ONLY Collingwood gives GREAT Grand Finals, win or lose

[Piesnchess]

Well, yet another boring one sided GF, has come and gone, over essentially at half time. The match we neutrals were told assured, would be a " cracker, close, riveting a corker, " was a drag post half time, as was the 2022 one, and so many this Century. It got me thinking, ONLY the Magpies give the best, most exciting Grand Finals, win or lose, or draw. I can only recall us getting smashed twice, decades apart. All our losses, by 4 points, 1 point, 10 points, 5 points, 8 points, 5 points again, and of course, last season, 4 point win, "Greatest Grand Final of all time ", said Matty Lloyd, proves that beyond doubt, we are the neutral fans GF value for money, entertainment specialists. WE are just not the main AFL Cash Cow, we ALL know that, re merchandise etc, our presence in their Grand Finals, makes their day, and win, or lose, ensures an exciting down to the wire, finish, that enhances the whole days purpose. Just saying.

[David]

1990 and the 2010 replay were probably pretty dull games for anyone who wasn't a Collingwood supporter, as was 2003 on the other side of the coin.

We've been in four close grand finals in my lifetime: 2002, the 2010 draw, 2018 and 2023. It's probably true that no other team in recent times apart from Sydney (2005, 2006, 2012 and arguably 2016) has been in that many – does seem like more grand finals than not these days are blowouts.

These are the closest* grand finals of the past forty years, for the record:

1. Collingwood vs St Kilda 2010 GF1 (0 points)
2. West Coast vs Sydney 2006 (1 point)
3. Sydney vs West Coast 2005 (4 points)
Collingwood vs Brisbane 2023 (4 points)
5. West Coast vs Collingwood 2018 (5 points)
6. Hawthorn vs Geelong 1989 (6 points)
7. Brisbane vs Collingwood 2002 (9 points)
8. Sydney vs Hawthorn 2012 (10 points)
9. Geelong vs St Kilda 2009 (12 points)
10. Hawthorn vs Fremantle 2013 (15 points)
11. Western Bulldogs vs Sydney 2016 (22 points)

*final margin under four goals

[piffdog]

I was running with these stats before this year's GF.

Here is the margin, in reverse order, of recent grand finals NOT involving Collingwood...

81, 74, 31, 89, 48, 22, 46, 63

The biggest game of the year has not been overly close in recent years (except when we play...)

[K]

It's 'cos when we're a 10-goal better team than any other... we end up scraping to a GF draw or narrow win. (Classic example: 2010.)

When Brissy are a 10-goal better team than Sydney... they win the GF by 10 goals.

[jonmac1954]

Not entirely so @K. We have made it to a lot of GF's we simply shouldn't have with the playing lists we had.

1958 GF V Melbourne is the best example - they had won the last 3 GF's and thrashed sides on the way to the 58 GF and the Pies were really just barely good enough to make the finals. Every single Collingwood player got into their opponents face ALL GAME, we never gave them a second's respite and we won because those champion Melbourne players simply couldn't cope with it.

[Piesnchess]

^ Spot on and for those who dont know, younger fans, some of that classic massive biggest upset in League history, is on UTUBE, part in colour, some in black n white, the whole last qtr. It also shows you fans back then, outside the original MCG with old hot dog,donut vans still in the same spot they are today , amazingly. ! I love the third qtr address by our then Coach Kyne, you can read his lips body language, we were 5 goals up, muddy conditions " Hold on boys , come on, hold them out " Murray "the Weed" Weideman, Captain , also drums it into our heroes that day. Thorold Merrett was BOG, but never got the Norm Smith,cos in 1958 he was the Deeees Coach !! In the off season, do yourself a favour, watch it, the Magpies greatest moment, against all odds

[shawthing]

We lose most of our close ones. I want all our GFs to be like 1990 and the 2010 replay. I don't care 2018 was close I hated it.

I don't understand your point anyway. I thought Brisbane's win was terrific. Great entertainment footy. They learnt from us last year and know how to bury sides. But what are you suggesting? The AFL gives us a place in the GF because we can't smash the opposition. Last time I checked we failed to make the eight and Brisbane had a worse start than us.

[Piesnchess]

^
Not suggesting anything, don't tell me cos the Cats smashed Swans 2 yrs ago, that was great entertainment ?? Boring as batshit, I switched off at half time, walked the dog.

This yr, we were told itd be one of the best GFs of all time, every footy expert said it, nip an tuck, down to the wire , it was again, over at half time, fizzled out. 1980, 83, 85 88, 03 017, 021 GFs were all one sided bores, the GF is supposed to be the best match between the two best teams, but rarely lives up to it.

Not just me, I read comments from neutral fans who said Lions win was a total bore, a whitewash.

Natch Id rather win by nine goals as in 2010, who wouldn't, but a win is a win, 4 points over Lions was as good as ten goals.

[Jezza]

Interesting thread, PNC. Certainly some truth to what you've said in the OP.

I went and did some research on V/AFL Grand Finals, and identified all Grand Finals that finished up with margins of 11 points or less. It's not a perfect science as some close games exceeded 12 points or more, but it gives us some idea as to which clubs have been involved the most frequently in close Grand Finals.

2023 (Collingwood vs Brisbane Lions) = 4 points
2018 (West Coast vs Collingwood) = 5 points
2012 (Hawthorn vs Sydney) = 10 points
2010 (Collingwood vs St Kilda) = 0 points
2006 (West Coast vs Sydney) = 1 point
2005 (Sydney vs West Coast) = 4 points
2002 (Collingwood vs Brisbane Lions) = 9 points
1989 (Hawthorn vs Geelong) = 6 points
1979 (Carlton vs Collingwood) = 5 points
1977 (North Melbourne vs Collingwood) = 0 points
1971 (Hawthorn vs St Kilda) = 7 points
1970 (Carlton vs Collingwood) = 10 points
1968 (Carlton vs Essendon) = 3 points
1967 (Richmond vs Geelong) = 9 points
1966 (St Kilda vs Collingwood) = 1 point
1964 (Melbourne vs Collingwood) = 4 points
1951 (Geelong vs Essendon) = 11 points
1948 (Melbourne vs Essendon) = 0 points
1947 (Carlton vs Essendon) = 1 point
1943 (Richmond vs Essendon) = 5 points
1936 (Collingwood vs South Melbourne) = 11 points
1932 (Richmond vs Carlton) = 9 points
1925 (Geelong vs Collingwood) = 10 points
1922 (Fitzroy vs Collingwood) = 11 points
1921 (Richmond vs Carlton) = 4 points
1918 (South Melbourne vs Collingwood) = 5 points
1914 (Carlton vs South Melbourne) = 6 points
1911 (Essendon vs Collingwood) = 6 points
1909 (South Melbourne vs Carlton) = 2 points
1908 (Carlton vs Essendon) = 9 points
1907 (Carlton vs South Melbourne) = 5 points
1903 (Collingwood vs Fitzroy) = 2 points
1900 (Melbourne vs Fitzroy) = 4 points
1899 (Fitzroy vs South Melbourne) = 1 point


Clubs involved in GFs decided by 11 points or less (since 1897)

Collingwood [15] = (1903, 1911, 1918, 1922, 1925, 1936, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979, 2002, 2010, 2018, 2023)
Carlton [10] = (1907, 1908, 1909, 1914, 1921, 1932, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1979)
Sydney [9] = (1899, 1907, 1909, 1914, 1918, 1936, 2005, 2006, 2012)
Essendon [7] = (1908, 1911, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1968)
Fitzroy [4] = (1899, 1900, 1903, 1922)
Richmond [4] = (1921, 1932, 1943, 1967)
Geelong [4] = (1925, 1951, 1967, 1989)
Melbourne [3] = (1900, 1948, 1964)
St Kilda [3] = (1966, 1971, 2010)
Hawthorn [3] = (1971, 1989, 2012)
West Coast [3] = (2005, 2006, 2018)
Brisbane Lions [2] = (2002, 2023)
North Melbourne [1] = (1977)

Since 1964:

Collingwood [9] = (1964, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1979, 2002, 2010, 2018, 2023)
Carlton [3] = (1968, 1970, 1979)
St Kilda [3] = (1966, 1971, 2010)
Hawthorn [3] = (1971, 1989, 2012)
Sydney [3] = (2005, 2006, 2012)
West Coast [3] = (2005, 2006, 2018)
Geelong [2] = (1967, 1989)
Brisbane Lions [2] = (2002, 2023)
Melbourne [1] = (1964)
Richmond [1] = (1967)
Essendon [1] = (1968)
North Melbourne [1] = (1977)

There's no doubt that in the last 60 years we've been the kings of close Grand Final finishes despite being on the wrong side of the ledger more often than not.

[K]

...
I went and did some research on V/AFL Grand Finals, and identified all Grand Finals that finished up with single digit margins. It's not a perfect science as some close games exceeded 10 points or more, but it gives us some idea...

For me, the cutoff is 11 points. Cos that's still 2 kicks. Not much diff between 7 and 11 points. For 12 points, feels like the winner still had "the draw in hand", so not so close.

[shawthing]

27 losing GFs as well as two drawn ones. Frankly I'm sick of the fact we always make for close games. Yes it's great we hold the record for number of GFs played. But our win loss ratio of 16 out of 45 GFs (35.55 percent) is nothing to write home about either.

[Jezza]

For me, the cutoff is 11 points. Cos that's still 2 kicks. Not much diff between 7 and 11 points. For 12 points, feels like the winner still had "the draw in hand", so not so close.

I've edited my above post to include GFs decided by 10 and 11 points as well.

[Woods]

Probably been posted before but worth viewing again (should be played on a loop in the Pies' locker room through the preseason).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-cWaoIrt8w