Ranking AFL Grand Finals since 2000

[TigerTrain23]

I've always said Grand Finals are either a classic, average or garbage in equal measures.

It's now at a perfect split after today.

Split since 2000:
9/27 - garbage
9/27 - average
9/27 - classic

Individual matches:
2025 - average
2024 - garbage
2023 - classic
2022 - garbage
2021 - average
2020 - average
2019 - garbage
2018 - classic
2017 - average
2016 - classic
2015 - garbage
2014 - garbage
2013 - average
2012 - classic
2011 - average
2010 - classic (replay: garbage)
2009 - classic
2008 - average
2007 - garbage
2006 - classic
2005 - classic
2004 - average
2003 - garbage
2002 - classic
2001 - average
2000 - garbage

Hopefully we are due for a classic next year...well done Brisbane Lions. Too good!

Are we trending to worse Grand Finals generally? What in your opinion makes a Grand Final classic, garbage or something in between.

 

[Blackas87]

Does the game being close the only criteria for it being a classic?

 

[Heardy_101]

The criteria for garbage, average and classic is rather ambiguous at best.

Yesterday was shaping to be a close game, until the Lions decided to go "you know what? We're gonna kick 10 goals and there ain't shit you can do about it." Up until that point, I was on the edge of my seat (even as a neutral) as were the Geelong supporters with me. So if the game didn't blow out in the end, would it have been a "classic"?

 

[voorhees]

your list is a pretty average assessment..
20' was a great game and fight back
08' was a great g.f

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

01, 08, and 11 were classics

 

[Xtreme]

It's hard as we'll all be biased because of the teams involved, not liking the winner or the manner of winning.

For 2000 - 2025. I'll say I wasn't fond of 2000 and 2007 (2000 didn't care for Essendon/Melbourne so it was not something I paid attention to and 2007 - I was heavily invested in Port Adelaide's success lol).

 

[Thuggee_Cult]

2001 and 2011 were classics.

Both were genuine heavyweight bouts with the game still up for grabs in the last quarter.

The Lions and Cats landed killer blows in the last quarter to separate the game, the margins blew out in the end but they were great games.

 

[Thuggee_Cult]

You could mount a similar case for 08 too

 

[XhazzafootyX]

I thought 2013 was good aswell

 

[The Swert]

The criteria for garbage, average and classic is rather ambiguous at best.

Yesterday was shaping to be a close game, until the Lions decided to go "you know what? We're gonna kick 10 goals and there ain't shit you can do about it." Up until that point, I was on the edge of my seat (even as a neutral) as were the Geelong supporters with me. So if the game didn't blow out in the end, would it have been a "classic"?

I'm happy to say it was average.

The first quarter was a dour, congested game. It took 15 mins for the first goal. Not great viewing really despite the close score.
The second half was all one-way traffic.

 

[Wojcinski]

2012 for me was my favourite recent GF just because of the wild swings and scoring runs, each time one team would put the foot down you thought it was about to get blown out only for the other to swing it back their way

 

[MasterSamurai]

Nothing to do with boasting but I thought 08 was enthralling!!! Knowing that great cats side weren't going to have it all their way with the plucky young hawks but thought somehow they'll get over us but, as the game wore on, it was becoming more and more ominous for the cats that the unthinkable was just about to happen.
2012, as awful as the result was for us, it was a tough , skillful , thrill a minute boxing stoush !!!!
2018 & 2023 were ridiculously good!!
Also, there's something about watching a one sided gf where, there's a real element of envy grows as the winning side just slices the Oppo on the biggest day

Yesterday was one of those , as no one would have seen it coming halfway through the third term.

 

[Heardy_101]

I'm happy to say it was average.

The first quarter was a dour, congested game. It took 15 mins for the first goal. Not great viewing really despite the close score.
The second half was all one-way traffic.

I'll disagree. Yep, all the behinds and missed scoring shots were getting annoying, but it was hardly dour. Congested? Definitely, but neither team was allowing the other to break the game open until the third quarter when Geelong ran out of gas.

 

[Blackhawk42]

OK, let's give this a go...

1. 2018 Collingwood vs West Coast
2. 2023 Collingwood vs Brisbane
3. 2012 Hawthorn vs Sydney (hurts me to write that)
4. 2010 draw St.Kilda vs Collingwood
5. 2016 Western Bulldogs vs Sydney
6. 2008 Hawthorn vs Geelkng
7. 2002 Brisbane vs Collingwood
8. 2011 Geelong vs Collingwood
9. 2006 West Coast vs Sydney
10. 2005 Sydney vs West Coast
11. 2009 Geelong vs St.Kilda
12. 2001 Brisbane vs Essendon
13. 2025 Brisbane vs Geelong
14. 2021 Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs
15. 2020 Richmond vs Geelong
16. 2014 Hawthorn vs Sydney
17. 2004 Port Adelaide vs Brisbane
18. 2013 Hawthorn vs Fremantle
19. 2017 Richmond vs Adelaide
20. 2015 Hawthorn vs West Coast
21. 2003 Brisbane vs Collingwood
22. 2024 Brisbane vs Sydney
23. 2000 Essendon vs Melbourne
24. 2022 Geelong vs Sydney
25. 2007 Geelong vs Port Adelaide
26. 2019 Richmond vs GWS


Come at me with feedback. Keeping in mind it's opinion based.

Interested to see if people consider 13th and 14th reasonable or too high.