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It was no surprise which teams played in the 2016 grand final, nor who won.

We could have predicted this after the 1st round :D

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worbod

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2008
5,878
7,506
Bendigo
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
Liverpool
Jason Johannisen provides the twelfth instance of a player winning a Norm Smith Medal with fewer than 100 games.

Recipient | season | games played
\Maurice Rioli|1982|21
\Wayne Harmes|1979|42
\Peter Matera|1992|54
\Billy Duckworth|1984|55
\Paul Dear|1991|60
\Andrew McLeod|1997|60
\Jason Johannisen|2016|64
\Colin Robertson|1983|65
\Andrew McLeod|1998|79
\Steve Johnson|2007|87
\Chris Judd|2005|92
\Glenn Archer|1996|96


And just for the record, the most experienced players to win a Norm Smith:

Recipient | season | games played
\Kevin Bartlett|1980|339
\Ryan O'Keefe|2012|257
\Bruce Doull|1981|256
\Luke Hodge|2014|250
\Tony Shaw|1990|246
\Simon Madden|1985|241
\Lenny Hayes|2010|238
 

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I've been saying for many many years I wish the AFL would award retrospective Norm Smith medals. I don't know if there ever used to be a best player for grand finals prior to 1979, but I'd be happy with the games being re-watched by a panel and votes awarded as they currently are. If there is video footage of an entire grand final, these games should have a Norm Smith medallist.
 

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Team records after their first three grand finals:
3-0: BL, ME
2-1: CA, CO, FI, GE*, HA, RI, WB, WC
1-2: ES*, NM, SK, SY
===============
2-0: AD
1-1: PA
0-1: FR

So we can say that most teams have a positive win-loss record after their first three grand finals.

*Essendon won the premiership in 1897 but no actual grand final was required. There was no challenge system in place for the minor premier Geelong, who then finished 2nd during the finals series play-offs.
 
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Team records after their first four grand finals:
4-0: ME
3-1: BL, CA, GE*
2-2: CO, FI, HA, RI, WC
1-3: ES*, NM, SK, SY
===============
2-0: AD
2-1: WB
1-1: PA
0-1: FR

So we can say that most teams do not have a positive win-loss record after their first three grand finals. Hopefully the Bulldogs' next grand final is not too far away. Odds would predict that they probably lose their fourth grand final.

*Essendon won the premiership in 1897 but no actual grand final was required. There was no challenge system in place for the minor premier Geelong, who then finished 2nd during the finals series play-offs.
 

North park

Team Captain
Mar 2, 2015
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Sydney has now lost Grand Finals in 1996, 2006 and 2016.

And as South Melbourne, they lost the 1896 VFA play off to Collingwood and the 1936 VFL Grand Final, also to Collingwood. They have never won a Grand Final in a year ending in 6.

Sydney/South Melbourne have now finished on top of the ladder (minor premiers) 9 times, but have only gone on to win the premiership twice - 1909 and 1918 (its first two premierships). They have lost the Grand Final the other 7 years - 1912, 1935, 1936, 1945, 1996, 2014 and 2016.
 

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As you probably know, no 7th-placed team has won 15 H&A games before. In fact, the Bulldogs should have beaten Fremantle in R23 to finish 16-6 and they still would have finished 7th. They would be on an 8-game winning streak if they did. The Bulldogs win over Fremantle in R1 was big enough for the Bulldogs to top the ladder after R1, but in R23 they actually had nothing to play for, much like Fremantle and North Melbourne in the final round of 2015.

Can the Western Bulldogs press on from winning the premiership to really become a powerhouse club, even if only for a year or two? Here are some things they have never achieved that most other clubs have:
- winning 17 H&A games
- finishing a H&A season with 140% (over 130% only once, in 1953)
- winning 10 consecutive games (currently at 4*)
- finish top 2 in an 18-team competition
- win a minor premiership
- win 2 finals in consecutive seasons
- win 6 consecutive finals (currently at 4*)
- compete in 5 consecutive finals series
- have a coach win more than 4 finals (Beveridge already on 4*)
 
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worbod

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2008
5,878
7,506
Bendigo
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
Liverpool
I've been saying for many many years I wish the AFL would award retrospective Norm Smith medals. I don't know if there ever used to be a best player for grand finals prior to 1979, but I'd be happy with the games being re-watched by a panel and votes awarded as they currently are. If there is video footage of an entire grand final, these games should have a Norm Smith medallist.

If you have a copy of a recent AFL Record Season Guide, there is a mention of this underneath the Norm Smith Medallists, in the AWARDS section. It is titled Grand Final Best on Ground: 1965-1978, and reads:

In 2001, the AFL Record named the players who were best on ground in the Grand Finals between 1965 and 1978. A panel of football and media experts was selected for each year and asked to judge the best on ground. Because there is little or no vision of Grand Finals before 1965, that was deemed to be the cut-off point. The selections were:

1965 Ted Fordham (Essendon)
1966 Ian Cooper (St Kilda)
1967 Bill Goggin (Geelong)
1968 Gary Crane (Carlton)
1969 Michael Green (Richmond)
1970 David McKay (Carlton)
1971 Kelvin Moore (Hawthorn)
1972 Robert Walls (Carlton)
1973 Kevin Bartlett (Richmond)
1974 Kevin Sheedy (Richmond)
1975 Brent Crosswell (North Melbourne)
1976 John Hendrie (Hawthorn)
1977 Len Thompson (Collingwood)
1977 Arnold Briedis (North Melbourne) REPLAY
1978
Robert DiPierdomenico (Hawthorn)

So it seems as though there has been official recognition of these players, but whether that has extended to them receiving a medal, a certificate, or some other memento, I'm not sure.
 

Gibbsy

Cakewalk
Oct 12, 2009
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If you have a copy of a recent AFL Record Season Guide, there is a mention of this underneath the Norm Smith Medallists, in the AWARDS section. It is titled Grand Final Best on Ground: 1965-1978, and reads:

In 2001, the AFL Record named the players who were best on ground in the Grand Finals between 1965 and 1978. A panel of football and media experts was selected for each year and asked to judge the best on ground. Because there is little or no vision of Grand Finals before 1965, that was deemed to be the cut-off point. The selections were:

1965 Ted Fordham (Essendon)
1966 Ian Cooper (St Kilda)
1967 Bill Goggin (Geelong)
1968 Gary Crane (Carlton)
1969 Michael Green (Richmond)
1970 David McKay (Carlton)
1971 Kelvin Moore (Hawthorn)
1972 Robert Walls (Carlton)
1973 Kevin Bartlett (Richmond)
1974 Kevin Sheedy (Richmond)
1975 Brent Crosswell (North Melbourne)
1976 John Hendrie (Hawthorn)
1977 Len Thompson (Collingwood)
1977 Arnold Briedis (North Melbourne) REPLAY
1978
Robert DiPierdomenico (Hawthorn)

So it seems as though there has been official recognition of these players, but whether that has extended to them receiving a medal, a certificate, or some other memento, I'm not sure.

Interesting. I've just blown the dust off a 2006 Jim Main hardcover I would have bought around that time called When It Matters Most, where he does a write-up on each player that was BOG in the Grand Final, from 1897 through 2005. He uses the official Norm Smith Medal voting for the years 1979 onwards, but through research devised his own list of best on grounds in the years prior. There's a heap of old newspaper images and interesting reading. I trust Main and his attention to detail so would happily go with a list like this, at least for the pre-war years where no one is old enough to give a truly definitive answer.

Jim Main's Best on Grounds

1897
Charlie "Tracker" Forbes (Essendon) [*round robin series]
1898 Mick Grace (Fitzroy)
1899 Pat Hickey (Fitzroy)

1900 Vic Cumberland (Melbourne)
1901 Hugh Gavin (Essendon)
1902 Fred Leach (Collingwood)
1903 Charlie Pannam (Collingwood)
1904 Gerald Brosnan (Fitzroy)
1905 Barclay Bailes (Fitzroy)
1906 Norman Clark (Carlton)
1907 George Bruce (Carlton)
1908 Charlie Hammond (Carlton)
1909 Charlie Ricketts (South Melbourne)

1910 Fred Elliott (Carlton) [*losing team]
1911 Fred Baring (Essendon)
1912 Lou Armstrong (Essendon)
1913 Jack Cooper (Fitzroy)
1914 Bruce Sloss (South Melbourne) [*losing team]
1915 George Challis (Carlton)
1916 Wally Johnson (Fitzroy)
1917 Percy Wilson (Collingwood)
1918 Vic Belcher (South Melbourne)
1919 Con McCarthy (Collingwood)

1920 Max Hislop (Richmond)
1921 Dan Minogue (Richmond)
1922 Jim Atkinson (Fitzroy)
1923 Tom Fitzmaurice (Essendon)
1924 Frank Maher (Essendon) [*round robin series]
1925 Cliff Rankin (Geelong)
1926 Bob Johnson Snr (Melbourne)
1927 Syd Coventry (Collingwood)
1928 Albert "Leeter" Collier (Collingwood)
1929 Bill Libbis (Collingwood)

1930 Bruce Andrew (Collingwood)
1931 Reg Hickey (Geelong)
1932 Gordon Strang (Richmond)
1933 Laurie Nash (South Melbourne)
1934 Jack Titus (Richmond)
1935 Harry Collier (Collingwood)
1936 Marcus Whelan (Collingwood)
1937 Tom Quinn (Geelong)
1938 Jack Hale (Carlton)
1939 Percy Beames (Melbourne)

1940 Percy Beames (Melbourne) [*second honour]
1941 Percy Beames (Melbourne) [*third honour]
1942 Dick Reynolds (Essendon)
1943 Max Oppy (Richmond)
1944 Bruce Calverley (Fitzroy)
1945 Vin Brown (Carlton)
1946 Gordon Lane (Essendon)
1947 Ern Henfry (Carlton)
1948 Jack Mueller (Melbourne)
1948 Jack Mueller (Melbourne) [*GF replay; second honour]
1949 Bob McClure (Essendon)

1950 Norm McDonald (Essendon)
1951 Bernie Smith (Geelong)
1952 Geoff Williams (Geelong)
1953 Des Healey (Collingwood)
1954 John Kerr (Footscray)
1955 Denis Cordner (Melbourne)
1956 Stuart Spencer (Melbourne)
1957 Ian Ridley (Melbourne)
1958 Thorold Merrett (Collingwood)
1959 Ron Barassi Jnr (Melbourne)

1960 Laurie Mithen (Melbourne)
1961 Brendan Edwards (Hawthorn)
1962 Jack Clarke (Essendon)
1963 Graham "Polly" Farmer (Geelong)
1964 Brian Dixon (Melbourne)
1965 Ken Fraser (Essendon)
1966 Ian Cooper (St Kilda)
1967 Bill Barrot (Richmond)
1968 John Nicholls (Carlton)
1969 Mike Green (Richmond)

1970 Brent Crosswell (Carlton)
1971 Don Scott (Hawthorn)
1972 Robert Walls (Carlton)
1973 Kevin Sheedy (Richmond)
1974 Royce Hart (Richmond)
1975 John Rantall (North Melbourne)
1976 John Hendrie (Hawthorn)
1977 Stan Alves (North Melbourne)
1977 John Byrne (North Melbourne) [*GF replay]
1978 Leigh Matthews (Hawthorn)
 

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The general lack of consensus is disturbing:

YEAR| FOOTY RECORD | JIM MAIN
\1965|Ted Fordham (ES)|Ken Fraser (Es)
\ 1966 |Ian Cooper (SK)|Ian Cooper (SK)
\1967|Bill Goggin (GE)|Bill Barrot (RI)
\1968|Gary Crane (CA)|John Nicholls (CA)
\ 1969 |Michael Green (RI)|Michael Green (RI)
\1970|David McKay (CA)|Brent Crosswell (CA)
\1971|Kelvin Moore (HW)|Don Scott (HW)
\ 1972 |Robert Walls (CA)|Robert Walls (CA)
\1973|Kevin Bartlett (RI)|Kevin Sheedy (RI)
\1974|Kevin Sheedy (RI)|Royce Hart (RI)
\1975|Brent Crosswell (NM)|John Rantall (NM)
\ 1976 |John Hendrie (HW)|John Hendrie (HW)
\1977|Len Thompson (CO)|Stan Alves (NM)
\1977R|Arnold Briedis (NM)|John Byrne (NM)
\1978|Robert DiPierdomenico (HW)|Leigh Matthews (HW)
 

worbod

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2008
5,878
7,506
Bendigo
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
Liverpool
Fremantle going from minor premier one season to spending time on the bottom of the ladder the next season is not unique. Fremantle spent 7 rounds on the bottom this season, but the record in this respect is held by North Melbourne, who spent 8 rounds on the bottom in 1984 after being minor premiers in 1983. Overall I have found 7 instances of this happening.

team | minor premier | bottom of the ladder
\Carlton|1906|1907, round 1
\Carlton|1908|1909, round 1
\South Melbourne|1936|1937, rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
\Richmond|1982|1983, round 1
\North Melbourne|1983|1984, rounds 1, 2, 3, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
\Sydney|1996|1997, round 1
\Fremantle|2015|2016, rounds 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
 

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red+black

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Since WWII, premiers whose best 4 H&A game streak was 3-1:
2016 - Western Bulldogs (WWW 3 times)
1996 - North Melbourne (WWW 4 times)
1958 - Collingwood (WWW 2 times)

NB: in 2003, Brisbane did not win 4 games in a row but did start the season WWDWWWL.
 
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The Drug

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Team Falls from Finalists to Wooden Spooner - The Brisbane Lions endured a horrible second season in 1998, falling from the 1997 finals to last position.
This one almost happened again in 2016. Freo fell 15 spots, from minor premiers last year to 16th, and might have "won" the spoon in other years. Lucky for them, this year had the shockingly awful Essendon and Brisbane
 

worbod

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2008
5,878
7,506
Bendigo
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
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An updating of a stat I first posted on page 18, to now include Matthew Pavlich.


Players who have held their club record for most games and most goals in a career

Player | Club | Games | Goals | Rounds records were held
\Gordon Coventry|Collingwood|306|1299|Rd 9, 1935-Rd 18, 1994
\Simon Madden|Essendon|378|575|Rd 21, 1989-Rd 19, 2003
\Leigh Matthews|Hawthorn|332|915|Rd 11, 1983-Rd 1, 1994
\Albie Morrison|Footscray|224|369|1st semi, 1946-Rd 7, 1948
\David Neitz|Melbourne|306|631|Rd 10, 2006-present
\Matthew Pavlich|Fremantle|353|700|Rd 3, 2011-present
\John Peck|Hawthorn|213|475|Rd 6, 1966-Rd 15, 1967
\Dick Reynolds|Essendon|320|442|Grand final 1949-Rd 2, 1953
\Jack Titus|Richmond|294|970|Rd 1, 1942-Rd 16, 1948
\Warren Tredrea|Port Adelaide|255|549|Rd 2, 2005-present
 
Feb 24, 2013
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The GoldenBrown Heart of Victoria
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Man Utd Green Bay Melb Storm
The general lack of consensus is disturbing:

YEAR| FOOTY RECORD | JIM MAIN
\1965|Ted Fordham (ES)|Ken Fraser (Es)
\ 1966 |Ian Cooper (SK)|Ian Cooper (SK)
\1967|Bill Goggin (GE)|Bill Barrot (RI)
\1968|Gary Crane (CA)|John Nicholls (CA)
\ 1969 |Michael Green (RI)|Michael Green (RI)
\1970|David McKay (CA)|Brent Crosswell (CA)
\1971|Kelvin Moore (HW)|Don Scott (HW)
\ 1972 |Robert Walls (CA)|Robert Walls (CA)
\1973|Kevin Bartlett (RI)|Kevin Sheedy (RI)
\1974|Kevin Sheedy (RI)|Royce Hart (RI)
\1975|Brent Crosswell (NM)|John Rantall (NM)
\ 1976 |John Hendrie (HW)|John Hendrie (HW)
\1977|Len Thompson (CO)|Stan Alves (NM)
\1977R|Arnold Briedis (NM)|John Byrne (NM)
\1978|Robert DiPierdomenico (HW)|Leigh Matthews (HW)

Not really..... When you consider the 5 man panel, who currently select the N.S.M, often all differ on the order & on which players.
 

worbod

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2008
5,878
7,506
Bendigo
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
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Despite playing in four finals this season, the finals attendance aggregate who watched the Western Bulldogs was not a new record for the club.


season | finals aggregate | finals played
\1961|280,464|3
\2016|251,673|4
\1992|200,106|3
\2009|199,282|3
\2008|189,574|3
\1956|173,506|2
\1985|169,807|3
\2010|168,962|3
\1954|145,583|2
\1997|132,520|2
 

worbod

Norm Smith Medallist
Oct 26, 2008
5,878
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Bendigo
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
Liverpool
Progression of the team record for most consecutive goals kicked without a behind in a game


goals | team | opponent | game | score progression
\11|Fitzroy|Collingwood|round 8, 1907|0.0 to 11.0
\12|Essendon|Collingwood|round 4, 1911|?
\12|Richmond|Fitzroy|round 8, 1928|7.6 to 19.6
\13|Collingwood|Richmond|round 1, 1929|0.0 to 13.0
\13|Carlton|Hawthorn|round 20, 1970|0.0 to 13.0
\13|Carlton|Essendon|round 16, 1972|3.4 to 16.4
\13|Fitzroy|Melbourne|round 9, 1975|3.5 to 16.5
\13|Footscray|Melbourne|round 2, 1976|6.4 to 19.4
\15|Geelong|St Kilda|round 5, 1979|5.8 to 20.8
\16|St Kilda|Richmond|round 18, 2006|9.6 to 25.6
 

LiterallyNobody

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Progression of the team record for most consecutive goals kicked without a behind in a game


goals | team | opponent | game | score progression
\11|Fitzroy|Collingwood|round 8, 1907|0.0 to 11.0
\12|Essendon|Collingwood|round 4, 1911|?
\12|Richmond|Fitzroy|round 8, 1928|7.6 to 19.6
\13|Collingwood|Richmond|round 1, 1929|0.0 to 13.0
\13|Carlton|Hawthorn|round 20, 1970|0.0 to 13.0
\13|Carlton|Essendon|round 16, 1972|3.4 to 16.4
\13|Fitzroy|Melbourne|round 9, 1975|3.5 to 16.5
\13|Footscray|Melbourne|round 2, 1976|6.4 to 19.4
\15|Geelong|St Kilda|round 5, 1979|5.8 to 20.8
\16|St Kilda|Richmond|round 18, 2006|9.6 to 25.6
I was at that st kilda game and aware of the record thanks to "Every game ever played" I'd taken notice of teams kicking consecutive goals and it hadn't been done since then.

Anyway midway through the first quarter we were 2.5 and I was getting annoyed by our inaccuracy silently praying we could kick straighter.

We then went from 2.5 to 9.5 and as stated above from 9.6 to 25.6 after that. An amazing turnaround of accuracy.

Fraser Gehrig kicked ten that day. Was the perfect day at the footy. Only missing a ten goal quarter (we kicked nine straight in the third and 9.1 in the second)
 

The Swert

Premiership Player
May 3, 2009
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Melbourne
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With Sam Mitchell moving to West Coast, he becomes the oldest player ever traded and the second most experienced player to change club.

Most games with one club before changing clubs:

Doug Hawkins - 329 games with Footscray (delisted and joined Fitzroy)
Sam Mitchell - 307 games with Hawthorn (traded to West Coast)
Mick Martyn - 287 games with North Melbourne (delisted and joined Carlton)
Luke Power - 282 games with Brisbane (retired and returned with GWS)
James Kelly - 273 games with Geelong (retired and returned with Essendon)
Paul Roos - 269 games with Fitzroy (went in preseason draft to Sydney)
Len Thompson - 268 games with Collingwood (moved to South Melbourne)
Jordan Lewis - 264 games with Hawthorn (traded to Melbourne)
Nick Dal Santo - 260 games with St Kilda (traded to North Melbourne)
Alex Jesaulenko - 256 games with Carlton (moved to St Kilda)
Steve Johnson - 253 games with Geelong (traded to GWS)
James McDonald - 251 games with Melbourne (retired and returned with GWS)
Paul Chapman - 251 games with Geelong (traded to Essendon)


Oldest players to be traded (excludes delisting and retirements):

Sam Mitchell - 33 years (traded to West Coast)
Barry Hall - 32 years (traded to Western Bulldogs)
Peter Everitt - 32 years (traded to Sydney)
Steve Johnson - 32 years (traded to GWS)
Paul Chapman - 32 years (traded to Essendon)
 
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Ron The Bear

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With Sam Mitchell moving to West Coast, he becomes the oldest player ever traded and the second most experienced player to change club.
...

A few other players were older at their last game when they changed clubs. Not sure of the circumstances of some, whether traded or simply let go.

John Rantall 35y266d Sy -> Fi 1979-80 (330 games - makes Mitchell the third most-experienced player to change clubs)
Doug Hawkins 34y122d WB -> Fi 1994-94 as mentioned
Alex Jesaulenko 34y58d Ca -> St 1979-80 as mentioned
Mick Martyn 34y8d NM -> Ca 2002-03 as mentioned
Johnny Lewis 33y359d NM -> Me 1935-36
Sam Mitchell 33y340d Ha -> WC 2016-17

The following players returned at a new club after a break of one or more seasons:

Syd Barker Snr 36y292d Es -> NM 1924/1927
George Haines 33y360d Me -> St 1925/1927

Len Thompson changed clubs again after 288 games.

Dean Brogan and Ben Hudson were also traded at 32yo.
 
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