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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Early Openers- Prelim Finals
- Thread starter TrialByVideo
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Agreed 100% Tman.
Hoping the Lions can win this one, as I really despise those Magpie Wankers.
I think everyone who isn’t a Pies supporter will be barracking hard for the Lions on Saturday.
They’ve also lost twelve grand finals since 1958. They have a terrible grand final record. Fingers crossed!
Sadly, zips, I think you’re right. Then again, the Pies haven’t won a GF in September since 1958.
@BluesBloke hope your ok today. Bad luck and it should go without saying that Grannies are hard enough to win let alone qualify for one.
Thanks mate, I'm pragmatic about it all.
The better team got it done in the end and they'll take their place in a match they had more right to contest after being consistent all year.
I'm a realist and winning a flag or even playing off in a grand final after finishing outside the top four - and coming from 15th mid-year - was always going to be a tough ask.
Having said that, I don't regret forking out the $1800 to travel to go to last night's prelim - the club's first in 23 years - it was an incredible experience.
It was a fantastic day-trip the club put on - buses from Ikon Park to board a private charter flight from Melbourne to Brisbane, buses from Brisbane airport to the Gabba where we took premium seats, and a ride back to the plane afterward before dropping us back at the club at about 1.15am this morning. What a day.
Being part of a travelling army of Blues supporters will be something I'll remember forever. It was tribal and the buzz was electric. Two coaches full of Blues supporters driving through the Brisbane streets to the Gabba, passing pubs spilling over with our fans, others marching to the ground outnumbering the Lions supporters. It was magic. The turnout of navy blue to the match was something else - at one point the noise made it feel like a home game.
Despite coughing up a five-goal lead, I choose to instead celebrate what has been an incredible turnaround - both from a club point of view, and personally, both of which somewhat happened on eerily similar timelines.
To cut a very long and emotional story short, the day after our Round 1 draw with Richmond I was rushed to hospital, very seriously ill. I shouldn't have even gone to the footy as I laboured my way through the match. I won't go into what it is, but months of struggle followed as no treatment worked. I was in and out of hospital. It was hopeless. I was that debilitated I couldn't leave the house for months, except for hospital. I narrowly dodged very serious and life-altering surgery, and at one point I had surgeons visiting multiple times a day. It was the lowest of lows. While this was happening, the Blues were in an almighty slump with their form - I found it difficult to care amid the battle I was in with my health, and as I also couldn't go to the games, I felt even more cut off from it all. I didn't think there was a way back - for either of us.
Then the tide started to turn. It was mid-June. My specialist rolled the dice on a new and rugged treatment plan which started on I think the Monday, and by the Sunday, I felt well enough to step out for the first time in three months to go and watch the Blues take on the Suns at the G. From the second quarter on, the run started. We won and only lost twice for the rest of the year. What made it a great day was just being able to go out. The result was secondary.
Ever since, I've been on a steady improve, life's not the same and never will be, but the Blues did what they did in the second half of the year and I was able to be part of it. Without it sounding too dramatic, footy was what I needed to help drag me out of the hole I was in - and Carlton gave that to me.
I have plenty to be thankful for.
Sorry Bluey but the last time we sung our club song after we lost a preliminary final against Geelong 95 at VFL Park it took us 23 years to take the next step to make a GF.
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But so are the Pies on Grandfinal day. Could be a low scoring game that is for sure.
A favourite joke of my Grandfather....
Q: What is green, has two wings and slaughters Magpies?
A: The MCG.
Is that like
Vicpol press Release 30/9/23
*22 Collingwood players missing last seen at 2.10
You're right, there's no guarantees in footy. The challenge now will be to back it up. A preliminary final berth this year doesn't mean a step further next year.
Maybe the Blues fell in with the two previous single-digit finals wins, and a prelim final flattered where they really are - or maybe they deserved to be there. We'll not know for sure until next year now.
As much as I don't like to celebrate honourable losses, I think it's also important to be measured about the whole thing and consider the journey back to this point. No finals for 10 years prior to this.
But if this group's made of something, it'll sting this off-season, and so it should. Because the other side of it is, they blew a five-goal preliminary final lead. Regardless of any circumstances, 15th on the ladder mid-year or not, this specific opportunity is one they'll never get again.
BluesBloke, your club has taken a big step. Can they go further? As you said, time will tell. But Carlton are in a position to go further now after years of under-achieving. Your list is good, maybe needs a few players but not many.
Sounds like a good trip up to Brissie, it is worth it when the opportunity arises. Even if you lose you did get to go.
Sorry to hear about the illness, I am currently on an overseas holiday and it is tough with me getting Vertigo quite a bit. I know the feeling, my life will never be the same too, I'm just stuck with it. That's life, you make the best of it, just glad I have managed to avoid getting a full-on attack so far on holiday as that would wipe me out for a day or two.
DS
Sounds like a good trip up to Brissie, it is worth it when the opportunity arises. Even if you lose you did get to go.
Sorry to hear about the illness, I am currently on an overseas holiday and it is tough with me getting Vertigo quite a bit. I know the feeling, my life will never be the same too, I'm just stuck with it. That's life, you make the best of it, just glad I have managed to avoid getting a full-on attack so far on holiday as that would wipe me out for a day or two.
DS
It's the first time in a very long time I can walk away from a season proud of what they've been able to do. Now they just need to get going from the very start next year.
I'm sorry to hear about your health battle - have heard vertigo can be extremely debilitating. Hope a great time's had overseas!
Was there on Friday night, admittedly doing the corporate thing on level 3 of the Southern Stand but the atmosphere was bog average for 97,000.
And the view from there, you forget how good it is.
I've heard louder 70,000 Richmond crowds. All neutrals thought it was a great contest but no way through it was outstanding or once in a lifetime crowd noise. And it didn't hold a candle to 2017 when we took on GWS.
And the view from there, you forget how good it is.
I've heard louder 70,000 Richmond crowds. All neutrals thought it was a great contest but no way through it was outstanding or once in a lifetime crowd noise. And it didn't hold a candle to 2017 when we took on GWS.
