St Kilda’s loss good for the game
Roar Guru By Pippinu, 18 Aug 2009 Pippinu is a Roar Guru
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St Kilda’s run towards an historic undefeated 22 round home and away season came to an end on the weekend in the round 20 fixture to Essendon, with St Kilda skipper, Riewoldt, failing to convert after the siren.
It’s appropriate that Essendon was the team to do it, since they themselves were the last team to come closest to an undefeated season in 2000 when they fell to the Western Bulldogs in round 21.
Another similarity between the two episodes is that both Essendon and the Bullies were scratching around in the lower reaches of the eight at the time.
Of course, one team has gone through the home and away season undefeated, and that was Collingwood in 1929.
That was in the days of 18 rounds.
Collingwood lost the second Semi Final against Richmond, but went on to win the grand final. It was one of four consecutive flags the Pies won between 1927 and 1930, a record that remains to this day.
Since moving to a 22 round season in 1970, no team has been able to go through the season undefeated.
The only other team to come close to the feats of Essendon and St Kilda, was Carlton in 1995, who won 20 games during the home and away season. Their two losses were relatively early in the season, and they went on to win the flag on the back of sixteen wins (including the finals).
I’m pleased that the record remains intact. It would be nice to see the current record remain in place 50 years from today.
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August 18th 2009 @ 6:24am
sheek said | August 18th 2009 @ 6:24am | Report comment
Pip,
I imagine St.Kilda might be relieved to get the monkey off their back, so to speak. In the back of their minds would have been the thought – “imagine going through the season unbeaten until the GF”? Now they don’t have to worry about that.
At this stage, a loss can be very positive indeed. I think both the Saints (Kilda & George) will benefit from their weekend losses.
August 18th 2009 @ 7:54am
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 7:54am | Report comment
sheek
I imagine plenty of St Kilda people are thinking the same way.
But there’s also a very delicate balance to be struck between momentum and continuing a run of wins that can’t last forever.
In the case of St KIlda, let us say that Ross Lyon didn’t look displeased at the loss!
August 18th 2009 @ 8:07am
Redb said | August 18th 2009 @ 8:07am | Report comment
Essendon’s win was definitely good for the game. Really any Essendon win should be celebrated by all and sundry across the land.
Break out the kegs of glory and drink to the mighty Dons!
Redb
August 18th 2009 @ 8:15am
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 8:15am | Report comment
Redb
there’s one point of comparison I didn’t make with the 2000 scenario.
I mentioned that we were in the lower reaches of the 8 back in 2000 – what I didn’t mention was that after a 4th consecutive finals appearance (a record for our club) – we were actually a team on the decline – destined to spend the next 4 seasons out of the 8, including a wooden spoon.
But I don’t think the Dons are in that position this year – it’s the opposite.
August 18th 2009 @ 9:39am
Redb said | August 18th 2009 @ 9:39am | Report comment
Pip,
Only time will tell i guess. We are having trouble keeping our list fit for long periods at the mo.
Redb
August 18th 2009 @ 8:25am
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 8:25am | Report comment
Here’s the last 30 sec of the game:
Note how Ross Lyon says “Oh No” as Riewoldt lines up the goals.
Is he saying oh no in the sense that it’s Riewoldt lining up?
Or is he saying oh no in the sense: damn, don’t tell me we’re going to win afterall!!!!
August 18th 2009 @ 9:27am
GB said | August 18th 2009 @ 9:27am | Report comment
I disagree. Going through a home and away season undefeated merely shows that a team has reached an incredible level of consistency. Then to go on and win the GF would be the icing on the cake. I am no St Kilda fan but I admire great sporting achievements when i see them. This team has been the benchmark. That they were finally beaten in the 20th round means they have stumbled close to home and away perfection. It goes to show how hard it is to achieve this. Sort of akin to winning a Grand Slam. Not impossible but bloody close to it. That they were a kick away from beating the Dons shows how close they were when you consider their remaining two games are against teams with no chance of winning the flag. To say they got the monkey off their back is misguided and defeatist. Winning form is good form. Momentum is maintained. If i for one was a St Kilda player i would be rueing the fact that the team had missed a chance of going all the way undefeated.
August 18th 2009 @ 9:38am
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 9:38am | Report comment
GB
as you say – not impossible but bloody close to it.
And after 113 seasons of VFL/AFL – it remains the case.
That’s the beauty of it.
Similar to the Lions not making it four in a row to equal Collingwood’s record.
It’s good to know, just speaking generally, that there are things that are within touching distance, but extremely difficult to achieve.
By the way – you’ll note in the http address that I originally called the article: A difficult record to break.
That was my main focus – at no point did I touch on what it meant for St Kilda (in all honestly, it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other).
But imagine this – if St Kilda had gone all the way to the grand final undefeated, and met Collinwood for arguments sake, and it’s an exact replica of 1966, except this time the wobbly kick from the flank doesn’t dribble through for a minor, but hits the behind post – don’t you reckon all St Kilda fans around the country would be having kittens at that point??!!
August 18th 2009 @ 9:54am
GB said | August 18th 2009 @ 9:54am | Report comment
Ah Pippinu, its now time to reveal my colours. I do support the Pies. I am dreaming of a St Kilda / Collingwood all Melbourne GF (though i live in Sydney). Two of the most rabid one eyed supporter groups of all and two teams who have not tasted premiership glory for a long time..and in St Kildas case a long, long time. The two in a row losses to the Lions still hurt. Especially the 2001 game when we came close after being given no chance. St Kilda in my book are still the flag favourites but the Pies are certainly in the mix.
August 18th 2009 @ 11:08am
Redb said | August 18th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
St Kilda supporters rabid?
They do get upset when their latte spills whilst trundling up the bleaches at Etihad Stadium.
Pie fans yes rabid!
Redb
August 18th 2009 @ 10:55am
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Fair enough GB!
If you reckon St Kilda has waited along time – spare a thought for us Footscray supporters!!
Still in the mix – but only just – two big games to finish the season.
August 18th 2009 @ 10:53am
mushi said | August 18th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
How anyone can believe the game is better off for this having ended is beyond me.
To me revelling in the end of St Kilda’s run before the grand final is akin to smashing your little brother’s school sports carnival trophy just because you were never age champion.
I don’t support St Kilda, and the AFL isn’t my first sporting love, but it would have been a story that decades from now I’d tell my grand kids about.
St Kilda, the perennial failure, not only winning a flag but doing so undefeated to break their drought.
With my eyes lighting up I’d recount the narrow escapes, the clubs contrasting record of success, and mainly the unmatched history of the moment.
We will never see true perfection in our lives but for almost 20 games it looked like we were going to witness something that came pretty damn close.
Every year a premiership is awarded, and despite the clichés, after a decade or so the memory of the public fades on the achievement.
But an undefeated season. That is something that would have forever remained etched in even the most casual fan’s memory.
If having those moments evaporate is good for the game then I don’t know why we even watch sports.
August 18th 2009 @ 10:59am
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Mushi
that’s a fair enough perspective.
But you might just be surprised how the average St Kilda fan views it – very much a mixed bag of responses.
Anyway, anyone who saw that final quarter were treated to a memorable contest in its own right.
We might just have to wait a little longer for perfection.
August 18th 2009 @ 11:15am
Redb said | August 18th 2009 @ 11:15am | Report comment
Mushi,
No-one wants a loss but they went very close to getting beaten by the Swans two weeks earlier and really just trickled over the line. A loss was coming. it did Essendon no harm in 2000 to lose, a blip on the radar it helped to re-focus.
Having watched the Ess v St kilda game for the whole 120 minutes, we wanted the ball much more, were better at the contests,etc. They were getting a bit complacent at ball letting others do the work.
St Kilda will win this year.
Redb
August 18th 2009 @ 2:05pm
mushi said | August 18th 2009 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
No one wants a loss?
The title of the article is “St Kilda’s loss good for the game”.
Pip even closes out with “I’m pleased that the record remains intact”.
August 18th 2009 @ 2:16pm
Redb said | August 18th 2009 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
Depends on your persective and if you watched the game.
Putting Essendon bias aside for a moment.
Would a neutral fan want a 50 point thrashing of Essendon thus keeping St Kilda’s streak intact or a classic match full of edge of your seat moments including a shot to win after the siren with the streak at stake?
Redb
August 18th 2009 @ 2:34pm
Pippinu said | August 18th 2009 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
Mushi
as I said above to GB, I originally titled this article: “A difficult record to break” – and that was the focus – that it’s a long standing record.
St Kilda has failed, and it remains a long standing record – but I personally would not have said that it was good for the game as such.
August 18th 2009 @ 12:40pm
Michael C said | August 18th 2009 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
We’d never hear the end of it from Eric Bana……gawd, could you imagine, the Americans would be putting a “No mention of St.Kilda” clause in any interviews and talk show appearances.
August 18th 2009 @ 11:29am
BigAl said | August 18th 2009 @ 11:29am | Report comment
Redb . . . you continually under/over ? estimate St Kilda supporters! – they have a HUGE feral following.
They just can’t quite get their life together enough to go out and buy a membership ticket..
August 18th 2009 @ 11:39am
Redb said | August 18th 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
BigAl,
Well which is it? A stroll down Fitzroy Street confirms life on the streets of St Kilda. All those Prius loving painted ladies driving around avoiding bandits with technicolour hairdoes on skateboards. – the joint is just weird or is that wired?
Redb
August 18th 2009 @ 11:39am
AndyRoo said | August 18th 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
As a neutral it would have been much more exciting if they kept up the winning streak.