AFL Grand Final The minor premiers curse - Are Melbourne doomed before the ball is bounced on Grand Final day?

[Blackas87]

what about grand finalists? Or the Runner ups or Grand final losers on where they came from on the ladder?

Winners vs runner up and total Grand Final appearances from 2000 - 2020 under the current top 8 system

1st: 6 v 8 = 14
2nd: 7 v 6 = 13
3rd: 7 v 3 = 10
4th: 0 v 3 = 3
5th: 0 v 0 = 0
6th: 0 v 1 = 1
7th: 1 v 0 = 1
8th: 0 v 0 = 0

5th place makes it for the first time this year with the Western Bulldogs

7 times 1st place hasn’t made the Grand Final, losing these Home Finals those seasons.

- 2002 Port Adelaide lost QF to Collingwood at Football Park
- 2003 Port Adelaide lost QF to Sydney at Football Park
- 2005 Adelaide lost QF to St Kilda at Football Park
- 2015 Fremantle lost PF to Hawthorn at Subiaco
- 2018 Richmond lost PF to Collingwood at MCG
- 2019 Geelong lost QF to Collingwood at MCG
- 2020 Port Adelaide lost PF to Richmond at Adelaide oval

Port Adelaide not making it 3 times.
Collingwood causing the upset 3 times.
2021 ends a 3 year drought of the top team not making it.

 

[Duskfire]

No, because curses don't exist. Historical patterns can't be discerned in this context either because there are so many variables and every year is different. Ultimately, it makes little difference now where each team finished.

 

[Freomaniac]

I was going to say, your lot weren’t really expected to win that one IIRC

Well Looking back at a random combo, a random Bulldogs fan asked my about How freo declined and struggled in the 2nd half of the season after freo went 9-0.

Ross Lyon was in a dilemma.....

Either play the experienced scrubs like Matt Deboer, Clancee Pearce and Nick suban etc or play the talented rookies in Connor Blakely, Ed Langdon and Lachie Weller in the 2nd half of the season.

Ross Lyon decided to play the experienced scrubs as although they lacked talent, made up with endurance or the ability to run out 4 quarters of footy. Well.... Matt Deboer, Clancee Pearce and Nick suban were from the 2008 draft. So each of them had 5-7 years of development.

Blakely, Langdon and Weller were all from the 2014 draft so 2015 was their debut year.

The other major factor was Matt Taberner was in his 3rd season and was a solid 2nd tall to help pavlich too. Ross Lyons other mistake was dropping taberner in the 2nd half of the season too. Tabs didnt play one game from round 17 to 23 in that 2015 season.