Biggest non-Grand Final Games of All-Time

[kangaspurs]

The sheer enormity of the Richmond-Collingwood prelim final this week has got me thinking about the biggest non-GF games that I've watched/witnessed/experienced.

The Geelong-Saints game in 2009, I think, when both sides were about 15-0 had a massive build up, a lot of anticipation around it and it didn't disappoint. That's probably the highest quality game of footy I can remember watching.

Other games that come to mind are the 2010 Prelim between Geelong and Collingwood and Carey's first game against North. There would also be a few ANZAC Day games as well, I imagine.

The criteria's fairly broad, but what about you? What are the biggest non-GF games that you can remember that carried overwhelming amounts of hype and anticipation?

 

[BotsMaster]

1999 prelim Essendon vs Carlton

 

[Dirty Bird]

Sydney vs gws 2012
It was the day the tide in nsw turned to football becoming the dominant force in nsw.

Since that day. Nsw crowds for nrl have been on decline.
That game was the death of nrl

 

[Max Caddy]

Geelong v Collingwood 2007 Prelim.

Had a larger crowd than the GF a week later.

 

[Quinz]

Geelong St Kilda battle of the undefeated teams is the greatest game of footy this century. You almost never see a match with that much hype deliver on it.

 

[kangaspurs]

Geelong St Kilda battle of the undefeated teams is the greatest game of footy this century. You almost never see a match with that much hype deliver on it.

Yeah, as I said, that's probably the highest quality game of footy I've ever seen, definitely the best non-GF game I've seen (the 2012 GF would run it close overall). It was just unreal.

 

[demondavey]

Essendon v Collingwood ANZAC day 1995.

Essendon v Carlton 1999 PF.

Carlton v Richmond EF 2013.

Geelong v Collingwood PF 2007

St Kilda v Geelong 2009

Hawthorn v Fremantle PF 2015

WB v GWS PF 2016

 

[TedDougChris]

IIRC, Rnd 22 1998 started with Dogs v North - for top spot.

North won by less than a goal (both sides scored over 100 points), with 60k plus in attendance.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Hawthorn vs Geelong 2013 prelim.

 

[Andrew Birch]

1987 Prelim
Dees v Hawks

Dees needed to win their last 6-7 H&A games to sneak into the top5 back then. Last H&A round had to beat Footscray at the Western oval to clinch a finals spot. Won that game by 2 goals from memory to break a long finals drought. Smashed Sydney & North in the first 2 finals which no one other than Dees fans would probably even remember, but the Prelim against the reigning premiers Hawthorn was highly anticipated and ended up being an arm wrestle all day with the Dees in front right up to the very end before poor Jim Synes (RIP) stepped over the mark thus giving away a 15 metre penalty which put Buccy within scoring distance and the rest is history. Probably the most memorable non GF game for me, closely followed by the 1999 prelim, but although the result was memorable, the build up really wasn't as Essendon were virtually unbeatable that year and Carlton had finished 6th IIRC and weren't expected to get within 6 goals.

 

[PerthBoy86]

In terms of hype/anticipation obviously the finals games, especially the prelims. I can't remember all the games that well dating back to 1987 as I was born in 1986 and only really started watching in the 90s. Most prelims have been kinda lacklustre, though. The 94 QF against Collingwood, the close Sydney QFs and Port last year obviously stand out.

In terms of being memorable the comeback against the Bulldogs at the WACA in 98 and Geelong in 05 I think were up there. Heck round 23 against Adelaide last year was finals like too.

 

[deflated]

2006 Swans-Eagles QF. Peak of the rivalry, talked up after so many close games over the previous year.

 

[demondavey]

In terms of hype/anticipation obviously the finals games, especially the prelims. I can't remember all the games that well dating back to 1987 as I was born in 1986 and only really started watching in the 90s. Most prelims have been kinda lacklustre, though. The 94 QF against Collingwood, the close Sydney QFs and Port last year obviously stand out.

In terms of being memorable the comeback against the Bulldogs at the WACA in 98 and Geelong in 05 I think were up there. Heck round 23 against Adelaide last year was finals like too.

The 94 PF between Geelong & North was huge. As were the two QF between Sydney & WC in 05 and 06.

 

[demondavey]

2006 Swans-Eagles QF. Peak of the rivalry, talked up after so many close games over the previous year.

Unbelievable that in both years the margins in the QF were reversed in the GF, and I think the scores were as well. Crazy how good those teams were, people forget that.

 

[Baird]

Unbelievable that in both years the margins in the QF were reversed in the GF, and I think the scores were as well. Crazy how good those teams were, people forget that.

Yep scores were both 85-84 in 2006, different scores in 05

 

[Sttew]

Other games that come to mind are the 2010 Prelim between Geelong and Collingwood

The 2007 PF between Geelong and Collingwood was bigger, IMO. There was a lock-out and the game went right down to the wire

 

[Kangapirate]

For my team as mentioned in this thread round 22 1998 North v Dogs, often considered to be one of the best games of the 90s, it was for top spot and 70k turned up.

Overall I can’t go past the 07 prelim Pies v Cats, 98k, not only was the crowd bigger than the following weeks grand final, the build up to it was incredible, I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that the winner of the other prelim (port v north) would be easy beats in the grand final.

 

[Tas]

My amateur club's elimination final, minnow team hadn't made the finals for so long that half the team didn't show up, forgot we were playing after the home and away season.

 

[Fatrollo]

Geelong v Hawthorn rd 17, 2008. The only comparable game in regards to hype and significance in the past decade that I can think of is the Geelong v St Kilda game the following year.

I think people may forget just how ludicrously hyped up this game was. Those two and the Bulldogs had barely lost a game all season between them up to that point.

 

[StillAtLarge]

1999 prelim Essendon vs Carlton

Nope. Crowd was barely at 75% capacity.
No one thought the blues were a chance

 

[Anja_Nees]

IIRC, Rnd 22 1998 started with Dogs v North - for top spot.

North won by less than a goal (both sides scored over 100 points), with 60k plus in attendance.

Yeah massive game and shame the Crows had to spoil the party for both in September.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Geelong v Collingwood 2007 Prelim.

Had a larger crowd than the GF a week later.

Infinitely better contest too.

 

[Cornacarpio]

Round 16, 2001: Essendon v. North Melbourne. Certainly one of the biggest comebacks of all time.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/...d/news-story/6476a6ffd9d7c817b4f65d15e2809291

 

[Tony Harrison]

1993 Fosters cup GF
Tigers vs bombers

Tiges thought they were coming out of the wilderness.
The club's filled waverly beyond capacity.

Preseason GF count?

 

[greekstyler]

Round 17 1999 Essendon v NM. Best H&A game I’ve been to. Carey 10, Lloyd 7.

The two best teams all yeargoing at each other full tilt.