On Saturday afternoon, despite the disappointment, it was hard for this Swans fan not to crack a smile watching the Brisbane Lions’ Oscar McInerney lose his shit while teammate Darcy Fort collected his premiership medal.
In the Swans’ 2022 grand final loss, Geelong’s Joel Selwood was swarmed by his team with three minutes to go, kicking a glorious goal to end his 355-game career with a fourth flag. In 2016, the stadium wept when the Western Bulldogs’ Bob Murphy found himself on stage with a premiership medal hanging around his neck. In 2014, the Hawks had the last laugh over Bud the Swan in a one-sided romp en route to their historic threepeat.
Groundhog Day for Swans’ supporters. Credit: The Age
Saturday afternoon was Groundhog Day for the Sydney men and Swans’ fans, who are probably wondering whether it’s their lot in life to set the scene for another’s triumph. I definitely am.
Almost. Almost, almost almost.
It’s only a game. True. For the past 20 years, Swans fans haven’t suffered in the soul-sucking way others have. Every year, the folklore of the ’05 and ’12 victories grows stronger: Leo Barry’s mark, Malceski’s sealer, Goodes playing out 2012 with a ruptured PCL.
Loading
But every year, these moments slide further behind us, and in the hurt of a fourth consecutive loss in a grand final appearance, the fourth in 11 years, it’s hard not to wonder when or if the ultimate payoff will come again. In the immediate aftermath, we search for some something concrete: it was a good season, we just fell short; Brisbane deserved it and we weren’t good enough on the day; we’ll be back again next year, harder and stronger because of the loss; without the lows you don’t feel the euphoric highs.
Or something harsher: second place counts for nothing and, in the end, the only thing that matters is silverware.
I’m sure plenty of others are searching in the same way. I haven’t ventured onto the club’s Facebook or Instagram comments and probably won’t, knowing I’ll find a cesspit of pissed-off fans crucifying the club for another disappointing grand final, and less pissed-off fans telling those fans to STFU and be grateful of the seventh season in 20 years that ended on the last Saturday of September.