Discussion Wacky 1993 Season

Aug 27, 2014
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the finals system was a joke though... how could 5th place Adelaide go from a cut throat final to the 2nd Semi with a GF berth on the line and get a double chance when they lost?
Yep, for the same type of thinking that had Docklands Stadium playing arena set up in a way grass hard to grow and almost impossible to play in day because goals in wrong part of arena. Sometimes people running the game simply don't think it all through. They never should have gone to a final six. Should have gone to a final 7 at the time and would have avoided that nonsense.
 
Mar 5, 2005
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Yep, for the same type of thinking that had Docklands Stadium playing arena set up in a way grass hard to grow and almost impossible to play in day because goals in wrong part of arena. Sometimes people running the game simply don't think it all through. They never should have gone to a final six. Should have gone to a final 7 at the time and would have avoided that nonsense.

Week 1

1st - Bye
QF - 2 v 3
EF1 - 4 v 7
EF2 - 5 v 6

Week 2

SF1 - 1 v Lower EF Winner
SF2 - Loser QF v Higher EF Winner

Week 3 & 4

If 1 wins SF1 ...
PF - Winner QF v Winner SF2
Winner plays 1 in GF

If 1 loses SF1 ...
PF1 - 1 v Winner SF2
PF2 - Winner QF v Winner SF1
Winners play off in GF
 
Aug 27, 2014
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Week 1

1st - Bye
QF - 2 v 3
EF1 - 4 v 7
EF2 - 5 v 6

Week 2

SF1 - 1 v Lower EF Winner
SF2 - Loser QF v Higher EF Winner

Week 3 & 4

If 1 wins SF1 ...
PF - Winner QF v Winner SF2
Winner plays 1 in GF

If 1 loses SF1 ...
PF1 - 1 v Winner SF2
PF2 - Winner QF v Winner SF1
Winners play off in GF

that

OR

Week One

EF1 2 v7
EF2 3 v 6
EF3 4 v 5

Week Two

SF1 2nd highest ranked winner of EF's v 3rd highest ranked winner of EF's
SF2 1 v highest ranked winner of EF's


Week Three
Preliminary Final
loser of SF2 v winner of SF1


Week Four
Grand Final
winner of SF2 v winner of Prelim Final
 
Mar 5, 2005
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that

OR

Week One

EF1 2 v7
EF2 3 v 6
EF3 4 v 5

Week Two

SF1 2nd highest ranked winner of EF's v 3rd highest ranked winner of EF's
SF2 1 v highest ranked winner of EF's


Week Three
Preliminary Final
loser of SF2 v winner of SF1


Week Four
Grand Final
winner of SF2 v winner of Prelim Final

Only issue is that the highest EF winner goes from a cut throat final in Week 1 to getting two cracks at getting into the GF. This was a feature of the Final 6 system... Geelong in 91, West Coast in 92 and lowly Adelaide all the way from 5th in 93. It wasn't ideal.
 
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Mar 21, 2008
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It was a very even season, but the two most deserving sides played off for the GF. The Hawks and Kangas played a Friday night game mid season, which was one of the games of the season, and the supposed preview of the GF at that point. The Hawks took over TAB favouritism that night. But by the time the finals rolled around, both had been exposed - Hawthorn lost to all of the finalists during the season except North, and inexperience cost North even though they had a home final v battle hardened WC, which these days usually means a win regardless. The best team by the time the finals rolled around was Geelong, but they'd shot themselves in the foot with some inept early season performances and didn't even make it.

Carlton and Essendon were the most consistent, and the GF wasn't indicative of their shared narrow superiority over the comp. No surprise Carlton was able to turn the next two years into ones of dominance, and Essendon probably emphasised just how switched on they must have been that day by being a lot less impressive in the same two years.

They had been going on about North as being the future Team Of The 90's, and this was the year they got it right, after Pagan took over. Adrian McAdam's debut season, on top of Carey moving from good to elite superstar. Adelaide rose too, but their PF first half heroics hid the relative mediocrity that saw them needing to beat Collingwood at home just to get in, and the bizarre finals happenings that put them in a second semi in the first place. West Coast looked great at times, really tough, but like Geelong they went through a slump. Hawthorn were starting to realise that they wre living in denial of their great era being over...big cracks started to appear...

Highlights:
Salmon v Ablett Goalfest
Adrian McAdam's purple patch
Richmond making the pre season final and the record crowd
Ablett, Dunstall and Modra all kicking tons
Justin Madden's running goal from the centre in the SF
Kernahan misses a relatively easy shot, out of bounds, to draw the game v Essendon
The Bears beat Sydney by 160 points a year after they were belted by Geelong by about the same margin...the future dynasty was starting to stir...
 
Aug 27, 2014
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Only issue is that the highest EF winner goes from a cut throat final in Week 1 to getting two cracks at getting into the GF.
True, however keep in mind that is team number 2 on ladder that has that all within their own control. As long as they beat team number 7 they goto week two of finals series ranked 2nd.


This was a feature of the Final 6 system... Geelong in 91, West Coast in 92 and lowly Adelaide all the way from 5th in 93. It wasn't ideal.
That is only half right.
What was the feature of final six was that first and second on ladder played each other in week one and the loser for some strange reason got demoted to ranking three after that match. So if you are genuinely second best you lose week one and somehow fall in rankings even though common sense should say you maintain rank two at worst.
Adelaide leap frogging Essendon to second ranking in 1993 by playing easier team made no sense then.

The feature of final seven example I put is that no side can leap frog another in ranking in crazy manner that final six allowed.. If you are second ranking at end of home and away season you have much easier side to play in week one and have every chance to get the vital double chance to get into a Grand Final. Sides 3, 4 and 5 cannot leap frog team number two on ladder in unfair manner by playing easier opponent.

Going into final round of home and away it is super clear there is distinct differences to finishing first, second and third on ladder so the onus on finishing higher on ladder is clear.

Having said that I love each of the final seven'suggested and all far superior to final six used back then.
In context of there being 15 teams in league back then I think in hindsight they should have moved from final five to final seven and that was my main point. The final six systems used turned out to be a bit of a joke.

I must admit it all still amuses me as a Carlton supporter the first version of final eight saw us finish sixth on home and away in 1999, lose our first final by big margin, yet were able to use a double chance and eventually kick Essendon out of premiership race in amazing 1999 preliminary final.

The final eight we have now is a lot more sensible although being first or second on ladder now is virtually the same.
With 18 teams now it seems about right and everyone knows the aim is to finish top two in home and away to be in poll position for a premiership campaign.
 
Aug 7, 2005
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in the final round before the finals, Carlton played Sydney at princes park, and just needed a win for the all important double chance, after leading all day, the Swans, who had only won 1 match all season, levelled the scores - a draw for Carlton would not be enough for the double chance, they had to win. They finally got a free kick for out on the full, and a behind was kicked, that was the final score, 15.11 to 15.10.

I am after a copy of this game, or the tv replay of it, its not available from name a game/sports delivered, and ch 7 cant help me.

If anyone has a copy, please let me know.

thank you
 

Catsace

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I do maintain that for all of Geelong's foibles in the opening 2/3rd's of that 1993 season, the fact that they played just once against all of the bottom three sides (who were almost a history's worst performed bottom 3 with just 9 wins out of 60 games), and missed out on the final six by just a couple of percent.

Without question Geelong's powerful finish and form saw pressure to introduce a final 8 for the following years, although the Tigers still managed 9th in 1994 with an eminently respectable 12-10. Indeed in 1992, Carlton finished 7th with an even better record than Geelong, they were 14-8 and still managed to miss the finals! The remarkable thing in years to come is that the mid-late 90's saw some sides making the finals with crappy records, the Bears with 10-12 in 1995, and again in 1997 with 10-11-1 were classic examples.

For me though, the sheer uniqueness of ten sides separated by just 14 Premiership points and around 15-20% was something to behold, and will be something i'll remember for as long as i watch footy.
 
Aug 27, 2014
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For me though, the sheer uniqueness of ten sides separated by just 14 Premiership points and around 15-20% was something to behold, and will be something i'll remember for as long as i watch footy.

Such a unique season in so many ways.

1987 is the other season in all the time I been following footy that just sticks out in mind as a season never to forget.
The last home and away round was truly epic like no other. We will never see anything like it again.
 
in the final round before the finals, Carlton played Sydney at princes park, and just needed a win for the all important double chance, after leading all day, the Swans, who had only won 1 match all season, levelled the scores - a draw for Carlton would not be enough for the double chance, they had to win. They finally got a free kick for out on the full, and a behind was kicked, that was the final score, 15.11 to 15.10.

I am after a copy of this game, or the tv replay of it, its not available from name a game/sports delivered, and ch 7 cant help me.

If anyone has a copy, please let me know.

thank you

From memory we had to win by 7 points or more to get top spot - and thats why the small win wasn't enough to get us the minor premiership.
 

Dan Cooper

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Another wacky thing. Look at North percentage in 3rd spot. Better than Essendon and Carlton. If blues and bombers had not had draw earlier in season North would have been on 2nd spot and avoided Elimination in first final.

As Leigh Matthews puts it so succinctly, "the best team for the season doesn't necessarily win the premiership. The best team in September does".

That said, Essendon did finish on top of the ladder in 1993 and had as strong a claim as anyone for being the best team throughout the season
 
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Mar 21, 2008
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It was down to those two. I recall noone backing North to beat the Eagles in the EF, simply due to experience and consistency, so they might well have been knocked out in straight sets with a double chance anyway. Considering Essendon and Carlton were way down the ladder halfway through the season, the reality is that both had been a level better than the rest for a few months by finals time, especially with the Cats out of the picture...
 
Mar 5, 2005
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Final 7 in 1993

--Week 1--

Sat
EF1: Hawthorn v Geelong - WP

Sun
QF: Carlton v North - MCG
EF2: Adelaide v West Coast - FP (first night final)

--Week 2--

Sat
SF2: North v Adelaide - WP

Sun
SF1: Essendon v Geelong - MCG

--Week 3--

Sat
PF1: Essendon v Adelaide - WP
PF2: Carlton v Geelong - MCG (night)

--Week 4--

Sat
GF: Essendon v Geelong - MCG
 
Last edited:
Aug 27, 2014
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there are no other teams worthy
1 Essendon 20 13 1 6 119.1% 54
2 Carlton 20 13 1 6 117.6% 54
3 North Melbourne 20 13 7 6 120.8% 52
4 Hawthorn 20 13 7 116.6% 52
5 Adelaide 20 12 8 117.8% 48
6 West Coast 20 12 8 115.8% 48
7 Geelong 20 12 8 111.6% 48


Week One (each loser eliminated but highest ranked winner gains double chance)

EF1 2 v 7 Carlton v Geelong
EF2 3 v 6 North v West Coast
EF3 4 v 5 Hawks v Adelaide

Week Two

SF1 2nd highest ranked winner of EF's v 3rd highest ranked winner of EF's
Assuming same result of 1993 then Adelaide v West Coast
SF2 1 v highest ranked winner of EF's
Assuming Carlton win first week of final like in 1993, then Essendon v Carlton

Week Three
Preliminary Final
loser of SF2 v winner of SF1
Essendon v Adelaide

Week Four
Grand Final
winner of SF2 v winner of Prelim Final[/QUOTE]
Carlton v Essendon

Carlton pick Kouta and Peter Dean and leave out Mark Athorn and Tim Powell.
Blues win by one point! ;)
 
Feb 21, 2006
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I agree with you that 1989 was one of the very few times Victoria ever took those games seriously, the same applied with the "Ted Whitten farewell" game. Ablett didn't play in 1989, though. It was Lockett and Dunstall leading the forward line, with the likes of Brereton and Daniher around the place as well.

1989 SOO was the best game I've ever been to crowd wise. Was insane to have 90k people all supporting the one side, never seen anything like it before.
 
Feb 21, 2006
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I'll have to check back about the Ablett one. I swear he was there too. Maybe my memory playing tricks on me. Anyway regarding the "Ted Whitten farewell" game. Mate, even that was still less than full strength team. I was at that game. I remember the Ted Whitten moment more than the game itself. Of the 1989, 93 and 96 games only the 89 was really something like a team picked without clubs playing funny buggers to stop the Big V fielding full strength team. It was the only time the Melbourne crowd sensed it too which is why it was such a big crowd. I cannot speak of games from late 70's as was never at any of them.

Pretty sure Anthony Hall did his knee in 89 courtesy of Hawks teammates Andy Collins and it was after this that clubs started taking a far more conservative approach.
 
great thread worthy of a bump given the new 1993 podcast, search and give it a lesson

I enjoyed the footy this year , was when I was 10, so watch a game go outside and replay it myself

often swans game id give up at half time and go for a kick then come back for the last quarter.

We were absolute shite, but we did get some high scores by modern standards at least, just had cricket scores against us.
 
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IIRC Correctly Paul Roos got injured in the state of origin, probably cost Fitzroy a final berth
i wonder (being 5 at the time so knowing nothing about it) whether making finals would have given fitzroy the momentum to stave off the merger for another few years. given that jackson apparently supported the failing clubs instead of wanting to kill them, that might have taken them to the point where the afl were supporting clubs rather than trying to bury them and they may still be around today (along with the bears).

dear barrett: that would be a true sliding doors moment
 
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