Most ENJOYABLE season as a supporter (In my Lifetime!)

[mjp]

Not the best season. Just the most fun. And I want to exclude 2016 because that final outcome kind of muddies the waters...but for me it came down to a few seasons:

1/. 1985:

Coach: Malthouse
Captain: Jim Edmond
Finished (Ladder) 2nd.
Eliminated in the prelim by Hawthorn (well, Leigh Matthews really).
Beasley won the Coleman.
Hardie won the Brownlow.
Only lost 6 games - somehow lost to the Saints (wooden spoon), Melbourne finished 2nd last and Sydney (who finished 3rd last).

Background - Had finished 7th in 1984 and 1983 but in 1982 had 'won' the spoon.


Option 2/. 1992

Coach: Wheeler
Captain: Hawk
Finished (Ladder) 3rd.
Eliminated in the prelim by Geelong...when we beat the Saints in the Semi though it 'felt' like we were rolling!
Won 14-games, lost 6.

Background - Finished 10th with just 8 wins the year before (93).

Option 3/. 1997

Coach: Wallace
Captain: Wynd
Finished: 3rd (14 wins)
Eliminated in the prelim by Adelaide in the Prelim!
Won 14-games, lost 8.

Background - Finished 2nd last in 96 but the club was on it's knees...Joyce sacked, Wallace installed, only Fitzroy below us and the AFL were genuinely trying to wind up the club!

Option 4/. 2006

Coach: Eade
Captain: Darcy
Finished: 8th
Eliminated in the semi final by West Coast (at Subi - and it was bad) BUT beat Collingwood at the G in the elimination week.
Won 13-games, lost 9.

Background - Had been out of finals since 2000 with a spoon in 2003...came flying out of the blocks, run and gun and Gilbee and the bald eagle and just EXCITING footy that was so refreshing after the dour/dismal Rohde years.

Option 5/. 2015

Coach: Bevo
Captain: Bob
Finished: 6th
Eliminated in the elimination final by Adelaide...7 points down (and of course, there was controversy!)
Won 14-games, lost 7.

Background - Well, the Captain quit, the coach quit/walked...I'm not going to rehash the story we all know about the end of 2014 but I think all of us were questioning how we might EVER get back on the winners list.

[Sedat]

1992 for mine. We ceased to exist as a club only a couple of years earlier, so came off an incredibly low base. I was at uni at the time and was lucky enough to see most of the games live. We won 16 games and finished equal top, which is still our best H&A season ever. We beat the Saints 3 times that year, including at Moorabbin (where they never lost in the early 90's) with a ton of key players out injured, and of course we smashed them in a final when they were red hot favourites (junk time goals from them in the last qtr notwithstanding). We genuinely reached our ceiling that year and were twice beaten fair and square by a far better team in finals without any heartbreak or controversy. And Del Re kicked 70 goals in the season. What's not to love?

[JanLorMill]

2015 no expectations

[hujsh]

2008 was very fun and is the correct answer

[GVGjr]

1985 was a fantastic season. Shame we choked against the Hawks.

I noticed Wheelers 1992 season was mentioned by MJP.
Bevo was talking to the supporters today and was mentioning Wheels.

[bornadog]

1985 for me.

We had not played finals since 1976 and all of a sudden we built this team with recruiting 10 players from WA, SA and a few from Vic clubs on top of our list.

It was an exciting year with players like Beasley and Hardie as mentioned above, plus Lally Bamblett who kicked 50 as a small forward, Andrew Purser (Malthouse named him as the best ruckman he ever coached), and who can forget the Hawk, what a player.

Other notables were Rick Kennedy, a fearsome fullback, Magic McLean, Steve McPherson and brother Rod, Peter Foster, Steve Wallis, Jimmy Edmond, Brian Royal and many others

We really should have gone all the way that year but Leigh Matthews spoiled our fun in the prelim. (10 points). We had Essendon's measure so anything could have happened.

Some of the games at Western Oval (as it was called), were just incredible with a packed house. Almost 34,000 watched us smash the Premiers for the year by 41 points and the Dees by 120 points.

Beasley was incredible that year. Started the season with 9 goals v Carlton at Princes Park winning by 30 points.
During the year twice he kicked 12 goals in a game and finished the year with 105, kicking the 100th in the semi v North, and Bamblett kicking his 50th in that game.

Great memories.

[MrMahatma]

1997.

It's also the most nightmarish and...

SHEPHERD HUDDO!

FK!

[Jeanette54]

I voted 1985, although enjoyment was not quite the first word that would have come to mind on my way home from VFL Park THAT Saturday night.

Sadly, it all fell apart shortly after that. Jimmy Edmond was a huge loss to the club, as was Brad Hardie.

Keeping good sides together is an art we still are struggling to master.

Also 1985 was the most successful season the club had where I went to the footy regularly with my Grandfather.

[WBFC4FFC]

1997.

It's also the most nightmarish and...

SHEPHERD HUDDO!

FK!

Goal Umpire giving a point to Libba's Goal had a big part to play in that.

[The bulldog tragician]

The years where you don’t expect much are always the best. I would definitely say 1997, bar the horror of that hideous quarter. We were fun to watch, had come from the clouds, and had survived another near death experience as a club. If we’d only had a “respectable” loss in that PF, but the memory of the season is tarnished by that implosion (which I reckon also affected our self belief as a club and was the reason we performed abysmally in the first finals in 08-10).

Anyway I voted 2015. The excitement of a young carefree group, playing with freedom. A coach who was open, refreshing, empathetic (I wish that guy would return sometimes). A captain who was offbeat and different. And yeah, we should have won that EF, but there was such a buzz in the air that night, so much electricity as we zinged the ball around, and I’ll never forget the Bonti chart in the third quarter.

[jeemak]

Irrespective of the preliminary final result 1997 was a fantastic ride, given I didn't think the club was going to be around or at least much chop after 1996.

I was in year 12 and at the peak of my football love. Chris Grant playing filthy good football, our tough and in your face midfield, and a coach who encouraged us to stand up.

What's not to love.....well at least for all but a couple of weeks of the year!

[GVGjr]

The years where you don’t expect much are always the best. I would definitely say 1997, bar the horror of that hideous quarter. We were fun to watch, had come from the clouds, and had survived another near death experience as a club. If we’d only had a “respectable” loss in that PF, but the memory of the season is tarnished by that implosion (which I reckon also affected our self belief as a club and was the reason we performed abysmally in the first finals in 08-10).

Anyway I voted 2015. The excitement of a young carefree group, playing with freedom. A coach who was open, refreshing, empathetic (I wish that guy would return sometimes). A captain who was offbeat and different. And yeah, we should have won that EF, but there was such a buzz in the air that night, so much electricity as we zinged the ball around, and I’ll never forget the Bonti chart in the third quarter.

It was in 2015 that I really noticed improvement in the playing group and that we were capable of playing exhilarating football.
Who knows where we might have ended up if our plans were not leaked to Adelaide that year and if the game had have been played at Marvel.

[Happy Days]

2013 bit of a sleeper. We had pre crisis Griffen as a top 5 midfielder in the AFL, Will Minson somehow making an AA team, the Jarrad Grant revenge tour, Dahlhaus when he was still fun, and if the AFL had any idea of how to have a good time we would’ve been legislated into the finals when Essendon got kicked out.

Shame about the coach though.

[D Mitchell]

Accepting 2016 excluded. The Club 'risen from the grave, how could anyone go past 1990, especially Billy's goal around Wright ("that's as good as you'll ever see" Bruce McAvaney) to win the C'wood game at the G. Pass the tissues

[Hotdog60]

I went with 2006 and loved what Rocket brought to the club.
We were exciting to watch when we won it was regularly with a 3 digit score.
We had the likes of Cooney, Boyd, Cross, Gilbee, Grant, Griffen, Hahn, Johnson, Morris Murphy Smith and West.
We should have won a Grand final or two in that era but wasn't to be.
The Eade era was fun times.

[Mofra]

Interesting trend: low expectations + new coach = enjoyable season as a fan.

Unpopular nomination: 2017. We sucked, we didn't meet anywhere near our expected output, but we had a full season of being called "reigning premiers" which is not something I was sure I'd ever experience in my lifetime.

[Grantysghost]

I really enjoyed 98. We were good.

Redemption was on the cards, we were smashing teams at Princes Park we were 8 - 1 to start the season and that round 11 game v the Crows was a thing of beauty after the PF (155 to 88).

Second half of the season we had a little wobble when the Blues reversed the earlier result and smashed us out of the blue by 80 points (anyone remember what happened there? Injuries?) and we lost a close one to the Cats.

Then of course the ultimate game of the season, probably one of the best ever I’ve seen the Carey v Grant show in rd 22 at the G. Amazing game for top spot and we just couldn’t get there.

Then finals. We destroyed West Coast in the QF, then the season ended and there were no more games.

HEY WAIT MAGIC MJP IT'S NOT A POLL OPTION! G - use your powers for good can you.

[Sedat]

I went with 2006 and loved what Rocket brought to the club.
We were exciting to watch when we won it was regularly with a 3 digit score.
We had the likes of Cooney, Boyd, Cross, Gilbee, Grant, Griffen, Hahn, Johnson, Morris Murphy Smith and West.
We should have won a Grand final or two in that era but wasn't to be.
The Eade era was fun times.
Minson was our notional key forward in 2008 and Scott Welsh in 2009. We got Barry Hall to the club 1-2 years too late.

I reckon Rocket worked miracles with our club to get us so close to absolute gun teams like Geelong (21-1) and St Kilda (19-3) in the 2008 and 2009 PF's. On paper we should not have been anywhere near either of them but we pushed Geelong to within a couple of goals (and our inept goal kicking *cough Eagle cough* stopped us from leading) to the 20 min mark of the last qtr until Max Rooke's blatant front-on free against Johnno was criminally overlooked, and of course Floppy Roo and the umpires got St Kilda over the line in the most undeserved PF win ever - still the only game that Rocket has been involved with as a player or coach that he believes the rightful winner was completely shafted. Crows in 1997 was slightly more heartbreaking but in truth they dominated the game for 3 qtrs and just didn't kick straight - I was just angry after 2009 and celebrated long and hard the following week when St Kilda were arguably the better team but were pipped by the Cats (who I now hate with their pissy toy ground with no wings that I helped pay for).

[1eyedog]

Not the best season. Just the most fun. And I want to exclude 2016 because that final outcome kind of muddies the waters...but for me it came down to a few seasons:

1/. 1985:

Coach: Malthouse
Captain: Jim Edmond
Finished (Ladder) 2nd.
Eliminated in the prelim by Hawthorn (well, Leigh Matthews really).
Beasley won the Coleman.
Hardie won the Brownlow.
Only lost 6 games - somehow lost to the Saints (wooden spoon), Melbourne finished 2nd last and Sydney (who finished 3rd last).

Background - Had finished 7th in 1984 and 1983 but in 1982 had 'won' the spoon.


Option 2/. 1992

Coach: Wheeler
Captain: Hawk
Finished (Ladder) 3rd.
Eliminated in the prelim by Geelong...when we beat the Saints in the Semi though it 'felt' like we were rolling!
Won 14-games, lost 6.

Background - Finished 10th with just 8 wins the year before (93).

Option 3/. 1997

Coach: Wallace
Captain: Wynd
Finished: 3rd (14 wins)
Eliminated in the prelim by Adelaide in the Prelim!
Won 14-games, lost 8.

Background - Finished 2nd last in 96 but the club was on it's knees...Joyce sacked, Wallace installed, only Fitzroy below us and the AFL were genuinely trying to wind up the club!

Option 4/. 2006

Coach: Eade
Captain: Darcy
Finished: 8th
Eliminated in the semi final by West Coast (at Subi - and it was bad) BUT beat Collingwood at the G in the elimination week.
Won 13-games, lost 9.

Background - Had been out of finals since 2000 with a spoon in 2003...came flying out of the blocks, run and gun and Gilbee and the bald eagle and just EXCITING footy that was so refreshing after the dour/dismal Rohde years.

Option 5/. 2015

Coach: Bevo
Captain: Bob
Finished: 6th
Eliminated in the elimination final by Adelaide...7 points down (and of course, there was controversy!)
Won 14-games, lost 7.

Background - Well, the Captain quit, the coach quit/walked...I'm not going to rehash the story we all know about the end of 2014 but I think all of us were questioning how we might EVER get back on the winners list.

You've pretty much written out my order in the OP and your brief summary of each year pretty much reflects why I was exicited by each of them in a different way. Gee Whizz it was hard not to upvote the 2006 season after disposing of the Pies the way we did though.

I couldn't get to the game, but I watched it at the Rose Hotel in Fitzroy, a dyed in the wool Fitzroy Lions pub packed to the rafters with Bulldogs, Lions and Pies supporters. The pub has been fully gentrified now but even back then it looked like the inside of a Fitzroy cheer leaders man cave. A real footy pub. What a night that was singing the Bulldog theme song and then having to sing the Fitzroy theme song straight after it. I miss the old Roy they were closest to us as a club. I was never totally shattered when Doug went and played there. They did steal some of our great players though.

I lived around the corner from the Rose at the time and remember catching Scotty West, Griffen, Mitch Hahn and a few others on the tail end of a mad Monday during West's last year. Man they all looked shady as. I think I rang my whole faily and told them who was there.

[Rocket Science]

I'm reminded of the old adage 'Life is not to be endured, but enjoyed. Unless of course you're a Bulldogs supporter'.

'15 was pretty fun because it curried fresh hope, that irrepressible win over Sydney in the wet and our first true sense of what we had in the Bont.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Minson was our notional key forward in 2008 and Scott Welsh in 2009. We got Barry Hall to the club 1-2 years too late.

I reckon Rocket worked miracles with our club to get us so close to absolute gun teams like Geelong (21-1) and St Kilda (19-3) in the 2008 and 2009 PF's. On paper we should not have been anywhere near either of them but we pushed Geelong to within a couple of goals (and our inept goal kicking *cough Eagle cough* stopped us from leading) to the 20 min mark of the last qtr until Max Rooke's blatant front-on free against Johnno was criminally overlooked, and of course Floppy Roo and the umpires got St Kilda over the line in the most undeserved PF win ever - still the only game that Rocket has been involved with as a player or coach that he believes the rightful winner was completely shafted. Crows in 1997 was slightly more heartbreaking but in truth they dominated the game for 3 qtrs and just didn't kick straight - I was just angry after 2009 and celebrated long and hard the following week when St Kilda were arguably the better team but were pipped by the Cats (who I now hate with their pissy toy ground with no wings that I helped pay for).

Quoted for quality.

[jeemak]

Minson was our notional key forward in 2008 and Scott Welsh in 2009. We got Barry Hall to the club 1-2 years too late.

I reckon Rocket worked miracles with our club to get us so close to absolute gun teams like Geelong (21-1) and St Kilda (19-3) in the 2008 and 2009 PF's. On paper we should not have been anywhere near either of them but we pushed Geelong to within a couple of goals (and our inept goal kicking *cough Eagle cough* stopped us from leading) to the 20 min mark of the last qtr until Max Rooke's blatant front-on free against Johnno was criminally overlooked, and of course Floppy Roo and the umpires got St Kilda over the line in the most undeserved PF win ever - still the only game that Rocket has been involved with as a player or coach that he believes the rightful winner was completely shafted. Crows in 1997 was slightly more heartbreaking but in truth they dominated the game for 3 qtrs and just didn't kick straight - I was just angry after 2009 and celebrated long and hard the following week when St Kilda were arguably the better team but were pipped by the Cats (who I now hate with their pissy toy ground with no wings that I helped pay for).

You've never mentioned this before! :)

Eade was a bloody good coach and the teams he put up between 2005-2010 were so much fun to watch even though he didn't have the full picture of personnel back or, in particular forward to give us full talent cred to match it with the eventual premiers of the day.

By the time we hit the finals in 2008 we were able to match the contested nature of other teams, but we lacked the easy route forward they enjoyed. Our first final against Hawthorn was terrible and almost the worst game I've been to as a supporter, outside of the 97-98 prelims of course, but we were up to our eyeballs in that prelim against Geelong and things could have been different with a bit of luck.

2009 was another year I really enjoyed. Again, we were just so awesome to watch. You knew when you turned on the tele or rocked up to a game you were going to be entertained by a team of awesome players across the lines bucking the miserable Saints trend (the round 9 and 21 games from that year against Geelong is what footy should be about, amazing games). Enough's been said about the prelim, but not enough is said about the bullshit we dished up again in the first final that year. Unforgiveable, and a dying legacy of that group and Eade himself, which may sound harsh but is what it is.

[The Doctor]

1997 just pips 1985 for me. I really thought we could win it that year and from early on in the season. What a team it was with Grant, Johnno, Smith, West, The Wog Squad, Danny Southern and those tough nuts in defence, Kretiuk, Croft, Dent. They were compelling viewing and superbly coached by Wallace.

85 was brilliant. Brad Hardie was unbelievably good. Choco, Hawk, Edmonds, Wallis, Purser, Super. They could and did beat everyone. The smashing of Essendon with Lally Bamblett running riot the highlight of the season just edging out the great come from behind win v Hawthorn in the mud at WO to secure the double chance.

Special mention to the 1990 team. After what we had just been through in 1989 this team rose up and did the club proud and made me all the more proud of our club. I was at the SCG for the round 2 clash v Swans with Willams, Healy & co in their team and we smashed them. I was in awe of 2 young teenagers. Grant who destroyed Tilt Carter kicked 4 (should have been 6 or 7) in his 2nd game and a skinny kid Leon Cameron ripped them to pieces. Tony McGuinness was sensational. This win made me feel good about footy again & hopeful of a brighter future. This team gave everything and were right in the finals hunt til late in the season. The great win v Collingwood had us in the top 5 from memory. They ran out of puff after that.

[The Doctor]

Here they are in 1985! Choco, Hardie, Beaser, Jimmy, Hawk, Super, Magic, Budgie & co destroying reigning premiers Essendon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqKySymHmWE

1997 v West Coast. Did Billy ever miss a goal on the run?

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=western+bulldogs+v+west+coast+1997&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:24245de1,vid:BkSiZ9s7-bY

[mjp]

I really enjoyed 98. We were good.


I have this memory of a game early in 98 that we were not involved in. The score at 3/4 time was 7 goals to 5 (or something equally rubbish) and I remember looking at the screen, seeing the score (I hadn't been watching by my missus had) and saying:

"If the Bulldogs were to start playing now vs either of these teams - even with just 30-minutes to go - we would overtake them and win".

Never have I been so confident going into a season as I was in '98...it just felt like it was our time and - importantly, our 'TURN'.

But that last game of the year vs North really seemed to snake-bite us and we never recaptured the form we displayed that day in the finals...we lost top spot and seemingly our season that afternoon and when we rolled out in the prelim I genuinely thought our chances were somewhere between zero and none - the spark just seemed to have been blown out.

[Mantis]

I have this memory of a game early in 98 that we were not involved in. The score at 3/4 time was 7 goals to 5 (or something equally rubbish) and I remember looking at the screen, seeing the score (I hadn't been watching by my missus had) and saying:

"If the Bulldogs were to start playing now vs either of these teams - even with just 30-minutes to go - we would overtake them and win".

Never have I been so confident going into a season as I was in '98...it just felt like it was our time and - importantly, our 'TURN'.

But that last game of the year vs North really seemed to snake-bite us and we never recaptured the form we displayed that day in the finals...we lost top spot and seemingly our season that afternoon and when we rolled out in the prelim I genuinely thought our chances were somewhere between zero and none - the spark just seemed to have been blown out.

There's a bit I don't agree with in here.

Our last 2 games of the '98 were big Friday night games against 2 good teams (Ess & North) in which over 65k attended both games. We beat Ess by a couple of goals and then in a classic game lost to North with pretty much the last kick of the game.

We absolutely smoked WC in the 1st final by the tune of 70 points with Grant dominant again.

The PF was a disaster...we got 2 match-ups horribly wrong (McLeod v Libba and Robran v Smith) and didn't kick well for goal in the 1st half... but as I've mentioned in the past after kicking the 1st goal of the 2nd half Grant took a mark 30m from goal to get us back to within about 20 points and with all the momentum... but he fluffed the handball to Hudson, the moment was gone and we fell apart as the game wore on.

[jazzadogs]

It's not really in the vibe of this thread, but I didn't think it needed its own thread...I used Chat GPT today for the first time and gave it the prompt "the western Bulldogs 2016 AFL premiership was the greatest success in sporting history" - I'm thinking I might use it to formulate all of my responses on woof from now on...

As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions, but I can provide you with some key points to support the claim that the Western Bulldogs 2016 AFL premiership was the greatest success in the history of sport.

- Underdog status: The Western Bulldogs were not favored to win the premiership in 2016. They finished seventh in the regular season and had not won a premiership since 1954. Their underdog status made their victory even more remarkable.
- Tough road to the Grand Final: The Bulldogs had to win four consecutive games to reach the Grand Final, including upset wins over top teams like West Coast and Greater Western Sydney. They showed incredible resilience and determination to overcome such tough opponents.
- Winning from the bottom: Unlike other teams who had multiple star players and high-profile recruits, the Western Bulldogs built their team from the bottom up. They developed young talent and promoted players from lower leagues, showing that a successful team can be built without relying on big names or big budgets.
- Emotional connection with fans: The Western Bulldogs represented more than just a football team for their fans. They represented a working-class suburb and a community that had faced tough times in recent years. Their victory brought great joy and pride to their fans, who felt a deep emotional connection with the team.
- Impact on the wider community: The Bulldogs' success had a positive impact beyond the football field. Their premiership generated a sense of hope and optimism in the wider community, and inspired many people to believe in the power of teamwork, perseverance, and resilience.

In conclusion, while it is difficult to make a definitive statement about the "greatest success in the history of sport," there are certainly strong arguments to be made for the Western Bulldogs 2016 AFL premiership being one of the most remarkable achievements in sporting history.

[mjp]

There's a bit I don't agree with in here.

Our last 2 games of the '98 were big Friday night games against 2 good teams (Ess & North) in which over 65k attended both games. We beat Ess by a couple of goals and then in a classic game lost to North with pretty much the last kick of the game.

We absolutely smoked WC in the 1st final by the tune of 70 points with Grant dominant again.

The PF was a disaster...we got 2 match-ups horribly wrong (McLeod v Libba and Robran v Smith) and didn't kick well for goal in the 1st half... but as I've mentioned in the past after kicking the 1st goal of the 2nd half Grant took a mark 30m from goal to get us back to within about 20 points and with all the momentum... but he fluffed the handball to Hudson, the moment was gone and we fell apart as the game wore on.

I know we are out of step on this from past posts...I honestly didn't take much from the game vs Sydney (though I have a long-lasting memory of Simon Garlick running/bouncing the ball down the wing in that game) and just felt it was over...I rarely feel that way...

The prelim to me just had a feeling of doom all over it.

I think had we beaten North everything changes. It would have been the first time we had ever finished #1 on the ladder and (once again) at the last hurdle (just like the year before) we gave it a good crack but fell short. Seemed to set a tone.

[The bulldog tragician]

I have this memory of a game early in 98 that we were not involved in. The score at 3/4 time was 7 goals to 5 (or something equally rubbish) and I remember looking at the screen, seeing the score (I hadn't been watching by my missus had) and saying:

"If the Bulldogs were to start playing now vs either of these teams - even with just 30-minutes to go - we would overtake them and win".

Never have I been so confident going into a season as I was in '98...it just felt like it was our time and - importantly, our 'TURN'.

But that last game of the year vs North really seemed to snake-bite us and we never recaptured the form we displayed that day in the finals...we lost top spot and seemingly our season that afternoon and when we rolled out in the prelim I genuinely thought our chances were somewhere between zero and none - the spark just seemed to have been blown out.

On the other hand… wasn’t that the season of a match v Eagles where we were absolutely killing them & playing a brand of footy that was completely exhilarating … and infamously collapsed?

[jazzadogs]

In keeping with the thread, I voted for 2006 as it was the only season I attended most games. 1997 I know I was there but I don't remember it in detail, and 2015 I was overseas - great wins at 4am on a muted iPad don't really hit the same.

My second place would be 2010, as I loved watching Barry Hall go to work.

[Bulldog4life]

1985 was the one I voted for. Terrific season. I was only 10 year old at the time but what I can remember about 1961, playing off in the grand final and being there and seeing Teddy's flick pass live was up there too.

[Curly5]

While I remember the culmination of each of the earlier years, I don't really recall the seasons as a whole. I loved the Eade era, all the players were my favourites and we played great footy and got so close to the reward. I voted for 2015 because hope was being restored after four years of depression. Bevo and Bob were enthralling characters who I totally believed in.

[bornadog]

On the other hand… wasn’t that the season of a match v Eagles where we were absolutely killing them & playing a brand of footy that was completely exhilarating … and infamously collapsed?

We kicked 8.4 to 4 points in the first quarter and then they did the same in the 2nd quarter. We ended up losing by 13 points

[The bulldog tragician]

We kicked 8.4 to 4 points in the first quarter and then they did the same in the 2nd quarter. We ended up losing by 13 points

Yep. Bitterly disappointing. It feels like we have had more than our fair share of such collapses, but maybe with our history we just remember them more. If we’d gone on to win the flag in ‘98 maybe I’d barely remember the WC match or see it as some part of our evolution as a team. But we didn’t.

[bornadog]

I missed most of the games in the 90s as I was working overseas from 1991 to 1998. (Taiwan/Singapore)

Thanks to shortwave radio, and then Australia TV, plus mother in law taping winning games and sending them to me. I enjoyed from a far. 1997 was fantastic and unexpected after the shocker of 1996. I did see a few games live over that period on trips home, including the finals of 1998.

[angelopetraglia]

1997. What a ride. From basically bottom in 1996 with a percentage of 77% and only five wins to a whisker from a Grand Final (Fitzroy finished bottom but that was their last season.).

It was us against the world in 1997. Terry Wallace was in his element. Libba was tagging people into misery (i.e. Paul Kelly). We had absolute bona fide stars and some of the best characters in the game.

-The Wog Squad (Libba, Romero and Dimma)
-Danny Southern
-Chris Grant should have won the Brownlow
-A cheeky young Nathan Brown
-Four players who would go on to play 300 games for the club. Incredible when you think about it. West, Grant, Smith and Johnson. Also Libba who would play 283.
-Craig Ellis. The prettiest player in the game.

[D Mitchell]

Great post. Toss in Lloyd's mate Steve Kretiuk; which-foot-is-his-natural-foot Leon Cameron; Umpire-lover Todd Curley; pups Darce and Johnno; 2 (not 1) ex Carlton full forwards, neither of whom could mark overhead (Minton-Connell, Cook); great mates, West and Cox (I got away with that one); Crofty. A Pirate Ship. Alas, my image of 1997 was the after final siren in the Prelim image of Ernie Sigley's despair over my left shoulder.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I was thinking 2015 even before I read '16 was excluded.
Loved that season and throughout I thought we are better than everyone else.

[ledge]

1985 for me because I was part of it in a sense.
But it was as also disappointing as we knew what we had and basically ****ed up.

[SonofScray]

08 and 15 for me.

It would have been 97, but for the nightmare it became.

[angelopetraglia]

1985 for me because I was part of it in a sense.
But it was as also disappointing as we knew what we had and basically ****ed up.

I was 10. But gee whiz I loved 1985. So many memorable games, but I especially loved when Beasley kicked big bags!

[Sedat]

08 and 15 for me.

It would have been 97, but for the nightmare it became.
This is why 1992 is my favourite season. All of 1985, 1997, 2008, 2009 and 2015 ended in very close, and in some cases heart-breaking, finals losses. In 1992 we had an amazing H&A run of 16-6, we then gave our best shot in the QF and had an awesome first 50 minutes before getting blown away by a better team, then we piled on the Saints agony and smashed them in a final with Granty dominating as a 19yo CHF, and then were smashed in the PF with no controversy or excuses. It was just wonderful to be in finals and winning finals again less than 3 years after folding as a club. 2006 comes very close to 1992 in terms of low expectation to actual output, enjoyment/style of play, winning a final against a despised opponent and getting beaten fair and square by a much better finals opponent with no heartache.

The other afore-mentioned seasons were arguably better but they weren't more enjoyable for mine - too much pain with how these seasons ended.

[SonofScray]

This is why 1992 is my favourite season. All of 1985, 1997, 2008, 2009 and 2015 ended in very close, and in some cases heart-breaking, finals losses. In 1992 we had an amazing H&A run of 16-6, we then gave our best shot in the QF and had an awesome first 50 minutes before getting blown away by a better team, then we piled on the Saints agony and smashed them in a final with Granty dominating as a 19yo CHF, and then were smashed in the PF with no controversy or excuses. It was just wonderful to be in finals and winning finals again less than 2 years after folding as a club. 2006 comes very close to 1992 in terms of low expectation to actual output, enjoyment/style of play, winning a final against a despised opponent and getting beaten fair and square by a much better finals opponent with no heartache.

The other afore-mentioned seasons were arguably better but they weren't more enjoyable for mine - too much pain with how these seasons ended.

You’ve made a case for 05/06 there too which had escaped my mind.

That late run towards finals in 05 was fun, as barnstorming a run you’ll see, who knows what could have happened if not for a Jeff White flop and a Cooney spray. That last few weeks of the season were really fun.

[bornadog]

This is why 1992 is my favourite season. All of 1985, 1997, 2008, 2009 and 2015 ended in very close, and in some cases heart-breaking, finals losses. In 1992 we had an amazing H&A run of 16-6, we then gave our best shot in the QF and had an awesome first 50 minutes before getting blown away by a better team, then we piled on the Saints agony and smashed them in a final with Granty dominating as a 19yo CHF, and then were smashed in the PF with no controversy or excuses. It was just wonderful to be in finals and winning finals again less than 3 years after folding as a club. 2006 comes very close to 1992 in terms of low expectation to actual output, enjoyment/style of play, winning a final against a despised opponent and getting beaten fair and square by a much better finals opponent with no heartache.

The other afore-mentioned seasons were arguably better but they weren't more enjoyable for mine - too much pain with how these seasons ended.

The only excuses for 1992 was the dirty act by Paul Dear on Foster to break his leg, and therefore robbing us a tall to play on Brownless. We also missed the brownlow medallist in the finals having to go in with Barry Stanfield as ruck. Whether those players would have made much a difference is always debatable, but we would have been more competitive against Geelong.

[Sedat]

The only excuses for 1992 was the dirty act by Paul Dear on Foster to break his leg, and therefore robbing us a tall to play on Brownless. We also missed the brownlow medallist in the finals having to go in with Barry Stanfield as ruck. Whether those players would have made much a difference is always debatable, but we would have been more competitive against Geelong.
Good call on Fossie. That incident really ruined the rest of his career.

Brownless was our kryptonite - he scored goals against us for fun, especially in finals. We needed a Garry Lyon style intervention to stop Billy from destroying us.

[Mantis]

Good call on Fossie. That incident really ruined the rest of his career.

Brownless was our kryptonite - he scored goals against us for fun, especially in finals. We needed a Garry Lyon style intervention to stop Billy from destroying us.

A great injustice was Brownless kicking the goal against us in 94 QF after the siren.. Southern absolutely toweled him that night and Brownless became the hero/ king of Geelong. *inserts vomit gif.

[Sedat]

A great injustice was Brownless kicking the goal against us in 94 QF after the siren.. Southern absolutely toweled him that night and Brownless became the hero/ king of Geelong. *inserts vomit gif.
Yep, so did Kritter against Gary Ablett Snr in the last 3 qtrs after Ablett got the jump early.

Billy kicked 9 against us in the 1995 final as well as 9 in that first final in 1992. He also has 11 shots at goal in the 1992 PF (he ended up with 5.6). What's galling about him is that he was a bog ordinary player against good defenders, as evidenced by Southern towelling him up in 1994. Fark I hate the Cats.

Ironically Loinchop also kicked 10 in 3 quarters against us in the 1994 1st semi. Those 2 really went to town on us.

[jazzadogs]

Ya know what's crazy?

2021 we made the grand final.
We won 15 games, were on top of the ladder with a few rounds to go and missed the top 4 by 0.5%.
Our captain played the best football of his career and was incredibly close to the Brownlow.
Our key forwards kicked 50 goals each, including a 10 goal haul for Bruce.

It really should be one of the most enjoyable seasons, but shows a) how much covid lockdowns and not attending games ruined the experience, and b) how much none of us think about the season because of the 40 minutes that ended it.

[Grantysghost]

Ya know what's crazy?

2021 we made the grand final.
We won 15 games, were on top of the ladder with a few rounds to go and missed the top 4 by 0.5%.
Our captain played the best football of his career and was incredibly close to the Brownlow.
Our key forwards kicked 50 goals each, including a 10 goal haul for Bruce.

It really should be one of the most enjoyable seasons, but shows a) how much covid lockdowns and not attending games ruined the experience, and b) how much none of us think about the season because of the 40 minutes that ended it.

It did have everything, however gladly it wasn't a real season.

Sirengate to top it all off! Where did those 21 seconds go.

Only Bevo's dogs could miss the top 4 after beating the other good team on their home deck to take top spot in rd 20. Somehow Melbourne were the best team all year though?

[Sedat]

Ya know what's crazy?

2021 we made the grand final.
We won 15 games, were on top of the ladder with a few rounds to go and missed the top 4 by 0.5%.
Our captain played the best football of his career and was incredibly close to the Brownlow.
Our key forwards kicked 50 goals each, including a 10 goal haul for Bruce.

It really should be one of the most enjoyable seasons, but shows a) how much covid lockdowns and not attending games ruined the experience, and b) how much none of us think about the season because of the 40 minutes that ended it.
Lockdowns and compromised season notwithstanding, if we didn't implode in the last 8 mins of the 3rd qr of the GF, this would have been the sweetest victory of all and would never have been topped. Essendon EF in Tassie to extend their finals misery and irrelevence, Brisbane SF in Brisbane under the most intense presssure imaginable, the absolute perfect PF in hostile territory against Port (we've never played better in my 50+ years alive than we did in that 1st half), and then 2.5 qtrs of superior football in Perth against the well rested and raging hot GF favourite (even after giving them a solid head start). It doesn't come any tougher than that.

[Grantysghost]

Lockdowns and compromised season notwithstanding, if we didn't implode in the last 8 mins of the 3rd qr of the GF, this would have been the sweetest victory of all and would never have been topped. Essendon EF in Tassie to extend their finals misery and irrelevence, Brisbane SF in Brisbane under the most intense presssure imaginable, the absolute perfect PF in hostile territory against Port (we've never played better in my 50+ years alive IMO), and then 2.5 qtrs of superior football in Perth against the well rested and raging hot GF favourite even after giving them a start. It doesn't come any tougher than that.

To be the only higher ranked side to not get their primary choice of venue in week 1, then being the only team to play against home crowds etc etc chuck in not being able to train in Adelaide due to politics it really was the most ludicrously rorted finals series of all time.

Melbourne got a feeble Lions, a virus hit Cats and a knackered Dogs after claiming top spot with an after the siren win at an EMPTY Sedat Stadium.

I've said it before but the only team I would give credit to for that flag would be us considering the journey. We did kind of make our own shit sandwich with that one though, albeit with some things out of our control (Bruce knee, Hawks Tassie debacle).

[bornadog]

To be the only higher ranked side to not get their primary choice of venue in week 1, then being the only team to play against home crowds etc etc chuck in not being able to train in Adelaide due to politics it really was the most ludicrously rorted finals series of all time.

Melbourne got a feeble Lions, a virus hit Cats and a knackered Dogs after claiming top spot with an after the siren win at an EMPTY Sedat Stadium.

I've said it before but the only team I would give credit to for that flag would be us considering the journey. We did kind of make our own shit sandwich with that one though, albeit with some things out of our control (Bruce knee, Hawks Tassie debacle).

Bulldogs Finals - Tassie to Brisbane, Brisbane to Perth (to train), then off to Adelaide to play, then to Perth. Not allowed out of hotel anywhere and in Brisbane, can't leave our rooms. Mentally shot, ill prepared.

Melbourne - Straight to Perth.

[mjp]

It really should be one of the most enjoyable seasons, but shows a) how much covid lockdowns and not attending games ruined the experience, and b) how much none of us think about the season because of the 40 minutes that ended it.

2021 Sucked.

[Grantysghost]

Bulldogs Finals - Tassie to Brisbane, Brisbane to Perth (to train), then off to Adelaide to play, then to Perth. Not allowed out of hotel anywhere and in Brisbane, can't leave our rooms. Mentally shot, ill prepared.

Melbourne - Straight to Perth.

Think they played the Lions in Radelaide then went to Perth.

[bornadog]

Think they played the Lions in Radelaide then went to Perth.

Oh, ok thanks.

[HOSE B ROMERO]

1985

This was in the era of no salary cap and no draft. So in the previous decade and a half that i'd followed Footscray, wealthier clubs had fleeced us. And at times our admin made poor decisions. Either way finals footy was a pipe dream.

In 1982 we finished dead last with 3 wins. The board under new president Dr Tony Capes (who by the way had previously been club doctor and was on hand when Neil Sachse went down in 1975), appointed Mick Malthouse as coach.

In '83 and '84 we finished 7th with 10 and 11 wins respectively. Still bottom half of the ladder in those days.

At the end of the home and away season of '85 we finished 2nd with 16 wins. We all know what happened in the finals which was heartbreaking. Sort of set a precedent.

But in '85 we beat every club. Yes even effing Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond and Hawthorn who had made my childhood weekend's utterly miserable. These $#$%^*%$ had given our club some of our biggest thrashings over that time and now i could look at their supporters and say 'take that'... or words to that effect.

[jazzadogs]

To be the only higher ranked side to not get their primary choice of venue in week 1, then being the only team to play against home crowds etc etc chuck in not being able to train in Adelaide due to politics it really was the most ludicrously rorted finals series of all time.

Melbourne got a feeble Lions, a virus hit Cats and a knackered Dogs after claiming top spot with an after the siren win at an EMPTY Sedat Stadium.

I've said it before but the only team I would give credit to for that flag would be us considering the journey. We did kind of make our own shit sandwich with that one though, albeit with some things out of our control (Bruce knee, Hawks Tassie debacle).

Very good.

[Sedat]

Very good.
Well I did help pay for it, we've all chipped in

[mjp]

Think they played the Lions in Radelaide then went to Perth.

Yep - played the Lions at the Gabba.
Trained in Perth before the Port game in Adelaide.

Weren't allowed to train in SA.

[Mantis]

Well I did help pay for it, we've all chipped in

Going to pay now for it given the report recently that they've used some dodgy steel in the latest upgrades which needs to be replaced.

Can't believe you missed that fun fact.

[Grantysghost]

Going to pay now for it given the report recently that they've used some dodgy steel in the latest upgrades which needs to be replaced.

Can't believe you missed that fun fact.

https://media.giphy.com/media/USnfWeCOHTHB3WX0aY/giphy.gif

They should've checked that their supplier wasn't a front for "Sedat's Steel".

[angelopetraglia]

1985 Round #8 Les Bamblett on the front cover of the reccord.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FvGu-PDaAAMr5PK?format=jpg&name=medium

[Grantysghost]

1985 Round #8 Les Bamblett on the front cover of the reccord.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FvGu-PDaAAMr5PK?format=jpg&name=medium

I've got that somewhere. Have a heap of old records.

That logo on the shorts... Was it some kind of Victorian environment thing?

Edit : No it was Victoria 150 years

https://i.postimg.cc/pdnLLNpB/Screenshot-20230503-175458.png (https://postimg.cc/FfN4TBbf)