Every childโs dream is to play on that one day in September.
The bubbling desire for glory is the petrol that fuels all teams and players.
Players like 426-game Hawthorn star Michael Tuck have been fortunate enough to win seven premierships, while other players like St Kilda Legend Trevor Barker, didnโt even get to run out in a final across his 230-game career.
*Editor's note: This article was originally written the week before the 2021 AFL Grand Final.
The Nathan Jones story is a particularly heart-breaking one. Captain for six-years, three-time Keith โBlueyโ Truscott Medallist, 302 games, 198 losses and one admirable decision to fly home back to Melbourne and be with his wife for the birth of twins. A choice that is likely to leave a lump in the throat of any footy lover.
As a man who did so much for a club when they needed a leader, Jones now wonโt be able to join in the potential success of breaking the 57-year drought he worked his backside to topple.
Sport is unquestionably hard, and that is why we love it.
Only a matter of days before one club tastes September glory, we are looking at some of the unluckiest grand final stories in history, and the players behind them.
8. Ron McKeown - Collingwood (1984-1993)ย
Though having played in the famous drawn qualifying final of 1990 for Collingwood, Collingwood's board thought their side was too tall going into the semi final and dropped McKeown before the final meeting despite his ankles were already being taped!
What followed was a convincing win by the Magpies with no injuries - not a great portent for his Grand Final hopes.
McKeown watched Collingwood break their 32-year drought, and summed it perfectly on Open Mike with Mike Sheahan when he said:
โPeople can tell you a part of it, pat you on your backโฆsay you played 20 gamesโฆ I didnโt feel a part of it...โ
McKeown then preceded to feel unwanted by the Pies and only stayed on at Victoria Park in 1991 after receiving a letter from Hawthorn utility Peter Schwab.
Schwab was was suspended and missed the 1989 premiership and empathetically claimed he understood how McKeown felt.
