Top 10 Best AFL Grand Finals of All Time

1. Sydney vs West Coast (2005)

   I was so lucky to watch my Swans beat the Eagles to win their first premiership in 72 years! Undoubtedly one of the best grand finals the game has seen. Leo Barry's mark was the best moment of my life too!

   Neither team deserved to lose. Both the Swans and the Eagles fought until the very end. A perfect example of what an AFL Grand Final should be.

   How is this only at Number 2? Such a great game. What made it even better was that it was between two non-Victorian teams.

2. Sydney vs West Coast (2006)

   I was lucky enough to be at Version 1 in 2005 and this one. Both were great games, but the sequel just tops the original.

   It was a one-point game, and in the Swans' half, the Eagles could have lost it if Dean Cox hadn't won the tap.

   People always talk about how good the 2005 one was, but it was too low-scoring for me. This one is the best.

3. West Coast vs Collingwood (2018)

   Wow. To come from 5 goals down and then have it see-sawing - even at three-quarter time for the first time in a Granny since the '30s. Then Collingwood kicked two to open the last quarter, and then West Coast kicked two. The play leading up to that kick from Sheed to win it was just unreal.

   West Coast vs. Collingwood was great because of the nail-biting moments. Yes, the umpires favored West Coast, but it was still a great game.

   Great comeback from the underdogs at the MCG. There were close calls from the umps, but they did well with their decisions. WCE fought back from adversity and staged a hard-fought victory on that unforgettable day.

4. Hawthorn vs Geelong (1989)

   The pinnacle Granny. It had it all: blood, sweat, tears, busted bones, and punctured lungs. This is a standout number one. Two sides threw everything at it. The ground was also swarming with Hall of Famers. It's just one of those games you could go back and watch, and you'd still feel the nervous tension all the way through. Best GF in history.

   Who could forget the Battle of '89? The high-scoring thriller where Gary Ablett Sr. scored 9 goals, and it still wasn't enough to get the Cats over the line. By the final siren, the Hawks only had 13 fit players on the field. Scottish soccer player Ray Stewart watched the match and even said, "I would not play this game for a million dollars."

5. Collingwood vs St Kilda - Draw (2010)

   I was at the MCG for the first game. It was an absolute thriller. As soon as the siren sounded, the atmosphere around the stadium was incredible. It's a shame that the replay was boring and one-sided.

6. Collingwood vs Carlton (1970)

   Best because of three reasons: the golden era of footy, the greatest comeback of all time, and Collingwood got done!

7. Geelong vs St Kilda (2009)

   Not the prettiest grand final, but easily one of the best. It could have gone either way all day. Never had there been two clubs undefeated by Round 13, so even mid-season, this was destined to be a thriller.

   Unfortunately, the weather played into Geelong's favor, but nonetheless, it was a cliffhanger till the end.

   Like its successor, this game would have been a draw if Harry Taylor hadn't marked it at the end. Sadly, this great mark was overshadowed by Leo Barry's mark four years prior.

   The ultimate clash of the titans!

8. Hawthorn vs Sydney (2012)

   I was lucky enough to be at this awesome GF. The lead changed multiple times, and as a Swans supporter, I thought Hawthorn might pull away early in the 4th, but the Swans clawed it back, and Malceski's sealing goal was epic. I'll never forget it!

   Viewers must have thought Hawthorn would smash it after halftime, but no, Sydney was not done. They kicked the last 5 goals, with one being a snappy round-the-body in the last minute to give Sydney a 10-point win! This was not like most grand finals, as the leading team continued switching!

9. St Kilda vs Collingwood (1966)

10. Carlton vs Collingwood (1979)

    What's better than beating Collingwood by 10 goals in a Grand Final? Beating them by 5 points in a Grand Final! Also, unbelievable tap from the boundary by Harmesy! GO BLUES!

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Melbourne vs Western Bulldogs (2021)

    This grand final was somewhat forgettable, but the first half of the game was very exciting to watch.

    Melbourne also finally broke a curse known as the "Norm Smith Curse," breaking a 57-year drought.

12. ?

    Richmond vs Geelong (2020)

    Geelong had a comfortable lead at halftime, leading by 15 points. Then Richmond turned it around and went on to win by 31 points.

    This game reminds me of the prelim they played last year.

The Contenders

13. Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans (2016)

    One of the greatest flags ever won by a football club. Riddled with injuries throughout the entire year, they willed themselves to the grand final. Once they were there, they played like men possessed, determined not to let the opportunity slip away. They battled it out with the Swans in a thriller, finally managing to break free in the dying minutes.

    The jubilation and relief from the Dogs' fans cannot be expressed in words, as words would not do it justice.

    It was truly a special grand final.

    Western Bulldogs and Sydney battled it out, and it was very close until Tom Boyd kicked a goal and put them 15 points in front. Then Liam Picken kicked an easy goal and put them 21 points up. A point was scored on the siren.

    The Western Bulldogs ended a 62-year drought. They had last played in a Grand Final in 1961, making it 20,090 days or 55 years.

14. Brisbane vs Collingwood (2002)

    Best game ever! The margin never once reached 10 points, and best of all, the mighty Lions won back-to-back premierships.

15. Richmond vs Geelong (1968)

16. Essendon vs St Kilda (1965)

17. Collingwood vs North Melbourne - Draw (1977)

18. Fremantle vs Hawthorn (2013)

    It was the first time Freo made the Grand Final, and they lost by 15 points. Hopefully, they win it this year!

19. Essendon vs Hawthorn (1984)

20. Hawthorn vs Geelong (2008)

    One of the great David vs. Goliath games. Geelong fans claimed we "stole" their flag for years afterward, even as the Hawks couldn't beat them again for five years. The game was won in the third quarter by a young prodigy called Cyril, as well as an overweight, ex-retired Stuart Dew, whose one great quarter more than justified his recruitment.

    Cameron Mooney's miss after the half-time siren was probably the funniest thing I've seen in my life!

21. Carlton vs Richmond (1972)

    Amazing game - Richmond scored 150 points and still lost!

22. Richmond vs Collingwood (1980)

23. Essendon vs Carlton (1993)

24. North Melbourne vs Sydney (1996)

25. Hawthorn vs West Coast (2015)

26. Carlton vs Essendon (1968)

27. Melbourne vs Essendon (1959)