Greatest Finals Wins of All Time

[skwunk]

Pies Hawks 2011 Prelim was something special. Not the most high scoring game of footy but boy what a contest. If you can watch that and not be emotional in some way you're not a footy fan.

I still sometimes go back and watch highlights from that, it was that good of a game. Franklin's goal would be my all time favourite finals moment if we had've won.

 

[Macpotata]

1993 - Dons vs Crows prelim. Baby Bombers come back from 7 goals down at half time.

1994 - Cats vs Blues. We had about 5 players missing, good players, when we met the 2nd placed Blues in the semi finals. We got em.

1995 - Tiges vs Dons semi final. Tigers erase a 33 point deficit to get up. Stirring victory.

1996 - Lions and Swans both beat the Dons by a point in the first week of the finals, then that famous preliminary. In fact in the first game up at the GABBA, Wanganeen had a snap in the dying seconds that hit the post.

1997 - Semi finals were classics on the Saturday. Eagles blow a 32 point lead to North at the G, momentum swung when Schofield went off doing his knee. Needed a knee reco and played his last game for WCE. Dominated at Port Adelaide where he's just signed as an assistant coach. We lost by 8 points to the Crows that night in Footy park where Leigh Colbert wasn't paid a mark famously or infamously. Prelim final Dogs vs Crows a week later was epic as the Crows rallied from about 40 down. Jarman kicking the match winner, Grant having his shot smothered for a point right before the siren.

1998 - Dees spanking the Crows in week 1 of the finals was pretty special. I think Neitz and Farmer booted 6 apiece. Swans beating the Saints at the SCG on the Saturday night first week also a great game as it went down to the wire.

1999 - Blues beating Bombers monumental. West Coast against the Doggies, MCG, Friday night, Malthouse breaks a bone in his hand in what could have been the last seconds of his coaching career at West Coast, Epic. Eagles started like a house in fire in 99 going 8-0 but only won about 4 more games for the year. Finished the season losing about 4 on the trot. Good win by 5 points after losing by 12 goals the year before to the doggies in week 1 of the finals.

2000 - Dees vs Blues qualifier. Dees were about 6 goals down and come home like a house on fire. Won by about 23 in the end in rather easy fashion. Loved the days of Robertson, Yze, Green etc. Robertson and Green had good years I think.


Not all of these were greatest of all time wins but pretty special. Really enjoyed the Pies 2002 and 2003 finals and had good wins against Port x 2, Adelaide in Brizzy in the 03 qualifying final. Didak got a couple of pearlers on the boundary in the last quarter.




**** I love footy.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Another one.

1994 Preliminary Final. Cats v North. Ablett’s goal after the siren. It had everything and remains my all time favourite finals match not including 2016!

 

[SSSSSS]

Hawthorn 2014 Grand Final is almost perfection.

 

[TMFKAV]

The other game I kept hearing about when growing up was the 1958 GF.

Melbourne going for their 4th flag in a row against Collingwood who were trying to stop the Dees from matching their 4 in a row from the 20s.

Melbourne had finished 3 games clear on top and beat the Pies by 45 points in the second semi.

Folklore has it that wet conditions suited Collingwood that day and won what would be their last flag for 32 years.

Melbourne went on to win the next 2 flags, and thus 5 in 6 years.

In the book "Every Game Ever Played" by Stephen Rodgers, he writes at the end of his chapter on 1958, and I'm paraphrasing here, "that the 3rd quarter of the 1958 Grand Final was Melbourne's only costly and serious lapse in 6 years and 121 games of football".
Not a bad effort

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[charcoalchicken]

The dogs finals run in 2016 no other team will better it.

Thread over.

 

[The Gong]

Freo at KP then Freo belting the Swans in the prelim in 2013.

For the underdog victory, Geelong v Carlton semi in 1994. If memory is correct, the Cats best 3 mids in Hocking, Couch and Bairstow were all out with injuries and won the unexpected.

Swans in 2013? That was practically our reserves side. How is that the greatest finals performance of all time? Beating Geelong in KP was a hell of an effort though.

 

[bradrowe#32]

I mention this every time a thread like this comes up, the 2002 semi between Adelaide and Melbourne. Adelaide should have had the home ground, but it was played at the MCG owing to the old arrangement. Adelaide kicked eight goals to one in the first term, before Melbourne kicked seven goals to four in the second term to trail by 15 points. Melbourne kicked eight goals to two in the third term to lead by 22 points, but Adelaide kicked six goals to one in the final term to win by two goals. Just a ridiculous end-to-end shoot-out, the final score was 130 to 118. Travis Johnstone was brilliant with 25 disposals and four goals, Neitz kicked five, Yze and Bruce were great. Mark Stevens kicked four for Adelaide, and Edwards, Goodwin, Johnson and Stenglein were the Crows' best.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Freo at KP then Freo belting the Swans in the prelim in 2013.

For the underdog victory, Geelong v Carlton semi in 1994. If memory is correct, the Cats best 3 mids in Hocking, Couch and Bairstow were all out with injuries and won the unexpected.

Fair play to the Dockers, we had everything align for us perfectly (four Victorian home teams in week one of the finals, with Geelong having the expected lowest crowd, which allowed the Cats to make the argument that our final should be at KP instead of Etihad) and yet we just never looked like winning that game in 2013. Then they dominated the Swans to the extent that everyone gave them a serious chance in the grand final (and they weren't too far off there either). Could have been one of the great finals runs.

You're spot on with the 1994 Geelong pick too.

I guess that's the thing with those wins by other teams in finals that neutrals remember, usually teams aren't given a hope for a reason, and they end up getting some agony later in the finals (e.g. Geelong 1994, Fremantle 2013). I was too young to prepare for what was waiting for us in the 1994 GF; I figured two after the siren wins and that win against Carlton made us a team of destiny.

 

[winty]

2002 semi between Adelaide and Melbourne would be up there. Adelaide lead by 40 points at quarter time. Melbourne dominate the 2nd and 3rd quarters, kicking 15.11 to 6.3 to go into the last change 22 points up, only for Adelaide to kick 6 goals to 1 in the last quarter to win by 2 goals.

Amazing momentum swings in that game.

 

[Marmozet]

The whole 2014 finals series was a great and underrated one. At first it looked like a straight-forward and predictable one, but that was not meant to be!

We got an absolute classic in week one between North & Essendon, and how could you forget that demolition by Port of that red-hot Richmond side?

Teams going out in straight sets was a rarity at the time, only happening twice in 28 times since the current system was introduced, so it was a shock when North sent Geelong out in straight sets in what was another good game, and before you knew it lightning struck twice as Port sent Freo packing. Again, another great game.

Then in week three was the classic Hawthorn vs Port PF. The greatest comeback that never was by Port as Hawthorn got over the line by 3 points. Then on Grand Final day, the underdog got up by 10 goals playing some of the best footy you'll ever see in your lifetime.

 

[windyhill]

You want a loud hungry crowd ? Stirring comeback, last quarter straight from a football fairytale ? Smash the team who had embarrassed you the previous season ?
1984

 

[emblurr]

If it bleeds, you can kill it...

Brisbane become the predators!

1. This was for the Round 10 game
2. It's "If it bleeds, we can kill it'
3. Leigh Matthews gets too much credit for a line he didn't come up with...there i said it. Line was written by Jim and John Thomas

 

[demondavey]

1. PF Adelaide v WB 1997
2. PF Adelaide v WC 2006
3. PF WB v GWS 2016
4. GF St Kilda v Adelaide 1997
5. PF North v Geelong 1994
6. QF Melbourne v Carlton 2000
7. PF Sydney v Essendon 1996
8. PF Carlton v Essendon 1999
9. SF Sydney v Geelong 2005
10. SF Fremantle v Port 2014
11. GF Essendon v Brisbane 2001
12. 2005 / 2006 GF
13. GF Geelong v WC 1992
14. GF Geelong v Hawthorn 1989
15. GF Essendon v Hawthorn 1984

My favourites?
15, 2, 1, 13, 4 and 6

 

[Altum Volantes]

One of my personal favourites was the Collingwood vs Port Adelaide QF in 2002 in Adelaide. Port were pretty dominant that year and we pinched it.

Awesome win that one. That Collingwood side was no team of champions but they had some great moments. Very Mick Malthouse team back then.

 

[CURVE]

A lot of people rate the 1994 Preliminary Final between North and Geelong as the greatest game ever. Personally I thought it was 2hrs of frustrating football (The umps were on Geelong's side - 33-13 free kick count and 5 goals to nil from free kicks) followed by the most nightmarish finish to a game in my 40+ years of watching the game.

 

[Gunslinging Roo]

Another one.

1994 Preliminary Final. Cats v North. Ablett’s goal after the siren. It had everything and remains my all time favourite finals match not including 2016!

Yep - despite the result not going in North's favour, this match was the best finals game I've ever seen live.

I still cringe when I remember the late misses we had to wrap it up...

Rohan Connolly heaped praise upon this contest a few years back, too:

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...g-v-north-melbourne-1994-20140910-10f2km.html

 

[iluvparis]

Surely the 1970 GF tops all.

Carlton 44 points down at half time against arch rival Collingwood in front of the all time record crowd.

A shame it is getting forgotten now.

Naturally - but I thought this thread was non-GFs only

 

[iluvparis]

Yep - despite the result not going in North's favour, this match was the best finals game I've ever seen live.

I still cringe when I remember the late misses we had to wrap it up...

Rohan Connolly heaped praise upon this contest a few years back, too:

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...g-v-north-melbourne-1994-20140910-10f2km.html

There is an all time photo which I can't seem to find off Mick Martyn down on one knee with his head in his hands after the siren - one of the great footy photos of all time.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

There is an all time photo which I can't seem to find off Mick Martyn down on one knee with his head in his hands after the siren - one of the great footy photos of all time.

The mark.

 

[Gunslinging Roo]

There is an all time photo which I can't seem to find off Mick Martyn down on one knee with his head in his hands after the siren - one of the great footy photos of all time.

Yeah, I know the one - I couldn't find it either (iirc it was from the backpage of Age or HS on the Sunday following.)

Will have to settle for this great finals pic:

Spoiler

 

[Boxhead_31]

The 1994 2nd Semi Geelong played 2nd place Carlton who were a big flag fancy without their entire midfield.

 

[Blackhawk42]

If we lose Jager, Stratton, Hardwick, don't get Birchall back in time and lose Cyril to retirement but manage to knock off the highly fancied Dees in a semi-final. Do not see a victory coming tonight, but will be an all timer if we pull it off.

 

[Glees]

Pies v Crows, 2009 semi-final. Remembered as the 'RIGHT IN FRONT ME' game.

What doesn't get mentioned is that Collingwood had a 6 day break v Adelaide having an 8 day break, Pies lost 4 players to injury from the first final including Pendlebury, Rocca, Beams and Josh Fraser, and the crows led by 32 points during the second quarter.

 

[PerthBoy86]

Last year's EF against Port. Had everything. If it was a gf (in the post draw era) would be considered the greatest of all time.