The Grand Final - who'll win and why

[perfectionist]

...
That said, didn’t Melbourne beat them pretty easily a few weeks back? ...

Round 11
Melbourne 13.9
Western Bulldogs 8.11

Round 19
Western Bulldogs 13.7
Melbourne 9.11

[bangaulegend]

Don't care who wins I'm just so f---ing happy that Geelong can't

[Vortex]

Rupert Murdoch....by about $10 million

[shanegrambeau]

...
That said, didn’t Melbourne beat them pretty easily a few weeks back? ...

Round 11
Melbourne 13.9
Western Bulldogs 8.11

Round 19
Western Bulldogs 13.7
Melbourne 9.11

Ah ha!!
Thanks …got my wires crossed ..so that means the Bulldogs had a telling win…and then didn’t they drop some games…
Like the one Bruce went down…and friendly Cane Cornes coming in and tipping all over them..now he has a red face !! Ha !

[saynta]

KANE Cornes is a footy know all know nothing flog. IMHO.

[older saint]

Melbourne 3 goals - Gawn and Jackson to dominate the same way Paddy and Marshall did against English last year but worse.

[meher baba]

The experience and attacking potency of the Dogs should have an edge in a close one, especially if May isn’t going to be right. Forget (to some extent) about Petracca, The big threats to the Dogs are Gawn in the ruck and Lever cutting off their lines of attack at half back: something that hasn’t happened to them much in their finals so far. If Gawn can choke their access to the ball at stoppages and Lever (and Gawn as well: what an asset he is) can choke their attacks with intercept marks, then the Dees might triumph. But I reckon the Dogs have too many points of attack.

I’m completely neutral in this contest, but I reckon it will be a fascinating one to watch.

[Superboot]

I’ve never liked Melbourne, and my feeling goes back to the late ‘60s. They seem to be seen as some sort of sentimental favourite, but not in my mind.

There appears to be a fair bit of triumphalism among Demons supporters around town, which is always annoying, and surely has to be tempting fate. Saints fans would know not to do it.

Added to this, it seems that suppliers are running out of Melbourne scarves, beanies etc. Wouldn’t happen if it was us; we already own all that stuff.

Hoping for a narrow Dogs win.

[WellardSaint]

I watched both games with disbelief.
Just the relentless running and how everything they did seemed to come off.
Gawn kicking some freak goals.
Bailey Smith launching from outside 50 with that focus and power, and the ball was a bit damp too.
For me, I have no idea whether it'll be a high-scoring shoot-out, or if they'll try to both go defensive.
No idea who will win.

[st.byron]

Hope the Dees get up. I have a mate, a bit older than me, just too young to remember their last flag. He’s waited a lifetime too. Doggies broke their drought. Dees can do it, then it will be our turn.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Hope the Dees get up. I have a mate, a bit older than me, just too young to remember their last flag. He’s waited a lifetime too. Doggies broke their drought. Dees can do it, then it will be our turn.

That's usually a reason to hope they DON'T win.

[st.byron]

Hope the Dees get up. I have a mate, a bit older than me, just too young to remember their last flag. He’s waited a lifetime too. Doggies broke their drought. Dees can do it, then it will be our turn.

That's usually a reason to hope they DON'T win.

Dees fans are just as long suffering as Saints fans. Dogs fans were too before 2016. Happy to see them win if it’s not us. Dees fans deserve it. 57 years is a long wait.

[IluvHarvey]

Bulldogs will win........ because I want Melbourne to.

[Impatient Sainter]

I hope Melbourne break their drought!

If the game was played this weekend I would be confident of a Melbourne win, but the extra week off brings the Bulldogs right back into the frame.

[saynta]

I’ve never liked Melbourne, and my feeling goes back to the late ‘60s. They seem to be seen as some sort of sentimental favourite, but not in my mind.

There appears to be a fair bit of triumphalism among Demons supporters around town, which is always annoying, and surely has to be tempting fate. Saints fans would know not to do it.

Added to this, it seems that suppliers are running out of Melbourne scarves, beanies etc. Wouldn’t happen if it was us; we already own all that stuff.

Hoping for a narrow Dogs win.

Me either. Melbourne won in 1964 and came into 1965 c**k a hoop. Won their first 6 games from memory, before coming across the saints in a game at the MCG. I remember it well having flown across from Launceston for the match.

That was the game where the Saints swapped their two key position players with Howell lining up at full forward and Bob Murray at full back.

The saints won that game easily and went on to play in a grand final while the down hill skiers were relegated to the wilderness for the next 50 odd years, I also came across for that game too. Unfortunately.

I remember flying back to Tassie after we lost that grannie and running into the doc at the airport. We were both pretty down, sad even.

My hatred goes back years before 1965 when we were a bottom side and we beat the dees by a point . A nephew of big Bob Johnston abused me outside the Civic theater, where I was selling the sporting globe, for following a team of spoilers. He really begrudged the saints for the win. Said we were losers.

I have never forgotten or forgiven.

[shanegrambeau]

I’ve never liked Melbourne, and my feeling goes back to the late ‘60s. They seem to be seen as some sort of sentimental favourite, but not in my mind.

There appears to be a fair bit of triumphalism among Demons supporters around town, which is always annoying, and surely has to be tempting fate. Saints fans would know not to do it.

Added to this, it seems that suppliers are running out of Melbourne scarves, beanies etc. Wouldn’t happen if it was us; we already own all that stuff.

Hoping for a narrow Dogs win.

Me either. Melbourne won in 1964 and came into 1965 c**k a hoop. Won their first 6 games from memory, before coming across the saints in a game at the MCG. I remember it well having flown across from Launceston for the match.

....

DC-3?

Convair?

Didn't Melbourne have a massive c%%&ck up with the coach etc., and were never the same?

[saynta]

I’ve never liked Melbourne, and my feeling goes back to the late ‘60s. They seem to be seen as some sort of sentimental favourite, but not in my mind.

There appears to be a fair bit of triumphalism among Demons supporters around town, which is always annoying, and surely has to be tempting fate. Saints fans would know not to do it.

Added to this, it seems that suppliers are running out of Melbourne scarves, beanies etc. Wouldn’t happen if it was us; we already own all that stuff.

Hoping for a narrow Dogs win.

Me either. Melbourne won in 1964 and came into 1965 c**k a hoop. Won their first 6 games from memory, before coming across the saints in a game at the MCG. I remember it well having flown across from Launceston for the match.

....

DC-3?

Convair?

Both DC 3's from memory although for the earlier Melbourne game it might have been a Fokker.

For the Grannie, I remember it was a DC 3 cargo plane with I shared with a prize bull destined for the Melbourne show.

The pilots dropped me off at the old Essendon aerodrome. I often flew on cargo planes as the old man tried to keep me happy to live in Tassie, which I hated, so I got to fly back to Melbourne when ever I wanted to.

Definitely went home both times on Fokkers though.

Originally went to Tassie on a DC 4. Mum dad, my sister, our corgi, the cat and our budgie. Both the dog and the cat threw up.

Also remember travelling from Launceston to Hobart once on an old DC 6 which Ansett bought from Texas. It used to carry cattle in the States but TAA was forced by the Government to hand over a couple of brand new Viscounts under their two airline policy for those crappy planes.

It worked out eventually for TAA as those DC 6ers were pressurized and the only planes capable at the time of flying from Sydney to Port Moresby in New Guinea.

Ansett crashed one of the Viscounts so TAA had to replace it.

I also remember flying from Melbourne to Sydney on a Convair when I was a lot younger.

Yeah, I love planes and flying. Wanted to join the airforce, but along came Vietnam, so gave it a miss.

Used to fly a little Victor Air-tourer when I was learning to fly. Had a flat 4 Rolls Royce engine. The airforce replaced that with a much more powerful engine when they used those Victors as trainers.

A former Spitefire pilot in the battle of Britain who was the president of the aero club once took me for a ride as my instructor. The victor was aerobatic. He scared the s*** out of me doing loop the loops and stall turns. Fun though,

[Sainter_Dad]

Got to hand it to the Doggies....incredible effort to destroy Port after all their adversities.

Don't mind who wins, happy for both sides....when the f*** is our turn!?

2009 and 2010 - we did not take our chances

[st.byron]

Got to hand it to the Doggies....incredible effort to destroy Port after all their adversities.

Don't mind who wins, happy for both sides....when the f*** is our turn!?

2009 and 2010 - we did not take our chances

Yes indeed. Should have been 5 goals up at half time, not 2.

[saynta]

Got to hand it to the Doggies....incredible effort to destroy Port after all their adversities.

Don't mind who wins, happy for both sides....when the f*** is our turn!?

2009 and 2010 - we did not take our chances

Yes indeed. Should have been 5 goals up at half time, not 2.

Yep. And in 1997 it all turned to s*** after boofhead hit the post. Would have put us significantly in front. Easy shot too. Up until then I thought we would win and win well, even though we had lost Spider, Vid and Joel from our best side.

We were out coached though , but family problems for Cuz and Buckets didn't help.

[shanegrambeau]

Got to hand it to the Doggies....incredible effort to destroy Port after all their adversities.

Don't mind who wins, happy for both sides....when the f*** is our turn!?

2009 and 2010 - we did not take our chances

Yes indeed. Should have been 5 goals up at half time, not 2.

Yep. And in 1997 it all turned to s*** after boofhead hit the post. Would have put us significantly in front. Easy shot too. Up until then I thought we would win and win well, even though we had lost Spider, Vid and Joel from our best side.

We were out coached though , but family problems for Cuz and Buckets didn't help.

I assume you mean Heatley hitting the post..
Yes, that was a portent of trouble.

I remember the Channel 7 camera (it was neat the way they had it set up) swinging immediately to a close up of a very concerned saint woman in the crowd. Her face looked like she’d seen a ghost.

The out-coached bit I don’t know, but having Jarman down there on poor Shanners was hard. It still churns me up…enough!!!

* Your aeroplanes story is amazing. Dc 3 and a bull to Essendon. Sounds like you had serious connections. Those airlines had crazy growth in the sixties and I suppose there was a real mix of old and new..at the time. (Nowadays it seems passenger planes haven’t changed for fifty years, but back then we went from Dc4 to Concord in 15 years!)

[saynta]

Got to hand it to the Doggies....incredible effort to destroy Port after all their adversities.

Don't mind who wins, happy for both sides....when the f*** is our turn!?

2009 and 2010 - we did not take our chances

Yes indeed. Should have been 5 goals up at half time, not 2.

Yep. And in 1997 it all turned to s*** after boofhead hit the post. Would have put us significantly in front. Easy shot too. Up until then I thought we would win and win well, even though we had lost Spider, Vid and Joel from our best side.

We were out coached though , but family problems for Cuz and Buckets didn't help.

I assume you mean Heatley hitting the post..
Yes, that was a portent of trouble.

I remember the Channel 7 camera (it was neat the way they had it set up) swinging immediately to a close up of a very concerned saint woman in the crowd. Her face looked like she’d seen a ghost.

The out-coached bit I don’t know, but having Jarman down there on poor Shanners was hard. It still churns me up…enough!!!

* Your aeroplanes story is amazing. Dc 3 and a bull to Essendon. Sounds like you had serious connections. Those airlines had crazy growth in the sixties and I suppose there was a real mix of old and new..at the time. (Nowadays it seems passenger planes haven’t changed for fifty years, but back then we went from Dc4 to Concord in 15 years!)

Yes, I has serious connections. I also had some hair raising flights on old DC 3s where I used to sit on a fold down jump seat just behind the pilots, including one time when the fuses blew and we had no landing lights.

I was worried about landing but one of the pilots said we would come down somewhere. Oh. and that bull started to kick the side out of the plane which was of course unlined.

The pilot kept looking for a spare fuse using a torch for light. He found one, thank god.

If you remind me, one day I might tell you about a very scary but interesting flight I has in a light plane traveling from Canberra airport to Jervis Bay.

For years, before jets, TAA's fleet consisted of Electras, Viscounts and Fokker friendships before they moved in to DC 9s etc. I basically grew up with the airline playing a major part of my life through no fault of my own, including shifting States twice.

I also got to meet some amazing people. Think I have mentioned Lorne Green before and it was the main reason my dad was friendly with half a dozen league secretaries, including Alan Cowie, Jim Caldwell and Ian Drake. Drake stayed with us when he travelled to Launceston.

I thought it was Hall that hit the post, but you are right it was Heatley. Hall missed too though.

Yes, Jarman but Allen too. He kicked 4 goals didn't he? A first for him.

Why the f*** Shanahan was left on Jarman remains one of life's mysteries to me.

[Yorkeys]

In Stan's book he writes that he froze, found himself incapable of making any decision.

[saynta]

In Stan's book he writes that he froze, found himself incapable of making any decision.

Not surprised.

[remboy]

Yes, Jarman but Allen too. He kicked 4 goals didn't he? A first for him.

I have much more of an issue with Shane Ellen kicking 5 than Jarman. Ellen hadn’t kicked a goal all year, how can you let him kick five in a game?