THE ROAD TO THE FLAG 2019

Not for me. Maybe it’s parochialism but never felt a sense of entitlement, just strong belief. Never took anything for granted, even in 85/00. They were the best teams home and away and went to another level in finals but there are no guarantees in this game (‘83 still burns to this day, that and the Pies GF)

Yeah nah.

Our midfield bar Watson wasnt up to it.

No way were we beating Hawthorn through that Era.

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This why i argue that we don’t have a top 4 list.

The issue goes far deeper than the coach.

Of course there is one person in the footy dept that hasn’t been replaced through the whole ■■■■ show…

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■■■■■■ tea lady!

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We had a very strong team still.

And was nothing stopping us bringing in another free agent /trading out first rounders to bolster midfield class.

With the royal box and the side in the window we’d have gotten someone else to come over after Goddard

Oh c’mon…83 we were no where near the Hawks and absolutely ecstatic to make the GF.

1990 does sting because of who we lost to, and the circumstances of them breaking the Colliwobbles (Prem. drought).
They were the better team by September though (clearly), and we had a definite stench of “over the hill” about us.

Yeah., 90 hurts, as does '99.

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Yep our list and team was in a very strong position. By now we would have lost Watson, Stanton, Goddard, Hocking etc but there’s no reason why we wouldn’t have replaced them with quality free agents and picked a gem or 2 from the draft along the way.

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The thing about ‘83 was the culmination of 2 elimination final losses, not being at the big one for 18 years and the amazing run to get the GF that year, only to be embarrassed by a record losing margin. I was devastated, while Hawks supporters stole my joy and supercharged my suffering. Don’t remember what I did after that game but in ‘90 I was so numb I went straight home and slept until the following day.

Back in 1990 you didn’t have an extra week of school holidays to get over it. Straight back on Monday to cop it!

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Yep.

That whole post-Sheedy through to the saga period there was a really good core of 6-8 exciting players that came in in the late Sheedy / Knights era - I’m thinking Watson, Ryder, Hurley, Hooker, Heppell (starting a little later), and a few others.

But we were always thin in the midfield; and throughout this period our bottom 10 always felt full of pots-and-pans players who tried their heart out but were just good average players at best.

Now we have a stronger midfield - to the point where a former mainstay likes Zaka feels like a fringe player - and much more depth. There are players I am really excited about on every line; a lot of the new players look like they’ll be really good (the Redmans, Ridleys, etc), and we are genuinely in a place where players we’d like to play (Francis) are hard to fit in. The bottom half our team is a mile ahead of the bottom half of the 2009-2013/14 teams IMO.

Now that can be a glass half-full or glass half-empty. Its definitely been disappointing as we are currently underperforming for the talent on our lift. But I equally understand why the lid-offers keep assuming that we can snap into form. Eg I can imagine the whole team lifting a lot if, say, McKernan and Brown get some continuity and Raz plays even 2/3rds of the games in the back half.

Anyway, tldr, I rate our current team well above the list that might’ve contested if not for the saga.

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We can make finals if - and it’s a big if - we get Fanta fit for most games, Brown and/or Smack impact the scoreboard regularly, start to play from the first bounce and we kick straight. On Queen’s Birthday, Melbourne showed what happens when you don’t kick straight! We must play the full 100+ minutes. Do not take the foot off the pedal. Can we do it? I hope so.

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We win well Friday and it’s game on, we have the depth to list manage for the WestCoke game, two very important games.

I am very excited for Friday night and will be setting myself up for extreme adulation or extreme disappointment.

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Yep.

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Not playing Ronnie Andrews was a huge blow

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I just left the country for a year.
Extreme way to avoid Collingwood supporters I’ll admit, but worth it.

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Will Richmond miss the finals?

Unlikely. Last 7 games on the G and a relatively finish to the season helps, will want some players back though as the kids are tiring. And even if they do make it, with so many key players coming off interrupted seasons it’s hard to see them doing anything. I’ve got them 13-9 on my ladder predictor but reckon they could easily pinch a couple more.

Let’s hope so.

They’re an interesting prospect that’s for sure. I also have them finishing on 13-9 but six of their last nine are against teams in the eight. Lots of “mini finals” and “8 point games” which means they could easily finish in the range 15-7 to 11-11.

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