Opinion Who wins the Premiership? (Updated poll - Updated for Prelims))

[Sweet Jesus]

I'd say it does. Those underdog teams that won stood up against the odds and won while the other choked and showed they weren't good enough to make it that year.

Nah, no way. Essendon 1999 is the shining example. Carlton went 12-10 that year. Don't tell me they were on balance a better side than Essendon.

Just because there was an upset on the day, it doesn't mean the losing team wasn't the better team more generally. That's why it's an upset.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

I can't see West Coast winning 3 games in a row outside of Perth so they're done for me.

That's hard to dispute. I'd love to know how close we could have gone without the injuries. You tune in all season and then it collapses in the last month because you're missing too many. Admittedly we were rubbish in the first Qld hub as well. But we got close enough to at least be top 4 if injuries hadn't cut us down.

 

[theyellowsash]

Brisbane never finished minor premiers during their 2001-4 era as well.

and didnt the hawks only finish top once in their 3peat as well?

geelong only finished top in 2007, second in both 09 and 11.

 

[theyellowsash]

I dunno, everyone will probably put an asterisk on the 2020 season that was, whether it deserves it or not. In fact I think it's been even more of a challenge but everyone will always look for a reason to knock it down a peg.

yeah an asterisk against this flag means nothing. tell me a flag where supporters from 2-3 salty clubs havent tried to dis it to the point of trolling. as with every year, the flag winner will have had to win 15-20 games under as fair conditions as could possibly be done at the time. at most you could say port and brisbane have had a bit of a leg up during home and away, but its not like theyve cheated or anything.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Nah, no way. Essendon 1999 is the shining example. Carlton went 12-10 that year. Don't tell me they were on balance a better side than Essendon.

Just because there was an upset on the day, it doesn't mean the losing team wasn't the better team more generally. That's why it's an upset.

There was alot of absolute nonsense- re finals - in some years in the 90s - because of the stupid finals system in place

Carlton with that 12/10 record finished 6th - got beaten in week one of finals by 12 goals plus - should have been eliminated right at that point

W/Coast finished 5th - won their 1st final( beating the 4th place team at theMCG ) yet the following week they played Carlton - but the game again was in Melb - work out the logic in that - or more to the point the fairness

Decisions were just being made on the run back then - made on the spot

 

[kickazz]

There was alot of absolute nonsense- re finals - in some years in the 90s - because of the stupid finals system in place

Carlton with that 12/10 record finished 6th - got beaten in week one of finals by 12 goals plus - should have been eliminated right at that point

W/Coast finished 5th - won their 1st final( beating the 4th place team at theMCG ) yet the following week they played Carlton - but the game again was in Melb - work out the logic in that - or more to the point the fairness

Decisions were just being made on the run back then - made on the spot

That last part isn't quite true. It was all quite predicable. The McIntyre final 8 was a stupid system; add to that the rule that one final each week had to be in Melbourne and you could get some really stupid outcomes.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

There was alot of absolute nonsense- re finals - in some years in the 90s - because of the stupid finals system in place

Carlton with that 12/10 record finished 6th - got beaten in week one of finals by 12 goals plus - should have been eliminated right at that point

W/Coast finished 5th - won their 1st final( beating the 4th place team at theMCG ) yet the following week they played Carlton - but the game again was in Melb - work out the logic in that - or more to the point the fairness

Decisions were just being made on the run back then - made on the spot

What a lot of people don't remember is the number of people who were willing to defend this arrangement at the time.

 

[SC26]

Strongest Geelong has looked since 2011.
I think Geelong will destroy Port/Brisbane (likely QF opponents) week 1, as they already have this season. Book them into the PF.
Port and Brisbane aren't playing overly well at the moment, too.
Biggest worry for them in finals is Richmond, I expect them to beat Tigers this Friday but Richmond will be stronger in finals with Edwards, Prestia etc back playing.
So Geelong, and if not Geelong it should be Richmond. I'll also add that I think Collingwood could make a serious charge with key personnel coming back, but only if they don't play WC in Perth week 1.

 

[theyellowsash]

What a lot of people don't remember is the number of people who were willing to defend this arrangement at the time.

it probably makes for some interestingly random situations at least. didnt adelaide win one of their flags when they would have been eliminated under the current system

 

[Sweet Jesus]

it probably makes for some interestingly random situations at least. didnt adelaide win one of their flags when they would have been eliminated under the current system

I mean the patent unfairness of "hosting" finals in Melbourne.

 

[iameviljez]

and didnt the hawks only finish top once in their 3peat as well?

geelong only finished top in 2007, second in both 09 and 11.

We were similar to Richmond in that our best year contained one massive choke.

 

[iameviljez]

it probably makes for some interestingly random situations at least. didnt adelaide win one of their flags when they would have been eliminated under the current system

Kind of. They lost their first final in 1998 from 5th, but difference is that they were playing 4th-placed away, rather than 8th-places at home.

That old system was poor, the top 2 sides only had to beat 7 and 8 for the week off, and the moment you lost you immediately lost all home ground advantage

 

[Angus Young]

Richmond, Geelong or Brisbane.

 

[TiggerMan22]

So why are Richmond regarded as the best team in the comp if they have never finished minor premiers in their premiership years?

Did I say only home and away form matters? Nope. Both home and away and finals matter.

We were regarded as the best team in 2018 and 2019, not 2017. Crows were the best team in 2017.

Also its a bit of mistake to think highest ladder position is the best team.
In 2019 Cats finished 1st on 16 wins and 135% while Richmond finished 3rd on 16 wins and 113%.
In the Prelim we went in $1.34 favorites to Geelongs $3.30.

 

[theyellowsash]

We were similar to Richmond in that our best year contained one massive choke.

ill take a loss this year if it means we win again next year

 

[Doashuey]

Really think it will be a Cats vs Tigers GF this year. I give Port and Brisbane a chance, more so Port, but reckon Cats/ Tigs are the best 2 teams going around. Cats to win in a close one.
WC will hopefully get some players back but cant see them going to far with the injuries sustained over the past month or so. Even if they get the majority of them back, they will be short of a run. Plus night finals in QLD dont fill me with confidence.

 

[CarnTheScray]

Did I say only home and away form matters? Nope. Both home and away and finals matter.

We were regarded as the best team in 2018 and 2019, not 2017. Crows were the best team in 2017.

Also its a bit of mistake to think highest ladder position is the best team.
In 2019 Cats finished 1st on 16 wins and 135% while Richmond finished 3rd on 16 wins and 113%.
In the Prelim we went in $1.34 favorites to Geelongs $3.30.

Fair assessment. To be honest I somehow completely forgot about how well the Crows did in 2017, probably because they fell off a cliff after that absolute GF hiding.

 

[CharacterFirst]

How we are favs for the flag is perplexing and must be based on reputation. We barely got across the line v Freo and Bombers. Our next oppo Geelong are blowing teams away. Our next oppo after that Adelaide are bizarrely the form side of the comp atm.

Well! In that case, here's to two smashings.

 

[10571z]

Nothing changing. They are so much better than the next.

Unless they see a couple of bad injuries they’ll win easily

Still relevant...

Richmond are the best side by an absolute mile. Lynch should be back if not for final 2. Chol will come in though to fill his role.

Great side

 

[Corkintheocean]

Did I say only home and away form matters? Nope. Both home and away and finals matter.

We were regarded as the best team in 2018 and 2019, not 2017. Crows were the best team in 2017.

Also its a bit of mistake to think highest ladder position is the best team.
In 2019 Cats finished 1st on 16 wins and 135% while Richmond finished 3rd on 16 wins and 113%.
In the Prelim we went in $1.34 favorites to Geelongs $3.30.

It's semantics really, but I don't think you can be considered the best team in a season when the premier pumped you by 8 goals in the only meeting between the teams for the year. If you are completely honest, we embarrassed you that day.

Happy to concede you have been by far the best team over the last four years however.

 

[Macpotata]

Said it a number of weeks ago and last night confirms it even more, if the WCE win already didn't. Not that its a big surprise seeing as though they've won 2 of the last 3 flags already. Richmond are the best. They stifle teams to death strangling them not letting them play their game. That's when they're not at their sizzling best as well as hunting players down and being hungry around the ball/contest.

We're witnessing one of the all time great sides. b2b and will be 3 of the last 4 flags.



No one is on their level. Not even close.

 

[10571z]

Said it a number of weeks ago and last night confirms it even more, if the WCE win already didn't. Not that its a big surprise seeing as though they've won 2 of the last 3 flags already. Richmond are the best. They stifle teams to death strangling them not letting them play their game. That's when they're not at their sizzling best as well as hunting players down and being hungry around the ball/contest.

We're witnessing one of the all time great sides. b2b and will be 3 of the last 4 flags.



No one is on their level. Not even close.

Will take injuries at the wrong time or a complete off night like 2018 but they are far and away the best side.

You look through the 8 and I don’t see anyone. Maybe Port at their absolute best but Richmond at just starting to peak now.

Pies do match up well against them but we are not playing close to good enough.

 

[projectv]

If it's not a Richmond vs Geelong GF, I'd be very surprised.

No other teams comes close to them right now. Of course anything can happen in finals.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Richmond’s game style is just perfect for finals, when everything is under max pressure. They harass and pressure the ball carriers til they make a mistake, and then they swarm onto the loose ball and get it forward quickly at all costs, overwhelming the opposition defence. The only way to beat them is to control the ball and keep it off them, which requires perfect conditions and perfect skills, which rarely happen in finals. If they don’t win it then it will be a surprise.

 

[TiggerMan22]

It's semantics really, but I don't think you can be considered the best team in a season when the premier pumped you by 8 goals in the only meeting between the teams for the year. If you are completely honest, we embarrassed you that day.

Happy to concede you have been by far the best team over the last four years however.

You did.....in Perth. Richmond at the G was the hardest match up of the year which you never had to play against.
We won 2 more games than you and had a 15% higher percentage in the home and away season.
I really don't know how you could argue anything different, when we were clearly considered the best team by a large margin that year as show by the premiership odds.

1 game doesn't define a season. Giants beat us by 49 and Cats beat us by 67 in Home and Away games last year yet they were not better teams. Return games are our specialty.

2017 Home and Away
Crows - L by 76
Giants - L by 3
Cats - L by 14

2017 Finals
Crows - W by 48 (124 point turnaround)
Giants - W by 36 (39 point turnaround)
Cats - W 51 (65 point turnaround)

2019 Home and Away
Giants - L by 49
Cats - L by 67

2019 Finals
Giants - W by 89 (138 point turnaround)
Cats - W by 19 (86 point turnaround)