Who would you rate as the strongest premiership side in the AFL era?

[Captain_Bender]

And it reverted to its "old" ways in 2018?

Exactly

 

[MCG-Unit]

Voted Geelong - from Brisbane Lions

 

[kranky al]

None of the teams listed would beat Richmond in 2017 if they brought that pressure again. Unplayable.

Really depends though

If they played them in an elimination final away from the mcg - the worst of them would have got up.

Richmond 2017 are a gun team - at home only.

 

[Nobu]

Really depends though

If they played them in an elimination final away from the mcg - the worst of them would have got up.

Richmond 2017 are a gun team - at home only.

Richmond 2017 were good away from home. Richmond 2018 are the version that struggled.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Best finals team I've seen were the dogs 16.

 

[kranky al]

Richmond 2017 were good away from home. Richmond 2018 are the version that struggled.

2017?

You beat the bottom five and port away from the mcg in 2017

 

[Nobu]

2017?

You beat the bottom five and port away from the mcg in 2017

Happy with our interstate performances that year. Should’ve beaten GWS, Port were a good side and beat Freo by over 100. Wouldn’t say we were bad away.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Probs Brisbane because we beat them heaps at their peak.

 

[jameses]

How does Hawthorn playing non-Vic teams in their three peat lessen the Hawks’ achievement? Hawthorn were the underdogs of 2/3 of those grand finals, and convincly won three grand finals in a row against the competition’s best challenger of those years.

Would it look better if Hawthorn played a weaker, but Victorian, side in those grand finals?

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

None of the teams listed would beat Richmond in 2017 if they brought that pressure again. Unplayable.

please ..... the Saints of 09 would have choked the life out of richmond .... it too the brilliance of the Geelong of 09, poor goal conversion and a favourable bounce geelongs way to beat the saints of 09 so Richmond wouldnt even be close to either.... the lions of 01-03 would have beaten and bullied the tigers so hard they would have considered staying in the change rooms at half time ....

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

Lions list had stars on every line. Absolutely packed midfield, arguably the best defensive six ever assembled and probably the weakest area was the forwardline... which consisted of Lynch, Brown, Bradshaw, and McRae all were very good footballers.

they were brutal as well .... really the last of that era of teams who went out and physically intimidated blokes.. where they came up against guys who were more skilled than them they would just belt the crap out of them...

 

[Nobu]

please ..... the Saints of 09 would have choked the life out of richmond .... it too the brilliance of the Geelong of 09, poor goal conversion and a favourable bounce geelongs way to beat the saints of 09 so Richmond wouldnt even be close to either.... the lions of 01-03 would have beaten and bullied the tigers so hard they would have considered staying in the change rooms at half time ....

LMAO Saints hahaha

 

[Nobu]

Tiges currently considered 4th best. Would’ve smashed anyone on that final day of September in 2017. Best pressure side of all time.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

How does Hawthorn playing non-Vic teams in their three peat lessen the Hawks’ achievement? Hawthorn were the underdogs of 2/3 of those grand finals, and convincly won three grand finals in a row against the competition’s best challenger of those years.

Would it look better if Hawthorn played a weaker, but Victorian, side in those grand finals?

taking on Freo who had never played a grandfinal before tilted the favour into hawthorns side , the fact Freo being coached by Ross lyon always meant it wasnt going to be a blow out but freo were never going to win that flag...
the year later WCE "fell" into the grand final they spent all their tickets just to get there and were as expected belted by the hawks ...
the thing is yes Hawthorn did get easier grand final opponents in that run but they were a dominant side so if they took on a Geelong of 09 or 11 they would have been a good chance to beat them ...

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Best finals team I've seen were the dogs 16.

If it's best finals series it's an interesting question. Personally I go for the Hawks 08. They dominated every game they played in that finals series.

Bulldogs 2016 definitely in the discussion.

 

[youbeautfyfe]

How does Hawthorn playing non-Vic teams in their three peat lessen the Hawks’ achievement? Hawthorn were the underdogs of 2/3 of those grand finals, and convincly won three grand finals in a row against the competition’s best challenger of those years.

Would it look better if Hawthorn played a weaker, but Victorian, side in those grand finals?

Freo & West Coast were the underdogs by far.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

LMAO Saints hahaha

the 2017 saints team taught your mob a lesson in pressure and determination and they finished 11th the 2009 saints team would have flogged the tigers in a canter ... Clint jones would have tagged the life out of Dusty, Gardiner and King would have had a day out againnst Nank and Griggs... Baker would have eaten Rioli (he would have got a life time ban from footy) ... Hayes Dal Santo & Ball at their peak against McIntosh Cotchin and Townsend (Cotchin would make a contest at least)... and thats before we even talk about Riewoldt who as a 33yearold blew up Rance ...
Richmond did well to win their flag and were the best team in 2017 no doubt (they also were the best in 18 but got stunned in a prelim) but as far as the best teams over the last 20 years they are nowhere near the top of the tree ...
but hey that doesnt matter you dont need to be the best ever you just need to be the best in your year and you did that...

 

[RUNVS]

Who voted for the Bulldogs, Richmond and West Coast? I mean sure love your wins, but anyone who says they were the strongest premiership sides in the last 25 years is deluded. The last 3 years have been really good from the standpoint of not knowing who is going to win the flag, but that is only because the top couple of teams have been pulled back to the pack, so it is much more likely these days for a team who hits form at the right time to snatch a flag.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Geelong - broke almost every record there is to break.

Says it all.

 

[The GOAT]

Best finals team I've seen were the dogs 16.

Hawks 08 were dominant and beat a much better team in the grand final.

 

[HTT]

Who voted for the Bulldogs, Richmond and West Coast? I mean sure love your wins, but anyone who says they were the strongest premiership sides in the last 25 years is deluded. The last 3 years have been really good from the standpoint of not knowing who is going to win the flag, but that is only because the top couple of teams have been pulled back to the pack, so it is much more likely these days for a team who hits form at the right time to snatch a flag.

If you look at it from pure players + tactics rather than dominance, yes. Those three have probably been the 3 best premiers ever.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Nope. Geelong’s game plan became outdated, then the game plan that beat them became outdated and so on until eventually Richmond brought their own to the table and already parts of that have become outdated. A few extra stars won’t overcome 10 years of development. Richmond 17 would similarly stand no chance against whoever wins the flag in 2027.

That doesn’t take away from Geelong 07 though. Wonderful team, simply dominant and when people call other sides from that year ‘average’ it’s only because the cats were so much better they made everyone look average.

I can’t believe people are calling Collingwood, West Coast and Port of 2007 average yet not classing Melbourne, North and Carlton of 2000 in the same basket.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Tiges currently considered 4th best. Would’ve smashed anyone on that final day of September in 2017. Best pressure side of all time.

Best pressure game of all time I actually rate Fremantle’s effort vs Sydney in the prelim in 2013. I ******* hate Fremantle but they were incredible that day.

Richmond 2017 is not dissimilar to Collingwood 2010. The Tigers were hardly particularly groundbreaking.

 

[Nobu]

the 2017 saints team taught your mob a lesson in pressure and determination and they finished 11th the 2009 saints team would have flogged the tigers in a canter ... Clint jones would have tagged the life out of Dusty, Gardiner and King would have had a day out againnst Nank and Griggs... Baker would have eaten Rioli (he would have got a life time ban from footy) ... Hayes Dal Santo & Ball at their peak against McIntosh Cotchin and Townsend (Cotchin would make a contest at least)... and thats before we even talk about Riewoldt who as a 33yearold blew up Rance ...
Richmond did well to win their flag and were the best team in 2017 no doubt (they also were the best in 18 but got stunned in a prelim) but as far as the best teams over the last 20 years they are nowhere near the top of the tree ...
but hey that doesnt matter you dont need to be the best ever you just need to be the best in your year and you did that...

Hahahaha Saint Kilda. It was a complete aberration when you beat us. We proved it by slapping you five weeks later and doing it again this season.

 

[Nobu]

Best pressure game of all time I actually rate Fremantle’s effort vs Sydney in the prelim in 2013. I ******* hate Fremantle but they were incredible that day.

Richmond 2017 is not dissimilar to Collingwood 2010. The Tigers were hardly particularly groundbreaking.

I remember that Freo/Sydney game. That’s actually not a bad shout at all. Freo were immense that day. Still a prelim though and they couldn’t back it up.

Our 2017 pressure is far superior to Collingwood’s in 2010 largely due to the fact our pressure was all over the ground plus we were a quicker side that played with greater intensity. Richmond copied the Dogs of 2016 but made some tweaks here and there. The following season Collingwood, Essendon, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Gold Coast replicated Richmond 2017 to some extent. West Coast were two steps ahead of the game and figured out how to beat it. It will be interesting to see what trend is successful in 2019.