Hardest route to a flag?

[Go Swannies]

Thinking through this finals series, I wonder if any team has ever won a flag harder? We finished the H&A with a game at the G against the Hawks (how long ago that seems). Then we flew to Perth for a bruising game settled by 4 points. Next week, played the Cats at the SCG - bruising game (pick the pattern here?) settled with 3 seconds to go. Third week - interstate at the G, a ground where we hadn't won a final since 1945. Hard game that we finally go the better of in the final quarter. A game we had to run out hard.

Then to the G again for the Grand Final. To play a team that hadn't left WA since a r21 shellacking by the Cats at Skilled.

Has any team ever done it harder? It used to be that you couldn't win the week after playing Subi. And you couldn't win a GF if you lost the QF. How about both? And some other hard games along the way.

Thoughts?

[Newbie]

Hardest imaginable route for me. Crucified, robbed in the daylight by the maggots in perth in wk1. Playing on an alien surface in the wk2. Got robbed against in wk 3.

The last two opposition teams (St Kilda and the Eagles) got a week break advantage over us.

Got travel a fair bit through the campaign too.

Cant see how much harder can this get. This is why the end victory is so worthwhile.

[swansrule100]

and to win because the awesome mark at the end stops a possible shot for victory by the other team.

What a win

up there with the greatest sporting moments in australian history

[NMWBloods]

Hard to get much tougher.

Hawthorn had to play in WA in 1991, but they won, plus they had the benefit after that of playing in Melbourne.

Adelaide in '98 had to play MCG, SCG, MCG, MCG, so no home games.

Brisbane in '03 went MCG, Gabba, Telstra Stad, MCG.

So, yep, we would have had probably the toughest road with Subi, SCG, MCG, MCG.

[Snowy]

Yes the Crows, and Lions 2003 are the only comparable ones but travelling to Perth is a big ask.

[swansrule100]

i also forgot we had to deal with the prospect of losing our captain and best player for the big one. Took a lot of effort to put that behind the team.

[Thunder Shaker]

Brisbane 2003:

Round 22 Docklands (Melb)
QF MCG
SF Gabba
PF Sydney
GF MCG

(All 9 finals in 2003 were won by teams in the same position of the ladder as 2005. The winner of the premiership in both years won their preliminary final by scoring 42 points in the last quarter while holding the opposition goalless.)

[tez]

The Swans never do it the easy way, ask any long time
supporter.

[punter257]

all the above just makes it more satisfying
no bastard can downplay it at all
we were up against it and now we're holding the cup

[Plugger46]

Originally posted by punter257
all the above just makes it more satisfying
no bastard can downplay it at all
we were up against it and now we're holding the cup

Absolutely spot on.

[SXP]

Originally posted by punter257
all the above just makes it more satisfying
no bastard can downplay it at all
we were up against it and now we're holding the cup

Don't worry, St Kilda supporters will find a reason to whinge against our win. Barry's incident is just one of them.

[hammo]

Originally posted by punter257
all the above just makes it more satisfying
no bastard can downplay it at all
we were up against it and now we're holding the cup

They can try to downplay it but most observers recognise what an amazing feat it was.

Saints fans, some Eagles fans and maybe the Ox are the exceptions.

[THERBS]

And those who downplay the Swans achievement have what sort of motivation? In anyone's language it was a hard road. The sour grapes brigade can maintain that attitude and then start wearing Collingwood gear.

[Nico]

Let them say what they want and it doesn't matter how we did it.

We won the flag.

Any route to winning a flag is a good route.

[Nico]

Talking about whingers. St Kilda supporters are still at it.

Talk about looking at the "hole and not the doughnut".

When are they going to realise that they fell at the second last hurdle because some of their players were not hard enough at the pill when it counted.

Boy if they have a full list next season and still fail what excuses can they possibly have. Robert Harvey is continuing but who else will fill his boots to carry the club in the midfield when he retires.