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Thread: Next time we finish on top of the ladder ...

  1. #1
    Aut vincere aut mori Thunder Shaker's Avatar
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    Next time we finish on top of the ladder ...

    ... can we PLEASE win the Grand Final for a change?

    It's been 99 years since South Melbourne won the 1918 Premiership after finishing on top of the ladder. Since then, South Melbourne or Sydney have finished on top of the ladder six times. Each time, we have made the Grand Final only to lose it. We seem to find new and creative ways of losing the Grand Final in those years.

    1935 - Finish on top with a 16-2 record. Bob Pratt gets hit by a truck the day before the match. South Melbourne loses the Grand Final to Collingwood by 20 points.
    1936 - Finish on top with a 16-2 record. South Melbourne loses the Grand Final to Collingwood by 11 points.
    1945 - Finish on top with a 16-4 record. South Melbourne becomes the first side to lose to the fourth-placed team in the Page-McIntyre finals system, to Carlton by 28 points. We also lost the fights by having more players suspended for longer.
    1996 - Finish on top with a 16-5-1 record. Lost the only Grand Final in history contested for a solid gold premiership cup, to North Melbourne by 43 points.
    2014 - Finish on top with a 17-5 record. Set a new record for largest losing margin by a minor Premier in the Grand Final, by 63 points.
    2016 - Finish on top with a 17-5 record. Became the first side to lose a Grand Final under the current finals system to a side from outside the top four.

    Grand Finals won after finishing on top: 1909, 1918 (under the Argus finals system where the Minor Premier had a right of challenge). South Melbourne also lost one Grand Final after finishing on top under the Argus system, in 1912.

    Seasons in which we finished on top but did not make the Grand Final: Nil. Before 1931, the minor premier always made a Grand Final after the right of challenge became unrestricted in 1907.
    "Unbelievable!" -- Nick Davis leaves his mark on the 2005 semi final

  2. #2
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    Well we're probably not going to finish on top of the ladder in season 2017...

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by liz View Post
    Well we're probably not going to finish on top of the ladder in season 2017...
    It's obvious to me that our post-mortem of 2016 revealed we were out-fairytaled by the Doggies last year. We chucked the first 6 games to make sure there's no way that can happen this year. When we scrape into the eight and then make the GF everyone, even the umpires will be rooting for us. WE CANNOT LOSE

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Billericay View Post
    It's obvious to me that our post-mortem of 2016 revealed we were out-fairytaled by the Doggies last year. We chucked the first 6 games to make sure there's no way that can happen this year. When we scrape into the eight and then make the GF everyone, even the umpires will be rooting for us. WE CANNOT LOSE
    Ha ha, love the optimism

    I'm keeping a huge lid on it, and it is a big IF, but IF we can go in 4-6 at the break I will be feeling quietly confident of a good run home. 8-4 after the break is absolutely doable and 12 wins usually gets a top 8 slot. IF we made the finals we'd be coming home with huge momentum and the week off has taken away a lot of the advantage going into the top 4.

    We'll learn a lot about the playing group over the next two weeks, momentum is a great thing in sport and it can build as quickly as it is lost

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    If we're still in the finals race by then and come out and win first game after the hated bye, then I'll be more confident.....

  6. #6
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    Also, won the flag when we DIDNT finish on top of the ladder:

    1933, 2005, 2012.

    To win the minor premiership/flag double appears impossible.


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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    Longmire thinks we can still the flag. Except for Tom Mitchell and a couple lesser lights, it's basically the same group that
    won the minor premiership and wiped out Adelaide & Geelong in the finals last year. GWS will likely cause a problem, but then
    as they were saying on OTC last night, the Ferrari has quite a few dings in it right now. And we can beat any of the others when
    everyone shows up. I got on us at $34 in 2012, and we are $31 now, so I'll be making a stop at the TAB on the way home.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by KTigers View Post
    Longmire thinks we can still the flag. Except for Tom Mitchell and a couple lesser lights, it's basically the same group that
    won the minor premiership and wiped out Adelaide & Geelong in the finals last year. GWS will likely cause a problem, but then
    as they were saying on OTC last night, the Ferrari has quite a few dings in it right now. And we can beat any of the others when
    everyone shows up. I got on us at $34 in 2012, and we are $31 now, so I'll be making a stop at the TAB on the way home.
    You must have had a big plunge on them as we are only $26 now. But i had a piece of that.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mug Punter View Post
    Ha ha, love the optimism

    I'm keeping a huge lid on it, and it is a big IF, but IF we can go in 4-6 at the break I will be feeling quietly confident of a good run home. 8-4 after the break is absolutely doable and 12 wins usually gets a top 8 slot. IF we made the finals we'd be coming home with huge momentum and the week off has taken away a lot of the advantage going into the top 4.

    We'll learn a lot about the playing group over the next two weeks, momentum is a great thing in sport and it can build as quickly as it is lost
    If , perchance. we did make the finals this year, it means we have had a cracker of a second half of the season.

    We would be going into September with a full head of steam, and i would be feeling quite confident.

    Oh, and every other side would be looking over therir shoulders.

    May be wishful thinking, but if that scenario eventuates, what fun we're gonna have.

  10. #10
    Prior to the Lions game , the Swans were
    100/1 (for the flag).
    Prior to the Norf game they were 50/1

  11. #11
    Aut vincere aut mori Thunder Shaker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by liz View Post
    Well we're probably not going to finish on top of the ladder in season 2017...
    It's still possible mathematically, and the top sides are helping out by losing games.

    Since round 5: (1) Adelaide 1 win 2 losses, (2) Geelong 3 losses, (3) Richmond 3 losses, (4) GWS 2 wins 1 loss, (5) WB 1 win 2 losses ...

    Seasons when we ended on top:
    2016: spent the whole season in the top 8, lowest 5th (after round 17)
    2014: started 0-2, ended 17-5
    1996: started 0-2, ended 16-1-5

    oh .. and in 2005 we started 2-3 ...

    So we do have form in turning around poor starts.

    We probably won't end on top, but finals are still a possibility if we can string some wins together.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by royboy42 View Post
    If , perchance. we did make the finals this year, it means we have had a cracker of a second half of the season.

    We would be going into September with a full head of steam, and i would be feeling quite confident.

    Oh, and every other side would be looking over therir shoulders.

    May be wishful thinking, but if that scenario eventuates, what fun we're gonna have.
    And a season that looks like a Jaws movie ... climbing from the depths to the Jaws theme...
    "Unbelievable!" -- Nick Davis leaves his mark on the 2005 semi final

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by royboy42 View Post
    If , perchance. we did make the finals this year, it means we have had a cracker of a second half of the season.

    We would be going into September with a full head of steam, and i would be feeling quite confident.

    Oh, and every other side would be looking over therir shoulders.

    May be wishful thinking, but if that scenario eventuates, what fun we're gonna have.
    Is gonna happen. I have complete faith. They already are looking over their shoulders.

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