Teams Yet to Win First Premiership

[emuboy]

Some teams take longer to attain their first premiership than others. For example, the West Coast Eagles and Adelaide Crows took just 5 & 6 years respectively to win their first flags, while North Melbourne took 50 and St Kilda an astonishing 69 years (with no flags in 45 years since).

But which teams in various leagues are still waiting for their chance at premiership glory?

In the AFL, Fremantle has not seriously challenged for a premiership in 17 completed seasons since their entry to the league in 1995.

Coincidentally, the two remaining NRL teams admitted in 1995, the North Queensland Cowboys and New Zealand Warriors (Perth Reds and South Queensland Crushers left the competition years ago) are also awaiting their maiden premierships, although unlike the Dockers these two have played in Grand Finals. However, their friends the Cronulla Sharks have not won a premiership since joining the league in 1967 - 45 years!

The WAFL, consisting of 9 clubs, somewhat resembles the Solar System, and the newest club, Peel Thunder, is the equivalent of Pluto. Since commencing in 1997, the Thunder have not even remotely challenged for a finals spot, let alone a premiership.

The SANFL does not have a club without a premiership, with no new clubs admitted since the Woodville-West Torrens merger after the 1990 season.

The VFA/VFL is harder to gauge given the relative instability of this competetion, but Frankston's only premiership was achieved in second division way back in 1978. It has not won a first division premiership since its admission in 1965, remarkable because it has always had a large area with a big population to itself throughout the Dolphins' time in the VFA/L. The Bendigo Bombers, and their predecessors the Bendigo Diggers, have also failed to land a premiership in 14 years.

The Western Jets played in the first two TAC grand finals in 1992-93 without winning one and are still awaiting redemption. The Dandenong Southern Stingrays have made an artform of losing grand finals since their inception in 1992, while the Bendigo Pioneers are also yet to win a flag since commencing in 1993.

This covers the major leagues - can anyone name teams from other smaller leagues around Australia still awaiting their first premiership?

 

[UpForGrabs]

The WAFL, consisting of 9 clubs, somewhat resembles the Solar System, and the newest club, Peel Thunder, is the equivalent of Pluto. Since commencing in 1997, the Thunder have not even remotely challenged for a finals spot, let alone a premiership.

Since entering the league, Peel have never won more than eight games in any one season, and have never finished higher than sixth (in 2001 and 2008). They won two games TOTAL in their first three seasons, and their 2010 season must go down as one of the WAFL's worst, which is remarkable as they still managed to not finish on the bottom of the ladder (Perth, coached by Andrew Jarman at the time, managed that infamy).

Peel had an average score of 148.15 points per match kicked against them in 2010, and their losses were of the following margins:

110
2
78
84
114
106
194
91
86
132
30
52
59
124
115
113
110

Like some astronomers refute Pluto's existence as a planet, there are many here in WA who wish Peel Thunder weren't a football team.

 

[Supermercado]

Must have thought it was all turning around after the two point loss...

 

[Catsace]

In regards to Peel, just googled that year's ladder....yes indeed they managed 3 wins and finiashed 2nd last to Perth who had a 2-18 record.

But Peel's percentage was a terrible 49.4%, with those NINE 100+ point whippings, and their three wins were backed up by just two other results within 30 points.

Perth by contrast had a much more solid 70.3%....Like Fitzroy in 1980 they must have shown a lot more ticker in their games but just didn't get the wins up.

 

[UpForGrabs]

In regards to Peel, just googled that year's ladder....yes indeed they managed 3 wins and finiashed 2nd last to Perth who had a 2-18 record.

But Peel's percentage was a terrible 49.4%, with those NINE 100+ point whippings, and their three wins were backed up by just two other results within 30 points.

Perth by contrast had a much more solid 70.3%....Like Fitzroy in 1980 they must have shown a lot more ticker in their games but just didn't get the wins up.

Perth's problem that year is that they lost to Peel twice and then beat them by 91 points in the other match they played against them. Win just one of the other two and Peel would have (rightfully) claimed the spoon.

In fairness to Peel - they've got a decent juniors system and have proved the home to AFL players such as Daniel Wells and Hayden Ballantyne (who won the Sandover Medal when playing for Peel), but they just can't hold or attract top-line players. Juniors will come in and play well, but will be drafted straight away.

Here's Peel's overall record since joining the league in 1997:

Played - 294
Won - 61
Lost - 233
Drawn - 0

Pts For - 21634
Pts Against - 34606

Percentage - 62.5%

 

[emuboy]

In regards to Peel, just googled that year's ladder....yes indeed they managed 3 wins and finiashed 2nd last to Perth who had a 2-18 record.

But Peel's percentage was a terrible 49.4%, with those NINE 100+ point whippings, and their three wins were backed up by just two other results within 30 points.

Perth by contrast had a much more solid 70.3%....Like Fitzroy in 1980 they must have shown a lot more ticker in their games but just didn't get the wins up.

The Peel/Perth situation in 2010 would have to go down in football history as one of the most bizarre statistics ever.

Perth beat eventual premiers Swan Districts in one game, having taken them to a goal in a previous game; they lost by 3 goals to minor premier & eventual runner up Claremont in another and they were highly comptetive in both matches against reigning premier South Fremantle.

Yet somehow, they still managed to finish last with just 2 wins in a season that contained one of the WAFL's worst performed teams in history in Peel Thunder.

 

[RogersResults]

French rugby union team ASM Clermont Auvergne went 99 years from their formation without winning a national title despite playing off on 10 occasions.

They finally broke the drought in 2010 when the defeated USA Perpignan 19-6 to take the French Championship in front of 79,262 spectators.

The club was started in 1911 by Marcel Michelin, the son of André Michelin, founder of the Michelin tyre company. Their colours are royal blue and gold.

Three New Zealanders are in their current squad but no Australians.

 

[mianfei]

Perth by contrast had a much more solid 70.3%....Like Fitzroy in 1980 they must have shown a lot more ticker in their games but just didn't get the wins up.

It’s hardly like Fitzroy in 1980, who with a “Dad’s Army” team (Len Thompson, John Rantall) could always score heavily but had not the speed to defend properly, but like little else, with the nearest approach being Subiaco in 1982. The 1982 Lions won only one match against East Fremantle late in the season, but went very close in a few games (losing four of only six matches decided by less than a goal) and had a better percentage than Perth who beat the Lions three times but won no other game. However, the difference was only about one percent (111 points) so does not compare with 2010 even remotely.

Here's Peel's overall record since joining the league in 1997:

Played - 294
Won - 61
Lost - 233
Drawn - 0

Pts For - 21634
Pts Against - 34606

Percentage - 62.5%

I would like to compare Peel’s record with Hawthorn’s overall record from 1925 to 1953:

Played: 522
Won: 111
Lost: 408
Drawn: 3
Pts For: 36,095
Pts Against: 49,326
Percentage = 73.18%

Or with North Melbourne’s from 1925 to 1943:

Played: 334
Won: 69
Lost: 262
Drawn: 3
(The same winning percentage as Peel to the end of 2013 but for three losses being draws!)
Pts For: 23,436
Pts Against: 32,109
Percentage: 72.98%

It shows that Peel’s hardship in its early years is not unique though the cause(s) are certainly different.

 

[RogersResults]

Another comparison with Peel's performance in their 17 seasons in the WAFL: Each AFL team's worst match/win percentage from 15 consecutive seasons.
Note that Peel's M/W% from the figures in the previous post would be 20.75%. Hawthorn's 1925-1953 was 21.55% and Nth Melbourne's 1925-1943 was 21.11% (Draws are regarded as half the value of a win (.5) otherwise they would count as losses.)

​

Figures in brackets - indicate times finished last on the season ladder in the period - St Kilda finished bottom in 9 of the 15 seasons 1897-1911.​

Hawthorn's m/w% of 22.52% for 20 seasons 1925-1944 is the lowest for of any AFL club from 20 consecutive seasons. Currently Hawthorn has the highest m/w% of any AFL club starting from season 1953 (58.22%) as well as having won 3 more premierships than any other club in that time. Perhaps Peel should be asking, "what did Hawthorn do?"​

 

[mianfei]

Perhaps Peel should be asking, "what did Hawthorn do?"​

That seems to be a misleading question, whether one likes to admit it or not.

It is a pity that there are no books or professional studies looking at the really bleak eras in VFL/AFL, SANFL and WA(N)FL football. Reading John Lysitakos’ True Blue: The History of the Sturt Football Club puts the Double Blues’ eight consecutive wooden spoons from 1989 to 1996 (only 24 wins from 170 matches, and in 1995 Sturt did not get closer to any opponent than 24 points) into a really interesting perspective. It’s a pity the same is not done with other really bleak periods in the history of football clubs.

The trouble is that it is not normal for really bleak eras in football to end purely due to highly skilful club administrators, though it is equally rare for their cause to purely and simply be bad administration. Other factors, from demographic changes to decisions by leagues themselves, certainly play as great a role in causing clubs to stay at the bottom for lengthy periods, and for them to move up thereafter.

In the case of Hawthorn, it is clear that two league decisions played a key role in their high success rate since 1954:

1. the introduction of revenue sharing by the league that allowed Hawthorn to gain significant finals revenue without a single appearance in any grade between 1945 and 1955, and gate pooling of its matches in these and later years
2. the introduction of country zoning, which turned into complete gerrymander that served to favour Hawthorn at the expense of such clubs as Melbourne, South Melbourne and Geelong.

It is, in fact, only recently that Hawthornitself has taken the initiative with decisions like moving to Waverley.

Regarding other really bleak eras, could be caused by:

• leagues admitting unviable clubs (St. Kilda, North Melbourne in their early League years)
• other league decisions (redistricting with Sturt in the 1990s)
• demographic changes (Fitzroy, South Melbourne and North Melbourne in the 1960s were decimated by their catchments being taken over by migrants preferring soccer)

This, still, is no exhaustive list. Other economic factors like loss of opportunity for players may have played a role in the past if less so in the more fully professional game today.

 

[emuboy]

That seems to be a misleading question, whether one likes to admit it or not.

It is a pity that there are no books or professional studies looking at the really bleak eras in VFL/AFL, SANFL and WA(N)FL football. Reading John Lysitakos’ True Blue: The History of the Sturt Football Club puts the Double Blues’ eight consecutive wooden spoons from 1989 to 1996 (only 24 wins from 170 matches, and in 1995 Sturt did not get closer to any opponent than 24 points) into a really interesting perspective. It’s a pity the same is not done with other really bleak periods in the history of football clubs.

The trouble is that it is not normal for really bleak eras in football to end purely due to highly skilful club administrators, though it is equally rare for their cause to purely and simply be bad administration. Other factors, from demographic changes to decisions by leagues themselves, certainly play as great a role in causing clubs to stay at the bottom for lengthy periods, and for them to move up thereafter.

In the case of Hawthorn, it is clear that two league decisions played a key role in their high success rate since 1954:

1. the introduction of revenue sharing by the league that allowed Hawthorn to gain significant finals revenue without a single appearance in any grade between 1945 and 1955, and gate pooling of its matches in these and later years
2. the introduction of country zoning, which turned into complete gerrymander that served to favour Hawthorn at the expense of such clubs as Melbourne, South Melbourne and Geelong.

It is, in fact, only recently that Hawthornitself has taken the initiative with decisions like moving to Waverley.


Regarding other really bleak eras, could be caused by:

• leagues admitting unviable clubs (St. Kilda, North Melbourne in their early League years)
• other league decisions (redistricting with Sturt in the 1990s)
• demographic changes (Fitzroy, South Melbourne and North Melbourne in the 1960s were decimated by their catchments being taken over by migrants preferring soccer)

This, still, is no exhaustive list. Other economic factors like loss of opportunity for players may have played a role in the past if less so in the more fully professional game today.

Sturt's infamous 1995 season was so bad it actually has its own Wikipedia page, and it is not pretty reading for fans of the Double Blues.

Sometimes, teams struggle for extended periods like the ones you mentioned, while some others leave you scratching your head.

For example, much has been said about inequitable country zoning in Victoria. This helps explain the success of Carlton, Hawthorn, Richmond and Nth Melbourne, and the struggles of Melbourne and Sth Melbourne during the same period. However, St Kilda and the Bulldogs were assigned Ballarat and Gippsland respectively under country zoning, and both clubs mainly struggled. You would think that these zones would be more fruitful than Collingwood's SA border country zone, but the Magpies were regular finalists during this era, the Saints and Bulldogs not.

The country zone of Carlton was Bendigo and Richmond Mildura, which greatly assisted the Blues and Tigers. Now, both areas fall in the Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup zone, but the Pioneers usually finish at or near the bottom of the ladder. It has made the TAC Cup GF just once, losing in 2001. The three incarnations of the Bendigo VFL league team, the Diggers, Bombers and Gold, have all mainly struggled, each experiencing winless seasons at various times. How can such a vast area, which produced so many champion players in the past, struggle so much now?

 

[dian11]

This is great

 

[Steve Prior]

Gold Coast will get their first by 2017