The team of the century

yodellinhank

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For this century, I'd give it to Geelong 2011. They had 2 great teams to beat and they did it fairly comfortably in the end, even if the GF was a ripper for three quarters. Went 19-3, 157% and went 6-0 against teams that were 20-2 168% and 18-4 144%. That included wins by 38, 31 and 96 points. Average margin of 32 points against those sides.

I can't go past that.
If you look at this century so far i think it's a really interesting conversation to have.
 

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Scotland

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Thread is about most dominant team, not what is summoned up across multiple seasons. If we're taking that into account every other team wasn't good enough and the bombers won 15 other flags.

People trying to denigrate what was achieved in 2000 by saying there were no challengers because some had dropped off and others weren't yet ready. That would actually mean there are more challengers, you don't just go from 6 to 12 on the premiership clock.
I don't think anyone really wants to denigrate Essendon's 2000 season, but outside of Essendon fans no one really cares what the 'most dominant season' was.

When people look back on the 2000s and the 2010s they rate Brisbane, Hawthorn and Geelong streets ahead of Essendon. To the average footy fan one flag wonders just don't rate in the greatness stakes. Going 21-1 160% then 3-0 in finals is great but it doesn't mean as much as Essendon fans think it does.
 

yodellinhank

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I don't think anyone really wants to denigrate Essendon's 2000 season, but outside of Essendon fans no one really cares what the 'most dominant season' was.

When people look back on the 2000s and the 2010s they rate Brisbane, Hawthorn and Geelong streets ahead of Essendon. To the average footy fan one flag wonders just don't rate in the greatness stakes. Going 21-1 160% then 3-0 in finals is great but it doesn't mean as much as Essendon fans think it does.
Haha. 11 points off being premiers and champions isn't greatness?!

2000 is the best side football has ever seen.
 

Scotland

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Play it your way then, essendon 2000 won 15 flags either side of their victory. Anyone can top that?
Err, no they didn't. They won 15 flags before their 2000 triumph. Since they've won absolutely squat.

You don't seem to grasp that team seasons don't happen in isolation. Essendon 1999 to 2000 to 2001 was largely the same side. Lloyd, Lucas, Hird etc. didn't parachute in for 2000 then disappear. It's not like comparing Essendon 2000 to Essendon 1985 or 1910 or whenever.

Essendon 1999 choked in the PF to an inferior Carlton side, then Essendon 2001 lost a GF to Brisbane. If you can't see how that frames people's perception of how 'great' the 2000 side was then I can't help you.
 

yodellinhank

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Err, no they didn't. They won 15 flags before their 2000 triumph. Since they've won absolutely squat.

You don't seem to grasp that team seasons don't happen in isolation. Essendon 1999 to 2000 to 2001 was largely the same side. Lloyd, Lucas, Hird etc. didn't parachute in for 2000 then disappear. It's not like comparing Essendon 2000 to Essendon 1985 or 1910 or whenever.

Essendon 1999 choked in the PF to an inferior Carlton side, then Essendon 2001 lost a GF to Brisbane. If you can't see how that frames people's perception of how 'great' the 2000 side was then I can't help you.
Lucas and hird did. They were injured in '99. After which Bewick & long were gone, among others. 2000 was the year everything came together and made the greatest side we've ever seen.
 

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Dom PC

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Lucas and hird did. They were injured in '99. After which Bewick & long were gone, among others. 2000 was the year everything came together and made the greatest side we've ever seen.
Wasn't everyone from your 2000 premiership team still in your 2001 squad except Bewick...?
 

yodellinhank

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Wasn't everyone from your 2000 premiership team still in your 2001 squad except Bewick...?
The names are there, yes. It's folly to say a 2001 Michael Long is the equal of a 1999 Michael Long though. Same goes for many of those players. It's like saying "07 cats had selwood" good as he was it isn't the same as 09 or 11 selwood.

As another poster mentioned, 2000 was really the coming together of that 90s period for the bombers. Many players past their peak post 2000 - bewick, long, barnes, allessio, reasons attributed to mercuri's decline are pretty common knowledge. Even Wallis - the 01 side lost the hard edge of its predecessors, Leigh Matthews recognised this.

I'd take the '99 bombers over '01. People (including the eventual premiership coach) expected the 99 bombers to win the flag. 2000 was more similar to that squad with Hird and Lucas added to it, as Scotland pointed out.
 

Bunk Moreland

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Thread starter #191
I don't think anyone really wants to denigrate Essendon's 2000 season, but outside of Essendon fans no one really cares what the 'most dominant season' was.

When people look back on the 2000s and the 2010s they rate Brisbane, Hawthorn and Geelong streets ahead of Essendon. To the average footy fan one flag wonders just don't rate in the greatness stakes. Going 21-1 160% then 3-0 in finals is great but it doesn't mean as much as Essendon fans think it does.
And Essendon supporters don't care much about Geelong flags. That's how footy works.

And it's hardly nothing. It's there in black and white, wins and losses, percentage, it's the most dominant season in history.

It's in the record books, unlike any subjective argument about teams who've won 3 flags in 5 years like Geelong did, which isn't any sort of record in itself.
 

Roddy

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The only thing that the 'greatness' of Essendon in 2000 proves is what a ridiculous bunch of under-achievers they were. That side should have won 3, ended up with one. One of the great missed opportunities in the sport's history.
 

yodellinhank

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What changed with the team from 2000 to 2001? Doesnt seem like there was a lot of player turnover that year?
As another poster mentioned, 2000 was really the coming together of that 90s period for the bombers. Many players past their peak post 2000 - bewick, long, barnes, allessio, reasons attributed to mercuri's decline are pretty common knowledge. Even Wallis - the 01 side lost the hard edge of its predecessors, Leigh Matthews recognised this.
"If Hawthorn were so good in '15, then why are they so crap now?" It's a silly argument.
 

yodellinhank

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The only thing that the 'greatness' of Essendon in 2000 proves is what a ridiculous bunch of under-achievers they were. That side should have won 3, ended up with one. One of the great missed opportunities in the sport's history.
So crap they should've won 3 flags. Interesting.
 

HairyO

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"If Hawthorn were so good in '15, then why are they so crap now?" It's a silly argument.
Given we made 4 GFs in a row and won 3 of them, yes, you made a very silly argument.

Even with the massive salary cap rorting Essendon only managed a single flag. That is a terrible return on investment.
 

Scotland

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And Essendon supporters don't care much about Geelong flags. That's how footy works.

And it's hardly nothing. It's there in black and white, wins and losses, percentage, it's the most dominant season in history.

It's in the record books, unlike any subjective argument about teams who've won 3 flags in 5 years like Geelong did, which isn't any sort of record in itself.
Except Geelong bettered it in 2008.

Or does their 'dominant season' not count because they lost the GF?

Anyway Collingwood went through an entire H&A season undefeated with a percentage of 172.
 
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