Victorian clubs have a stranglehold on the premiership cup, writes Mark Robinson
THE start of the century was bleak for Victorian footy but our clubs hit back with 10 flags in 11 years and the state’s stranglehold on the premiership cup looks set to continue in 2018, writes MARK ROBINSON.
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REMEMBER when hordes of interstate teams invaded the homeland of footy at the start of the century?
Brisbane won three consecutive flags to stamp itself as one of the greatest teams of all time, Port Adelaide won its first AFL flag and then Sydney in 2005 and West Coast in 2006 shared two premierships in what remains one of the most compelling rivalries of the modern game.
At the time, eight premierships had been won by non-Victorian clubs in the previous decade and only two by Victorian teams.
Victorian footy was sick.
Some said dying.
So much so, in the May of 2007, then AFL boss Andrew Demetriou ordered an official investigation into why Victorian teams were being dominated by their interstate rivals.
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“We wanted to believe that it is a cycle, but history is now starting to go against that belief,” Demetriou said.
“We are pretty sure that it is more than cyclical.”
The fear from all of Victoria, which was the birthplace of football, was widespread.
“You hope that in our system the salary cap and draft are the equalisers, but eight of our last 11 premiers have been non-Victorian, the last three Grand Finals have been non-Victorian,” Demetriou continued.
“It is great for the national game, but there are clubs in this town, the Western Bulldogs who haven’t won a premiership for 50 years, Geelong and St Kilda 40 years, Richmond nearly 30 years and there is something going on in Victorian football that is not just cyclical.”
Talk about fake news.
In fact, the review was never instigated
Current AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, an underling of Demetriou’s at the time, laughs now at the fear mongering.
“Andrew cured it by announcing a review into Victorian football and then Victorian clubs started winning and away they went,” McLachlan told the Herald Sun.
“There was Geelong, into Hawthorn into Geelong into Collingwood into Geelong ...”
Sydney broke the strangehold in 2012, beating the Hawks by 10 points, but since then, it’s been a Victorian supremacy.
The Hawks won three premierships to challenge Brisbane for the title and, of course, the Western Bulldogs and Richmond ended decades of disappointment.
Since Demetrou’s declaration, Victorian football has thrived.
“I can remember all the concerns and remember Andrew launching the review and then as soon as he did that, Geelong won the flag,” McLachlan.
“I don’t think the review went ahead because Victorian teams started winning.”
McLachlan said football has proved to be cyclical.
“Everyone has their day ... opportunities with lists and administrations, opportunities with coaches, that’s how it happened,” he said.
“I do think it’s coincidence all those non-Victorian teams had that run. It’s cyclical.
“Since 2010, we have had 13 different preliminary finalists.”
And it’s coincidence again the Vics have won five in a row and the five defeated teams were non-Victorian — Adelaide, Sydney, West Coast, Sydney and Fremantle.
“Yes, a coincidence,” McLachlan said.
The 2018 season kicks off Thursday night between Carlton and Richmond, which headlines a bumper first round of the season.
What the Tigers accomplished with discipline to a game plan, self belief and trust within the group in 2017, and before that the Western Bulldogs, has given fans of all clubs a sense of hope.
If not them, why not us?
Arguably, up to 12 teams are in a position to win the premiership,
They are Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Sydney, Geelong, Richmond, Essendon, Melbourne, St Kilda, Hawthorn, GWS, Collingwood and the Bulldogs.
That’s four non-Victorians and eight Victorian clubs.
The remaining clubs, North Melbourne, Fremantle, Carlton, Gold Coast, West Coast and Brisbane are at different stages of development, although — and as Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale recently said in the Herald Sun — there are no guarantees in football.
The Tigers finished in 13th postion in 2016 with 8-14 win-loss record and then won the flag.
Could it be Collingwood’s turn? They were 13th in 2017 with nine wins, 11 losses and a draw.
What a story that would be.
Questions abound.
Can the Tigers go back to back? Is Melbourne ready? Can Port deliver with a better list? What about Gazza at the Cats? And can Adelaide go one better?
Since Demetriou’s declaration a decade ago, bemoaning the lack of success for some foundation clubs, Geelong, Richmond and the Bulldogs have all made history and only St Kilda languishes without a title.
Could it be the year of the Saints which would continue the Victorian domination.
Who’s to say it can’t be?
FORTESS VICTORIA
10 Victorian flag in 11 years
2007 Geelong
2008 Hawthorn
2009 Geelong
2010 Collingwood
2011 Geelong
2012 Sydney
2013 Hawthorn
2014 Hawthorn
2015 Hawthorn
2016 Western Bulldogs
2017 Richmond
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