Like a lot of Brisbane Lions fans, former premiership coach Leigh Matthews still feels ‘dudded’ by the AFL’s 2004 Finals scheduling.
Despite earning the right to host a Preliminary Final at the Gabba, an existing contract between the AFL and the Melbourne Cricket Club meant the Lions were instead forced to play their ‘home’ match against Geelong at the MCG.
Furthermore, the match was scheduled on a Saturday night, giving the Lions significantly less time to prepare for their 2004 Grand Final clash.
History shows that Port Adelaide would go on to win the following week’s premiership decider by 40 points, bringing an end to the Lions’ historic title reign.
Although Matthews maintains that Port were a deserving winner on the day, he has often been left to ponder what might have been.
In an excerpt from his new book, Accept the Challenge, revealed in the Herald Sun on Sunday, Matthews said that the circumstances surrounding the 2004 Finals Series could have potentially cost his team a shot at AFL history.
"We had a chance to do something unbelievably special and external forces intervened to make our task harder," Matthews said.
"Do I feel we were dudded by the schedule? Well, yes, I do."
"In my mind the AFL denied us our best shot at winning a historic fourth consecutive premiership.”
"I always feel quite sick whenever I think about culmination of the 2004 season."
Accept the Challenge by Leigh Matthews, reprinted by permission of Random House Australia, is available now.
Matthews will be making a special appearance at LIONS@springwood on the evening of Tuesday 27 August to sign copies of his book.
Keep posted to http://www.lionsatspringwood.com.au/ for further details.
2004 still burns: Matthews
Leigh Matthews still feels 'dudded' by the AFL's 2004 Finals scheduling