This article was first published at The Big Tip website on January 5
The dominant manner in which Collingwood won the 2010 grand final replay (and indeed the way they cruised through the finals series, first grand final notwithstanding) had some commentators trotting out the well-worn hyperbole that the Magpies were at the start of a dynasty and that a run of three or more consecutive premierships was well within their reach.
There is a non-zero possibility that this will happen. But the more likely outcome is that the 2010-2013 Collingwood side will fall short of such lofty expectations. The modern day constraints of the salary cap and the redistributive ‘bottom up’ nature of the draft are designed to maintain competitive balance between teams and by extension, prevent one club from dominating the landscape for too long.
The last team that could legitimately lay claim to having had a dynasty period was Hawthorn. In the nine year span from 1983 through to 1991, the Hawks won five premierships, played in eight grand finals (including seven in a row) and only missed the grand final in 1990, where they were eliminated in the first week of the finals. It’s possible that we may never see another period of such extended success again. Since that time, a number of contenders have been lauded as potential dynasty teams, only to fall by the wayside within three or four years.
And with that in mind, it’s time someone ranked the best of the near dynasties.
With only one exception, the teams that made it onto this list won at least two premierships and made at least three grand finals in a four year span. Ironically, the exception was perhaps the team most subject to hyperbole during the period when they were firing on all cylinders, only to flame out within three years. Also, they gave me too much pleasure during the highpoint of their run and too much heartache on either side of the peak for such a column to omit them.
5. Essendon (1999-2001)
1999: 18-4 H&A record (126%). Won QF by 69 pts, lost PF by 1 pt.
2000: 21-1 H&A record (159%). Won QF by 125 pts, won PF by 45 pts, won GF by 60 pts.
2001: 17-5 H&A record (135%). Won QF by 70 pts, won PF by 9 pts, lost GF by 26 pts (after leading by 14 pts at halftime).
Years before and after: QF exit in 1998, SF exit in 2002.
At their peak in 2000, they were one of the all-time dominant teams of the VFL/ AFL. They won 56 of 66 regular season games and in eight finals games, five resulted in victories by 45 points or more.
And yet the 1999 preliminary final loss to Carlton by a point hovers over it all. It was certainly a more unexpected and crushing loss than the 2001 grand final loss to Brisbane – after winning 14 of their first 16 games, the 2001 Bombers lost significant momentum and were almost ousted by Hawthorn in the preliminary final, whilst the Lions were riding a 14 match winning streak into the grand final. But thinking about the squandered opportunity in 1999…. did every other Essendon fan just pour themselves a triple scotch, or just me? Let’s move on, quickly.
4. West Coast (1991-1994)
1991: 19-3 H&A record (162%). Lost QF by 23 pts, won SF by 38 pts, won PF by 15 pts, lost GF by 53 pts.
1992: 15-6-1 H&A record (126%). Won EF by 13 pts, won SF by 38 pts, won GF by 28 pts (after trailing by 5 goals in the second quarter).
1993: 12-8 H&A record (116%). Won EF by 51 pts, lost SF by 32 pts.
1994: 16-6 H&A record (132%). Won QF by 2 pts, won PF by 65 pts, won GF by 80 pts.
Years before and after: PF exit in 1990, SF exit in 1995.
It didn’t take long for the new boys in town to work it all out. After entering the competition in 1987, the Eagles made their grand final debut within five seasons, falling to a Hawthorn side that were adding the exclamation point to the last legitimate VFL/ AFL dynasty. The first signs that the Eagles were a legitimately great side arrived in the 1992 grand final where, trailing Geelong by around five goals in the second quarter and staring down the barrel of another premiership gone begging, a brilliant Peter Matera performance led the Eagles to their maiden premiership. After slipping from the perch in 1993 during a topsy-turvy year (where 13 wins and a draw from 20 games was good enough for top spot on the ladder), West Coast were back on song in the 1994 finals when consecutive demolition jobs against Melbourne and Geelong led them to a second flag.
Whilst their premiership seasons were convincing, their most dominant regular season (1991) was tainted by losses to Hawthorn in both the qualifying and grand finals. In that sense, the Eagles weren’t as close to winning three flags in a four year span as the next team on this list.
3. North Melbourne (1996-1999)
1996: 16-6 H&A record (127%). Won QF by 60 pts, won PF by 43 pts, won GF by 38 pts.
1997: 12-10 H&A record (112%). Won QF by 18 pts, won SF by 13 pts, lost PF by 31 pts.
1998: 16-6 H&A record (117%). Won QF by 22 pts, won PF by 30 pts, lost GF by 35 pts (after leading by 24 pts at halftime).
1999: 17-5 H&A record (116%). Won QF by 44 pts, won PF by 45 pts, won GF by 35 pts.
Years before and after: PF exit in 1995, QF exit in 2000.
Often the forgotten element when discussing the best sides of the past 20 years, the Pagan/ Carey-led Kangaroos never really dominated an entire season, but they took care of business convincingly during the 1996 and 1999 finals series. But for some incredibly errant kicking in the first half of the 1998 grand final, they could have waltzed through three finals series in a four year span untouched. Had the Kangaroos kicked say 12.9 in the first half of the ’98 grand final instead of 6.15, they’d have been 54 points clear of the Crows at half time (rather than 24) and the 2008 flag would have been sewn up.
Instead, they are likely to slide further into the depths of our collective memories than is really fair. The late 1990s North Melbourne sides were really, really good.
2. Geelong (2007-2009)
2007: 18-4 H&A record (153%). Won QF by 106 pts, won PF by 5 pts, won GF by 119 pts.
2008: 21-1 H&A record (162%). Won QF by 58 pts, won PF by 29 pts, lost GF by 26 pts (despite having 9 more scoring shots).
2009: 18-4 H&A record (127%). Won QF by 14 pts, won PF by 73 pts, won GF by 12 pts.
Years before and after: Tenth in 2006, PF exit in 2010.
Much as with Essendon in 2000, at their peak in 2008, they were one of the all-time dominant teams of the VFL/ AFL. They won 57 of 66 regular season games and in 9 finals games, 4 resulted in victories by 58 points or more.
So why have them ranked at number two? Because ultimately the legacy of any historically great side is shaped by the number of premierships they won, and the Cats have only won twice (although if they were to bounce back in 2011 and capture a third flag in five years, they would move to the top spot in these rankings). The 11.23 kicked against Hawthorn in the 2008 grand final tarnished the memory of not only that phenomenal 2008 Cats team but the Geelong side of the modern era.
1. Brisbane (2001-2004)
2001: 17-5 H&A record (128%). Won QF by 32 pts, won PF by 68 pts, won GF by 26 pts.
2002: 17-5 H&A record (137%). Won QF by 71 pts, won PF by 56 pts, won GF by 9 pts.
2003: 14-7-1 H&A record (122%). Lost QF by 15 pts, won SF by 42 pts, won PF by 44 pts, won GF by 50 pts.
2004: 16-6 H&A record (137%). Won QF by 80 pts, won PF by 9 pts, lost GF by 40 pts.
Years before and after: SF exit in 2000, Eleventh in 2005.
The 2001 Brisbane Lions were languishing mid-table after 10 rounds with a 5-5 record, something of letdown after the promise shown in making the finals series in 1999 and 2000. But a win at Subiaco in Rd 11 against the Eagles started a winning streak that ran through the remainder of the home and away season and right through to the premiership, where they hauled in the 14 point halftime lead Essendon had amassed and won comfortably in the end. The run of success continued through 2002 but threatened to come to an end when the 2002 runners-up Collingwood defeated the Lions in the first week of the 2003 finals series. Brisbane responded by winning their next three finals matches by over 40 points apiece, including a convincing win against the Magpies in the grand final to complete the trio of premiership flags, the first team to do so since the 1955-1957 Melbourne side.
And that in essence is why I have them ranked on top. Their peak did not match the single year peaks reached by Geelong (or even Essendon), but their relative longevity and ability to come through with the goods in sudden death finals year after year gets the 2001-2004 Brisbane Lions the nod as the best team since the 1983-1991 Hawks.
Or at least it does for the time being. Where will the Collingwood 2010-2013 sides end up appearing on this list, if indeed they make the list at all? That is still up in the air.
Thanks to Scott Barbour/Getty Images AsiaPac for use of the photo