The rankings (from best to worst) of the 124 VFL-AFL premiership teams.

Ok Boomer

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Watching people miss the point of this thread every year is one of the best things on Bigfooty, the Brisbane vs Essendon comparison being the obvious example.
 

HG Pennypacker

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You're allowed to actually offer an opinion and argue where you think a particular team should be ranked on this list, you know. Writing "one sentence" responses, in which no actual opinion is offered and posting "funny" memes which someone other than you has created don't exactly indicate that you have the intellect or the football knowledge to post an informed opinion on the list.

Every team on the list is ranked fairly and on merit, and is as objective and fact-based as possible.
Ok I’ll bite - Carlton 1995 finished 20-2 with two losses in rounds 7/8 I think where they just couldn’t be bothered. Then ran off 17 straight to win the premiership including 10 goal flogging last of north (premiers the following year) in the prelim and Geelong in the GF
there were 6 really good teams that year including excelleng eagles, cats and Roos teams and they flogged all of them. It was one of the greatest teams of all time and you have ranked them 13th cos of the lack of aura. So that completely invalidates your list and purported criteria of merit. Now I’ll get back to my gifs as they amuse my puny brain

edit - it’s a thinly veiled troll thread I know and I am annoyed I engaged
 

BF Tiger

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Given that all of the three teams in question finished 3rd on the ladder, they are not unreasonable rankings. There are other teams towards the top that were far more dominant in the years they won.

All the teams are ranked fairly, on merit and are ranked according to the available evidence. The whole point is to be as fair and objective as possible.
Why do Hawthorn 2008 have sufficiently more merit than Richmond 1921 to be ranked over 60 places higher? Both finished second to a team that had dominant H&A seasons and far superior percentage. Hawthorn beat Geelong once in the finals while Richmond beat Carlton twice in the finals. Richmond was also going B2B.
 

Dan26

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Ok I’ll bite - Carlton 1995 finished 20-2 with two losses in rounds 7/8 I think where they just couldn’t be bothered. Then ran off 17 straight to win the premiership including 10 goal flogging last of north (premiers the following year) in the prelim and Geelong in the GF
there were 6 really good teams that year including excelleng eagles, cats and Roos teams and they flogged all of them. It was one of the greatest teams of all time and you have ranked them 13th cos of the lack of aura. So that completely invalidates your list and purported criteria of merit. Now I’ll get back to my gifs as they amuse my puny brain

edit - it’s a thinly veiled troll thread I know and I am annoyed I engaged

They are ranked 13th out of 124. They were one of the greatest teams of all time. They deserve their high ranking. I admittedly have probably worded the "aura" thing wrongly as that is only meant to be in comparison to the other teams at the very top of the list. They did lose two games by heavy margins to non-finalists, remember. 13th is more than fair. It puts them in the top 10% of all premiership teams.
 

Randall Stevens

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While compiling a list like this would be very diffcult, given that it is touted by its creator as being fact based and objective, there are some glaring ranking discrepances involving Essendon.

To pick two examples:

Essendon 1985 (15) v Hawthorn 1971 (34).

Both teams went 19-3 in home and away and won their two finals (albeit Essendon with far larger margins).
But, Essendon had a % for the home and away season of 138.4 compared to Hawthorn 153.7.
In acknowledging my own bias referncing Hawthorn. I'll also acknowledge that history remembers Essendon of '85 as the superior side, but in a list meant to be based on objective evidence, the discrepancy in rankings is hard to understand.

Essendon 1984 (40) v Carlton 1987 (70)

This one is much harder to understand or jutsify.
Both went 18-4 in home and away.
But, Essendon dropped its second semi final whereas Carlton won both of its finals.
Essendon had a % of 128.2 comapred to Carlon 138.0
I can't see any objctive rationale to have Essendon ranked higher at all, let alone 30 places higher.
 

Dan26

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While compiling a list like this would be very diffcult, given that it is touted by its creator as being fact based and objective, there are some glaring ranking discrepances involving Essendon.

To pick two examples:

Essendon 1985 (15) v Hawthorn 1971 (34).

Both teams went 19-3 in home and away and won their two finals (albeit Essendon with far larger margins).
But, Essendon had a % for the home and away season of 138.4 compared to Hawthorn 153.7.
In acknowledging my own bias referncing Hawthorn. I'll also acknowledge that history remembers Essendon of '85 as the superior side, but in a list meant to be based on objective evidence, the discrepancy in rankings is hard to understand.

Essendon 1984 (40) v Carlton 1987 (70)

This one is much harder to understand or jutsify.
Both went 18-4 in home and away.
But, Essendon dropped its second semi final whereas Carlton won both of its finals.
Essendon had a % of 128.2 comapred to Carlon 138.0
I can't see any objctive rationale to have Essendon ranked higher at all, let alone 30 places higher.

It's not purely a statistical exercise. Otherwise the list would be very simple to compile. Hawthorn of 1971 is unusual given their excellent win-loss record, but Don Scott himself said he didn't think the team was that good. Strange words, but that's what he said. The Hawks of '71 probably benefit from a perfect storm of Peter Hudson, good chemistry and a few variables that arguably make their win-loss record marginally better than their true ability. Anecdotal evidence, and general perception from those at the time contribute to the rankings.

A purely statistical based list, would take all thought and opinion-making away from it. Stats count of course. They do. But they're not everything.
 

Randall Stevens

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It's not purely a statistical exercise. Otherwise the list would be very simple to compile. Hawthorn of 1971 is unusual given their excellent win-loss record, but Don Scott himself said he didn't think the team was that good. Strange words, but that's what he said. The Hawks of '71 probably benefit from a perfect storm of Peter Hudson, good chemistry and a few variables that arguably make their win-loss record marginally better than their true ability. Anecdotal evidence, and general perception from those at the time contribute to the rankings.

A purely statistical based list, would take all thought and opinion-making away from it. Stats count of course. They do. But they're not everything.

You have specifically used words like 'objective' and 'fact based' to counter other posters though.

If the list is opinion based that's fine - any opinion based list is more interesting and open to debate than a purely statistical analysis for sure.
But, it's a stretch to on one hand to use statisitics to refute any opinion you don't agree with, and on the other hand to refure hard data with subjective opinion.

Using either criteria I maintain that both of my examples are hard to understand, in particualr the 84 v 87 rankings.
 

Dan26

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You have specifically used words like 'objective' and 'fact based' to counter other posters though.

If the list is opinion based that's fine - any opinion based list is more interesting and open to debate than a purely statistical analysis for sure.
But, it's a stretch to on one hand to use statisitics to refute any opinion you don't agree with, and on the other hand to refure hard data with subjective opinion.

Using either criteria I maintain that both of my examples are hard to understand, in particualr the 84 v 87 rankings.

Essendon of 1984 is generally regarded as a better outfit than Carlton of 1987, regardless of statistics. You're entitled to your opinion, though.
 

TP86

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Essendon 2000 is an asterisk premiership on a par with 2020 due to moving the season for the Olympics and Essendon’s sweetheart deal at Docklands Stadium for its first year in use. It’s not really no.1 it’s more 1*

It’s a statistical fascination more than an actual premiership.
 
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And how low he rates the 1999 North Melbourne side... the premiership that Essendon choked. They were 20-5 for the year but apparently the 5th worst Premiership side of all time because they had the 10th best defence 😂

Conveniently ignoring they had the best attack, their 20-5 record, 3 easy finals wins and the fact that Denis Pagan was one of the most attacking coaches in history.

It’s just a comical exercise he undertakes every year to pump up Essendon’s tyres and in the case of 1999 gives him his forum to justify the bitterness he has (without logic).
I heard on trade radio that the bombers were a lock for the flag next year
 
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Essendon 2000 is an asterisk premiership on a par with 2020 due to moving the season for the Olympics and Essendon’s sweetheart deal at Docklands Stadium for its first year in use. It’s not really no.1 it’s more 1*

It’s a statistical fascination more than an actual premiership.
I think its more 2*
Melbourne scored 75 points in that Grand Final and Essendon kicked inaccurately, 19.21
Richmond held the cats to 50 points on Saturday and kicked much better, 12.9. Think that takes the * cake.
 
Do us all a favour and close this trash thread down. Or are we actually allowed an exemption to troll and criticise the op for both this pitiful and ridiculous topic and his ridiculous reasons for ranking the sides in the manner which he does?

Don’t be such a sook. This is a tradition.
 

Choogler

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West Coast 1992 way too low... where have you factored in travel and the fact that they achieved something that no other team EVER will..... the first to take the cup out of Victoria.
I think that achievement is often understated.
 

Dan26

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West Coast 1992 way too low... where have you factored in travel and the fact that they achieved something that no other team EVER will..... the first to take the cup out of Victoria.
I think that achievement is often understated.

So in other words, alter the ratings to rate the club who you barrack for higher.
 
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Essendon 2000 is an asterisk premiership on a par with 2020 due to moving the season for the Olympics and Essendon’s sweetheart deal at Docklands Stadium for its first year in use. It’s not really no.1 it’s more 1*

It’s a statistical fascination more than an actual premiership.
When did Hird break his foot? 1999? So in 2000 he was under the care of Shane Charters..........join the dots , 2000 has a huge *
 

Choogler

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So in other words, alter the ratings to rate the club who you barrack for higher.
I would have won money on your response, so predictable sadly.... and just for the record, I rate the Brisbane premiership teams as the best I've seen in 50 plus years of watching VFL/AFL footy, and their 3-peat much higher than Hawthorn's.
 
Ah yes, the annual "Essendon 2000 premiership team" is the best premiership team ever thread.
 
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