Considering I started following the Blues in 1987 (when I was 6) 1989 was damn horrible to deal with. I thought it was a given we would be in the finals every year.
Then going to school with Essendon* supporters mainly, it felt like our club had been rubbish forever, by the time 1993 came around, then we lost to them!
All these factors combined to why we HAD to win in 1995.
I remember thinking even as recently as 2001 'boy thank god we wont ever have to endure a period like 89-92 again'
I dont really put 1992 in that category though we won 14 games and missed the finals! We could win that many games this year and finish top 4!
Obviously 2002-07 have been so horrifically bad, that 89-92 period seems like a drop in the ocean, but at the time, given how successfull we had been throughout the 70s and 80s, was a bitter pill to swallow. The main reason for it, I believe, was bad recruiting & to some extent, complacency.
What did we learn from it? Well no. Considering we did even worse in the late 90s on the recruitment front, withouth the core of a Sticks, Braddles, SOS, Dean to keep us somewhat competitive....