Most underachieving teams?

[BigVic]

Which team was the most underachieving sides in footy?

Essendon at the turn of the millennium, won only one flag in 2000 and lost a prelim by a point in '99 and a grand final to a future dynasty in Brisbane in 2001, Geelong 1989-1995, lost all 4 grand finals, St Kilda 2004-2011, 3 grand finals 2 losses and a bouncing ball, Sydney 2014-2022 lost 3 grand finals. Which other teams could've started a dynasty or at leat won one premiership but were not good in that period?

Honourable mentions - West Coast 2018-21, North 96-99, Bulldogs 1994-2000 and 2006-2010.

 

[Requiem]

Port 2001-2004 comes to mind, 3 Minor Premierships with only 1 Grand Final appearance - albeit a premiership - to show for it.

I could argue for West Coast 2005-2007 too, a star studded midfield with a great defense should have not imploded the way it did.

 

[Catsace]

I'd put a case for 1964-1968 Geelong, won the Flag in '63, had Farmer, Goggin, Marshall, Sharrock etc but lost in '67 without winning another Flag with that group. But then again it could be a bit like Geelong of the 89-97 era and even the 2012-2021 era. Won a lot of home and away games, but always nutted in the Finals against better sides or just all round tougher opponents.

St.Kilda 2004-06 I felt had the talent to take a Flag, I really wonder if G-train hadn't been in contention for a century of goals if the ground invasion after his early 1st quarter 100th may have seen a familiar script take place, a strong start by an opposition side silencing the Port crowd. Port's record in knockout home finals is mediocre overall given the number of times they've played home PF's. But Port got back and won that match by a goal. Just reckon Sydney/West Coast in '05-'06 wasn't that great, Geelong's spasmodic side of the same era had big wins at KP against both sides those two seasons, and by '07 was streeted anything those sides could put out afterwards.

Essendon I felt blew 1999 in particular, they would have beaten North in my reckoning. But they lost the PF by a point on the same day Bracks won the impossible election against Kennett.

 

[BigVic]

West Coast from 2018-2021 is interesting. The team won a grand final, made a semi then COVID in 2020 and 2021 undid the side. Sold the farm for Tim Kelly

11

Tim Kelly

Age

29

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.6

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

10.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

4.0

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

19.9

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

7.6

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.7

5star

CL

3.6

4star

D

21.6

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

11.2

5star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.8

5star

Collingwood 2010-2012 saw us playing in 3 grand finals and winning one. We had a dominant 2011 winning 23 games and losing 3 times all to Geelong

 

[Danw0w]

The answer is always the Nick Riewoldt era saints.

 

[Defabs]

The answer is always the Nick Riewoldt era saints.

Agree. The saints were primed to win in 2009 but blew it in the final quarter. Won their first 19 H&A games as well.

Essendon blew the best chance of a dynasty. How could that team only win one flag from 2 super dominant seasons (2nd half of 1999 and 2000) and pretty dominant 2021?

 

[Danw0w]

Agree. The saints were primed to win in 2009 but blew it in the final quarter. Won their first 19 H&A games as well.

Essendon blew the best chance of a dynasty. How could that team only win one flag from 2 super dominant seasons (2nd half of 1999 and 2000) and pretty dominant 2021?

Do you mean 2001?

Yeah Essendon were definitely underachievers. 99 was a huge fumble for them. But at least they won one flag. Pretty stiff that the Saints peaked when the cats were in their prime.

 

[Defabs]

Do you mean 2001?

Yeah Essendon were definitely underachievers. 99 was a huge fumble for them. But at least they won one flag. Pretty stiff that the Saints peaked when the cats were in their prime.

Yeah still dominated for most of 2001 and finished on top. The issue was that Brisbane won I think 15 in a row going into the GF. Still should have won either 2001 or 1999 though

 

[BulldogMuscle]

Bevo's Bulldogs.
16 and 21 were outlier seasons, not the norm.

 

[00Stinger]

Bevo's Bulldogs.
16 and 21 were outlier seasons, not the norm.

underachieving or overachieving?

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

The whole Sheedy era under achieved with just 4 Premierships from the extraordinary talent at his disposal.

 

[Defabs]

I'd put a case for 1964-1968 Geelong, won the Flag in '63, had Farmer, Goggin, Marshall, Sharrock etc but lost in '67 without winning another Flag with that group. But then again it could be a bit like Geelong of the 89-97 era and even the 2012-2021 era. Won a lot of home and away games, but always nutted in the Finals against better sides or just all round tougher opponents.

St.Kilda 2004-06 I felt had the talent to take a Flag, I really wonder if G-train hadn't been in contention for a century of goals if the ground invasion after his early 1st quarter 100th may have seen a familiar script take place, a strong start by an opposition side silencing the Port crowd. Port's record in knockout home finals is mediocre overall given the number of times they've played home PF's. But Port got back and won that match by a goal. Just reckon Sydney/West Coast in '05-'06 wasn't that great, Geelong's spasmodic side of the same era had big wins at KP against both sides those two seasons, and by '07 was streeted anything those sides could put out afterwards.

Essendon I felt blew 1999 in particular, they would have beaten North in my reckoning. But they lost the PF by a point on the same day Bracks won the impossible election against Kennett.

I agree. Even Collingwood who had their second worst season in history in 2005 with 5 wins (yes they won spoon in 1976 but they won 6) managed to beat WCE and Geelong comfortably that season. Also, only lost to the Swans by a point at Homebush.

2006 they beat all those three teams again including Geelong by over 100 points…

 

[Steele13]

The whole Sheedy era under achieved with just 4 Premierships from the extraordinary talent at his disposal.

We'd kill for 4 flags in 25 years now

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

We'd kill for 4 flags in 25 years now

You haven’t had the talent mate.

 

[rapidfire7]

Collingwood 1977 -1981

4 Grand Final losses in 5 years

 

[NetworkNerd]

Geelong supporters would be happy with 4 recent flags but only 4 from a very competitive 34 years (1989-2022) is a bit of an underachievement.

Could argue should have at least 8, stretch 10

 

[BulldogMuscle]

underachieving or overachieving?

Underachieving. Any competent coach with the list we’ve had for the last couple of years would get more out of them then what we currently see.

 

[rapidfire7]

Geelong supporters would be happy with 4 recent flags but only 4 from a very competitive 34 years (1989-2022) is a bit of an underachievement.

Could argue should have at least 8, stretch 10

10 would mean we would not have lost any of the GFs we played in. Really is a stretch. Even 8 is a stretch IMO.

But yeah, another couple of flags would have more accurately reflected the club's dominance in this period no doubt.

If we had been able to win just 1 from '89 - '97 I would have been very happy with the last 34 years.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Stkilda
Part of their issue is they always seem to hit form when there's a couple of other teams there about so they never build any momentum. They've always had lists that should be competing for flags yet somehow find ways to stuff it up

 

[PhatBoy]

Geelong supporters would be happy with 4 recent flags but only 4 from a very competitive 34 years (1989-2022) is a bit of an underachievement.

Could argue should have at least 8, stretch 10

Yes and no. This has been discussed ad nauseum but you’d only really say we underachieved in 89-95 on a ‘statistically you’d think you’d snag one out of four’ basis.
In reality we had no right really to win any of them. As is often acknowledged the side we had which was probably best poised to actually win was in 1993 where over the back half of the season we were probably in the best form of any side and there was no real standout team but our first few months were so bad we didn’t even make the finals

I think it’s still fair to say we should have 5-6 since 1989 though

 

[MisterMarcus]

The answer is always the Nick Riewoldt era saints.

I always felt that Saints side was very unbalanced - brilliant top-end talent but more than a few absolute plodders.

If you work on the theory that "Premierships are won by your bottom 6 and not your top 6", you can see why the Saints fell short.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Essendon 2000 simply because they were still mostly a side in their prime. It wasn't like the last gasp of an old team you expect to fall away in the next few years.....the Bombers on paper had everything needed for sustained success.

 

[ChristianBoy]

Collingwood 2011 -2022

 

[adammania9]

Collingwood 2011 -2022

Weird. Could have sworn we had a junk list every year after 2013, and that our deep finals runs in 2018, 19, 22 and 23 were off the back of overachieving average lists.

 

[SSSSSS]

Port for mine.

Primus, Cornes x 2, Wanganeen, Treadrea, 2x Burgoyne's, Lade, Francou were all A-graders in their prime. I'd argue Treadrea was the best individual player of the early 2000s and certainly the closest to Carey in terms of impact at CHF.

Some good solid citizens/former guns who were falling out of their prime in Dimma, Monty, Wakelin, Pickett & Dew.

It's just a shame their peak coincided with one of the greatest teams of all time.