Grand Final Underdog wins/Favourite Losers

[Jimmy]

How about 1998 .... Sturt must have been favs against Port who had won through from the Elimination final?

Maybe but i dont think we were considered favs as port still had an awesome team and still had that aura that they lack today. Sturt were young, inexperienced and i dont think were considered worthy enough just yet to win a flag only 2 years out from 8 years in the can.

[am Bays]

I never saw us outright flag favourites for the 1990 flag we might have been slight favourites but not enough to be confident of a win. 1985 I aways thought we'd win right from the time of the 2nd semi final....

Hondo 71 the ones I am disappointed about losing are 70 (after the previous year we should have kicked on), 75 (as per 1970 & minor premiers), 81 (minor premiers) and 1990 (despite my first statement in this post we still should have won and I don't think I'll ever get over losing that one). Every other time I don't think we could be rated as the best team. However we pinched two flags in 86 and 34.

However I said in my Norwood post, premeir teams produce on teh day and in all those examples above we didn't so we don't deserve the chocolates. Noone to blame but ourselves.

I think Sturt in 1998 were in the same position as us in 1969, a good side (2nd semi final winners & minor premiers) but still too imature as a team to win the flag. Sturt and Port were the rightful winners those years.

So we should be on 6 flags rather than 4 IMHO.

82, 87, 88 and 92 it can well be argued weren't even the 2nd best side in the comp and "over-achieved" in making the GF

[Mr66]

How could I not include 1931 North came from the 1st Semi to beat Sturt

Sturt did the same thing the following year.

[Hondo]

82, 87, 88 and 92 it can well be argued weren't even the 2nd best side in the comp and "over-achieved" in making the GF

Yes, the Bays came from the Elim final in 74, 82, 87 and 88. Grand final losses aside they were always a strong performer in finals in that era.

[am Bays]

and 92

[JK]

From memory, in the Advertiser Grand Final edition of 97' Port were the slight favourites amongst coaches, media and football personalities to win the flag despite Norwood losing only 3 matches for the season ... Understandable I guess given Ports resounding victory in the 2nd Semi and their aura as GF experts in those days.

[Macca19]

Definately 96. Maybe 98.

In 96, Centrals had beaten us 4 times that year. We just couldnt beat them. We were 5 goals up at 3/4 time in the last minor round clash and they got up. THey pantsed us in the 2nd semi. We scraped through to the big one with some Hodges miracle work. No Darryl Poole - a player who was dominating at the time. We had to play Darren Mead who probably would have been dropped for the big one he was so badly out of form. Centrals had Jimmy Wynd, Craig Potter and Peter Green back in the side who missed the 95 Grand Final. But we got up. I dont think anybody tipped us to win. It was meant to be Centrals year. One of our best ever victories.

Sturt dominated in 98. We beat them during the year though, but we only just made the finals. But our finals form was electric. We absolutely thrashed Centrals, Norwood and West to make the big one. Sturt were definately sentimental favourites. Nobody wanted Port to win. Everybody wanted Sturt to win because they had finished last so much. Huge build up to the game. Carmen called us thugs. Williams called Carmen a moron. Sturt were 4 goals up and looked pretty comfortable but we came back again and won. Not as big as 94 or 96 though.

[Magpiespower]

From memory, in the Advertiser Grand Final edition of 97' Port were the slight favourites amongst coaches, media and football personalities to win the flag despite Norwood losing only 3 matches for the season ... Understandable I guess given Ports resounding victory in the 2nd Semi and their aura as GF experts in those days.

Had a relatively young team that year.

Caught Norwood napping in the 2nd Semi.

Played our GF two weeks early.

Unfortunately...

[Footy Chick]

Any GF where Port came through from the Prelim and won, that seemed to be our bogey for many many years....