Best team not to win the flag in the last 25 years?

[Halftimehero]

The whole thread is based on "if"!

Ok yeah well it probably is but most of the teams being talked about is focusing on one IF but with WCE there are quite a few IFS aren't there? anyway we obviously aren't going to agree so best we leave it at that yeah?

 

[SgtSchulz]

 

[Franc de Borges]

Ok yeah well it probably is but most of the teams being talked about is focusing on one IF but with WCE there are quite a few IFS aren't there? anyway we obviously aren't going to agree so best we leave it at that yeah?

Fair enough, yeah.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Geelong 2008 is up for discussion?
They're the worst team ever.

Not even Fitzroy 1996, or the recent Gold Coast/GWS games come close to Geelong 2008 for highest average losing margin.

 

[JackFlash]

Geelong of 2008 is very close to being the best team of all time and didn't win the flag. The 2008 Cats side is the best of their golden era. Premierships are hard to win, 2008 proves that beyond doubt.

North should've beaten Adelaide in 1998, Essendon were clearly the best side in 1999, but blew the preliminary.
I think Port Adelaide were by far the best side in 2002/03, but choked in the finals.
The Saints of 2009 won 20 on the trot, but i knew when they lost to North (13th) late in the season with just 8 goals, they were not capable of kicking enough goals to win a Grand Final. The Saints kicked just 30 goals in three finals appearances that year! Geelong kicked 43.

 

[SJ]

I think people often forget that at Round 23 2011, Collingwood was at 20W-1L and 181.7%.

That's probably the best record of all time prior to the last match of a 22-game season.

 

[Partridge]

Bullshit. Pies 2011 were just as good. Pull your finger out.

There is a difference though:

- Geelong in 2008 had beaten Hawthorn the only time they'd met during home and away.
- St.Kilda in 2009 had beaten Geelong the only time they'd met during home and away.
- Collingwood in 2011 had lost to Geelong both times they'd met during home and away, and been slaughtered by them on the eve of the finals.

 

[Powerstufff]

This is hard, any losing team in a close GF would have to be considered. But I am going to say Collingwood 2002, one of the great games, between absolute football monsters. After that there would be a few Saints teams to choose from, going back to 1997.

 

[screech]

No love for Geelong 1992? Minor premiers, percentage of 145.6, highest scoring H&A team in history (averaged 138.95 points per game), nine different players kicking 20+ goals during the H&A season, 8 different players kicking bags of 5 during the season. They were an attacking juggernaut, just couldn't get it done against the West Coast defence that year (1-3 record against the Eagles in four meetings that season, including two losses at the MCG in the finals).

Probably before most of the posters here were born

 

[GFrost]

In the most recent history, Geelong 08, Saints 09, and Pies 11 stand out (in that order imo).
While it hurts that the Cats are up the top, it is impressive that they also beat the other two great sides in the GF's in 09 and 11.

 

[Jade]

Essendon 1999
Geelong 2008
St Kilda 2009

That's probably your stand out three I would think.

 

[Damon_3388]

I agree that Collingwood in 2011 were an unbelievable side prior to Round 24, but let's not get carried away. Collingwood won the 2010 Prelim by seven goals, not 16.

Sorry, there was a point where we were leading by 80+. Forgot that we took the foot off the throat and the gap got narrowed late in the game.

 

[Jade]

Geelong got them in the last game they played = Geel vs Ess = win to G.

Idiocy.

Essendon beat them the NEXT time they played.

 

[raff23]

Geelong '89. Problem was the stupid game plan Blight used in the first quarter of the GF, which cost us the match.

Rubbish, Hawthorn were the best team in the league by a bit of a margin, Sure Geelong were an offensive machine that year but so were we, can't forget that infamous game at Princess Park were we came back from the clouds to win 26 goals to 25. You can only produce a scoreboard like that if your an amazing offensive team.

 

[raff23]

Sorry, there was a point where we were leading by 80+. Forgot that we took the foot off the throat and the gap got narrowed late in the game.

The game style was what made you guys great in that 2010-11 period and everyone adhering to it with military precision. Teams with more talent aka Geelong of 08 or 92 and the Kangas of 98 would fit this criteria more accurately.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

The question is probably which squad was the best not to win a flag over a period.

For mine that is clearly Geelong 1989-1995. Four GFs - outstanding talent across the park - just came up against some cracking sides

Adelaide mid 2000's and St Kilda late 2000's a close follower.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

Geelong of 2008 is very close to being the best team of all time and didn't win the flag. The 2008 Cats side is the best of their golden era. Premierships are hard to win, 2008 proves that beyond doubt.

North should've beaten Adelaide in 1998, Essendon were clearly the best side in 1999, but blew the preliminary.
I think Port Adelaide were by far the best side in 2002/03, but choked in the finals.
The Saints of 2009 won 20 on the trot, but i knew when they lost to North (13th) late in the season with just 8 goals, they were not capable of kicking enough goals to win a Grand Final. The Saints kicked just 30 goals in three finals appearances that year! Geelong kicked 43.

it's actually amazing how many really great teams crumble in the finals. since 00 Essendon, 20+win teams are 0-3 in grand finals.

 

[raff23]

Rubbish, Hawthorn were the best team in the league by a bit of a margin, Sure Geelong were an offensive machine that year but so were we, can't forget that infamous game at Princess Park were we came back from the clouds to win 26 goals to 25. You can only produce a scoreboard like that if your an amazing offensive team.

I might add the only reason you guys got close is because we were banged up and stuffed. 2 down on the bench and at least 4 others on the field with serious injuries.

 

[Sttew]

Bombers 99 by a street.

What a ridiculous statement. This implies no team has got within coo-ee, but Essendon didn't even make the GF!! Add to that Essendon won 18 and lost 4 in the H&A, finishing with a % of 125.98. Compare that with Geelong in 2008 - 21 wins, 1 loss, 161.84% and played off in GF.

Even St Kilda in 2009 was superior in every way to Essendon of 99.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

Cats 2008, Saints 2009, Hawthorn 2012, Cats 1992.

I wouldn't say Collingwood 2011, even though their H&A season was good, they were beaten by Geelong every game they played them that season. So the GF loss wasn't a fluke. IIRC, Collingwoods only two losses in the 2011 H&A were to Geelong.

 

[barmy44]

i hate to be the typical fan, but im pretty impressed that two of the three sides being offered up frequently were sides geelong had to beat to win the flag. and the third is geelong.

an underrated aspect of geelongs recent success are the incredible teams in '09 saints and '11 magpies which we have come up against and beaten.

 

[Sttew]

i hate to be the typical fan, but im pretty impressed that two of the three sides being offered up frequently were sides geelong had to beat to win the flag. and the third is geelong.

an underrated aspect of geelongs recent success are the incredible teams in '09 saints and '11 magpies which we have come up against and beaten.

Let's not lose sight of how incredible Port was in 07

 

[barmy44]

Let's not lose sight of how incredible Port was in 07

even so, geelongs performance that day was virtually flawless. i dont think anyone would have come close.

 

[Barry_Badrinath]

i hate to be the typical fan, but im pretty impressed that two of the three sides being offered up frequently were sides geelong had to beat to win the flag. and the third is geelong.

an underrated aspect of geelongs recent success are the incredible teams in '09 saints and '11 magpies which we have come up against and beaten.

In the early days (2007/08) some people tried to downplay Geelong's dominance because of a "weak era". West Coast were torn apart by the Judd/Cousins departures and the clubs to replace them in the top 4 (North and Port) were pretty ordinary.

Going through St Kilda and Collingwood to win the next two flags certainly put that sort of talk to bed.

 

[Theo X]

That whole st kilda era: Riewoltd, Hayes, Montanga, Dal Santo, Godard, Milne, Fisher, Harvey early on. That team deserved a flag

True, but I'm glad they didn't.