Best sides that didnt win a flag

[krisholio14]

I still seethe over that year. North finished on top of the ladder, so should have played Hawthorn at the MCG. Sheedy put up a massive whinge about how if Essendon made it to the grand final, they wouldn't get to play any games at the G before then, so our game was switched to Waverley, just to satisfy Sheedy.

Waverley was a massive mudheap, which basically brought North back to Hawthorn's level & they beat us ; worse, the North players were still leg-weary the next week & got done by Essendon (who of course, had played at the G the previous week).

Fitzroy were far more unlucky than your mob that year. I'm sure you remember the 150 point thumping they dished out to you at the Junction Oval that season?

 

[Mr Magoo]

Our 89 and 92 sides were the best two, but I reckon the years we screwed up were 91 and 93.

Yeah i remember 93 & agree with you, Geelong came home like a freight train that year & won the last 6 or 7 games & just missed out on making the finals by percentage to West coast (i think) who ironically they had to beat in round 22 in Perth.

 

[krisholio14]

Yeah i remember 93 & agree with you, Geelong came home like a freight train that year & won the last 6 or 7 games & just missed out on making the finals by percentage to West coast (i think) who ironically they had to beat in round 22 in Perth.

In the last 7 weeks we flogged Hawthorn, North and Essendon, who all made the finals, and beat the Eagles in Perth, who also made the finals. Unfortunately for us, Gazza and Buddha were about the only players we had who were switched on for the first 2/3's of the season. Had we snuck in, I have no doubt we would have gone very very close to winning it that year.

 

[jacko57]

Fitzroy were far more unlucky than your mob that year. I'm sure you remember the 150 point thumping they dished out to you at the Junction Oval that season?

Maybe so...as I recall, that North team was very hot or very cold, not much middle ground.......my grudge is over the fact that the VFL changed the finals draw and disadvantaged the team that finished first just to placate a coach who was in, what, his second year?

 

[andrew coombs]

Amazing to say considering they lost the prelim by 11 goals but Hawthorn side of 77 had a line up of talent that was astonishing. The forward line had Hudson (110 goals), Martello (52) and Hendrie (51). A handy rover/forward called L.Matthews also booted 91 to be the standout player in the VFL of that year. Elsewhere there was star quality eveywhere: Knights, Moore, Tuck,Ablett and Scott were elite players and the likes of Rowlings, O'Halloran, Eade and Murnane were terrific young blokes. After finishing 2nd they thrashed North in the Qualifying before a heartbreaking 2 point loss to the Maggies in th 2nd semi. In that game the imcomparable Matthews somehow conspired to kick 2.8, effectively costing Hawthorn the game. Had this game been won I have no doubt they would have taken the flag a fortnight later. The reality is that Barrassi once again defied all logic and reversed the Qual result to the tune of 105 points! Norths performance in this game was as outstanding as Hawthorns was terrible but really was a testiment to the resiliance and class of the NMFC of the late 70's.

 

[Crow2005]

Crows 1993 should have beaten Essendon in the Prelim and definetly would have beaten Carlton in the Grannie

 

[NorWest Bomber]

Crows 1993 should have beaten Essendon in the Prelim and definetly would have beaten Carlton in the Grannie

Nah, disagree mate, Carlton would have flogged Adelaide

 

[winty]

Collingwood 1992 finished equal first on wins (third on percentage), yet inexplicably missed out on the double chance due to the McIntyre System which was changed the next year. Lost to StKilda by eight points in their only final and were knocked out.

The passing of Millane in 91 and the unfair McIntyre system may have been the difference that year.

1977 Collingwood ended up a game clear on top, beat Hawthorn comfortably in the second semi but lost Phil Carman to a two week suspension. The GF was drawn and the replay which Carman also missed, we ended up losing by 27 points which was exactly the lead we had at 3/4 time the week before.

Find it funny that Collingwood supporters would complain about unfair final systems. Between 1902 and 1930, with the exception of 1924, the finals system of the day included a challenge system, where if the minor premier was defeated at any stage in the finals, they then had the right to challenge whoever won the final to another match, the winner of which would be declared premiers. Collingwood lost finals in 1902, 1905, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1926, 1929 and 1930, and was allowed to challenge what nowadays would be the rightful premier, and as a result won the flag in 1902, 1917, 1919, 1929 and 1930.

If that system didn't exist, Richmond would've had 2 extra flags, and Geelong, Fitzroy and Essendon one each.

 

[cats2rise]

Which year would Geelong have won their extra flag, winty?

 

[winty]

Which year would Geelong have won their extra flag, winty?

1930. We beat Collingwood 12.19.91 to 9.11.65 in the "final" but Collingwood challenged and beat us the following week 14.16.100 to 9.16.70.

1929 was an interesting one though. Collingwood were undefeated all season, got to the finals and Richmond thrashed them 18.15.123 to 8.13.61, but two weeks later they challenged and beat Richmond 11.13.79 to 7.8.50.

 

[superstar]

Geelongs 89 side was better than the vast majority of premiers. It's why that grand final was the best of all time - two amazing sides and so many (one especially) amazing players.

 

[pharro]

1930. We beat Collingwood 12.19.91 to 9.11.65 in the "final" but Collingwood challenged and beat us the following week 14.16.100 to 9.16.70.

1929 was an interesting one though. Collingwood were undefeated all season, got to the finals and Richmond thrashed them 18.15.123 to 8.13.61, but two weeks later they challenged and beat Richmond 11.13.79 to 7.8.50.

Collingwood fans like to underplay the significance of Brisbane's "three-peat" a few years back due to the salary cap concessions they received but are happy to gloss over the four premierships in a row from 1927-30 which apparently included two flags won courtesy of this bizarre challenge rule.