Maybe the overlooked free to Naish was an incident earlier in the quarter then. All I know is we were ripped off two weeks in a row, and ultimately it cost us a finals series. Because in rd22 we found ourselves in a situation where we had to beat a rampant (and eventual Premier) Nth Melbourne to make the eight and were duly smashed.
We were two points up at 3qt time and North kicked 9 goals in the last quarter and there our season was gone in the last 30 minutes of the last home and away game. McKernan kicked the last two of the 3rd quarter to keep the Characterless Club alive just as the momentum was ours. They carried that into the last quarter and by the 10 minute mark of the last quarter I could hear the Hawk fans tooting their horns proudly and passionately with Don Scott on Glenferrie road as the 3 north fans at the ground were saying nothing and us Tiger fans were stunned.
Here are my differences as to why we failed to make the 8.
Rd 4 1996 we lose to Sydney by a point in a game transferred to Waverley from MCG for AFL centenary celebrations. Hawks 27 points down in bog at Whiteen Oval with 6 mins to go scramble a draw and shouldve won when Pritchard missed to tie the scores from 5 meters out.
Rd 5 1996 We lose to the Cats by 3 points with Naish missing after the siren. In rd 14 Hawthorn won at the Cattery by 2 points with Tony Woods kicking the winner that bounced 4 or 5 times in the slop and went through.
In successive weeks we lose to Freo in Perth by 54 points.The next week Hawthorn win by 57 points against Freo in Perth.
Carlton invincibility diminshes from half way through 96 we lose unluckily by 11 points to them after Heaver touches the ball twice all afternoon to kick the goal that put the Filth in front and set up Williams from a Benny Gale clanger.Hawthorn beat them by 49 points a few weeks later.
We lost 6 games under 3 goals where we had real chances to win in all. We won no close games decided by less than 3 goals. Our smallest win was in rd 3 at the Gabba were we held off a fast finishing Brissy by 18 points after we were about 6 goals up at half time thanks to Bondy having a blinder.
Hawthorn won 4 games under 2 goals and snatched a draw. No losses under 3 goals.
We had a % of about 117.Top 3 in the league. Hawthorn made the eight with a % of well under 100. People might say we played Fitzroy twice but so did Brissy and Nth who finished top 4 that season and Hawthorn who also made the 8.
In 1994 and 1995 we won most of the close ones that supplemented our ladder position as we had much lower percentages.
1996 was such an even season. With some luck we could have finished top 4. We played some of the best footy I have seen us play since the early 80's that first year of Walls. Sure Walls is and will be a knob but 1996 could have been anything with abit of luck.
