How good were North in the 1990s?

[ferball]

What on earth do you mean? In 1994? Weird hill to die on.

Carlton bombed out in the finals but were the only team close to the Eagles during the H&A season. North were a really good team that year but weren't quite at Premiership level - they were 13-9.

West Coast beat North H&A during the season - Jakovich was obviously a great match up for King Carey.

Put it this way, coming into the finals, Carlton were the only team I thought could beat West Coast for the flag - when they bombed out, I was VERY confident we would win it all....and I was something of a pessimist, even in my younger days.

It's by the by, 30+ years ago, - happy to concede you left one out there in 1998 though - WCE definitely did in 1991 too.

We would have been the best side you played in that finals series. Only reason Geelong beat us was the free kick count. It was something like 35 - 3. We'll never know what would have happened if we'd got a fair shot - anything can happen on GF day.

Anyway it was 30+ years ago as you say. Its like Essendon people claiming they'd have won in '99 I spose. Happy to wind you up about it anyway.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

35 to 14 free kick count someone posted the other day. Afl tables 1994 will tell you. I cnf googling it. The thing is Geelong were decent in the finals against the dogs and blues missing players. North would have won if not for inaccuracy and free kicks however. Would have given West Coast a better game. Tbh I wasn't so sure West Coast would win against Geelong and especially after they kicked 4 in a row after West Coast got the first 3. I'd have to give it to West Coast though. Their defence was just too good. Goals from everyone one grand final day Geelong were lucky they kicked poorly 20.23 it could have been an even bigger margin. I think the game goes something like this

Wce 4.3 7.7 11.12 16.16
Kan 3.2 6.5 8.9 12.13

Almost identical to 1992 scoreline. Eagles too good.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Round 6 1994 Carey kicked 5.2 in Jakovich 22 possessions yet they still got smashed. As mentioned eagles led by 59 points before North got late goals reducing it to 37. Eagles took their foot off the gas.

 

[ferball]

Round 6 1994 Carey kicked 5.2 in Jakovich 22 possessions yet they still got smashed. As mentioned eagles led by 59 points before North got late goals reducing it to 37. Eagles took their foot off the gas.

Round 21 we went to WA and lost by nine points with everyone having a down day.

Back at home on GF day I reckon we keep up that trend and win by three or four goals.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Peter Bell was North's leading possession getter in the 1999 Premiership season. Four goals in the grand final as well.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

North vs Hawks in 1995. Won by 130 plus or thereabouts. Crazy. Had some epic duels with the Hawks. Drawn final in 1994.

 

[WillHayward]

Shannon Grant, Mckernan, Bell, Abraham, Scott, Longmire, Stevens, Simpson, Allison, Schwass, Rock, Archer, Martyn could name more. Very good players. Craig Sholl could play either end.

Don't forget you know who....

The bloke from Port Melbourne...

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Adrian McAdam was as good as any during his flash in the pan period. He came from nowhere.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

In 1993 North kicked 35.19 against the Swans.

McAdam 10 and Longmire 9


Lol.

 

[Sphynx]

North were a great team - especially fron 94 to 99 - great in 93 too when they jumped up.

They didn't have as many champions in the line up as West Coast or Carlton of the 90s but Carey really did elevate those around him, he was so far and away their best player.

I'd argue the opposite personally.

I think the West Coast 90's side had arguably the biggest collection of B+/A grade footballers ever assembled, with very few out and out champions.

They had a few, like all great teams do, obviously. Matera, Jakovich. McKenna and Kemp are champions, but no different to Archer and Stevens really imo.

North had more top end footballers than West Coast imo, North's bottom 4-5 was much weaker though.

I don't consider Carlton of the 90's in the same conversation, personally. Late 80's, sure.

Your last sentence is invalidated slightly by the fact that Mike Sheehan had another North player as the #1 player in the competition in 1997, with Carey #2. The AFL playing body thought the same also at the end of 1996.


I don't think West Coast or Carlton could claim to have the two best players in the league at any point of that decade, no matter how short lived.

In 1997 North lined up in Rnd 1 with the last two consecutive AFLPA MVP winners and the only side of that decade to have two AFLPA MVP winners in the same side.

In another universe, by the end his 3rd season and his 68th game, McKernan should have had a Rising Star, Brownlow Medal, AFLCA MVP, AA and a Premiership Medal in his trophy cabinet. He burned bright and short before his major injuries.

 

[TheRealComptroller]

By losing the 1998 GF they did what many teams have also done. That being that strange phenomenon of a club enjoying a successful era but somehow missing the flag they most deserved; when they had their best H&A finish of that period.



West Coast not winning in 1991.



Geelong in 2008.



Hawthorn in 2012.



Richmond in 2018.



Brisbane in 2023.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

A very good finals team that largely won when it counted.

Their period was 1993-99 but during that time they actually only finished on top once.

To win two flags in that time given that is actually a great result. Went 13-5 in finals over that time which is a super record in September.

Pagan clearly built them to win at the pointy end.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

By losing the 1998 GF they did what many teams have also done. That being that strange phenomenon of a club enjoying a successful era but somehow missing the flag they most deserved; when they had their best H&A finish of that period.



West Coast not winning in 1991.



Geelong in 2008.



Hawthorn in 2012.



Richmond in 2018.



Brisbane in 2023.

Collingwood were the best team in 2023.
Brisbane shouldn’t be in that group you mentioned.

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Collingwood were the best team in 2023.
Brisbane shouldn’t be in that group you mentioned.

Yeah, sure that’s true that they are are the only one of those teams I mentioned that didn’t win the minor premiership.

However I was just comparing clubs against themselves during their successful era. The 2023 Lions finished second on the ladder (17-6) and didn’t win the flag but were able to win flags from fifth (14-8) in 2024 and third (16-6-1) in 2025. They were most entitled to the 2023 flag out of their three GF seasons.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Yeah, sure that’s true that they are are the only one of those teams I mentioned that didn’t win the minor premiership.

However I was just comparing clubs against themselves during their successful era. The 2023 Lions finished second on the ladder (17-6) and didn’t win the flag but were able to win flags from fifth (14-8) in 2024 and third (16-6-1) in 2025. They were most entitled to the 2023 flag out of their three GF seasons.

Agree on the bolded

 

[Fadge]

I put north 95-99 team alongside
Lions 01-04 and cats 07-11.
Great to watch, tough skillful

Nah.

Cats 07 to 11 stand alone for mine.

North were a great team, but they never had that aura of invincibility that Geelong did over that period (and Essendon of 2000).

 

[Cyber_punk]

1997 might actually be the biggest mystery of the era because it was the worst year for injuries. Carey missed half the season, Capuano all of it, and and we somehow made a prelim but went into that game without Archer who was suspended. McKernan injured his shoulder in the first quarter and I think we were missing a couple of others too.

 

[Aido97]

On par with a Sydney of 05-12

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

1997 might actually be the biggest mystery of the era because it was the worst year for injuries. Carey missed half the season, Capuano all of it, and and we somehow made a prelim but went into that game without Archer who was suspended. McKernan injured his shoulder in the first quarter and I think we were missing a couple of others too.

Schwass

 

[boncer34]

We'd have got them in 99.

And if we didnt play a man down in the 2nd half of the prelim we'd have faced them in that Grand Final. Maybe Lloyd and Fletcher playing would reverse the 12 point margin from earlier in the season.

Probably dont drop 98 if they dropped 96 though.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

We'd have got them in 99.

And if we didnt play a man down in the 2nd half of the prelim we'd have faced them in that Grand Final. Maybe Lloyd and Fletcher playing would reverse the 12 point margin from earlier in the season.

Probably dont drop 98 if they dropped 96 though.

You'd have beat them in 96? No way

 

[boncer34]

You'd have beat them in 96? No way

Why not? Undermanned side lost by 2 goals earlier in the year. Absolutely could've happened.

Throw in Fletcher, Hardwick, Lloyd and Wellman we might have got them.

Fair bit of revisionism to suggest North were untouchable in 96. They got belted 3 times by 10+ goals and finished 2nd, certainly weren't a run away dominant team aka Carlton in '95. Really even from top to 7th.

 

[WillHayward]

The more I think about the more I think they were bloody good.

Bottom 5 maybe pretty average but Sheesh their top 10 were good.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Why not? Undermanned side lost by 2 goals earlier in the year. Absolutely could've happened.

Throw in Fletcher, Hardwick, Lloyd and Wellman we might have got them.

Fair bit of revisionism to suggest North were untouchable in 96. They got belted 3 times by 10+ goals and finished 2nd, certainly weren't a run away dominant team aka Carlton in '95. Really even from top to 7th.

But they were easily the best come finals, where it matters. It doesn't matter in the regular season that they got belted because look what they did to Sydney. A side who smashed North at Princess Park where Lockett kicked 10. Brisbane beat North there as well before finals. North destroyed Geelong, Brisbane and Sydney in September.

 

[boncer34]

But they were easily the best come finals, where it matters. It doesn't matter in the regular season that they got belted because look what they did to Sydney. A side who smashed North at Princess Park where Lockett kicked 10. Brisbane beat North there as well before finals. North destroyed Geelong, Brisbane and Sydney in September.

Admittedly it's been a long time since I watched the 96 Grand Final but from memory Sydney were 5 goals up early in the 2nd.

I'm not saying Essendon would've beaten North, I'm saying they could've. Upsets happen.