Poll - Who would you rate as the weakest premiership side in the AFL era?

Which premiership team would you rate as the weakest of the AFL era?

  • Collingwood 1990

    Votes: 64 4.2%
  • Hawthorn 1991

    Votes: 4 0.3%
  • West Coast 92-94

    Votes: 3 0.2%
  • Essendon 1993

    Votes: 73 4.7%
  • Carlton 1995

    Votes: 16 1.0%
  • North 96-99

    Votes: 18 1.2%
  • Adelaide 97-98

    Votes: 126 8.2%
  • Essendon 2000

    Votes: 34 2.2%
  • Brisbane 2001-2003

    Votes: 3 0.2%
  • Port 2004

    Votes: 40 2.6%
  • Sydney 2005

    Votes: 35 2.3%
  • West Coast 2006

    Votes: 13 0.8%
  • Geelong 2007-2011

    Votes: 14 0.9%
  • Hawthorn 2008

    Votes: 28 1.8%
  • Collingwood 2010

    Votes: 26 1.7%
  • Sydney 2012

    Votes: 13 0.8%
  • Hawthorn 2013-2015

    Votes: 25 1.6%
  • Bulldogs 2016

    Votes: 494 32.1%
  • Richmond 2017

    Votes: 509 33.1%

  • Total voters
    1,538

King Brown

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Aug 12, 2017
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I mean how can you say a Premiership side is weak or not until you see how they perform over the next couple of years? Are they weak or are they just still underrated?
How can’t you?

If the side winning the premiership makes a bunch of unforced errors, turns over the ball a lot, plays a side with Michael Gardiner and Travis Gaspar as key forwards, and only sneaks home by four points in a low scoring slog, I reckon you can say that side is pretty weak.
 

HolyRioli

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I might be a bit salty (despite only being 1 and thus having not watched that game but more premierships) over this but I was reading about this the other day. How the **** did they make it past week 1? Lost the first final from 5th and still went through. Makes no sense

Because two teams lower than them lost in the first week
 
Feb 23, 2009
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May 5, 2006
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Richmond's 2017 side looks weak on paper but they won as many games as anyone during the season and comfortably won all 3 finals so if you rate any of the other contenders you have to rate Richmond by default.

This is just the start of their body of work, though. If they go back to being Richmond again from 2018 their stocks will fall, a la the Bulldogs this year.
 
What i love about stuff like this is it's written with the agenda of sour grapes.
So, did Danger, Tex, Buddy, Daniher, Wingard, etc etc all take the year off did they?
What a crock. The so called experts got pantsed and exposed for the biased w***ers they are.
Grant Thomas, had the best list for two years and failed miserably as a coach.
Kane Cornes - dimma called it. Gets paid to write s**t. What a load of garbage.


Sent from my iPhone using Righteous Man Power.
 

Richo83

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Oct 2, 2005
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The old final series was flawed but people only complain about 98 Crows because they won the whole thing (playing 5 away games straight in the process )

Everyone brings this series up as to why the finals changed, but then ignore Carlton 1999! I wonder why that is? The main difference being Carlton lost the GF but the fact they got there is a bigger indictment than the 98 Crows

This is a thread about premiership sides, so Carlton 1999 is kinda irrelevant. I do agree that Carlton making the grand final was pretty weird though.
 

Richo83

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Oct 2, 2005
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Adelaide 1998 for me. Finished fifth with only 13 wins, got beaten up by Melbourne by 48 points lead by a midfield of Rigoni, the Febey brothers, Woewodin and Viney then managed to beat a North side who lead by 24 points at half time yet somehow kicked 8.22 and lost.
 
Apr 7, 2010
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Bulldogs for me too. Not that I think there's any shame in that, I'd kill for Freo to be the "weakest" premiership side :( Plus the Doggies are still a young team whose best is yet to come.

Worth mentioning that I can only recall post-2002/2003 teams with any clarity.
 

TheKanga

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May 31, 2011
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Wow I'm surprised at this!!


Hahaha such a sad little life you just have

I'm sorry but compared to the calibre of the others it's true.
Richmond aren't far behind but they do have an elite mid in Dusty.

Bulldogs smashed other sides all year in the free kick differential.
Even worse than West Coast when they were ducking all the time.
Also in the prelim and grand final you got very favourable umpiring.
20 to 8 frees in a GF is ridiculous.
Not just those but the ones not paid to the Swans in a 23 pt win.
 

Mattdougie

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Jun 29, 2013
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I'm sorry but compared to the calibre of the others it's true.
Richmond aren't far behind but they do have an elite mid in Dusty.

Bulldogs smashed other sides all year in the free kick differential.
Even worse than West Coast when they were ducking all the time.
Also in the prelim and grand final you got very favourable umpiring.
20 to 8 frees in a GF is ridiculous.
Not just those but the ones not paid to the Swans in a 23 pt win.

And we did well this year in free kick diff also but how did that help us?

I also wasn't aware that the free klick count needed to be even but I guess those that have very little idea about footy use that as a cructch to explain their biased opinion.

I think you should change to sea salt with your sooking for a while
 
Jun 30, 2009
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Deroesfromgero
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The old final series was flawed but people only complain about 98 Crows because they won the whole thing (playing 5 away games straight in the process )

Everyone brings this series up as to why the finals changed, but then ignore Carlton 1999! I wonder why that is? The main difference being Carlton lost the GF but the fact they got there is a bigger indictment than the 98 Crows

Finished 6th - lost by 12 goals to Brisbane - semi final against West Coastat the MCG even though Eagles finished 5th and won their first final

Essendon 1996 also exploited the old final system to get within 1 Tony Lockett behind from a GF -

Never hear about those two teams do we?

I had some Melbourne supporting muppett last week complain about 98 QF to me by saying Crows played Geelong in Adelaide the next week!!?? What the fuxk?

Out of all the inconsistencies and unlevel playing fields that the AFL finals system produces, you gotta pick on the team that played five consecutive away games on their way to back to back, yeah?

Further to that the two seasons get erroneously conflated together to the point everyone forgets Adelaide 97 was the FIRST team to win 4 finals in a single series to win the flag
I hope none of those away games were at the mcg

You cant claim them as away

Its a neutral venue according to vics
 
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