The AFL as we have known has been around for 116 years (117 seasons) dating back to 1897 when it was known as the Victorian Football League (it was known as the VFL from 1897 to 1989).. Ever since the name change to Australian Football League, the interstate sides have become the most dominating sides in the AFL with most of the Victorian teams falling behind, in some ways.
- Since 1990, when the VFL became the AFL, this will be the 24th AFL Grand Final contended. (Not including the 93 VFL Grand Finals).
Interstate clubs are: Adelaide, Brisbane (Bears and Lions), Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, Sydney and West Coast. For those that have been under a rock the past few years.
- Fifteen of those Grand Finals (from 1990-2013) have had at least ONE Interstate side contending for a premiership. (With nine of those Grand Finals being all-Victorian contended). (62.50% of AFL Grand Finals have had at least ONE Interstate side involved).
- Eleven times out of those 14 Grand Finals (between 1990-2012) contended involving an interstate side, the interstate side has come out victorious. (78.57% of the time, an interstate side has won the flag).
- Eleven Grand Finals have had an interstate side taking on a Victorian side.
- Out of those 11 Grand Finals, an interstate side has won eight times. (72.72% of the time the interstate team has defeated the Victorian team).
Even though this stat isn't about Interstate sides in Grand Finals, it's also an interesting fact:
- That since 1990, there has been at least ONE Interstate side in the finals series. (24 seasons with at least ONE interstate side involved in the finals).. Also from 1986 to 1988, an interstate side was also involved in the finals. (Sydney contended in the 1986 and 1987 finals, with West Coast contending in 1988).
So if we look at it, there has only been one season from 1986 to 2013 where one interstate side was not involved in the finals series and that was in 1989.
- West Coast was the quickest to play in the finals, making it in their second season (1988). They only took five seasons (1991) to play in their first Grand Final and six seasons to play in their first Premiership (1992).
- Adelaide was the second quickest, making it to their first finals in their third season (1993). There first Grand Final and Premiership came in their seventh season (1997).
- Port Adelaide also made their first finals in their third season (1999), making their first Grand Final and Premiership (2004) in their eighth season.
- Sydney (as of 1982 until now, not including their South Melbourne run (1897-1981), took five seasons to play in their first finals series in 1986, their first Grand Final as the Sydney Swans came in 1996 in their 15th season. It would take them another 9 seasons, their 24th, to win their first Premiership in 2005.
- It took Fremantle nine seasons (2003) to play in their first finals and has taken them nineteen seasons (2013) to play in their first Grand Final. Here's hoping they can finally win the big one. (Though I'm certain Hawthorn fans would disagree).
- Whether you take Brisbane Bears and Lions as a single entity or as two different entities is really up to you, but to myself, I see Brisbane Bears and Lions as the one entity.. Brisbane Bears came into the then-VFL in 1987 but were merged with Fitzroy in 1996 to form Brisbane Lions.. It took Brisbane (as a whole) eight seasons to reach their first finals in 1995, and their fourteenth season (2001) to play in and win their first Grand Final.
Now if you take Brisbane Lions as a single entity and not related in any way to Brisbane Bears, it took them their first season to play in their first finals (1997) and five seasons to play and win their first flag (2001).
- West Coast has appeared in 19 finals series', Sydney (not including their time as South Melbourne) is a close second with 17, Adelaide has been in on 12, Brisbane (as a whole has appeared in 10) and Port Adelaide (8) close up the five, with Fremantle only being in five.
Interstate Clubs First Grand Final against a Victorian side
West Coast lost to Hawthorn - 1991
Sydney lost to North Melbourne - 1996
Adelaide defeated St. Kilda - 1997
Brisbane defeated Essendon - 2001
Port Adelaide lost to Geelong - 2007 (Port's first Grand Final was in 2004 vs. Brisbane, but 2007 was Port's first Grand Final against a Victorian side).
As of each decade:
1990's: The Victorian sides dominated the 90's with winning six premierships, with the interstate sides taking home four.
2000's: Tables were turned with the Interstate sides dominating the decade with six flags to Victorians four.
2010's: Victorian teams are so far in front with two premierships to the interstates one.
In the past 23 seasons (1990-2012), a Victorian side has won the Premiership 12 times, compared to an interstate side winning 11.
Victorian Premierships: 1990 (Collingwood), 1991 (Hawthorn), 1993 (Essendon), 1995 (Carlton), 1996 (North Melbourne), 1999 (North Melbourne), 2000 (Essendon), 2007 (Geelong), 2008 (Hawthorn), 2009 (Geelong), 2010 (Collingwood) and 2011 (Geelong).
Interstate Premierships: 1992, 1994 (West Coast), 1997, 1998 (Adelaide), 2001, 2002, 2003 (Brisbane), 2004 (Port Adelaide), 2005 (Sydney), 2006 (West Coast), 2012 (Sydney).
Here is another interesting stat.. From 1990 til 2012, West Coast have appeared in MORE finals series than any other club, interstate or Victorian based.
Finals Series' (1990-2013)
18, West Coast
16, Geelong
15, Sydney
14, Essendon, Hawthorn
13, North Melbourne, Collingwood
12, Adelaide
11, St. Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Carlton
10, Brisbane
9, Melbourne
8, Port Adelaide
5, Fremantle
3, Richmond
0, Fitzroy, Gold Coast, GWS
Premierships (1990-2012)
3, Brisbane, Geelong, West Coast
2, Adelaide, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Sydney
1, Carlton, Port Adelaide
0, Fitzroy, Fremantle, Gold Coast, GWS, Melbourne, Richmond, St. Kilda, Western Bulldogs
Any way I hope you guys and girls have a good read, either that or a quick look over..
- Since 1990, when the VFL became the AFL, this will be the 24th AFL Grand Final contended. (Not including the 93 VFL Grand Finals).
Interstate clubs are: Adelaide, Brisbane (Bears and Lions), Fremantle, Greater Western Sydney, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, Sydney and West Coast. For those that have been under a rock the past few years.
- Fifteen of those Grand Finals (from 1990-2013) have had at least ONE Interstate side contending for a premiership. (With nine of those Grand Finals being all-Victorian contended). (62.50% of AFL Grand Finals have had at least ONE Interstate side involved).
- Eleven times out of those 14 Grand Finals (between 1990-2012) contended involving an interstate side, the interstate side has come out victorious. (78.57% of the time, an interstate side has won the flag).
- Eleven Grand Finals have had an interstate side taking on a Victorian side.
- Out of those 11 Grand Finals, an interstate side has won eight times. (72.72% of the time the interstate team has defeated the Victorian team).
Even though this stat isn't about Interstate sides in Grand Finals, it's also an interesting fact:
- That since 1990, there has been at least ONE Interstate side in the finals series. (24 seasons with at least ONE interstate side involved in the finals).. Also from 1986 to 1988, an interstate side was also involved in the finals. (Sydney contended in the 1986 and 1987 finals, with West Coast contending in 1988).
So if we look at it, there has only been one season from 1986 to 2013 where one interstate side was not involved in the finals series and that was in 1989.
- West Coast was the quickest to play in the finals, making it in their second season (1988). They only took five seasons (1991) to play in their first Grand Final and six seasons to play in their first Premiership (1992).
- Adelaide was the second quickest, making it to their first finals in their third season (1993). There first Grand Final and Premiership came in their seventh season (1997).
- Port Adelaide also made their first finals in their third season (1999), making their first Grand Final and Premiership (2004) in their eighth season.
- Sydney (as of 1982 until now, not including their South Melbourne run (1897-1981), took five seasons to play in their first finals series in 1986, their first Grand Final as the Sydney Swans came in 1996 in their 15th season. It would take them another 9 seasons, their 24th, to win their first Premiership in 2005.
- It took Fremantle nine seasons (2003) to play in their first finals and has taken them nineteen seasons (2013) to play in their first Grand Final. Here's hoping they can finally win the big one. (Though I'm certain Hawthorn fans would disagree).
- Whether you take Brisbane Bears and Lions as a single entity or as two different entities is really up to you, but to myself, I see Brisbane Bears and Lions as the one entity.. Brisbane Bears came into the then-VFL in 1987 but were merged with Fitzroy in 1996 to form Brisbane Lions.. It took Brisbane (as a whole) eight seasons to reach their first finals in 1995, and their fourteenth season (2001) to play in and win their first Grand Final.
Now if you take Brisbane Lions as a single entity and not related in any way to Brisbane Bears, it took them their first season to play in their first finals (1997) and five seasons to play and win their first flag (2001).
- West Coast has appeared in 19 finals series', Sydney (not including their time as South Melbourne) is a close second with 17, Adelaide has been in on 12, Brisbane (as a whole has appeared in 10) and Port Adelaide (8) close up the five, with Fremantle only being in five.
Interstate Clubs First Grand Final against a Victorian side
West Coast lost to Hawthorn - 1991
Sydney lost to North Melbourne - 1996
Adelaide defeated St. Kilda - 1997
Brisbane defeated Essendon - 2001
Port Adelaide lost to Geelong - 2007 (Port's first Grand Final was in 2004 vs. Brisbane, but 2007 was Port's first Grand Final against a Victorian side).
As of each decade:
1990's: The Victorian sides dominated the 90's with winning six premierships, with the interstate sides taking home four.
2000's: Tables were turned with the Interstate sides dominating the decade with six flags to Victorians four.
2010's: Victorian teams are so far in front with two premierships to the interstates one.
In the past 23 seasons (1990-2012), a Victorian side has won the Premiership 12 times, compared to an interstate side winning 11.
Victorian Premierships: 1990 (Collingwood), 1991 (Hawthorn), 1993 (Essendon), 1995 (Carlton), 1996 (North Melbourne), 1999 (North Melbourne), 2000 (Essendon), 2007 (Geelong), 2008 (Hawthorn), 2009 (Geelong), 2010 (Collingwood) and 2011 (Geelong).
Interstate Premierships: 1992, 1994 (West Coast), 1997, 1998 (Adelaide), 2001, 2002, 2003 (Brisbane), 2004 (Port Adelaide), 2005 (Sydney), 2006 (West Coast), 2012 (Sydney).
Here is another interesting stat.. From 1990 til 2012, West Coast have appeared in MORE finals series than any other club, interstate or Victorian based.
Finals Series' (1990-2013)
18, West Coast
16, Geelong
15, Sydney
14, Essendon, Hawthorn
13, North Melbourne, Collingwood
12, Adelaide
11, St. Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Carlton
10, Brisbane
9, Melbourne
8, Port Adelaide
5, Fremantle
3, Richmond
0, Fitzroy, Gold Coast, GWS
Premierships (1990-2012)
3, Brisbane, Geelong, West Coast
2, Adelaide, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Sydney
1, Carlton, Port Adelaide
0, Fitzroy, Fremantle, Gold Coast, GWS, Melbourne, Richmond, St. Kilda, Western Bulldogs
Any way I hope you guys and girls have a good read, either that or a quick look over..
