Which game would have the biggest impact or butterfly effect on AFL history if the result was changed?

[Coach_Required]

It's a tragedy how easy it was to dissolve a dynasty, that had to end in a Covid year no less.

Look how bad Richmond are now. All because umpires get to yell "stand".

That would be like Hawthorn crumbling after '08 with the deliberate rushed behind rule.

The Stand rule did impact us though at the time, enough to make us a rabble that we see today? No, that was poor planning & list management on our behalf.

Also, the Stand rule wasn't the only rule the AFL brought in to try and stop the way we played. The 6-6-6 rule was brought in for 2019 because we were one of the very few teams that would start a match with 7 backs, generating our run from the back half.

Do I still think the Stand rule is a junk rule? Absolutely, the AFL brought it in with an excuse saying they wanted higher scores and felt players moving across a mark impacted a kickers efficiency, however there is no proof scores have increased at all.

 

[Mr Meow]

The Stand rule did impact us though at the time, enough to make us a rabble that we see today? No, that was poor planning & list management on our behalf.

Also, the Stand rule wasn't the only rule the AFL brought in to try and stop the way we played. The 6-6-6 rule was brought in for 2019 because we were one of the very few teams that would start a match with 7 backs, generating our run from the back half.

Do I still think the Stand rule is a junk rule? Absolutely, the AFL brought it in with an excuse saying they wanted higher scores and felt players moving across a mark impacted a kickers efficiency, however there is no proof scores have increased at all.

Nice.

 

[Billy ray]

If geelong won ‘89

 

[Dewyyyyy]

2013 Prelim - Hawks v Geelong

Hawks lose this game and Clarkson gets shown the door - not because he deserved to, but because the powers that be do him in.

The ripple effect is in his coaching tree.

Beveridge, Adam Simpson, Fagan all don’t get their roles (and Premierships).

The entire decade looks very different.

Even more so if they’d lost that fateful day against Richmond R8 2010.

Sam Mitchell doesn’t get the run down tackle, Clarko loses his job and all of the things you mention happen sooner.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Even more so if they’d lost that fateful day against Richmond R8 2010.

Sam Mitchell doesn’t get the run down tackle, Clarko loses his job and all of the things you mention happen sooner.

The Sam Mitchell tackle on Shane Tuck early in 2010 literally saved Clarkson's job.

If that tackle isn't made and the Tigers win the game, who the hell knows what happens during that eventual 3-peat era.

Didn’t even see this but great minds think alike

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

You could argue that half a season of injuries in 1991 eventually cost Dunstall to get 1300 goals

I'd say it was the ACL he did twice 96-97 that cost him. Missed from round 8 onwards in 1997. He also broke his arm in his last season and missed I believe 6-8 weeks as well. Would have easily got to 1300 before Plugger did has those injuries not occured.

 

[Mr Meow]

Didn’t even see this but great minds think alike

So Shane Tuck was one of the biggest drivers for Hawthorn's dynasty, in a way.

22 Tigers did similar for Geelong in 2007.

 

[Hawksboy72]

Don't think Clarko gets the boot if hawthorn loose that game to Richmond.
Think there's a emergency meeting called which forces Clarkson to adapt the game style and the 3peat arrives.

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[glengowan]

For the Crows, 2016, Round 23 at home against West Coast was a killer.

We'd lost one game since mid May and were sitting 4.5% clear of Geelong in 2nd place and just 2.7% behind Sydney, who were top. It was such an even year. The Crows just had to win to sew up 2nd spot, a home final, and a potential direct route through to the Grand Final without having to travel.

We'd had a blessed run with injury throughout the year, and hadn't needed much depth. Jacobs and Jenkins played with niggles and both were useless and Sloane, our best player, got himself suspended the previous week, as we put in a horror performance against West Coast and went down by 5 goals. Sydney and Geelong both had 100+ point wins to finish top 2, GWS beat 8th place North Melbourne away to skip above us by percentage and Hawthorn had a 1 point win over Collingwood to move to 3rd spot and send the Crows to 5th.

The Crows would play North Melbourne in a home Elimination Final, who after Round 9 were undefeated, but had limped to the finish line and were sending off some champions; Harvey, Petrie, Firrito and Dal Santo. It was an easy win and we'd end up losing to Sydney in Sydney the following week. The Bulldogs would go on to win the premiership from 7th place, but they were only a game and percentage behind top spot after the minor round. A blanket could've been thrown over the top 7 teams.

 

[Captain_Bender]

If Fitzroy beats Hawthorn in the 1983 QF, most likely beats North Melbourne who they beat by 150 earlier that year and make the grand final

 

[Billy ray]

If Richmond didnt get flogged by Sydney in round 23 2016, and Mario from Doncaster didnt vomit on himself, would the Tigers dynasty have happened?

 

[HotelBastardos]

2013 Prelim - Hawks v Geelong

Hawks lose this game and Clarkson gets shown the door - not because he deserved to, but because the powers that be do him in.

The ripple effect is in his coaching tree.

Beveridge, Adam Simpson, Fagan all don’t get their roles (and Premierships).

The entire decade looks very different.

Yep.Clarko was done if they lose that game! huge

 

[Dewyyyyy]

So Shane Tuck was one of the biggest drivers for Hawthorn's dynasty, in a way.

22 Tigers did similar for Geelong in 2007.

Yes he was.

Don't think Clarko gets the boot if hawthorn loose that game to Richmond.
Think there's a emergency meeting called which forces Clarkson to adapt the game style and the 3peat arrives.

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

He would’ve been sacked. He said it himself, the players knew it, everyone did.

 

[Mr Meow]

I wonder if Peter Matera did a first quarter hammy in the '92 grand final and Geelong went on to win it - do we get a Blight dynasty with the Cats in the years that followed? It would've got the monkey off the back, that's for sure.

 

[Freomaniac]

I wonder if Peter Matera did a first quarter hammy in the '92 grand final and Geelong went on to win it - do we get a Blight dynasty with the Cats in the years that followed? It would've got the monkey off the back, that's for sure.

Still a 50- 50 game at half time despite cats being 16 points Infront.

Mainwaring was limping late in the game too

 

[Freomaniac]

I wonder what would have happened if Dees didn't tank against Richmond in 2008 and Tom Scully got picked up by West Coast instead.

We'd get Dusty Martin and he'd probably be dead.

Butterfly Effect

Demons had picks 1 and 2 to get Dustin Martin in that 2009 draft.

 

[Freomaniac]

2005 prelim final. No Swans Premiership + Roos mastermind effect has a knock-on for multiple other grand finals and premierships, and who knows where footy goes if Grant Thomas becomes a premiership coach himself.

If Saints won that preliminary final in 2005. That means they face west coast in the grand final.

Saints win the 2005 flag, Put it this way, would I be posting about Ross Lyon?

 

[Mr Meow]

Still a 50- 50 game at half time despite cats being 16 points Infront.

Mainwaring was limping late in the game too

Matera started destroying us in the second term though. If he pops a hammy at the first bounce, Geelong probably win.

 

[terrybull]

If Fitzroy won the 1983 QF and Premiership, then maybe they could hold on to survive in the AFL today.

 

[Freomaniac]

If Fitzroy won the 1983 QF and Premiership, then maybe they could hold on to survive in the AFL today.

The other Fitzroy scenario is if they won the 1986 prelim final too.

Speaking of prelim finals. Dogs lost one narrowly in 1985 vs the hawks.

Had the dogs beat the hawks, they face Essendon in the 1985 grand final

 

[terrybull]

The other Fitzroy scenario is if they won the 1986 prelim final too.

Speaking of prelim finals. Dogs lost one narrowly in 1985 vs the hawks.

Had the dogs beat the hawks, they face Essendon in the 1985 grand final

The 1986 is the only Grand Final I attended.

Would have been amazing to see a Carlton vs Fitzroy Grand Final. Would have been cheering passionately for the Lions.

Instead I watched a Grand Final between two teams I did not care much about… ho hum…

Hawthorn two years running ruined two possible Grand Finals matchups which was unthinkable at the time. 1985 and 1986.

 

[Hawkinspired]

I’d say if Gary Ablett senior stayed at Hawthorn. That would have definitely changed a few things.

Hawthorn won four premierships in that time so you’d think he’d be a premiership player.

Hawks likely win more flags in this era.

As good as they both were, it’s likely Dunstall and Ablett aren’t as revered as they are now as they both couldn’t have possibly kicked over a 1000 goals in the same team.

The epic 1989 Grand Final doesn’t happen.

The father son picks go to Hawthorn. Geelong would still have been great in the 2007-2010 ere but they aren’t winning 2009. Hawthorn would have won more flags or St Kilda might win the 2009 premiership.

That’s just a few things but there would be many more had he stayed at Hawthorn.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

"If it bleeds, we can kill it"
If Essendon won that game, they likely win the 2001 premiership.
Would Brisbane have backed up for the next two after that? Almost certainly the Lions three-peat doesn't happen and they are looked back on as a very good team, but maybe not one of the VFL/AFL great sides. After all, even in their premiership years they never blew the home and away season apart (2nd, 2nd, 3rd is good and consistent; but not dominant across a whole season, even if dominant where it matters).

Perhaps some of the players are viewed in a slightly lower light, and the game doesn't quite get the same boost in SE Qld.

 

[blueiris]

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned but it's easily the 2004 GF

 

[emuboy]

The 1966 Collingwood vs. St Kilda Grand Final, the Saints only premiership won by a point - and the other seasons for the Saints play out exactly as they did in the past.

Reverse this and in 1990 Collingwood break a 24-year premiership drought by trouncing Essendon rather than 32 years, but how would things be for the Saints with no flag in 128 years of competition? Would they even still be in the AFL?