It was bad, but last year was worse. Hawthorn loss was the low point, they didn’t deserve to beat us by that much but the umps killed us and we dropped our heads badly. Should have beaten norf, gws and one other game.
But hey, we ended.the season with a lot of positives.
I think, being able to go to the VFL games and see wins helped me a lot. You could see the development of players and hear the song.
At some point in the season I had stopped looking at the scoreboard. So I never knew what the actual scores were. During the Gold Coast game, someone had to tell me that we had hit the front. I just celebrated every goal, so I had no idea.
Maybe looking back it was ok, but at the time, hell no. Maybe it’s because I can’t just lower my expectations, watching this year’s games was just plain hard.
I’d talk friends who would be ■■■■■■■■ and moaning about their teams. Shattered week after week.
We would get beaten by 10 gaols and my son would say “We did well didn’t we dad”.
I really enjoyed the year.
Next years comes with expectation. I expect to smash Richmond, the Blues, the Saints and the Roos. If we don’t then I’ll be ■■■■■■■■ and moaning like every other fan.
Admittedly I had an enforced break but the whole “no pressure” thing along with slight over-achievement was on the good side of surreality. Especially the bit where this mad cat lady screaming TIPPA for the last three years was right.
Obviously that wasn’t universally felt and you wouldn’t want to do it again, given how much money was lost by Essendon and the AFL this year.
But for those who stuck fat there was mucho shared love.
And the fact that now cronulla have won a flag and we have had to deal with 4 years of ■■■■ resulting in our boys getting suspended, tarnished for life and us winning the spoon, makes me hate it even more.
Personally the best year since 2000. It probably helps that I have only watched Bomber games in full. I did watch about 10 minutes in total yesterday but found it too boring and went for a bike ride instead.
Having said that, one year is enough and I wouldn’t mind some finals action in the next few years.
First 3 quarters of the year were horrible (except the Melbourne game).
Later in the year, the team started to gel, and were playing with dare and flair. We finished the year in good spirits knowing that this is temporary. But it was hell.
And the fact that now cronulla have won a flag and we have had to deal with 4 years of ■■■■ resulting in our boys getting suspended, tarnished for life and us winning the spoon, makes me hate it even more.
Oh but the Cronulla players were suspended (backdated) and WADA didn’t appeal the sentence. Perhaps McDevitt knows why.