The Alternative Grand Finals

[HTT]

2018 Richmond v Melbourne

A fit Richmond would've easily defeated Melbourne and go back-to-back. Melbourne would've been overwhelmed by the occassion similar to West Coast 2015. Would've been a massive buildup in Melbourne but game would've been anti-climatic.

I don't want to be scarred by thinking this was anywhere near happening when it really wasn't

 

[Scatter]

2006: Adelaide vs Fremantle
Crows by plenty. Freo were clearly behind Adelaide, West Coast and Sydney that year.

2015: Fremantle vs North Melbourne
Tough to pick. Freo were the better side but were limping through September. North played good footy in finals. Kangas by a whisker.

2006 - don’t know how you can say we were clearly behind the other 3, we beat Adelaide in Adelaide during the H&A, and lost by not much in the first final. We also beat the Eagles both times that year, the second game by 80 odd points from memory. We lost the prelim because we had to travel to Sydney to play them at Olympic stadium where we hadn’t even played before. Think we would have been a real shot at the G against another non Vic side.
2015 - North would have beat us comfortably I think, we were cooked. North were playing good footy and unlucky to lose the prelim to the Eagles in Perth.

 

[Topkent]

Melbourne outperformed in the 1987 and 1988 finals series, scrub them from the equation. In '88 they benefited from narrowly winning an 'away' final against WCE, and kept the close ones going until the GF blowout/'87 prelim rematch

The * are you on about?
1987 Elimination final
Melbourne 22.26.158
Nth 5.10.40

118 points

Semi Final
Melbourne 21.23.149
Sydney 10.13.73

76 points.

92 scoring shots in the first 2 ******* finals. Hardly keeping it tight

 

[Tarkyn_24]

The **** are you on about?
1987 Elimination final
Melbourne 22.26.158
Nth 5.10.40

118 points

Semi Final
Melbourne 21.23.149
Sydney 10.13.73

76 points.

92 scoring shots in the first 2 ******* finals. Hardly keeping it tight

Yeah but it Sydney had scored another 13 goals they would’ve won. Leaving a bit to chance when it could potentially only take the next thirteen kicks in the game for you to be beaten.

 

[Yippy Yi Yeo]

2018- Collingwood v West Coast.

This aged well

 

[Macpotata]

2006 - don’t know how you can say we were clearly behind the other 3, we beat Adelaide in Adelaide during the H&A, and lost by not much in the first final. We also beat the Eagles both times that year, the second game by 80 odd points from memory. We lost the prelim because we had to travel to Sydney to play them at Olympic stadium where we hadn’t even played before. Think we would have been a real shot at the G against another non Vic side.
2015 - North would have beat us comfortably I think, we were cooked. North were playing good footy and unlucky to lose the prelim to the Eagles in Perth.

Crowa beat you pretty comfortably actually in the 2006 qualifying final. You started well but got pegged back. Went scoreless in the last qtr and lost 10.16 to 7.4. You beat WCE by 58 points in the 2nd meeting.

2015 you guys were cooked but were right in it in the Prelim against the Hawks until that costly turn over in the last.

 

[Macpotata]

This aged well

******* lol!

Had to be Adz posting from Jason Pm's lap top.

 

[Bollox]

2006 - don’t know how you can say we were clearly behind the other 3, we beat Adelaide in Adelaide during the H&A, and lost by not much in the first final. We also beat the Eagles both times that year, the second game by 80 odd points from memory. We lost the prelim because we had to travel to Sydney to play them at Olympic stadium where we hadn’t even played before. Think we would have been a real shot at the G against another non Vic side.

Yepp. Good team in 2006. Solid top 4 WCE/ADEL/FREO/SYD that with hindsight were probably always a bit better than the rest. No way CLEARLY behind but definitely 4th best mob that season, and a sniff of a flag if things went right.
I recall that prelim coz it became remembered for Pav bucking his rep for poor away games and finals. Hall 6, OKeefe 4, Pavlich 4. For mine Pav was BOG but freo werent really in the hunt. Freo were a better matchup against Adel who worried both SYD and WCE but choked something fierce in the other Prelim.

 

[Roobs321]

The **** are you on about?
1987 Elimination final
Melbourne 22.26.158
Nth 5.10.40

118 points

Semi Final
Melbourne 21.23.149
Sydney 10.13.73

76 points.

92 scoring shots in the first 2 ******* finals. Hardly keeping it tight

As in they were 5th and last into finals, only a win and percentage in finals. Their Points For was 9th, lower than the Wooden Spoon!

Carlton, Hawthorn and Sydney were the only teams that had the right to win that year.

Sydney of course had to play a home final at the MCG (80000 at that game by the way, nice result in hindsight given both clubs, fairytale encounter I guess given the starved fans).

 

[Starburns_]

Intetesting hypothetical. Reckon the best one is 2004 though as it had a genuine chance of both prelim results (6 and 9 points) being flipped. St Kilda started that year like a house on fire winning their first 10, and it was also the first year that Geelong really hinted at what was to come. Would likely have been a pretty close and exciting match.

 

[BigVic]

2019 - Geelong vs Collingwood - would be a better spectacle than what we got
2020 - Brisbane vs Port Adelaide - rematch of 2004, at the Gabba
2021 - Geelong vs Port Adelaide - rematch of 2007, in Perth

 

[endure]

Hmm. I reckon that 2020, due to the location and the strength of both clubs could've been very memorable.

 

[czns]

The Western Derby grand finals we nearly had in 2006 and 2015.

 

[Danw0w]

2019 - Geelong vs Collingwood - would be a better spectacle than what we got

Not if that year’s qualifying final between those two sides was anything to go by.

 

[Coolangatta]

Richmond v Collingwood 2019. Would’ve been closer than the Giants game.

Geelong v Fremantle 2013. Freo matched up better on Geelong than Hawthorn who they could never beat.

Port v Sydney 2014. Not sure if Sydney would’ve been flat; if not, good game against a fit side at a neutral venue.

 

[radiojake]

The Western Derby grand finals we nearly had in 2006 and 2015.

2002 could have been a Showdown - closest it's got

Crows finished 3rd, played three finals but not a single home final

 

[BigVic]

2022 could've been Brisbane vs Collingwood and as much as I loved to see the Pies in the GF, for neutrals thank goodness it didn't happened at all

 

[BigVic]

We got the 2022 alternative 12 months later and the 2013 alternative was 9 years later with a blowout.

2023's alternative would be Carlton vs GWS and like 12 months ago both the Blues and GWS were on winning streaks before losing in the prelims

 

[Randomizor]

Richmond v Collingwood 2019. Would’ve been closer than the Giants game.

Geelong v Fremantle 2013. Freo matched up better on Geelong than Hawthorn who they could never beat.

Port v Sydney 2014. Not sure if Sydney would’ve been flat; if not, good game against a fit side at a neutral venue.

I feel like that Geelong Hawks prelim was a real sliding doors for Fremantle. Cats win that game and I truly think Freo have their first premiership.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Pies-Blues this year would have been epic. But so was the actual grand final and outcome lol.

Imagine a Pies-Blues granny. The build up. The atmosphere. *n hell.

Giants-Blues - Yuck!!!!!

2019 would have been good if we made it. Ditto above. A Richmond-Pies GF would be out of this world. And if we made it last year vs the Cats.

Any GF is better with us in it. Or a Richmond or a Carlton.