Luck, superstition, curses and such

[Damien]

Those who reckon there is some sort of curse or a destiny for failure are choosing to acknowledge some parts of our history and ignore other bits. We won 1990 and 2010. Did both the hard way, but in 1990 it was Essendon who suffered as a result of our draw and then in 2010 St Kilda got a bad bounce which would have won them the first game. Every game is a unique experience played out by a unique set of players. Maybe 77 - 81 there was a psychological issue and maybe in the Bob Rose years but that is of no relevance to anything that’s happened since 1990.

Would a Richmond supporter take our record over theirs since 1980?
Would a Saints fan take our record over theirs since 1966?
Would Carlton take ours over theirs since 2005?

you betchya they would if they were answering honestly.

I could go on... in fact I’d suggest other than Hawthorn (not including any of the pretend interstate clubs) Being a Pies supporter since 1990 would have been a lot more fun than supporting any other club. I’ve seen all our Grand Final's since 1977. Been at nearly all of them too; so I’m in a position to comment.

It feels sh1t now but the week between the prelim win and the 28 min mark of the last qtr was one hell of a great week. Think about how you felt compared to GF week the last few years. After so many years out of it I’m bloody glad we’re back in finals. I reckon there are some short memory’s on here.

[Pies4shaw]

[tbaker]

[K]

... and Sidebottom was rushing into the goal-square to try to make the save, too...

[Cam]

[Damien]

[magpieazza]

OK so this thread is about luck, superstition, curses and the such.

Cam you are right in what you say and I am optimistic for 2019, but please let me let off some steam in the right forum.

What I will do is point out some particular things that happened in the last quarter that really got under my skin but I haven't read anything that highlights these occurrences!

Maybe someone has said it but I haven't read it.

How many times did our or their blind kicks and/or miskicks fall in the lap of a WC player in the last quarter??

About 6 times. Never in our lap but always theirs!!

Then there was the kick by Pendles from a boundary throw in with about 12 seconds to go that landed in the centre square but landed in the middle of two WC players not Collingwood players but WC.

Then there was the Maynard free kick as well.

They did miss some gettable goals but fair dinkum they had some luck with retaining uncontested possession by flukey kicks landing in their laps!!

That to me is luck no matter which way you want to look at it.

Check it out if you can bear it.

[Cam]

I'm with you Damien. If it was the same players, like the 70s and 81 then yeah, affected.

Each group are completely different people in completely different eras. Every time we make a GF, Prelim, SF, QF, EF, H&A its one of the two teams that win. If we are better on the day, it's us. It's really that simple, and people resort to curses and such to gain solace or mental comfort in that something extra has worked against us.

In the 20s and 30s, people who played us probably thought we were blessed. Nope, we were just better. 1958, we were better on the day.

1960 Melbourne were an epic team, the greatest in history, too good, smacked us after we came from 4th, knocking over the 2nd team, Fitzroy, who had won 14 out of 18 games during the H&A, us 11, in the prelim by 5 points.

1964 Melbourne were too good, just. After a very tight first half, they kicked away in the 3rd to lead by 11 at the final change. We outscored them in the last but just fell 4 pts short. A massive turnaround after they destroyed us in the 2nd semi by 89 pts, giving them the week off and we again survived the prelim by less than a kick, beating the Cats by 4.

1966 Finished the minor premiers by one game over the Saints who were trying to win their first ever flag. In a very tight game all day, Saints led by 4 pts at 3QT, we kicked more goals in the last 3.2 to 2.5 but ended losing to the famous Barry Breen point.

1970 yes McKenna was KO'd but got complacent, didn't cope with Carlton's change in game style, now very common. Allowed them to get momentum and score quickly. This one yes, we let slip. no luck, just a big choke and failure to adjust.

1977 we just managed to avoid losing in the draw, but choked really after leading by 4 and 1/2 goals at 3QT. Then overtrained whilst North apparently topped up on some gear.

1979 Who cares about Harmes in or out, if our guys had kept up Sheldon wouldn't have goaled no matter what Harmes did. Finished 3rd with 15/22 H&A wins compared to Carlton's 19/22. Carlton led by 3 1/2 goals whilst the Pies came storming back in the last kicking 4.2 to 1.4, ultimately falling just short after winning the prelim by 27 whilst Carlton had the week off.

1980 We overachieved to become the first team to ever come from 5th, and got belted coz we weren't in the same class as the Tigers. Knocked off the minor premiers, Geelong, in the prelim by again, less than a kick, 4 pts.

1981 We ran out of legs in the last kicking 0.2 to a rested Carlton 4.7 who ran the game out better after having a week off whilst we had a tight game to beat the Cats again by 7 pts in a thriller the week before. We were a very good team, lead by 9 pts at 3QT after kicking 5 goals to 3 in the third.

2002 finished 4th with 4 less H&A victories than the Lions, did the unthinkable beating Port Power at home without our best player and followed up with a stirring win against the Crows in the prelim. Losing our intercept marker Jason Cloke to suspension after a spoil was deemed contributed to the KO of Tyson Edwards despite his head hitting the turf. A tight contest where the Lions led by 4 at 3QT, Pies were unable to prevent Brisbane scoring 2.1 in the last to our 1.2, Lions winning by 9 and going back to back.

2003 finished 2nd and made the football world take notice when we beat the Lions in the QF by 15. Made short work of the Power in the Prelim, but our MVP structure wise A Rocca, was suspended for an innocuous elbow/push to the neck of Brendon Lade. Lions smashed us early and led by 7 goals at half time. We scored 8.5 to 9.7 in what seemed to be largely junk time in the second half. Only Brisbane's inaccuracy 20.14 saved this from being a larger margin.

2011 Couldn't beat Geelong during the H&A, an early round refusal to pay advantage to Pendles, saw Geelong escape the first encounter, but they smashed us by 96 in the last round. Ominously. We survived an epic encounter with the pre-threepeat Hawks in the prelim, getting up by 3 pts whilst the Cats coasted with an 8 goal win over the Eagles. In the GF we started well and seemed to have their measure, but Podsiadly went off injured causing the Cats to rejig to a more mobile forward line. Bartel popped up and got them back in it, whilst an injured Reid couldn't go with Hawkins in the last half. Despite being 7 pts down at 3QT, they ran over us in the last 5.4 to 0.3. Collingwood had been in the headlines for 2 years [one a flag] due to the succession plan, particularly following an infamously bitter Footy Show interview by our coach and this played out at the conclusion of the season.

2018... well you all know

[Damien]

Great potted history Cam.

Also worth noting the events of 2010.

Ironically, much of the credit for our huge win in the replay goes to our President. Eddie had read ‘The Coach’ a book about Barassi’s 1977 season coaching North. Ed made sure we replicated many of the things North did in ‘77 between the draw and the replay which saw them triumph over us. The rest is history. We belted them.

[Cam]

The more you read, the more you see us winning epic prelims by small margins and then running out of legs in the GF to rested teams, often. Couple of exceptions, but this is why teams fear us, I'd love to see what our prelim winning percentage is...

[Jezza]

[K]

Have we ever had a close GF win? (Some may claim this is a bad question because of 2010, but that was not close after 8 quarters...)

[Damien]

In 1990 it was called the second-semi

[Cam]

Essendon won the prelim in 1990, and thanks Jezza, lovely work.

[Cam]

1903 beat Fitzroy by 2 pts - 4.7 (31) to 3.11 (29) Lions player missed a goal attempt after the siren.

1910 beat Carlton by 14 pts 9.7 (61) to 6.11 (47).

1927 beat Richmond by 12 pts 2.13 (25) to 1.7 (13).

In fact we three-peated over the Tigers 1927-28-29 before beating Geelong in 1930 for #4.

1936 beat South Melbourne by 11 pts 11.23 (89) to 10.18 (78 ) - Gordon 'Nuts' Coventry was suspended for 8 weeks on the eve of the finals despite never being suspended before in 17 seasons of football. Gaff like.

1953 beat the Cats by 12 pts 11.11 (77) to 8.17 (65).