Grand Final # 7 - 2018

[VicParkTragic]

My recollection of this game focuses on the end of the first quarter. I remember at the time thinking “why didn’t Langdon just punch the ball over the line for a point?” It seemed slack but of course I wasn’t playing. I think if he could have we would have gone into quarter time 5 goals up. I think we would have won from there. Little things in games. This is the one I remember more than the Maynard block.

[Boot]

Yes, this was a Grand Final loss that hurts as bad as any. There was such momentum after such a super start that you would have thought it should have been a win, but I too felt a tremor of concern when Tom Langdon fluffed that obvious defensive play to allow the Eagles their first goal after 27 mins to Willie Rioli which gave them some hope and of course then straight after Kennedy kicked their 2nd. From then on it was a slow grind that got West Coast closer with each quarter. However, when Collingwood kicked the first two of the last quarter, kicking to the city end, my hopes rose to think we might yet do it...alas it was not to be.
Thank goodness for 2023's result which makes life worth living again.

[Harrysz]

Boot, if not for 2023's result I wouldn't have done this project.

[Skids]

What a game/season that was!

I was working a 12/9 roster out near Marble Bar, my swing started on the 21st of September... prelim final night. I landed in Port Hedland around 0830 and had the 3 hour mini bus trip to site ahead. I had this feeling we'd beat the Tigers that night and before I ventured out to no phone coverage for the rest of the morning I decided to ring my contact at magpie travel and find out about a GF ticket. It was going to cost $6k all up, about $1500 too much, after pondering for an hour I decided against it.

I had the day off work and watched the game at the wet mess, amongst a dozen or so wiggle fans.
What a start! I had $50 on Varcoe to kick the 1st goal (20/1) and was enjoying the wiggle fans bitching and abusing their players through the 1st quarter.
Like others have said, I knew we were in for struggle at 1/4 time and having witnessed us squander many a GF lead, felt no confidence at all.

Being amongst those brain dead wiggle supporters for the final siren was sickening to say the least. The crap from those flogs, for years to follow was aperiod in time that is now a distant memory.

I love flying my Magpie flags every day amongst these spoon boy flops.

[K]

... However, when Collingwood kicked the first two of the last quarter, kicking to the city end, my hopes rose to think we might yet do it...alas it was not to be.
...

Great goal from outside 50 by JdG.

But then of course after a goal there's a centre bounce. And Grundy gave away a free kick to his oppo. Easiest possible centre clearance for WC. That killed our momentum.

[Harrysz]

Jordan De Goey kicked 3 special goals in that Grand Final. The best was his first. In the 1st quarter on the northern half forward flank he dodged, from near the boundary line around 2 WCE players and scored a goal under pressure from a difficult angle. His 2nd goal in the second quarter was off one step outside fifty. His last goal was in the last quarter - he broke clear from the centre and went BANG, and the ball sailed through.

De Goey's 2 goals in the 2023 Grand Final weren't too shabby either.
JDG will probably never win a Brownlow. He may never win a Copeland. But put him on the MCG in front of a huge crowd and he goes mad!!! in a nice way of course. Remember his efforts in the Qualifying Final against Geelong in 2022? He almost dragged us across the line.

He shares a special quality with players like Bill Barrott, Wayne Johnston and Dustin Martin. He's a perfect Grand Final player.

[piedys]

He shares a special quality with players like Bill Barrott, Wayne Johnston and Dustin Martin. He's a perfect Grand Final player.

Although unlike that Carlton<snip> Wayne Johnston, JDG doesn't go around breaking oppositions players jaws in grand finals.

<As much as we appreciate the sentiment, go easy. Thanks - the mods team>

[Harrysz]

Piedys, I assume you're referring to the 1981 Grand Final. Wayne Johnston certainly put Peter Daicos out of the game but were you referring to Graham Allan?