Instances where the Preliminary Final was the real grand final

[BigVic]

So basically what are some more notable events of when a prelim was a lot better than the Grand Final and (realistically) ultimately decided the premiership.

Most recent case of this is definitely Geelong vs Brisbane last season. What a beauty of a game of footy that was.

Geelong v Hawthorn in 2013 was the real grand final and same as this year could happen other than it's 3rd vs 8th and not 1st vs 2nd

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

2007 = Geelong 92-87 Collingwood

Geelong won their two other finals by 100+ points (QF vs North Melbourne and GF vs Port Adelaide).

Also had a bigger crowd that year than the Grand Final itself.

 

[Spirit Level]

Geelong v Hawthorn in 2013 was the real grand final and same as this year could happen other than it's 3rd vs 8th and not 1st vs 2nd

Nah that's just ****en disrespectful.

If Geelong deserved to be in the 2013 GF they would have won their first home final.

 

[BigVic]

Geelong vs Brisbane was a great prelim but in the GF and 5th-placed Lions steamrolled Sydney by 10 goals at the 'G

 

[SSSSSS]

Wheelo suggesting that Hawthorn V Geelong this Friday is the 2025 GF.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

2014 Hawks v Port.

 

[Mofra]

1997 - St Kilda were a vastly different team without Everitt in the ruck.

 

[raskolnikov]

I think if Collingwood had beaten GWS in 2019 they would have had a much better chance against Richmond than GWS so Richmond basically won the flag when Collingwood lost. Same with Essendon losing the prelim in 99. North won the flag that day.

 

[joe444]

This feels like Geelong rage-bait, but you can't say 2013 when we'd already dropped the first week. Hawthorn's inaccuracy made it closer than it was.

Last year, definitely. Swans were easy pickings.

2007 I suppose. But even that felt more about Geelong fighting the weight of history in the Prelim.

Generally, though, I don't think you can make the claim as easily as some may think.

I mean there are prelim upsets that just handed another team a flag the next week (1999) but that's not the same thing.

 

[theprospector]

2007 - Pies v Geelong
2013 - The prelim doesn't fall in this category like suggested as Freo cleaned up Geelong in Geelong.
2022: Geelong v Collingwood QF essentially decided who would make the GF without travelling to Sydney
2024: Geelong v Brisbane

 

[kriles76]

Nah that's just ****en disrespectful.

If Geelong deserved to be in the 2013 GF they would have won their first home final.

True. I rewatched the replay a few weeks ago and if Freo had have made more of their chances, they could have well won the game.

At the game, I didn't feel joy when the final siren went, so much as relief.

 

[Teen Wolf]

1999 already been brought up twice for the wrong reasons.

The prelim between North Melbourne and Brisbane was insanely high-quality football. Underrated and/or forgotten because it blew out late.

But the Lions came in on a 10-game winning streak and had been thumping opponents (finished the H&A with a 145%), definitely in better form than the Bombers who struggled to put away 14th and 16th in the last few rounds.

The other prelim between Essendon and Carlton was irrelevant.

 

[kriles76]

'99 PF Carlton vs. Essendon. North Melbourne were very lucky Carlton did the dirty work for them to win a lacklustre GF the following week.

'87 PF was a cracker compared to the GF a week later. The Hawks without Dunstall somehow kicked 3 goals in the last minute of the PF to win and had little left in the tank against Carton on a 30 degree day.

 

[oak79]

Never. Case in Point, 2018:

Vic based media portrayed Collingwood v Richmond as the real GF, with the winner assumed victory the following week. They totally ignored the Eagles victory over the Pies, and then the demolition of the Dees.

We ended up getting one of the greatest GFs, which was NOT won by the victor of Collingwood v Richmond.

The GF is ALWAYS the real GF - but yes, 1 team may go in heavy favourites.

 

[Franc de Borges]

Never. Case in Point, 2018:

Vic based media portrayed Collingwood v Richmond as the real GF, with the winner assumed victory the following week. They totally ignored the Eagles victory over the Pies, and then the demolition of the Dees.

We ended up getting one of the greatest GFs, which was NOT won by the victor of Collingwood v Richmond.

The GF is ALWAYS the real GF - but yes, 1 team may go in heavy favourites.

This wasn’t the case at all. It may have been assumed a fait accompli if Richmond got through, but it was very much 50/50 when underdog Collingwood did.

 

[VinnieB]

Never. Case in Point, 2018:

Vic based media portrayed Collingwood v Richmond as the real GF, with the winner assumed victory the following week. They totally ignored the Eagles victory over the Pies, and then the demolition of the Dees.

We ended up getting one of the greatest GFs, which was NOT won by the victor of Collingwood v Richmond.

The GF is ALWAYS the real GF - but yes, 1 team may go in heavy favourites.

You guys need to get out more….

 

[demondavey]

I think if Collingwood had beaten GWS in 2019 they would have had a much better chance against Richmond than GWS so Richmond basically won the flag when Collingwood lost. Same with Essendon losing the prelim in 99. North won the flag that day.

Richmond would have buried Collingwood in 19.

 

[BigVic]

Never. Case in Point, 2018:

Vic based media portrayed Collingwood v Richmond as the real GF, with the winner assumed victory the following week. They totally ignored the Eagles victory over the Pies, and then the demolition of the Dees.

We ended up getting one of the greatest GFs, which was NOT won by the victor of Collingwood v Richmond.

The GF is ALWAYS the real GF - but yes, 1 team may go in heavy favourites.

We won the Prelim thanks to Mason Cox but less than 24 hours later you guys smashed the Dees and therre was a rematch of the QF. You guys went onto win the GF by less than a kick against us after our upset Prelim win over Richmond

 

[BigVic]

Richmond would have buried Collingwood in 19.

Playing an unfit de Goey would've backfired.

 

[demondavey]

2007 - Pies v Geelong
2013 - The prelim doesn't fall in this category like suggested as Freo cleaned up Geelong in Geelong.
2022: Geelong v Collingwood QF essentially decided who would make the GF without travelling to Sydney
2024: Geelong v Brisbane

Pies only lost by a point in the 22 PF.

 

[WilloTree]

Hawks V Port 2014
Hawks V Freo 2015

 

[The Feeder Club]

'87 PF was a cracker compared to the GF a week later. The Hawks without Dunstall somehow kicked 3 goals in the last minute of the PF to win and had little left in the tank against Carton on a 30 degree day.

Somehow being a polite way of saying Jimmy Stynes (RIP) had one of the all time brain farts

 

[joe444]

1999 already been brought up twice for the wrong reasons.

The prelim between North Melbourne and Brisbane was insanely high-quality football. Underrated and/or forgotten because it blew out late.

But the Lions came in on a 10-game winning streak and had been thumping opponents (finished the H&A with a 145%), definitely in better form than the Bombers who struggled to put away 14th and 16th in the last few rounds.

The other prelim between Essendon and Carlton was irrelevant.

Nice try, but no.

Essendon had been top all year, hardly an irrelevant opponent.

That amazing Prelim you remember was a blow out for the entire second half. North kicked 13 of the last 16 goals.

I suspect you've made this argument so many times that you have slowly exaggerated it over time and not noticed.

And there's also the little matter of this:



PS How stupid was the old finals system? Carlton finish 6th, get destroyed and still get a double chance.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

2016 prelim was THE grand final.

All Bulldogs fans knew we’d win the granny once we beat GWS in that absolute thriller of a prelim.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Nice try, but no.

Essendon had been top all year, hardly an irrelevant opponent.

That amazing Prelim you remember was a blow out for the entire second half. North kicked 13 of the last 16 goals.

I suspect you've made this argument so many times that you have slowly exaggerated it over time and not noticed.

And there's also the little matter of this:
View attachment 2427890
View attachment 2427891

PS How stupid was the old finals system? Carlton finish 6th, get destroyed and still get a double chance.

Quite the opposite. I rewatched both prelims back-to-back recently. Anybody who does the same will be struck by the difference in quality of the two games.

2-goal deficit at the last change for NM-BL, the pace and skills of the first 3 quarters was outrageous. Ess-Carl was slow and error-riddled by comparison.

We all know Carlton were mediocre and their PF win obviously shows Essendon had lost the plot by that point, thereby rendering those earlier results in the season unimportant.