It finially hit me today

[saint patrick]

After thinking I was taking it very well and I had dealt with the profound disappointment of this years events I realised during the day I was kidding myself

Might have been seeing people at work I hadn't seen since before the grand final that opened up the sores but open up they did...

Still shake my head at what has denied us all the ultimate reward..

The Ball,Lovett fiasco..

2010 .Grand final..The bad bounce of the century [on par with the Carlton Harmes/Sheldon one] which saw the ball vicously break.. where even a rough bounce would have been a regulation goal to Milne and an almost certain victory...

This on top of 71 where a guy called Keddie[who basically never impacted another game] comes onto the ground in a Grand Final and kicks 4 goals in the last quarter to sink us by 7 points when we were leading by 18 at 3 quarter time!!!

After 97 where an absolute freak called Jarmen did the same thing 26 years later...

After 2009 when it took a flucky toe poke from Scarlett to make us pay for at least five easy earlier miss's...

Add the early misses of the replay that saw 1 goal 9 registered!!

Game over !!!

Bitter?

Too much scar tissue to feel anything now...just numbness and a deep sense of loss..

Wonder what the next few years holds for us long suffering buggers...

Hopefully a lucky bounce or two ...

But only a bloody flag can heal this undenyable pain and deep sense of anguish

[Teflon]

Agree Pat.

I too initially thought..."this doesnt hurt as much as last year..." but I was wrong.

Its far worse and what makes it worse is coming back from the dead in GF 1 from 5 goals down...hitting the front....and now I keep replaying that friggin ball bounce.....

GF2 I was just numb. It was like a bad dream that you knew how it would play out.....yet nothing stopped it.....I mean Collingwood were ALWAYS gonna jump out of the blocks.....been doing it all year.....why wouldnt we have been mentally/physically prepared for that?......Why would we wait nearly a quarter before realising Maxwell needed to be made accountable and Eddy wasnt gonna do it? Once AGAIN why wouldnt players take their opportunities?

I am convinced had we converted at least 4 of the missed 6 shots in qtr 2.....Collingwood would have felt enormous pressure......pressure we proved in GF 1 their young blokes dont like and we could handle....but we just never got to exert it and find out and the rest is history.

I honestly dont know if we've blown our chance now. I know the rest of the comp will improve (us too but by how much is key..) and there will be a bolter from nowhere in 2011 to take most on no one saw coming....such a lon way to the 2011 GF........Im still gutted.

[bigcarl]

I too initially thought..."this doesnt hurt as much as last year..." but I was wrong. Its far worse .

I'm with you. All the feral Collingwood supporters and their gloating humour.

Here's one I heard yesterday:

Q: Who is the last St Kilda captain to play in a premiership? A: Luke Ball.

It's going to take a momumental effort from here for this group to get there. They're carrying a fair bit of baggage and mental scarring.

But there's a burning desire from BJ, Lenny. "We'll win one or die trying etc."

A substantial injection of youth, fresh legs and attacking flair ... and an overhaul of the gameplan (much more emphasis on kicking a winning score) and who knows what will happen.

It's still pretty raw and hurts like hell, but a bit of time and a positive attitude and (hopefully) we'll be back for another crack at it next season

[St. Luke]

It was a horror bounce and one that would have been magic if someone like Milne had fisted it through, kicked it, hit a post, anything! The result was worse than the 09 GF in my opinion. We were even closer this time! (forget GF2 - no matter how you doll it up, we were spent!)

[plugger66]

It was a horror bounce and one that would have been magic if someone like Milne had fisted it through, kicked it, hit a post, anything! The result was worse than the 09 GF in my opinion. We were even closer this time! (forget GF2 - no matter how you doll it up, we were spent!)

We got the point anyway. We needed a goal to maybe win the game.

[jonesy]

I don't know,but i seem to be dealing with this one 100 times better than last years? I've moved on pretty quick for some reason. The week after the draw I was downright depressed,but this week after GF2,I've moved on. Got sick of the entire ordeal,want to look forward to other things.

Good weather on the way,fishing,etc,no worrying about Stkilda.
Maybe it will hit me again,but I doubt it,I think you can only be down about something for so long before you snap out of it

[Waltzing St Kilda]

So close and yet so far ... we only needed an extra 2-3%.

Two Grand Finals lost at the selection table.

[Stephen Theodore]

Waltzing StKilda wrote:
Two Grand Finals lost at the selection table.

Absolute rubbish. We were beaten by a mixture of bit of bad luck and not good enough, simple as that.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Waltzing StKilda wrote:
Two Grand Finals lost at the selection table.

Absolute rubbish. We were beaten by a mixture of bit of bad luck and not good enough, simple as that

You can say that. I still believe that Hudghton deserved a chance in GF 2009 (at Clarke's expense, or even Dawson, who wasn't the worst but was struggling with illness on the day). Maguire too should have been given a little game-time through the year. In GF1 2010 Armitage or Geary (or even Miles) deserved selection over Eddy, no question. Plus Gram was clearly hampered by injury. McQualter was out of form. And Stanley should have been given more time to develop ... would have been very handy in a team sorely lacking pace and youthful energy.

[Stephen Theodore]

Whilst I would have loved to have seen Maxy play in last years G.F, I dont believe the wrong decision was made there in regards to Zac and you certainly could not have replaced the run of Raph with Max.

I watched the majority of the Lions games live this season, and while I will always have a soft spot for Goose, his lack of pace is apparent to anyone who has watched him in recent times, and is sad to see.

I'm not sure why Armo wasnt picked more often this season, presumably to do with structure, but I really dont believe he would have made the difference in G.F. 1. I didnt think Eddy was that bad in G.F 1 actually.

No, a different bounce of the ball in G.F. 1, and we wouldnt be having this conversation. Not worth commenting on G.F. 2.

[barks4eva]

2009 is the one that really got away

Shaun Ryan a geelong supporter and a lawyer, didn't pay two obvious free kicks, the most blatant one being when Schnieder had his jumper pulled off into Lennox st with Ryan looking on with an unobstructed view from 5 metres away, with us up by 2 points at the time,

another to Riewoldt in the goalsquare when Taylor grabbed his shoulder and Scarlett jumped into him front on, with no eyes for the ball, with scores level not long before the Chapman goal,

Either decision paid as they should have been and we would probably have won,

not forgetting

two of our three best players Riewoldt and Goddard were playing injured,

the Hawkins goal from a poster


and all of those misses

Geelong hardly missing, making the absolute maximum out of their limited opportunities

the weather not helping us

and still we outplayed them, without putting it on the scoreboard

the ball bounce at the end of the draw, just another part of the nightmare

We truly deserved the 2009 premiership, that's the one that really haunts!

[Stephen Theodore]

Absolutely agree barks4eva. 2009 (and 1971) hurt me a lot more than this one.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

I think we just weren't good enough in all 3 grand finals.
2009 - Geelong had the composure in front of goal and kicked the one's that needed to be kicked. We missed our opportunites and that is both a lack of skill and composure issue.

2010 - GF 1. You can't let teams get away to a 5 goal lead and expect to win it. Yes we came back in the second half and had our chances, but Cloke kicks the 2 goals before half time we are gone.

2010 - GF 2. We kick 1 goal 9, but again that is a skill issue and lack of composure in big games. Were not good enough on the day it is simple as that.

We are getting the most out of our team and still finishing short. Changes have to be made and Ross Knows that, so it will be great to see some of the young guys get a decent run and the plodders in that team become regulars with Sandringham.

[SaintPav]

Waltzing StKilda wrote:
Two Grand Finals lost at the selection table.

Absolute rubbish. We were beaten by a mixture of bit of bad luck and not good enough, simple as that

You can say that. I still believe that Hudghton deserved a chance in GF 2009 (at Clarke's expense, or even Dawson, who wasn't the worst but was struggling with illness on the day). Maguire too should have been given a little game-time through the year. In GF1 2010 Armitage or Geary (or even Miles) deserved selection over Eddy, no question. Plus Gram was clearly hampered by injury. McQualter was out of form. And Stanley should have been given more time to develop ... would have been very handy in a team sorely lacking pace and youthful energy.

Max in for Dawson maybe as Max may have stopped a goal or two as he was better body on body. We will never know.

Clarke deserved to stay in.

[saintbrat]

it hit me last night when I was reviewing some taping and acertain incident/person reminded me of how it hurt....

Going forward now Saints

[markp]

Im sorry to say that so far this week it's been hitting me every morning the instant I wake.

[saints65]

I’m still traumatised by the last few minutes of the draw, in particular the ball deciding to take a right hand turn when heading towards the goal. At that point I suspected that 2010 would not deliver a premiership, the rest is history



Go saints!!!

[yipper]

Hit me very very hard on sunday. listened to the most passionate speech from Goddard the other night, and a speech full of pride in the StKilda FC from Hayes on the same night - I have come away with my tail up. But the devastation is still ever present. Goodard implored his teammates to remember how they all feel right now, because if they don' t win a flag - then they will all feel that way for the rest of their lives!!! He was serious. He then said, we would win won soon or they would die trying. He is the 3rd captain in our team - up there alongside Roo, Hayes.

[sydney saint]

St .Patrick. I feel your pain. I reckon there have been 3 times I thought Saints were home in my life too. 3/4 time in 1971 I was still young enough to think we had it. 1997 when Barry Hall kicked a couple of goals I thinking we can win this. This year when Goddard marked & kicked the goal I thought finally had this.premiership. St Kilda don't break your heart they rip it out & throw it away. Unfortunately some of the current squad are not just not up to it & you are only as strong as your weakest link. If I was some of those players would feel a little uncomfortable facing Lenny Hayes & Goddard because boy they gave it there all. Too much left for too few. I reckon I felt more disappointed last year as it has happened again this year a feeling of here we go again. The only upside for me has been it has confirmed my 7 yo boy as a Saints supporter for life despite our Sydney residence.
Keep the faith .

[Goose is king]

I find myself thinking what if that ball bounced up for Milney.
I find myself thinking surely we should of held on after BJ's hanger and goal.
Most nights or mornings in bed I think about both.
I also remember the feeling I had after the BJ mark and goal it was the same as last year when Joey kicked a goal late in the third term.
A Premiership to the Saints would mean so much to me and I can't explain why.
Part of me wishes I didn't care so much and that we will never win one but when the day comes and as I am only 30 it better bloody happen in my time, it will be the greatest feeling and I cant wait.

[Teflon]

Im sick and tired of walking out of the G to the screams of opposition fans and looking into the dead, soulless eyes of saints fans walking round again numb. Im sick of getting on a train and over hearing "how great was Pendles.....and what about Riewoldt....fancy f@rking that up on the goal line....."

Just once - I truly aint greedy - I want to be running down to the fence to get the best vantage point to watch Riewoldt hoist that friggin cup up in front of the saints faithful...knowing all the while that this year WE the St Kilda FC are the best in the land....

(I will then float to some after GF gathering before BBQing/drinking/re-watching the whole thing....).

Justr shytes me......2 yrs running I had it all worked out.......

[bigred]

1913 was a bad one.

[SaintPav]

Hit me very very hard on sunday. listened to the most passionate speech from Goddard the other night, and a speech full of pride in the StKilda FC from Hayes on the same night - I have come away with my tail up. But the devastation is still ever present. Goodard implored his teammates to remember how they all feel right now, because if they don' t win a flag - then they will all feel that way for the rest of their lives!!! He was serious. He then said, we would win won soon or they would die trying. He is the 3rd captain in our team - up there alongside Roo, Hayes.

Perhaps that's what we needed to hear from Luke Ball last year but when it got too hard for him but he decided to turm his back on us instead.