MINOR PREMIERS THAT MISSED THE
GRAND FINAL
1903-1932 - CHALLENGE FINALS
SEMI FINALS - 1st vs 3rd / 2nd vs 4th
If 1st won they advanced to the Final.
If 1st lost they advanced to the Challenge Final and played the winner of the Final.
FINAL - winner of First Semi Final vs winner of Second Semi Final
If 1st won they were declared premiers (in such cases the Final has become known retrospectively as the Grand Final).
If 1st lost they advanced to the Challenge Final for a re-match against the winner (in such cases the Final has become known retrospectively as the Preliminary Final).
CHALLENGE FINAL
Only played if the minor premiers lost at the semi-final or final stage. The winner of this match was declared the premier (this match has become known retrospectively as the Grand Final).
1933-1999
Thus, the new system created the possibility of the minor premier missing the Grand Final if they lost their semi-final and preliminary final matches. The following are the minor premiers who failed to make the Grand Final during this period:
YEAR |
TEAM |
W-L |
MATCH |
LOST TO |
W-L |
MARGIN |
1935 |
NORTHCOTE |
16-2 |
2SF |
Yarraville (2nd) |
12-6 |
17 |
PF |
Camberwell
(3rd) |
12-6 |
2 |
|||
1939 |
PRAHRAN |
15-5 |
2SF |
Brunswick
(2nd) |
15-5 |
4 |
PF |
Williamstown
(4th) |
14-6 |
7 |
|||
1940 |
WILLIAMSTOWN |
16-4 |
2SF |
Port
Melbourne (2nd) |
14-6 |
66 |
PF |
Prahran (3rd) |
14-6 |
29 |
|||
1945 |
COBURG |
20-0 |
2SF |
Williamstown
(2nd) |
17-3 |
17 |
PF |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
15-5 |
2 |
|||
1957 |
WILLIAMSTOWN |
20-0 |
2SF |
Moorabbin (2nd) |
15-5 |
2 |
PF |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
14-6 |
72 |
|||
1961 |
MOORABBIN |
16-6 |
2SF |
Yarraville (2nd) |
14-8 |
30 |
PF |
Williamstown
(4th) |
13-9 |
4 |
|||
1962 |
PRESTON
(D2) |
14-2 |
2SF |
Dandenong (2nd) |
13-3 |
16 |
PF |
Prahran (3rd) |
9-7 |
14 |
|||
1965 |
DANDENONG |
13-5 |
2SF |
Waverley
(2nd) |
13-5 |
7 |
PF |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
12-6 |
48 |
|||
1966 |
NORTHCOTE
(D2) |
13-5 |
2SF |
Geelong
West (2nd) |
12-5-1 |
16 |
PF |
Prahran (3rd) |
12-6 |
1 |
|||
1971 |
CAULFIELD
(D2) |
15-3 |
2SF |
Sunshine
(2nd) |
15-3 |
29 |
PF |
Brunswick
(4th) |
10-8 |
2 |
|||
1975 |
DANDENONG |
12-5-1 |
2SF |
Oakleigh (2nd) |
12-6 |
15 |
PF |
Prahran (4th) |
10-7-1 |
29 |
|||
1976 |
FRANKSTON
(D2) |
16-1-1 |
2SF |
Mordialloc (2nd) |
14-4 |
27 |
PF |
Williamstown
(3rd) |
12-6 |
2 |
|||
1978 |
PORT
MELBOURNE |
13-5 |
2SF |
Preston
(2nd) |
12-5-1 |
4 |
PF |
Prahran (3rd) |
11-6-1 |
22 |
|||
1982 |
OAKLEIGH
(D2) |
17-1 |
2SF |
Northcote (2nd) |
14-4 |
23 |
PF |
Caulfield
(3rd) |
12-6 |
26 |
|||
1987 |
WERRIBEE
(D2) |
15-3 |
2SF |
Waverley
(2nd) |
14-4 |
17 |
PF |
Prahran (3rd) |
14-4 |
31 |
|||
1990 |
PRESTON |
13-4-1 |
2SF |
Springvale
(2nd) |
13-5 |
94 |
PF |
Williamstown
(4th) |
12-6 |
57 |
SECOND DIVISION
1962 - Preston: won promotion following year.
1966 - Northcote: next chance of promotion: 1982 (won the Grand Final that year but were not promoted, the club folded in 1987).
1971 - Caulfield: lost the Grand Final in 1972, won promotion in 1973.
1976 - Frankston: won promotion in 1978.
1982 - Oakleigh: lost the 1984 and 1985 Grand Finals, then won the 1988 Second Division title; rejoined the top-flight when the divisions were merged in 1989.
1987 - Werribee: rejoined the top-flight when the divisions were merged in 1989.
2000-PRESENT
It is possible for the minor premier to miss the Grand Final in three ways:
1) win 1st Qualifying Final in Week 1; advance directly to 1st Preliminary Final in Week 3 - lose this match and they are eliminated.
2) lose 1st Qualifying Final in Week 1; win 1st Semi-Final in Week 2; lose 2nd Preliminary Final in Week 3.
3) lose 1st Qualifying Final in Week 1; lose 1st Semi-Final in Week 2.
The table below shows the VFA-VFL teams since season 2000 that have finished first then missed the Grand Final:
YEAR |
TEAM |
W-L |
MATCH |
OPPONENT |
W-L |
RESULT |
2003 |
PORT
MELBOURNE |
14-3-1 |
QF |
Sandringham (4th) |
10-8 |
L (19) |
SF |
Tasmania
(5th) |
8-9-1 |
W (11) |
|||
PF |
Williamstown
(2nd) |
14-4 |
L (7) |
|||
2006 |
NORTHERN
BULLANTS |
17-1 |
QF |
Williamstown
(4th) |
11-7 |
L (45) |
SF |
Frankston
(5th) |
10-8 |
W (19) |
|||
PF |
Sandringham (2nd) |
13-5 |
L (82) |
|||
2007 |
SANDRINGHAM |
15-3 |
QF |
Williamstown
(4th) |
10-6-2 |
L (2) |
SF |
North Ballarat (5th) |
10-8 |
L (17) |
|||
2010 |
WILLIAMSTOWN |
15-3 |
QF |
Port
Melbourne (4th) |
13-5 |
W (58) |
PF |
Northern Bullants (6th) |
10-8 |
L (26) |
|||
2012 |
CASEY
SCORPIONS |
14-4 |
QF |
Werribee (4th) |
12-6 |
L (18) |
SF |
Williamstown
(5th) |
11-6-1 |
L (37) |
|||
2014 |
PORT
MELBOURNE |
16-2 |
QF |
Box Hill
(4th) |
13-4-1 |
L (24) |
SF |
Sandringham (8th) |
9-8-1 |
W (47) |
|||
PF |
Footscray Res. (2nd) |
14-4 |
L (32) |
|||
2017 |
WILLIAMSTOWN |
14-4 |
QF |
Casey
Demons (4th) |
12-6 |
W (45) |
PF |
Port
Melbourne (3rd) |
12-5-1 |
L (23) |
|||
2018 |
RICHMOND
RES. |
14-4 |
QF |
Williamstown
(4th) |
13-5 |
L (25) |
SF |
Essendon
(8th) |
9-9 |
L (5) |
Written and researched by David Eastman
|
First published 4/5/2014
Page last updated 6/10/2019 |