Opinion Worst Grand Final performance?

Worst GF performance?

  • Collingwood 2003

    Votes: 12 2.3%
  • Port Adelaide 2007

    Votes: 252 48.5%
  • Sydney 2014

    Votes: 18 3.5%
  • GWS 2019

    Votes: 208 40.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 30 5.8%

  • Total voters
    520

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Jul 5, 2012
24,743
40,159
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
Kidding, right?
Have never ever understood how a team can make a Grand Final and then give up without a yelp.
Psychologically, it’s probably coming from the same headspace we see in the fact that of the three GF rematches we’ve seen in history, all three have been as good as walkovers.

It’s weird. Two teams without as much as a cigarette paper between them, even with extra time, and then a week later one of those teams just waltzes in.

I think we see a similar thing with one-sided GFs, only over a longer time frame.

(Having said that, if I could identify and isolate the mental impulse that leads to that headspace, I'd be a multi-millionaire.)
 

theburst

Team Captain
Mar 28, 2008
316
148
vic
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
GWS in 2014 were the worst for me, they were close at quarter time but the remainder of the game was so lame.
Looking at recent GF results I forgot the number of blowouts, unfortunately when so many casual viewers tune in.
2022-81pts, 2021-74pts, 2019-89pts, 2017-48pts, 2015-46pts, 2014-63pts
 
Apr 28, 2008
11,211
8,194
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Arsenal Kilmarnock
It was pretty bad. Warner, Paps, a few under-the-pump defenders like Fox had some alright games but it was one of those GF performances where you don't recognise the team that turned up to 'play'. Heeney like Jezza Cameron has been confirmed as a non-biggame player, they just go quiet in GFs. Never really looked like having an avenue to goal and their midfield were soundly beaten.

Giants were a little worse in 2019 after an okay first quarter, but they'd had to take the long road to get there and were knackered.

2021 is the only GF from the past four years I've liked, and I think it also had the highest standard. It was a blowout in the end but it was genuinely two high-level sides going at it. The other three I'll probably never watch again.
 

emuboy

Premiership Player
Dec 17, 2006
4,364
4,613
The Southern Hemisphere
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
South Fremantle, Sturt
What is it with red and white teams and poor Grand Final performances?

The Sydney Swans were far from disgraced losing in 1996, 2006 and 2016, but were dismal against Hawthorn in 2014 and Geelong in 2022, losing by 63 and 81 points respectively. Their reserves team also lost many Grand Finals in the now defunct NEAFL in the 2010s.

The North Adelaide Roosters managed to lose the 1989 Grand Final against Port Adelaide Magpies by 94-points in a 1.8-14 to 15.18-108 demolition at Football Park. This wasn't the first time they kicked 1.8-14 in a Grand Final against Port, they also did it in 1914, and the Magpies took full advantage to win by 75-points. The Glenelg Tigers also turned the Roosters to feather dusters in successive 10 goal beatings in the 1985 and 1986 Grand Finals, while North also took thrashings in the 2007 and 2012 Grand Finals by Centrals and Norwood respectively.

WAFL team the South Fremantle Bulldogs have also lost many Grand Finals in the past 50 years, and some of them have resulted in embarrassing losing margins for the Dogs. These include thrashings by 104 points by West Perth in 1975, by 75 points against Claremont in 1989, 82 points against East Perth in 2001, 83 points against Subicao in 2006 and a 96 point hiding from Subiaco in 2019.

The Northern Bullants (aka Preston) has lost a lot of VFL/VFA Grand Finals over the years and have a long premiership drought, but to be fair to the team most of these GF losses have been competitive efforts against better teams for the season and on the day. However, how does one lose a Grand Final by 113-points and go under 32.19-211 to 15.8-98? Better ask any surviving members of Preston's 1981 Grand Final team, because they managed this against Port Melbourne.

In the NRL, St George's terrible 1975 Grand Final performance against Eastern Suburbs still lives on in infamy nearly 50 years later, the Roosters running in try after try seemingly at will with only limited opposition from the Dragons in a 38-0 thrashing. However, I get the impression from what I've seen that next week's Penrith vs. Parramatta Grand Final could be one of the most one-sided Grand Finals of all time. I can see the Panthers doing pretty much what they like, and the game ending up with a score of something like 48-4 in favor of the Panthers over the Eels.
 
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