I have been reading these forums for a long time now and have finally just joined so this is my first posting!

I bought a couple of my favourite wins from name a game and earlier today watched the 1994 Qualifying final against Carlton (what a game that was). It got me thinking how did we not win a premiership in the 90's???

When i looked at the great players we had such as Lyon, Schwartz, Neitz, Lovell, Tingay, Stynes etc With that team we had a chance in 1994 but i think we had our biggest chance in 1998. Had we made the grand final that year i think we could have beaten the crows again if we played at pur best like we did when we beat them in the earlier final.

So why did we not win ourselves a flag???? Whereas adelaide, west coast and even the kangaroos all won 2 each.

Was it the players werent good enough??? The other teams were way too good??? Was it lack of leadership??? Our coaching staff wasnt up to it???? Or was it something to do with the culture of the club???

Look at a club like richmond, they clearly have a bad culture and cant even make the finals let alone contest for a flag.

I ask these questions because like most of us i think we have an exciting group of kids coming through for our great club but can this group that dean bailey is putting together go further than our team of the 90's???? Is a premiership really not that far away??? I certanly hope so. What do others think???

I have been reading these forums for a long time now and have finally just joined so this is my first posting!

I bought a couple of my favourite wins from name a game and earlier today watched the 1994 Qualifying final against Carlton (what a game that was). It got me thinking how did we not win a premiership in the 90's???

When i looked at the great players we had such as Lyon, Schwartz, Neitz, Lovell, Tingay, Stynes etc With that team we had a chance in 1994 but i think we had our biggest chance in 1998. Had we made the grand final that year i think we could have beaten the crows again if we played at pur best like we did when we beat them in the earlier final.

So why did we not win ourselves a flag???? Whereas adelaide, west coast and even the kangaroos all won 2 each.

Was it the players werent good enough??? The other teams were way too good??? Was it lack of leadership??? Our coaching staff wasnt up to it???? Or was it something to do with the culture of the club???

Look at a club like richmond, they clearly have a bad culture and cant even make the finals let alone contest for a flag.

I ask these questions because like most of us i think we have an exciting group of kids coming through for our great club but can this group that dean bailey is putting together go further than our team of the 90's???? Is a premiership really not that far away??? I certanly hope so. What do others think???

I think our Facilities let us down most, & the Lack of a really Hard "win at all costs" Culture-with no disrespect to the players of the day. 1998 was a good side when Stinga could play-But G Lyon couldn't move in the Prelim Final-his Back was shot as were our chances.

In '95 Losing the Ox Pre-season cost us dearly as he would have been as good as Carey if his knees had stayed strong. I cried that day over a quiet Beer. I knew our chance was gone.

Balmey would have done well with the right Cattle.

Read the RED FOX. We have to be more Pro active as a club, as we were under Smithy. Because of financial Constraints this club over time has become reactive-This must stop.....

Well, for a stretch there, I think it was just bum luck that we missed out.

Injuries to guys like Schwartz, Tingay, Lyon, and just badly timed runs (like coming up against Essendon in 2000!), and of course the poor facilities and resources.

But I watch myself for falling into self-pity and 'couldabeens, they wuz good times, for those who held out through the previous quarter century. I look forward to the old guard finally getting their well-earned reward soon.

1994 we had an awesome forward line but ran into an unstoppable WC defence in Perth in the Prelim. 98 we flogged the premiers in the first week of the finals, but Adelaide got an easier path to the GF. Our side in 2000 would have beaten quite a few premiership teams of the 90s, but Essendon were never going to lose.

Even in 2002 we were probably the best side in the AFL after 1/4 time, but our slow starts absolutely killed us. Does anybody remember the 2002 SF vs Adelaide? We were about 6 goals down at 1/4 time, fought back to a 3 goal lead at 3/4 time but then got rolled in the end.

Even in 2002 we were probably the best side in the AFL after 1/4 time, but our slow starts absolutely killed us. Does anybody remember the 2002 SF vs Adelaide? We were about 6 goals down at 1/4 time, fought back to a 3 goal lead at 3/4 time but then got rolled in the end.

2 of the best quarters & 2 of the worst quarters the3 club has ever played. Remarkable Game-I still have the VHS somewhere.

Does anybody remember the 2002 SF vs Adelaide? We were about 6 goals down at 1/4 time, fought back to a 3 goal lead at 3/4 time but then got rolled in the end.

I will never forget that game for the rest of my life. I was at the Ainslie footy club in Canberra and was THE ONLY MELBOURNE SUPPORTER there. I stood up at 3/4 time and was dancing in front of the big screen laughing deliriously about how we were going to win.

A very, very sad and lonely exit and walk stumble home.

QUOTE (Oxxx @ Jun 30 2009, 06:22 PM)

Even in 2002 we were probably the best side in the AFL after 1/4 time, but our slow starts absolutely killed us. Does anybody remember the 2002 SF vs Adelaide? We were about 6 goals down at 1/4 time, fought back to a 3 goal lead at 3/4 time but then got rolled in the end.

I remember that game we were terrible in the first quarter and i thought we were home in the 3rd....i couldnt believe we then lost it again.

Our side in 2000 would have beaten quite a few premiership teams of the 90s, but Essendon were never going to lose.

I agree our side of 2000 could have won a flag against most other sides, we were very unlucky to play essendon that year. They were too good that year. Even if we had played them the year after i think we could have won.

2 of the best quarters & 2 of the worst quarters the3 club has ever played. Remarkable Game-I still have the VHS somewhere.

I was at that game - Trav showed a lot of skill - from memory I think we were in a position to win it when Yze and Robbo knocked eachother out in a terrible collision - typical of our luck.

That Adelaide Game, i cried all the way home....

As it was hard to take in for a young lad, i have grown up watching melbourne promising a whole heap but never delivering with the goods,

i am over it!!!!!

That Adelaide Game, i cried all the way home....

As it was hard to take in for a young lad, i have grown up watching melbourne promising a whole heap but never delivering with the goods,

i am over it!!!!!

I know what you mean...i have been saying since 1994 when i thought we had a real chance...next year we will win the flag!!!

Still waiting.... i so hope we can get one while i am stilll alive....and young enough to enjoy it too!!!!!

2012 cant come quick enough!!!!

I was at that game - Trav showed a lot of skill - from memory I think we were in a position to win it when Yze and Robbo knocked eachother out in a terrible collision - typical of our luck.

I think it was stephen Powell & Robbo that Collided. The last Game Powelly played for us. He was a tough player who's type we could use right now.

Could it be that none of the coaches we've had in the past 17 years have been good enough to take us to that final step? None of them have gone on to coach another club, thats therefore hardly a glowing endorsement of any of them...

Could it be that none of the coaches we've had in the past 17 years have been good enough to take us to that final step? None of them have gone on to coach another club, thats therefore hardly a glowing endorsement of any of them...

I havent lost faith in Dean Bailey yet and i hope he take this group to the next level but i would love to get Todd Viney back at melbourne as coach or at least as an assistant. We have jimmy as president, lets get Viney back at the club too!!!

Could it be that none of the coaches we've had in the past 17 years have been good enough to take us to that final step? None of them have gone on to coach another club, thats therefore hardly a glowing endorsement of any of them...

1990 was our best chance. McAlister said in his book that he feared facing the Dees in the GF. We also had a week off after beating Hawthorn twice in a row, which was quite a feat.

But then Strawbs injured Gazza at training and another dream came to an end.

We had the talent to prevail in 1994 but the Eagles had even more and the PF was played in Perth.

1990 was our best chance. McAlister said in his book that he feared facing the Dees in the GF. We also had a week off after beating Hawthorn twice in a row, which was quite a feat.

But then Strawbs injured Gazza at training and another dream came to an end.

We had the talent to prevail in 1994 but the Eagles had even more and the PF was played in Perth.

Collingwood owe us big time for 1990 & they know it. Hawthorn killed them regularly in that era.

I havent lost faith in Dean Bailey yet and i hope he take this group to the next level but i would love to get Todd Viney back at melbourne as coach or at least as an assistant. We have jimmy as president, lets get Viney back at the club too!!!

I found a promotional postcard in a drawer of stuff the other day, and on it were Stynes, Viney and Lyon all proclaiming they were back at the club. I think it only lasted one year that they were all skills and/or assistant coaches, from reading the back of the postcard it must've been 2000, the front proclaims "We're Back, what about you?". What a dream lineup of coaches that was!

........

I agree our side of 2000 could have won a flag against most other sides, we were very unlucky to play essendon that year. They were too good that year. Even if we had played them the year after i think we could have won.

We were very lucky to play in the 2000 GF. We had a freak draw - we played the bottom 8 in the last 8 weeks, and then Carltank lost the PF - they simply kicked it away. We made the GF by default. The blues would have been a much more formidable oponent for the dons.

1990 was our best chance.

Disagree. '87 was, we would have done it for Robbie.

There was something magical about that '87 side.

Even in 2002 we were probably the best side in the AFL after 1/4 time, but our slow starts absolutely killed us. Does anybody remember the 2002 SF vs Adelaide? We were about 6 goals down at 1/4 time, fought back to a 3 goal lead at 3/4 time but then got rolled in the end.

I was at that game.... it was one of the best games the Dees have played and one of the worst all wrapped up in one. Yze was on fire slotting goals from pockets at either end of the ground if I recall.

I think it was stephen Powell & Robbo that Collided. The last Game Powelly played for us. He was a tough player who's type we could use right now.

Another slow midfielder.....

No his goal kicking was a feature from Powelly, I was really disappointed to see him move on.

Why havent we won a premiership in the last 20 years??

We were never good enough.

Disagree. '87 was, we would have done it for Robbie.

There was something magical about that '87 side.

Sadly we would not have won in 87. Both Brian Wilson & Robbie Flower had Broken Collar Bones from the Preliminary Final. Those Bastard Carlton Cheats would have eaten us like they did Hawthorn.

That was a savage Tough Prelim.

Another slow midfielder.....

No his goal kicking was a feature from Powelly, I was really disappointed to see him move on.

The goals he used to kick on the run from 50 were wicked!!! especially Vs The kangaroos in the 2000 PF!!! that always sticks out in my mind when i hear powell's name get mentioned!

I think it was stephen Powell & Robbo that Collided. The last Game Powelly played for us. He was a tough player who's type we could use right now.

I remember that game like it was yesterday. Most excited and sad I think I've ever been from a game of sport.

Powell was KO-ed in a tackle in the first quarter - his first touch of the game. Big loss, as he was a very valuable midfielder for us in 2002 (absolutely unbelievable that he wasn't re-contracted).

Whelan then limped off just before half time with a torn hammie. We already had a depleted defence going into the game, as we had several knee recos to defenders that year - Ellis, Broadbridge and (I think) Nicholson. Bench down to 20.

Travis Johnstone played the best second and third quarters of any midfielder in the history of the game. At three quarter time, we were up by about 22. I nearly punched a hole in the ceiling through sheer excitement - my flat had low ceilings.

Fourth quarter. The bad luck continued. Robbo and Yze had a sickening head clash which effectively ended their contributions. Vardy kept battling. We missed a few important set shots, the Crows kicked some arsey goals and we ran out of legs having had no bench to speak of. We deserved to win that game - it was almost Shakespearean in its tragic outcome.

There was however a sense of optimism about the future for the list though. I really thought we were tracking towards a flag. THEN the club imploded in the off season following that loss.

Trading Woey for no real gain - effectively Daniel Bell perhaps?! He's done nothing, yet the cultural hit we took was massive. Woey finished top 3 in the Pies' B&F the next year - in a grand final team. And we lost a red & blue legend who loved the club. We've lacked leadership ever since too. A big mistake - I don't care what anyone says about that trade now. It was a mistake.

We also didn't manage to re-contract Powell. Another huge mistake. I think he finished in the Saints' top 3 the next year too.

Felt flat until about 2004 following that game - 2003 was bloody awful.

In fact, I wish someone would post the highlights of that game on you tube - it had everything (except the club song).

We were just never good enough.

In 2000 it was a huge mismatch.

In '87 and '88 we got on a roll and stormed into the finals but we were never in the same league as Hawthorn or carlton.

'88 was a horrible day, a bit like 2000.

what I did like in the late eighties and early nineties was the hard scrapping style of the Northey teams. Not very pretty, a bit like the Swans in recent years, but we would usually win the tight ones. He got the most out of a fairly pedestrian bunch of players.

Then under Balm it was the opposite. His attacking handball game left us super vulnerable to turnovers and I never had any confidence that we would win a tight game (we usually didn't). Those more talented teams of the early to mid nineties were a bit flaky in my opinion. Very talented but prone to injury.

In summary, we just were never good enough.

I want Bailey's new crop to be talented, gutsy and (like Jimmy says), I want them to be hated!!!