Is it time to reset the Chris Sullivan line?

[Delusional demon 82 1,197]

Even before I knew there was actually a thing as the infamous Chris Sullivan line among the demon faithful , in my younger days when starting to really follow the mighty demons in the early to mid 1990s I have always held that 7 - 8 goal last quarter margin as my point of no return that no opposition could catch up even the most inconsistent or flakiest of Melbourne sides of yesteryear. Knowing the  demons blew a 47 point margin from early in the last quarter against the bombers in 1992 as 10 year old had an indelible effect on my demon supporting psyche and confidence following my team for nearly 30 years. A mindset of fearing we would blow our lead rather than an air of confidence to expect to really put the foot on the throat of the opposition.

Nibblers goal in the GF to put us 42 points up was enough for me, although Positive lingers snap a minute or so later really settled it officially at 48!!! I know I was not alone there, but most other club supporters (namely hawks or the tigers more recently) probably would have settled at clarries goal late in the third or Big Ben Browns opener early in the last, any neutral watching would have known the contest with our huge momentum shift was basically done at 3qtr time. But us Melbourne supporters were tortured souls of a different kind, over many many years, so thankfully the team kept piling on the goals in the last so we could finally relax! Even BT poked fun at us in the commentary.

So now the Norm Smith curse is lifted , the drought is over, we have found our way to the promised land so going forward so do we need to now reset our view on at what point do we feel confident that we are home and hosed ? Is it now 5 goals or 6 goals ? It will be interesting this year post a premiership to see how our psyche as supporters changes, if at all,  knowing we can trust our team and to the extent that we banish some of our negative mindset tendencies that we have built up over many years.

Thoughts demonland? 

[Chook 15,013]

19 points down midway through the 2nd will be my signal we're safe.

Edited January 8, 2022 by Chook

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,121]

@Delusional demon 82, could you elaborate on why it's the Chris Sullivan line?

[FlashInThePan 1,893]

In the 90s  Chris Sullivan kicked a goal in the last quarter of ‘that game’ that gave us a 47 point lead, supposedly unassailable. Essendon piled on the goals and it turns out that 47 points in a final quarter is actually quite assailable… who’d a thought?

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,121]

2 minutes ago, FlashInThePan said:

In the 90s  Chris Sullivan kicked a goal in the last quarter of ‘that game’ that gave us a 47 point lead, supposedly unassailable. Essendon piled on the goals and it turns out that 47 points in a final quarter is actually quite assailable… who’d a thought?

Thanks!

 

I think...

[Timothy Reddan-A'Blew 5,121]

8 goals then.

That's about 4 goals in AFLW terms then. I think I was feeling it tonight. Made me realise '25/9' hasn't totally washed away the mixed-metaphor scars...

[John Crow Batty 8,863]

I was at that game…ugh! 

[Chook 15,013]

4 hours ago, Chook said:

19 points down midway through the 3rd will be my signal we're safe.

EDIT: The 3rd but the line still stands...

Edited January 8, 2022 by Chook

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

I always get uneasy when we are around 30 points up.

I’ve lost count how many times we’ve been in danger after being this far ahead.

[Wells 11 5,399]

I think in these glory years we need to talk more about the Max Gawn line.. ie As long as we’re within 44 points approaching time on in the 3rd we’re a big chance :-) 

[Demon17 5,188]

37 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

I think in these glory years we need to talk more about the Max Gawn line.. ie As long as we’re within 44 points approaching time on in the 3rd we’re a big chance :-) 

Spot on Wells on this issue.

My view of the Northey years was that the team played right up to the final bell and were never beaten until the end, such was the way Swooper had the team playing from 87 to 91. You always knew the contest was on till the end. (except the 88 GF of course)

That's now obsolete and I believe the team, and the opposition, will think it's always winnable/or loseable (from the oppo's viewpoint) with any deficit up to 40 points. The Max gawn Line as you say.

In fact Goodwin talked about how the team constantly talked about their Lions comeback game earlier in the year from which thay took self - belief to get them over the line in later games in 2021.

[Kent 2,909]

11 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

I was at that game…ugh! 

Me to John Crow

So for many years i never actually believed we were safe at any time

[dieter 3,325]

3 hours ago, Demon17 said:

Spot on Wells on this issue.

My view of the Northey years was that the team played right up to the final bell and were never beaten until the end, such was the way Swooper had the team playing from 87 to 91. You always knew the contest was on till the end. (except the 88 GF of course)

That's now obsolete and I believe the team, and the opposition, will think it's always winnable/or loseable (from the oppo's viewpoint) with any deficit up to 40 points. The Max gawn Line as you say.

In fact Goodwin talked about how the team constantly talked about their Lions comeback game earlier in the year from which thay took self - belief to get them over the line in later games in 2021.

Swoop was the coach that day: Anzac day, I was driving a taxi, listening to the debacle on the Park Street Rank in North Carlton.

[Mazer Rackham 14,971]

All records are dead and buried. A new era has begun and past failures are consigned to the dustbin.

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

May be best to ask @Supermercado his opinion given,  I believe, he coined the term in the first place

[radar 1,865]

Think there was early 80s game Princes Park,54 points up approaching half time. 
 

was at the Essendon game. 
 

Bang. Bang.  Bang. 
All over now 🏆♥️💙

Edited January 9, 2022 by radar

[Diamond_Jim 12,578]

I had wiped that Essendon debacle from my mind.

Thanks for resurrecting it. It's one of those games where we can all remember where we were at the time.

Personally my line these days is 36 points up five minutes* into the last quarter.

*That's five mins on the timeclock or about ten minutes on the groundclock.

Carlton (2018?) was a fun game

[Brownie 5,980]

I think it stands and I look forward to many games of watching us hit that line HARD.

I loved the fact the players supposedly got the message to ice the game in the last QTR and they evidently laughed and kept running.

As mentioned above, there were lots of years where we got five goals up and wobbled.

Lots of post game threads wondering why we weren't ruthless enough.

Keep the bar set high at 8 goals I reckon.

It would be interesting to know how many games we've won since that Essendon game by 48 points or more and how long it will take us to surpass that win tally.

I wonder how many games we lost by 48 points or more versus won by 48 points.

I want to see more reverse floggings where we are the flogger not the flogee (geez this sounds wrong).

You know what I mean.

[radar 1,865]

37 minutes ago, Brownie said:

I think it stands and I look forward to many games of watching us hit that line HARD.

I loved the fact the players supposedly got the message to ice the game in the last QTR and they evidently laughed and kept running.

As mentioned above, there were lots of years where we got five goals up and wobbled.

Lots of post game threads wondering why we weren't ruthless enough.

Keep the bar set high at 8 goals I reckon.

It would be interesting to know how many games we've won since that Essendon game by 48 points or more and how long it will take us to surpass that win tally.

I wonder how many games we lost by 48 points or more versus won by 48 points.

I want to see more reverse floggings where we are the flogger not the flogee (geez this sounds wrong).

You know what I mean.

Cats by a point after the bell. 
Cats by 84 in big final. 
Not fussed 

[Supermercado 2,797]

Like all the other awful things that have happened to us in my supporting life that game no longer haunts me. Still can't be comfortable unless we're that far in front at three quarter time.

P.S - It almost got a new version in 2013 when we were 38 points up 15 minutes into the last quarter against the Dogs and fell over the line by three points. Would have been the Jeremy Howe line, which is also the statistic for screamers followed immediately by turnovers.

P.P.S - Enjoy the memories

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Supermercado

[radar 1,865]

Collectively gotta edit such memories and MFCSS out of mind -
replace them with production line images of Trac, Clarrie and Viney bursting from the centre

[Optimus D 283]

11 hours ago, Demon17 said:

Spot on Wells on this issue.

My view of the Northey years was that the team played right up to the final bell and were never beaten until the end, such was the way Swooper had the team playing from 87 to 91. You always knew the contest was on till the end. (except the 88 GF of course)

That's now obsolete and I believe the team, and the opposition, will think it's always winnable/or loseable (from the oppo's viewpoint) with any deficit up to 40 points. The Max gawn Line as you say.

In fact Goodwin talked about how the team constantly talked about their Lions comeback game earlier in the year from which thay took self - belief to get them over the line in later games in 2021.

Well said Demon17 - Remember coming back to Australia in 87 after 5 years away and found under Northey we had a team that could always win the close game - never out of it till the end. My favorite era into the 90's until now. Cannot wait for 2022 season to come around.

 

[Delusional demon 82 1,197]

1 hour ago, Supermercado said:

Like all the other awful things that have happened to us in my supporting life that game no longer haunts me. Still can't be comfortable unless we're that far in front at three quarter time.

P.S - It almost got a new version in 2013 when we were 38 points up 15 minutes into the last quarter against the Dogs and fell over the line by three points. Would have been the Jeremy Howe line, which is also the statistic for screamers followed immediately by turnovers.

P.P.S - Enjoy the memories

 

At least now we have 21 years over those [censored] who also haven’t won a final in 18 years … we can look them in the eye and laugh smugly . That would have been unheard of in the 90s

[Satan 2,871]

I too was at the Essendon game

next week swans drew with us .Yeates put his life on the line to avoid a loss

[AlphaDee 17]

.... and when we hit the 47 point margin, thousands of Essendon supporters streamed out of the G and missed their revival.

Unfortunately I stayed to the end!