Totally agree Sintiger! They owned us for so many years, the constant floggings, Ablett Snr kicking 14 rotating from a wing to full forward in 1989 on Wayne Peters, the 157 point smashing at Etihad etc. Interesting to note that in the second halves of the three recent finals, we have outscored them 10.6 to 3.6, 8.8 to 2.4 and 9.7 to 2.3 for a combined second half total of 27.21.183 to 7.13.55 (we have had 16 scoring shots in each of these games in the second halves). A total difference of 128 points across the three games - that's a touch convincing and I reckon pays back some of the torment they have dished out over the years! We now have a 10-2 finals record against them, which is lovely, including the 1967 and 2020 Grand Final wins and the 1969 first semi final 118 point win to the Tigers. Let's hope for some more wins over them in the home and away season and most importantly, the finals.
In 1980 we beat them in the semi too.
Totally agree the late 80's all of the 90's was especially hard. One of the saddest days ive spent at the footy has been defeats against Geelong. The 95 final in the rain, i was one of the very few that refused to sing our song while we were 10 goals down.
The 1994 home and away game at princess park when Brainless kicked 8 and ended any chance we had making the finals. Or the night at the Telstra Dome when they smashed us, I thought the club would join Fitzroy and shut down.
The first time i went to Karadinia park was the day KB got reported.
Then there was other countless times, the game would be over at half time or when umpires refuse to pay a free to Naish. Or in the last qtr when Steven King kicked 3 or one of the few happy memories, the day we finally beat them down there, Ottens went off, hyde was everywhere and we finally won down there. But there were stages i thought we will never beat this mob.
Now we just slap them into submission any time we play them.
It will interesting to see if Hocking makes us play them at Karadinia park because of the reduced Crowds. A slapping down there could be the end of them for good..