When we go, we go out big time

[top40]

Why is it that as recent history shows, when the Swans are eliminated in a finals series, they suffer their worst or near to worst loss of the season.

Here are some sobering stats about recent Finals games that eliminated Sydney from the Finals Series:

1999 Eliminated by Essendon, losing by 69 points, (third worst loss of the season)

2001 Eliminated by Hawthorn. losing by 55 points, (worst loss of the season)

2003 Eliminated by Brisbane. losing by 44 points, (worst loss of the season)

2004 Eliminated by St Kilda, losing by 51 points, (second worst loss of the season)

2007 Eliminated by Collingwood, losing by 38 points, (worst loss of the season)

[Sanecow]

I love the finals!

[DeadlyAkkuret]

That is strangely sobering

[NMWBloods]

I'd actually been thinking something similar today.

Also look at '97 - lost by 35, down 51 at qtr time, third worst loss for the season

[top40]

And I can add two more:

1997 Eliminated by the Western Bulldogs by 35 points (Second worst loss for the season)

1987 Eliminated by Melbourne by 76 points (Second worst loss for the season, the worst being the week before in another finals games against Hawthorn)

[shaun..]

I would've included '96 as well!

[Cheer Squad]

Are there any other clubs with the same problem? I think the Kangas have had a few 100 point floggings in recent finals, with today's effort the latest instalment.

[hammo]

Finals tend to blow out more than any other game because once the game is lost there is literally nothing else to play for and the mind starts thinking about Mad Mondays and end of season trips.

[Mike_B]

Well, maybe it has something to do with our percentage not being below 100 since 94. We fight till the death even in a losing cause to make the score "look" respectable hence helping our percentage. But when they know the game is lost and there's nothing at all to play for because percentage is meaningless, they just drift and wait for the final siren.

[top40]

I suppose the flipside to all of this is that in elimination finals games, (and I exclude the GF here), in the last 20 years or so we have always won the thrillers:

1996 Essendon by one point

2005 Geelong by three points

On both occasions, the winning score arose on or very very close to the final siren.

You could also add as footnote:

1996 Hawthorn by six points, (which effectively eliminated Hawthorn), and

1998 St Kilda by two points, (which by quirk of the then finals system that existed at that time, could have been an elimination game for the Saints)

In fact the last time, we fell on a thriller in an eliminated finals game (excluding of course last year' GF) was way back in 1986 against the Paul Roos inspired Fitzroy Lions

[ugg]

Always? Ahem, 2006 GF?

[Casey36]

Always? Ahem, 2006 GF?

I swear, i was just thinking that.

Losing by 1 point sometimes hurts just as much as losing by 50 points. Particularly, when its a GF.

[DST]

Try bringing this up with a Kanga's supporter at present, their last 3 top 4 finishes has seen them lose by 100 points.

As for worst loses in finals, you generally see teams if they are not up to it fall off by big margins (especially GF's) when they realise that they are not going to come back.

It's just the same as supporters watching it, you just deflate, drop your head and nothing seems to go right.

DST

[Nico]

We won the flag in 2005 and that made up for all those loses.