 77 point loss against Sydney in 2013
5. Loss to Collingwood in 2008 elimination final
6. Loss against Sydney by 63 at Adelaide Oval
7. Loss to Hawthorn by a few points in 2007 elimination final
8. Loss to Hawthorn in prelim 2012
9. Showdown losses in 2013
10. Belting by Melbourne in 2011

Only recent history 2005-onwwards

 

[kid_a]

1997, Round 14- Adelaide 106 - 31 West Coast: Just an all round pathetic effort that night
1999, Round 16- West Coast 72 - 119 Fremantle: fisrt derby loss, twas so hard to take that.
1999, Round 20- West Coast 82 - 84 Hawthorn: blew a big lead, simply crumbled.
2001, Round 10- Carlton 149 - 30 West Coast: embarrassing
2002, Round 6- Port Adelaide 133 - 79 West Coast: didn't expect us to win but after easily beating brissy the week before, I thought we'd at least give it a real go.
2003, QF- Adelaide 113 - 57 West Coast: hideous display from everyone that day bar Cousins.
2004, QF- Sydney 75 - 34 West Coast: started with a belly full of fire and coming off a remarkable form streak I thought we had a genuine chance in this one, then we were totally swept away by the storm that hit Sydney that night, crumbled.
2005, Round 21- Geelong 109 - 33 West Coast: insipid attempt at football by the eagles, lucky not to get done by 100+ granted the cats didn't particularly kick straight in front of goal, cost us top spot.
2007, QF- Port Adelaide 68 - 65 West Coast
2009, Round 17- Fremantle 71 - 66 West Coast: a truly horrible game, skills were at an all time low, the dockers were shocking and the eagles were just that little bit more shocking, horrible game all around and the Eagles lost doesn't get much worse than that.

add to this countless games from 2008 & 2010

 

[Gibbke]

1999 Round 16, Hawks beating West Coast, was a match of pure awesomeness I'd forgotten until you mentioned it just then. I was playing in a band that night, and we'd been having some internal troubles. The bass player, the boss of the band, was a bit of a dickhead at times, and was getting up myself and the drummer about stupid things during those weeks, pot calling the kettle black stuff if you cut a long story short. We had a particularly nasty argument, the entire band, afterwards, which ended with a lot of "f### offs" and a pretty narky declaration in the van going home, to the guy I was giving a lift to, that I was out for good...

Then I got home, early hours of the morning, and put on the tape of the Subiaco match, a game we were rank underdogs in. At 2am in the morning I was still fuming, but at 4am I was punching the air and trying not to wake up the flatmates as we stole the game. The next day, we had another gig, and with the entire previous evening now relegated to some blur which happened before that "f###ing awesome match last night, did you see it?", I cheerily greeted the rest of the band, got set up, played and went home, and somewhere during that time we all kissed and made up over a beer...the issues that flared did come up again down the track and wrecked the band eventually, as an epilogue...a leopard doesn't change his spots...!

But for that weekend, the power of footy was unchallenged...

 

[Todman]

Worst game for me was going to Optus Oval in 1995 to see Carlton defeat Hawthorn by 102 points IIRC.
I thought the hawks were a chance after Carlton lost badly to Sydney and St kilda in consecutive weeks (only 2 losses for the year.)
It was a lock out but I managed to get in before the gates were closed.
I'm not a tall man so seeing the game was restricted to the scoreboard end.
Carlton had 9 goals to 2 at Q time and 16 to 5 by half time.
Mil Hanna was unstopperable
Dunstall did not offer a lead all game.

One of the few times I left early.

 

[SouthSwans]

Probably not the worst 10, but certainly the 10 most heartbreaking. Actually make it 11.
_________________

11. 2003 Prelim Final v Brisbane @ ANZ - I was more proud than devastated with this one, but to be in the position we were in, leading the all-conquering Lions at 3QT in a home prelim, the opportunity was definitely there for the taking. I remember Michael, Leppitsch and Johnson giving us nothing to work with in the 4th quarter and their efforts set up the last quarter performances from Black, Lappin & Power which in turn led to the winning goals being secured by Lynch & Brown. Martin Pike was BOG, ran riot. Damn good side those Lions.

_________________

10. R20 2011 v Essendon @ Docklands - Jobe Watson got the three votes but had the last kick been straight I daresay Goodesy would have. It was one of the all time great performances from the superstar. He looked a class above all day. When it came down to that final kick he would've been absolutely exhausted, he'd had 29 possesions (15 cont), 9 I50s, 7 clearances (3 centre clear), 6 marks (3 cont & 3 I50), 5 tackles, three goals (one of which was one of his all-time best) and nobody had looked anywhere near matching him. It's unfortunate that people will remember that game for his performance after the final siren instead of his performance before it but that last kick in the end was all that mattered. Devastating.




_________________

9. R10 2007 v Essendon @ SCG - Adam McPhee recieved an excessively generous call from the boundary umpire in the dying moments and having not been asked to stop play for what most certainly should've been adjudicated as a boundary throw-in he was able to work it forward to Spike McVeigh who capitalised and gave the Bombers a one-point win. Spewing.


_________________

8. R1 2007 v WC Eagles @ ANZ - After losing the 06 GF by a point we were looking for some much needed redemption in our round one clash with the Eagles the following year. It didn't come, McVeigh had the chance to put us in front with seconds left but Daniel Kerr brought him down with one of the great clutch tackles. For the second time in consecutive games we had lost to the Eagles by a point. Needless to say the mood was pretty sombre after that one.


_________________

7. 2005 QF v WC Eagles @ Subi - Tyson Stenglein free kick against Leo Barry. If we didn't win the flag I'd still be filthy about that one. But we did, so it's all good.

_________________

6. 2001 Elim Final v Hawthorn @ Docklands - I was pretty bullish going into this one, we were full strength and the Hawks had just been trumped by the hapless Saints with Barry Hall's post siren winner a week before. And gee did we start well, five goals up early in the second with Goodes, Bolton and Kelly on fire. The Hawks responded late in the half and got the margin back to five points. Sadly, seconds before half time Kel tore his hammy, what a massive blow that would turn out to be. Kelly, running head-to-head with Crawford in the first half would take no further part in the contest. Even though we had lost Kel I couldn't bring myself to write us off. Little did I know Crawf was going to run riot and Johnny Barker was about to have one of the biggest purple patches I've ever seen, he dobbed them from everywhere, it was one of the more ridiculous displays from a bloke who prior to this game I thought could play a little bit, and post this game I never wanted to see his face again. I felt a bit better when he did it again a week later against Port at AAMI, I don't hate Port or anything I was just happy that we weren't the only ones who copped the Barker show.

 

[SouthSwans]

5. R20 1998 v W Bulldogs @ Waverley - We were third, just four points behind the Dogs and a win would see us challenge for a spot in the top two (which under the old final 8 system gave you the best chance of setting up a home prelim). Coming into this game we had won five on the trot and despite Kelly being injured, Lockett was on fire with 37 goals from those five wins. The Dogs had lost two of their past three and despite the recent form line, they were having a good year and we would go in as underdogs. After the first quarter that tag seemed justified, but we held them goalless in the second and were able to establish a lead, Plugger getting on the end of a few. Cresswell, Roos and O'Loughlin stepped up in the middle quarters and we had suddenly turned a 16-point QT deficit into a 12-point lead at 3QT. The game was now ours to lose. Watching Kolyniuk & Hudson run amok in the last quarter was difficult to handle and every one of the five goals that came from the boot of the white-haired James Cook still sticks vividly in the memory. We couldn't cling onto our lead and as it slipped away so too did our 1998 season. Dogs by two points. I was 8 years old, I remember crying all the way home.

_________________

4. R19 2004 v North Melb @ SCG - Glenn Archer's 250th. 40 points up at 3QT and our veteran head trainer Wally Jackson suffered a heart attack on the field midway through the final quarter. Whilst unsuccessful attempts to revive Jackson were ongoing the Swans players were understandably devastated, trying to focus on a game of footy but quite obviously affected by the situation. North took advantage and piled on nine goals, the last of which from a Corey Jones snap sealing the win for the Roos in what was a very sad evening to be a Swans person.

_________________

3. 2010 Semi Final v W Bulldogs @ MCG - When Benny McGlynn put us five goals up midway through the second quarter I was thinking just one more, one more goal and they're gone for all money, but to the Dogs credit they grinded out the last eight minutes of that quarter and stopped our flow, and in turn they were able to create a set-shot opportunity for debutant Andrew Hooper on the cusp of half time, he nailed his first career goal and from then on it was all Dogs. Bradshaw missed a few set shots, Bob Murphy & Gia were all class, Hally was too good for Reg Grundy and they overran us. The worst part was it was Kirky's last game and he battled as hard as he ever could to get us the win that night, and Brad Johnson who had done nothing all night and had been carried through the game (and arguably the previous two months) by his teammates - and whose prelim final selection a week later probably cost the Dogs a spot in the granny - ended with the ball in hand and carried on like a muppet as if he had kicked 15 goals.


_________________

2. R19 2001 v Essendon @ Docklands - The pits. The absolute pits. Before 06 happened I thought it couldn't get worse than this one. Kelly, Schwass, Williams, Bolton, Cresswell, O'Loughlin, McPherson and Nicks were outstanding. We held the all-conquering Essendon juggernaut to two goals in the first half. We dominated the best team in the league for three and a half quarters. It was the best three quarters of Swans footy I'd seen since Plugger retired, we were on. But despite our dominance the Dons never went away and slowly edged their way back into the contest. From the opening bounce until two minutes left in the final quarter I thought we had it. 30 seconds left, Bombers needing a miracle moment to win, Swans defending the last minutes with everything we had, Dustin Fletcher launches a monster snap that nearly touches the roof, it hangs in the air forever, Dunkley and Bolton drop into the hole but it doesn't stop the monster grab from Steve Alessio that would rip the game from us in the dying seconds. I've been to plenty of finals and a few grand finals but I've never heard any crowd as loud as those Bombers fans when Alessio took that mark. The first time we had trailed was with four seconds left. Broke my heart.


_________________

1. 2006 Grand Final v WC Eagles @ MCG - If anyone has Adam Hunter, Daniel Chick or Steven Armstrong's home addresses please send them this way…

 

[Big Fresh]

Probably not the worst 10, but certainly the 10 most heartbreaking. Actually make it 11.
_________________

11. 2003 Prelim Final v Brisbane @ ANZ - I was more proud than devastated with this one, but to be in the position we were in, leading the all-conquering Lions at 3QT in a home prelim, the opportunity was definitely there for the taking. I remember Michael, Leppitsch and Johnson giving us nothing to work with in the 4th quarter and their efforts set up the last quarter performances from Black, Lappin & Power which in turn led to the winning goals being secured by Lynch, Brown and Pike. Damn good side those Lions.

_________________

10. R20 2011 v Essendon @ Docklands - Jobe Watson got the three votes but had the last kick been straight I daresay Goodesy would have. It was one of the all time great performances from the superstar. He looked a class above all day. When it came down to that final kick he would've been absolutely exhausted, he'd had 29 possesions (15 cont), 9 I50s, 7 clearances (3 centre clear), 6 marks (3 cont & 3 I50), 5 tackles, three goals (one of which was one of his all-time best) and nobody had looked anywhere near matching him. It's unfortunate that people will remember that game for his performance after the final siren instead of his performance before it but that last kick in the end was all that mattered. Devastating.




_________________

9. R10 2007 v Essendon @ SCG - Adam McPhee recieved an excessively generous call from the boundary umpire in the dying moments and having not been asked to stop play for what most certainly should've been adjudicated as a boundary throw-in he was able to work it forward to Spike McVeigh who capitalised and gave the Bombers a one-point win. Spewing.


_________________

8. R1 2007 v WC Eagles @ ANZ - After losing the 06 GF by a point we were looking for some much needed redemption in our round one clash with the Eagles the following year. It didn't come, McVeigh had the chance to put us in front with seconds left but Daniel Kerr brought him down with one of the great clutch tackles. For the second time in consecutive games we had lost to the Eagles by a point. Needless to say the mood was pretty sombre after that one.


_________________

7. 2005 QF v WC Eagles @ Subi - Tyson Stenglein free kick against Leo Barry. If we didn't win the flag I'd still be filthy about that one. But we did, so it's all good.

_________________

6. 2001 Elim Final v Hawthorn @ Docklands - I was pretty bullish going into this one, we were full strength and the Hawks had just been trumped by the hapless Saints with Barry Hall's post siren winner a week before. And gee did we start well, five goals up early in the second with Goodes, Bolton and Kelly on fire. The Hawks responded late in the half and got the margin back to five points. Sadly, seconds before half time Kel tore his hammy, what a massive blow that would turn out to be. Kelly, running head-to-head with Crawford in the first half would take no further part in the contest. Even though we had lost Kel I couldn't bring myself to write us off. Little did I know Crawf was going to run riot and Johnny Barker was about to have one of the biggest purple patches I've ever seen, he dobbed them from everywhere, it was one of the more ridiculous displays from a bloke who prior to this game I thought could play a little bit, and post this game I never wanted to see his face again. I felt a bit better when he did it again a week later against Port at AAMI, I don't hate Port or anything I was just happy that we weren't the only ones who copped the Barker show.

That 2011 game was one of the best I've ever seen and one of the best individual performances I've ever seen. Can't believe Goodes didn't get 3 votes.

 

[NorthernLights]

5. R20 1998 v W Bulldogs @ Waverley - We were third, just four points behind the Dogs and a win would see us challenge for a spot in the top two (which under the old final 8 system gave you the best chance of setting up a home prelim). Coming into this game we had won five on the trot and despite Kelly being injured, Lockett was on fire with 37 goals from those five wins. The Dogs had lost two of their past three and despite the recent form line, they were having a good year and we would go in as underdogs. After the first quarter that tag seemed justified, but we held them goalless in the second and were able to establish a lead, Plugger getting on the end of a few. Cresswell, Roos and O'Loughlin stepped up in the middle quarters and we had suddenly turned a 16-point QT deficit into a 12-point lead at 3QT. The game was now ours to lose. Watching Kolyniuk & Hudson run amok in the last quarter was difficult to handle and every one of the five goals that came from the boot of the white-haired James Cook still sticks vividly in the memory. We couldn't cling onto our lead and as it slipped away so too did our 1998 season. Dogs by two points. I was 8 years old, I remember crying all the way home.

_________________

4. R19 2004 v North Melb @ SCG - Glenn Archer's 250th. 40 points up at 3QT and our veteran head trainer Wally Jackson suffered a heart attack on the field midway through the final quarter. Whilst unsuccessful attempts to revive Jackson were ongoing the Swans players were understandably devastated, trying to focus on a game of footy but quite obviously affected by the situation. North took advantage and piled on nine goals, the last of which from a Corey Jones snap sealing the win for the Roos in what was a very sad evening to be a Swans person.

_________________

3. 2010 Semi Final v W Bulldogs @ MCG - When Benny McGlynn put us five goals up midway through the second quarter I was thinking just one more, one more goal and they're gone for all money, but to the Dogs credit they grinded out the last eight minutes of that quarter and stopped our flow, and in turn they were able to create a set-shot opportunity for debutant Andrew Hooper on the cusp of half time, he nailed his first career goal and from then on it was all Dogs. Bradshaw missed a few set shots, Bob Murphy & Gia were all class, Hally was too good for Reg Grundy and they overran us. The worst part was it was Kirky's last game and he battled as hard as he ever could to get us the win that night, and Brad Johnson who had done nothing all night and had been carried through the game (and arguably the previous two months) by his teammates - and whose prelim final selection a week later probably cost the Dogs a spot in the granny - ended with the ball in hand and carried on like a muppet as if he had kicked 15 goals.


_________________

2. R19 2001 v Essendon @ Docklands - The pits. The absolute pits. Before 06 happened I thought it couldn't get worse than this one. Kelly, Schwass, Williams, Bolton, Cresswell, O'Loughlin, McPherson and Nicks were outstanding. We held the all-conquering Essendon juggernaut to two goals in the first half. We dominated the best team in the league for three and a half quarters. It was the best three quarters of Swans footy I'd seen since Plugger retired, we were on. But despite our dominance the Dons never went away and slowly edged their way back into the contest. From the opening bounce until two minutes left in the final quarter I thought we had it. 30 seconds left, Bombers needing a miracle moment to win, Swans defending the last minutes with everything we had, Dustin Fletcher launches a monster snap that nearly touches the roof, it hangs in the air forever, Dunkley and Bolton drop into the hole but it doesn't stop the monster grab from Steve Alessio that would rip the game from us in the dying seconds. I've been to plenty of finals and a few grand finals but I've never heard any crowd as loud as those Bombers fans when Alessio took that mark. The first time we had trailed was with four seconds left. Broke my heart.


_________________

1. 2006 Grand Final v WC Eagles @ MCG - If anyone has Adam Hunter, Daniel Chick or Steven Armstrong's home addresses please send them this way…

In that 2004 game North were well on their way back into the game by the time the accident occurred. Still tragic though.

 

[Catsace]

For me....these would be my 10 worst games.

Round 7 1990....Geel 9.28.82 vs Richmond 13.18.96.

Simply the worst i have ever seen Geelong play, Richmond were about as good as they are now, and Geelong had won 4 in a row after a ghastly start to the year. Bews also did his knee in this game, and Gary Sr was a last withdrawal. But nothing prepared me to see Tigers playing like they did, and Geelong kicking terribly all round the ground including at goal. Went from about 5.5 to 5.20 from memory...Terrible!

Round 20 1986.....Hawthorn 35.15.225 vs Geel 13.12.90

Cats were less than a goal down at half time, and may have even touched the lead early in the 3rd. Then CRUNCH!!! Hawks kick 25 goals to just about zero and we suffered our biggest ever loss.

Round 1 1990.....Hawthorn 28.24.192 vs Geel 11.11.77

Same here, as Geelong grabbed the lead at the start of the 3rd quarter, before Dunstall and co smashed us stupid in the remaining time. Kicked about 19 goals to nil, and was seriously barely believable to watch live as i did.

Round 3 2006.....Hawthorn 15.11.101 vs Geel 6.13.49

Having won two games over the Lions and Kangas, and then getting a surprise phone call from my boss saying he had a couple of spare seats in the Hickey stand, i thought...Great, what a better way to see a 3rd win in a row. Again, Bartel got the Cats the opening goal of the 3rd quarter before suddenly all these Hawks i had no idea of started running everywhere, kicking goals and smashing us. A ghastly last half, and blokes like Ladson, Osborne and other no-names at that stage were making us look stupid. Kent Kingsley, fresh from his 8-goal haul against the Kangas is held goal-less by the bloke Rocca famously kicked 8 on the previous week, Zac Dawson.

Grand Final 1994....West Coast 20.20.140 vs Geel 8.12.60

After Andrew Wills played on and kicked agreat goal just before quarter time to give us a 1-point lead, i was thinking good thoughts. But the eagles machine kicked into motion, and Geelong sank into the abyss as the weather turned drizzly and cold...an appropriate end to a sad game for a Cat fan.

Round 4 1984....Kangaroos 11.13.79 vs Geel 9.11.65

Horrible windy day at Kardinia Park, Geelong were 3-0, kangas were 0-3, and had been whipped by 137 pts by the Blues in Rd 1. But Lyle dominates the ruck, the Krakouer brothers are untouchable...and had this amazing ability to kick floaters along the Moorabool St wing which the Westerly gale would have no effect on. And Geelong lost a game they should have won.

Round 9 1998.....West Coast 9.11.65 vs Geel 5.16.46

Another terrible windy day, and Geelong played about as badly as they did against the Tigers in that first game. Ronnie Burns had a shot from 20 metres out at the City end and the ball landed in the crowd about 25 metres from the Moorabool St behind post. Ugh!!

Round 14 1983....Richmond 10.10.70 vs Geel 10.9.69

A wet day at Waverley, and Geelong having beaten the Pies the previous round led by 28 points late in the 3rd quarter. With the Tigers having had five goals on the board in about 88 minutes of footy, they kick a goal on the 3.4 time siren and 4 in 6 minutes in the last to take a 2-point lead. Geelong spend 20 minutes rustling up one miserable rushed behind to lose by a point.

Round 15 1983......St.Kilda 18.12.120 vs Geel 9.14.68

O.K, having lost the previous week Geelong has a home game against St.Kilda with a 1-13 record. We lead 21-4 at 1/4 time. And then proceed to see a bottom side that had won maybe 15 games in 4 years suddenly play like superstars and massacre us by over 50 points at home!! 1983 wasn't a good year for Geelong at home, we won just two games there.

Round 9 2008.....Collingwood 20.14.134 vs Geel 7.6.48

Simply a huge case of WTF???? Pies play as good as any side i've ever seen, and we suffer what was to be one of only two defeats in a 45 game stretch. God knows how it happened, Geelong just moved on and won 15 straight, and the Pies have yet to work out how to play like that since!!

Round 12 2015.....Melbourne 18.5.113 vs Geel 13.11.89

Update....edit here. Without question the Rd 12 loss to Melbourne this year, at K.P, in Enright's 300th game would overtake the Pies loss. Collingwood's game was a massive shock, but they were a young side building to a Flag in 2 years and within two seasons were irrepressible, winning about 40 games in 43 at one stage. Geelong just were so off their game, and seeing Garlett kicking 4, Gawn and Spencer replicating Salmon and Rehn in talent and output, and the feeling so empty after that loss, it's a certainty to be in my list of worst 10 Cat losses.

 

[i am a logo]

1. Vs Bombers @ Docklands in 2014
2. Vs Bulldogs @ Docklands in 2013
3. Vs Carlton @ Docklands in 2014
4. Vs Demons @ MCG in 2009
5. Vs Collingwood @ MCG in 2012 [Semi final]
6. Vs North @ Docklands in 2010
7. Vs Collingwood @ MCG in 2013
8. Vs Carlton @ Docklands in 2010
9. Vs Carlton @ Docklands in 2009
10. Vs North @ Bellerive Oval in 2015