Great grand final matchups we were robbed of

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1989 - Haw vs Ess. Ess beat Cats in Qualifying Final and had a lead and momentum on Hawks in the 2nd SF until Tony Antrobus gave away a free with Long running into an open goal for about a 4 goal lead. Hawks would have then beat Cats in a lack lustre PF to earn GF with the Dons. Would have been much better than that yawn fest between Hawks and Cats.

More seriously 1997, Saints vs Dogs was meant to happen. But didn't. Umps wouldn't let an Adelaide team beat Dogs in a PF now ;)
 

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North Vs Essendon could have been one of the great Rivalries of the 90's had 96 and 99 gone differently

Personally i would have loved to have faced the old enemy on the last dayin september in 2018. Melbourne Vs Collingwood in a grand final would have been a great treat for the old romantics. Although in counting that, Richmond should have been there

West Coast probably should have challenged again in 2007

Dogs vs Saints in 97

And even though we where there, Carlton should have faced Hawthorn in 88
 
WC vs North would've been great, but in reality their peak and ours didn't quite overlap. 95/96 maybe, but Carlton had one elite season in 95 and the MCG rule stitched us in 96. Our early 90s team vs their late 90s team would be a hypothetical cracker.

I think a Sydney vs GWS GF in 2016 would've been pretty epic.

Of the Hawthorn 3peat only the Sydney GF in 2014 was highly anticipated for neutrals. Ross Lyon Freo and upstart WC no one expected to be there don't really excite the masses. After 2008 and the 2013 prelim a Haw/Geel GF would've been great.

As a WC fan I would've liked to see WC vs Adel in 2005 or 2006. Ended up playing off in the prelim 2 years in a row.
 
Daniel B said:
Yeah, no.
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I don't have a hard on for this one either.

We were great in 2007 but limped into the finals without Kerr and Judd on one leg. Cousins pinged a hammy in the QF and all 3 sat out the semi after we lost to Port.

Parallel universe with a fit WC vs fit Geelong sure, but if we had got through the QF,had the extra week off then won through the GF Geelong would've been heavy favourites.
 
Always Ballin said:
Some off the top of my head:

  • 2007: West Coast vs. Geelong
Really felt we were robbed of this one. The best team of the 2005/2006 period vs. the one for 2007-2011. WCE imploded with the scandals. Both teams had similar styles: a low kick-to-handball ratio. Lots of handballs and overlap running through the middle of the ground, making for entertaining football. They played once in round 7 or 8; it was at Skilled; WCE was undefeated, while Geelong was demolishing teams. The Cats won by 5 goals or so; it got down to 20 points with 8 minutes left.

A healthy, firing WCE was the best foil to Geelong in 2007. It's a shame we never saw them square off, both 100%, at the MCG.

  • 1994: West Coast vs. North Melbourne
Two best teams of the '90s. Would've been awesome to have seen Jackovich vs. Carey on the grandest stage of them all.

  • 1999: North Melbourne vs. Essendon
The last hurrah of North, up against Essendon, the next one up.

  • 2018: Richmond vs. West Coast
The two best teams all year. Was a shame we never saw this matchup.
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2007 - nah! Port was plenty of a stiff opposition…… as in a coffin that is ;)
 
Always Ballin said:
Some off the top of my head:

  • 2007: West Coast vs. Geelong
Really felt we were robbed of this one. The best team of the 2005/2006 period vs. the one for 2007-2011. WCE imploded with the scandals. Both teams had similar styles: a low kick-to-handball ratio. Lots of handballs and overlap running through the middle of the ground, making for entertaining football. They played once in round 7 or 8; it was at Skilled; WCE was undefeated, while Geelong was demolishing teams. The Cats won by 5 goals or so; it got down to 20 points with 8 minutes left.

A healthy, firing WCE was the best foil to Geelong in 2007. It's a shame we never saw them square off, both 100%, at the MCG.

  • 1994: West Coast vs. North Melbourne
Two best teams of the '90s. Would've been awesome to have seen Jackovich vs. Carey on the grandest stage of them all.

  • 1999: North Melbourne vs. Essendon
The last hurrah of North, up against Essendon, the next one up.

  • 2018: Richmond vs. West Coast
The two best teams all year. Was a shame we never saw this matchup.
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Even if nearly everyone was waiting for a mouth watering matchup between clearly the best two teams in 2018 - Richmond vs West Coast.

The Magpies did not disappoint. And nearly came close causing a miracle.

A West Coast vs Collingwood GF was overdue as these teams had played classics between them in the past.

Looking back now I don’t mind the Tigers failing in 2018 because I doubt we would have won 19-20 if we did.

Hopefully same result in the crash of 21. Time will tell…
 
1983 - Fitzroy vs Hawthorn

Fitzroy should have won the QF, but got robbed by a bad umpire call.
Would have beat North in the Semi at VFL Park. The Kangaroos form took a big dip in the Finals and must be regarded as one of the worst minor premiers in history.

I think the Hawks would had withstand the bullying methods from Essendon.

Bruised but still easily beat North in the PF.

The best GF since 1970 where the Lions pull away in the end because of the weeks rest.

Fitzroy survive, still struggles for the most part of 90’s and 00’s

Then rise in power to stop Hawks 3-peat in 2015. A repeat of the classic 1983 Grand Final.

But with Fitzroy not around, then nobody could stop Hawthorn ;)
 
BigVic said:
West Coast vs Richmond 2021. Would've been a cracker given their round 13 epic
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Agree the the two worst teams in the League after just this game, meeting up again. Draw, extra time, draw, shoot out, draw, toss of coin (lands on it’s side)…..bah AFL says no Premiership because of Covid
 

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1900 Fitzroy vs Geelong

Fitzroy was the best team for the season, minor premiers with only 3 losses and going for their first 3-peat.

Geelong finished 2nd.

But for some very bad finals fixture (reminiscent of final 6) third last Melbourne made the Finals and what often happen with underdogs beat the mighty Maroons in the Grand Final.
 
I reckon we’ve done 1990 onwards to death, be interested to hear from some of the veterans re who would have been a good match up from 1970-89. I know Fitzroy has been mentioned in 83. Big ones for me;

WC v North - 94
St Kilda v WB - 97
North v Ess - 99
Hawthorn v Geelong - 11,13
WC v Fremantle - 15
GWS v Sydney - 16

I really would have enjoyed a Sydney derby in 2016 and a Perth GF in 2015.

Maybe Ron The Bear would have some stats on 1970? Onwards? You seem to have lots of interesting pieces of information.

Also, what hasn’t been mentioned is a Hawthorn v North GF in either of 14 or 15. I think on both occasions North won from the EF through to the PF. Would have been a nice throwback to the seventies and North would have probably been better than Sydney and West Coast.
 
Last edited:
Off the top of my head, Geelong would've put up a much better showing than Collingwood in 1980. They were minor premiers, had a good defence and were the only team not to concede 100 points to Richmond for the year. H&A games were split 1-1 and it took 8 goals from Bartlett to overcome them in a tense semi. Somehow Geelong went down by a few points in the prelim and left a tired Collingwood to be slaughtered.
 
Ron The Bear said:
Off the top of my head, Geelong would've put up a much better showing than Collingwood in 1980. They were minor premiers, had a good defence and were the only team not to concede 100 points to Richmond for the year. H&A games were split 1-1 and it took 8 goals from Bartlett to overcome them in a tense semi. Somehow Geelong went down by a few points in the prelim and left a tired Collingwood to be slaughtered.
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Did we potentially miss out on a Hawthorn v Richmond GF in the seventies?
 
In recent years

If Sydney made the GF in 2017, I think we would've had an all time great game. From memory Sydney went something like 16-2 to finish the season. Sydney vs any of GWS, Richmond or Adelaide would've been epic.

Any combination of the final 4 in 2018, would've been good and Collingwood v Richmond in 2019, Richmond would've won, but at least it would've been a game.

Shame we couldn't get a Richmond v Port granny last year either.
 

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Great grand final matchups we were robbed of

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