Collingwood 1990 vs Sydney 2005 vs Geelong 2007 vs Western Bulldogs 2016 vs Richmond 2017 vs Melbourne 2021 - Which is the best drought-breaker?

[LuckyBounce!]

St. Kilda in 2022!

 

[schmuttt]

Bulldogs in 2016 was the most ridiculous 4 week run, 2017 Richmond was also ridiculous in that everyone including most tigers fans thought they were no chance coming into the season.

 

[dean33]

Interesting thread. Everyone is biased and will say their own team however taking Richmond out of it I’d say for the game itself and the longevity of the drought swans 2005 would be number 1 followed by the dogs in 2016, both of these teams not only didn’t win flags but didn’t play in grand finals. For the celebration aspect again taking the tigers out of it I’d say pies in 1990, terrible game and I was only 15 at the time but the celebration was off the charts. I remember Eddie had Dennis banks and millane reading news reports on channel 10 half cut. It seemed to go on for weeks and weeks.

 

[timokane]

Collingwood 1990 is the most famous and longest celebrated

 

[Major Colvin]

I think the way that Sydney and Footscray broke their droughts were stunning - 4 fairly epic finals to reach the GF and then win it. I would go the Sydney drought (just) because it's still the longest on record and decided with that iconic mark.

I think Collingwood's drought breaker was the greatest emotional release for its supporters and probably a surprise for neutrals - their string of near-misses ''the Colliwobbles'' felt like an actual curse. Geelong's was similar but to a lesser extent.

 

[BigVic]

Bulldogs 2016 is impressive. Winning it from 7th against the minor premier

 

[Gough]

I think Collingwood's drought breaker was the greatest emotional release for its supporters and probably a surprise for neutrals - their string of near-misses ''the Colliwobbles'' felt like an actual curse. Geelong's was similar but to a lesser extent.

There was a good case to made for Essendon being expelled from the competition after 1990 for allowing the Colliwobbles to die.

 

[Ricketz]

Melbourne can have it. I lived the Geelong era between the 80's and 90's - we didn't get the flags but it was still worth being a supporter.

I wouldnt blame a single Demons fan for dropping their membership over almost all of the last twenty - so kudos to those who stuck with them. And I can appreciate that they broke the drought in style - similar to my boys in 2007 - they were the clear winners this year.

 

[pineapple dee]

What the dogs did in 2016 was frankly unbelievable. Four amazing finals victories some interstate against hotly fancied opponents to end a 62 year drought.
Well and truly deserved it !!

 

[PCORF]

I reckon it was Leo Barry

Leo Barry

Age

46

Ht

184cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

4.4

1star

K

2.6

1star

HB

1.8

2star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.2

3star

you star. Dying seconds of game, Eagles have an inside 50 entry to the goalsquare and I knew something dramatic was going to happen. Barry rose high and grabbed it, got up with the ball in his hands, siren sounded and was swamped.

Geelong 2007, Bulldogs 2016 and Melbourne 2021 were good moments too. Glad the Dees won it this year, this was for you Simon Goodwin

Simon Goodwin

Age

47

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.9

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.5

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

!

 

[PCORF]

Post-premiership rewind: Life, death and a flag: meet the Tiger Army

Dusty, Cotch, Rance and Jack are Richmond's on-field stars, but AFL.com.au spent the last quarter of the 2017 AFL Grand Final getting to know the people behind the Tiger Army.

www.richmondfc.com.au

In 2017 a Richmond fan was diagnosed with a terminal illness not long before the grand final, but he lived to see his team win the premiership in person. Came at my team's expense, but that's pretty special - was quite heartening to hear of.

That's what drought-breakers are all about - what they mean to supporters who have been waiting or whose time is running out.

It was great to make the GF, but I knew Richmond were a whole different team and we needed to be at our best to beat them. We did not handle that GF loss well and took the wrong path instead of forgetting about it and moving on. The last stance stands as it does of today.

Richmond didn't just destroy us. They also destroyed the GWS Giants and Geelong and destroyed those two sides again in future finals and Martin was unbelievable in all those winning finals from 2017-2020. But it all came apart for Richmond in 2021, a heartbreaking loss to West Coast and season ending injury to Martin nailed any hopes for a finals appearance.

Could have been a different story if Adelaide played better in the 2017GF, or remained positive for 2018 after the 2017 loss.

 

[BigVic]

It was great to make the GF, but I knew Richmond were a whole different team and we needed to be at our best to beat them. We did not handle that GF loss well and took the wrong path instead of forgetting about it and moving on. The last stance stands as it does of today.

Richmond didn't just destroy us. They also destroyed the GWS Giants and Geelong and destroyed those two sides again in future finals and Martin was unbelievable in all those winning finals from 2017-2020. But it all came apart for Richmond in 2021, a heartbreaking loss to West Coast and season ending injury to Martin nailed any hopes for a finals appearance.

Could have been a different story if Adelaide played better in the 2017GF, or remained positive for 2018 after the 2017 loss.

Richmond’s drought-breaking flag was also impressive

 

[BigVic]

I reckon it was Leo Barry you star. Dying seconds of game, Eagles have an inside 50 entry to the goalsquare and I knew something dramatic was going to happen. Barry rose high and grabbed it, got up with the ball in his hands, siren sounded and was swamped.

I was gutted we didn’t win that game but congratulated the Swans on breaking their drought. 90% of the country were all going for Sydney in the 2005 AFL Grand Final.

They lost their first final by 4 points, then came back from 4 goals down to beat Geelong (“I see it but I don’t believe it”) before beating a rested St Kilda at the MCG to make the Grand Final.

Thankfully we made up for it 12 months later in a match that was just as good as the original.

 

[Frank Grimes]

But it all came apart for Richmond in 2021, a heartbreaking loss to West Coast and season ending injury to Martin nailed any hopes for a finals appearance.

I agree the West Coast loss was the turning point of our season. Before that game we were not great, but we're hanging in there with hope that we could recapture our 2017-2020 form. The loss to West Coast meant making top 4 would have been difficult, but we could still make finals if we could pick ourselves up from the canvas.

Then after the West Coast loss, we continued to lose to teams you would expect us to win even with a few injuries in the Saints, Collingwood and Gold Coast. It was clear we are not even finals material at that point.

 

[Biffinator]

Does anyone remember just how blue the sky was for Collingwood in 1990? It was to be.

 

[JackFlash]

For me it was Geelong of course, (Bias and a lifetime of waiting as a kid)) but then comes the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne. They are the only three that count for me. The Tigers had huge success for a long time in the "Golden Age" of football and 40 years is what i call a drought and the Tigers and Pies don't make it. I don't count Sydney because South Melbourne no longer exists and Sydney Swans were founded in 1982. The only drought left is St.Kilda at 55 years and Freo because they have never won even though that is within 40 years. GWS and Suns don't count.

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

For me it was Geelong of course, (Bias and a lifetime of waiting as a kid)) but then comes the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne. They are the only three that count for me. The Tigers had huge success for a long time in the "Golden Age" of football and 40 years is what i call a drought and the Tigers and Pies don't make it. I don't count Sydney because South Melbourne no longer exists and Sydney Swans were founded in 1982. The only drought left is St.Kilda at 55 years and Freo because they have never won even though that is within 40 years. GWS and Suns don't count.

South Melbourne and Sydney are the same entity.

It’s just a relocation.

 

[Gimmeafree]

I was gutted we didn’t win that game but congratulated the Swans on breaking their drought. 90% of the country were all going for Sydney in the 2005 AFL Grand Final.

They lost their first final by 4 points, then came back from 4 goals down to beat Geelong (“I see it but I don’t believe it”) before beating a rested St Kilda at the MCG to make the Grand Final.

Thankfully we made up for it 12 months later in a match that was just as good as the original.

As hard as it was watching 2006, I felt you guys deserved it that year and 1-1 was a fair outcome for that era. What a great rivalry that was.