Longest Grand Final and Premiership Drought by Club

[pz5151]

Not surprising given Pies' well known ability to make (and usually lose) grand finals to learn that they easily win the shortest drought category out of the Victorian clubs.
It's notable too how some of the most successful clubs are currently in the midst of their longest droughts.

ADELAIDE
Longest GF Drought: 19 years (1998-2017)
Longest Premiership Drought: 24 years (199

BRISBANE LIONS
Longest GF Drought: 18 years (2004-)
Longest Premiership Drought: 19 years (2003-)

CARLTON
Longest GF Drought: 23 years (1999-)
Longest Premiership Drought: 27 years (1995-)

COLLINGWOOD
Longest GF Drought: 13 years (1939-1952)
Longest Premiership Drought: 32 years (1958-1990)

ESSENDON
Longest GF Drought: 21 years (2001-)
Longest Premiership Drought: 22 years (2000-)

FREMANTLE
Longest GF Drought: 18 years (1995-2013)
Longest Premiership Drought: 27 years (1995-)

GEELONG
Longest GF Drought: 28 years (1897-1925)
Longest Premiership Drought: 44 years (1963-2007)

GOLD COAST
Longest GF Drought: 11 years (2011-)
Longest Premiership Drought: 11 years (2011-)

GWS
Longest GF Drought: 7 years (2012-2019)
Longest Premiership Drought: 10 years (2012-)

HAWTHORN
Longest GF Drought: 36 years (1925-1961)
Longest Premiership Drought: 36 years (1925-1961)

MELBOURNE
Longest GF Drought: 26 years (1900-1926)
Longest Premiership Drought: 57 years (1964-2021)

NORTH MELBOURNE
Longest GF Drought: 25 years (1925-1950)
Longest Premiership Drought: 50 years (1925-1975)

PORT ADELAIDE
Longest GF Drought: 15 years (2007-)
Longest Premiership Drought: 18 years (2004-)

RICHMOND
Longest GF Drought: 35 years (1982-2017)
Longest Premiership Drought: 37 years (1980-2017)

ST KILDA
Longest GF Drought: 52 years (1913-1965)
Longest Premiership Drought: 69 years (1897-1966)

SOUTH MELBOURNE/SYDNEY
Longest GF Drought: 51 years (1945-1996)
Longest Premiership Drought: 72 years (1933-2005)

WEST COAST
Longest GF Drought: 11 years (1994-2005)
Longest Premiership Drought: 12 years (1994-2006 & 2006-2018)

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Longest GF Drought: 55 years (1961-2016)
Longest Premiership Drought: 62 years (1954-2016)

 

[RogersResults]

Good stuff, but a couple of things:

WEST COAST
Longest GF Drought: 12 years (2006-2018)
Longest Premiership Drought: 12 years (1994-2006 & 2006-2018)

West Coast played in the 2015 Grand Final.
Also as each season is contained in a calendar year, the first year of each 'drought' should be the season following a Grand Final appearance or a Premiership.

 

[pz5151]

Fixed the West Coast one. Thanks for picking that up.

It's customary to count the drought this way, even though what you've said makes sense. Everyone described the Colliwobbles era as being a 32 year drought for example.

 

[boncer34]

How come GWS have a premiership drought listed but Freo and GC don't?

 

[pz5151]

How come GWS have a premiership drought listed but Freo and GC don't?

Thank you. Fixed

 

[North park]

A record for Grand Final droughts will be broken next year.

When two teams meet in a Grand Final, at least one of them (if not both) generally plays in another Grand Final shortly after. In more cases than not, one of them plays in the next Grand Final.

There are some exceptions though, with the longest drought to be broken in 2023:

7 years - Geelong and Collingwood met in the 2011 Grand Final. Collingwood's next Grand Final was 2018, Geelong's was 2020.

18 years* - Essendon and Fitzroy met in the 1923 Grand Final. Essendon's next Grand Final was 1941, Fitzroy's was in 1944 (*Note: Essendon won the 1924 Premiership in a Round Robin finals series, where no Grand Final was played)

23 years - Fitzroy and Richmond met in the 1944 Grand Final. Richmond's next Grand Final was 1967, Fitzroy never played in another Grand Final.

24 (or more) years - North Melbourne and Carlton met in the 1999 Grand Final. Neither team has played in a Grand Final since. 2023 will mark 24 years since either team played in a Grand Final, setting a new record.

 

[SSwans2011]

Swans win again! Eat shit everyone else.

 

[emuboy]

A record for Grand Final droughts will be broken next year.

When two teams meet in a Grand Final, at least one of them (if not both) generally plays in another Grand Final shortly after. In more cases than not, one of them plays in the next Grand Final.

There are some exceptions though, with the longest drought to be broken in 2023:

7 years - Geelong and Collingwood met in the 2011 Grand Final. Collingwood's next Grand Final was 2018, Geelong's was 2020.

18 years* - Essendon and Fitzroy met in the 1923 Grand Final. Essendon's next Grand Final was 1941, Fitzroy's was in 1944 (*Note: Essendon won the 1924 Premiership in a Round Robin finals series, where no Grand Final was played)

23 years - Fitzroy and Richmond met in the 1944 Grand Final. Richmond's next Grand Final was 1967, Fitzroy never played in another Grand Final.

24 (or more) years - North Melbourne and Carlton met in the 1999 Grand Final. Neither team has played in a Grand Final since. 2023 will mark 24 years since either team played in a Grand Final, setting a new record.

These are very interesting stats North Park. Here are some similar stats from other high level competitions around Australia:

SANFL: North Adelaide and West Adelaide contested the 1991 Grand Final, a violent and controversial match won by the Roosters over the Bloods. However after this, premiers North Adelaide would wait another 16 years to appear in the 2007 GF against Centrals, while runner up Wests would not appear again for 12 years when they played Centrals in 2003. And North and Wests would not break their premiership droughts until 2018 and 2015 respectively.

WAFL: The three 'Perth' teams - West Perth, East Perth and Perth - were all powerhouses in the 1960s and 1970s, and the East Perth Royals and Perth Demons would play a memorable 1978 Grand Final in teeming rain with East Perth winning by 2 points, stopping Perth winning three flags in a row. However after that East Perth would wait another 18 years before playing in - and losing - the 1996 Grand Final against Claremont. Perth have not appeared in another Grand Final since then, and in fact since 1978 have made the finals just four times in 1986, 1991, 1997 and 2020.

VFA/VFL: Preston Bullants and Frankston Dolphins contested the 1984 VFA Division 1 Grand Final, Preston winning comfortably. It would take Frankston another 12 years to make a Grand Final, when they lost to Springvale in an upset, and then lost again in 1997 to Sandringham in an even bigger upset. The Dolphins have not made another GF since. It would take 25 years for the Preston, by then known as the Northern Bullants, to play in another Grand Final in 2009, which they lost to the North Ballarat Roosters. The Bullants lost again to the Roosters in 2010, and have not appeared in another GF in 12 years since.

 

[McCrann]

CARLTON
Longest GF Drought: 23 years (1999-)
Longest Premiership Drought: 27 years (1995-)

FREMANTLE
Longest GF Drought: 18 years (1995-2013)
Longest Premiership Drought: 27 years (1995-)


Carlton & Fremantle do not have the same length Premiership Drought.

In 1995
Fremantle won nothing.
Carlton won the Premiership.

It's not possible these two clubs have the same length Premiership Drought. Fremantle's is obviously 1 year longer.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Longest Premiership Drought:

1. Sydney = 72 (1933-2005)
2. St Kilda = 69 (1897-1966)
3. Western Bulldogs = 62 (1954-2016)
4. Melbourne = 57 (1964-2021)
5. North Melbourne = 50 (1925-1975)
6. Geelong = 44 (1963-2007)
7. Richmond = 37 (1980-2017)
8. Hawthorn = 36 (1925-1961)
9. Collingwood = 32 (1958-1990)
10. Fremantle = 29 (1995-Present)
11. Carlton = 29 (1995-Present)
12. Adelaide = 26 (1998-Present)
13. Essendon = 24 (2000-Present)
14. Brisbane Lions = 21 (2003-2024)
15. Port Adelaide = 20 (2004-Present)
16. Gold Coast = 13 (2011-Present)
17. West Coast = 12 (2006-2018)
18. GWS = 12 (2012-Present)

Longest Grand Final Drought:

1. Western Bulldogs = 55 (1961-2016)
2. St Kilda = 52 (1913-1965)
3. Sydney = 51 (1945-1996)
4. Hawthorn = 36 (1925-1961)
5. Richmond = 35 (1982-2017)
6. Geelong = 28 (1897-1925)
7. Melbourne = 26 (1900-1926)
8. Carlton = 25 (1999-Present)
9. North Melbourne = 25 (1925-1950; 1999-Present)
10. Essendon = 23 (2001-Present)
11. Adelaide = 19 (1998-2017)
12. Brisbane Lions = 19 (2004-2023)
13. Fremantle = 18 (1995-2013)
14. Port Adelaide = 17 (2007-Present)
15. Collingwood = 13 (1939-1952)
16. Gold Coast = 13 (2011-Present)
17. West Coast = 11 (1994-2005)
18. GWS = 7 (2012-2019)

 

[Fastback]

GWS impressive.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

Well the Dogs had their chances they just enjoyed losing the preliminary final. 8 prelims from 1985-2016 isn’t the worst despite what the stat might make you think

 

[North park]

Longest Premiership Drought:

1. Sydney = 72 (1933-2005)
2. St Kilda = 69 (1897-1966)
3. Western Bulldogs = 62 (1954-2016)
4. Melbourne = 57 (1964-2021)
5. North Melbourne = 50 (1925-1975)
6. Geelong = 44 (1963-2007)
7. Richmond = 37 (1980-2017)
8. Hawthorn = 36 (1925-1961)
9. Collingwood = 32 (1958-1990)
10. Fremantle = 29 (1995-Present)
11. Carlton = 29 (1995-Present)
12. Adelaide = 26 (1998-Present)
13. Essendon = 24 (2000-Present)
14. Brisbane Lions = 21 (2003-2024)
15. Port Adelaide = 20 (2004-Present)
16. Gold Coast = 13 (2011-Present)
17. West Coast = 12 (2006-2018)
18. GWS = 12 (2012-Present)

Longest Grand Final Drought:

1. Western Bulldogs = 55 (1961-2016)
2. St Kilda = 52 (1913-1965)
3. Sydney = 51 (1945-1996)
4. Hawthorn = 36 (1925-1961)
5. Richmond = 35 (1982-2017)
6. Geelong = 28 (1897-1925)
7. Melbourne = 26 (1900-1926)
8. Carlton = 25 (1999-Present)
9. North Melbourne = 25 (1925-1950; 1999-Present)
10. Essendon = 23 (2001-Present)
11. Adelaide = 19 (1998-2017)
12. Brisbane Lions = 19 (2004-2023)
13. Fremantle = 18 (1995-2013)
14. Port Adelaide = 17 (2007-Present)
15. Collingwood = 13 (1939-1952)
16. Gold Coast = 13 (2011-Present)
17. West Coast = 11 (1994-2005)
18. GWS = 7 (2012-2019)

I have to agree with McCrann's view that the Premiership droughts for Carlton and Fremantle should be of different lengths.

Fremantle entered the competition in 1995 and they have now competed in 30 seasons (1995 - 2024) without winning a premiership.

Carlton won the 1995 premiership, so their drought commenced in 1996 meaning it has now reached 29 seasons (1996 - 2024).

Fremantle is similar to other teams that had to wait a long time for their first Premiership or Grand Final appearance, meaning the first year needs to be included in the drought. These teams are:

• St.Kilda - 70 seasons from 1897 to 1966
• North Melbourne - 51 seasons from 1925 to 1975
• Hawthorn - 37 seasons from 1925 to 1961
• Gold Coast - 14 seasons from 2011 to 2024
• GWS - 13 seasons from 2021 to 2024

The same rule applies to Grand Final droughts for Hawthorn (37), Geelong (29), North Melbourne (26), Gold Coast (14) and GWS (8).