The bombers: Truly the most successful club

[dheal]

If there was any doubt that Essendon is the MOST SUCCESSFUL & BEST club in the land it has been put to rest by the Herald Sun Publication "Our Game Magazine" which states the Bombers won 4 VFA premierships (prior to forming the VFL with several other clubs).
Quote "If those successes in the then elite competition were added to VFL / AFL flags. Essendon would have 20, followed by Carlton 18 & Collingwood 15, Geelong would jump to fourth with 14".
Stick that where the sun dos'nt shine Eddie.
Currently we are doing it tough with inexperienced coaches & players but this won't last forever & will turn around soon. History has shown this great club is at or near the top over the better part of its history. These down times make you appreciate the good times. I'd rather support our club than North, Footscray, St kilda etc. or any other team.

[BenDoolan]

If there was any doubt that Essendon is the MOST SUCCESSFUL & BEST club in the land it has been put to rest by the Herald Sun Publication "Our Game Magazine" which states the Bombers won 4 VFA premierships (prior to forming the VFL with several other clubs). Quote "If those successes in the then elite competition were added to VFL / AFL flags. Essendon would have 20, followed by Carlton 18 & Collingwood 15, Geelong would jump to fourth with 14".
Stick that where the sun dos'nt shine Eddie.
Currently we are doing it tough with inexperienced coaches & players but this won't last forever & will turn around soon. History has shown this great club is at or near the top over the better part of its history. These down times make you appreciate the good times. I'd rather support our club than North, Footscray, St kilda etc. or any other team.

Using that logic, Port Adelaide will claim they are the most successful club.......34 SANFL Premierships and 1 AFL Premiership.

[dheal]

SANFL is a lesser standard competition than the VFL.

[BenDoolan]

SANFL is a lesser standard competition than the VFL.

Still, when using a statement of "the most successful club in the land", Port Adelaide will argue that they have won 34 premierships in the best competition in their state. We can claim to have won 16/20 premierships in the best competition in our state etc. When you look at all the clubs "in the land", you will take note of the successful clubs in every state, not just Victoria.

[Rossoneri]

SANFL is a lesser standard competition than the VFL.

Still, when using a statement of "the most successful club in the land", Port Adelaide will argue that they have won 34 premierships in the best competition in their state. We can claim to have won 16/20 premierships in the best competition in our state etc. When you look at all the clubs "in the land", you will take note of the successful clubs in every state, not just Victoria.

Difference being is that PA came and joined our competition. If it was a merger of two leagues, then they could argue that they have 34 flags.

[Boyler_Room]

Port Adelaide won 34 flags when there wasn't any competition. Didn't they win something ridiculous like 10 or 11 straight .. or in almost as many years? That's not a competition. That's kick to kick with some mates in the park.

Centrals at the moment have won something stupid like all except one flag since 2000, which I think Sturt won after rising from cellar dwellers.

EDIT: Ok, they won 6 straight under Fos Williams and 9 in total while he was coach. Hmm.. and went undefeated in 1914.. and became Champions of Australia. John Cahill took Port to 7 flags in 9 years leading up to their entry to the AFL. Oh and they've won 36 SANFL flags and 1 AFL flag (according to their website).

[Windy_Hill]

We were the most successful VFL/AFL club anyway - no need to refer to VFA results. We pip Carlton on a Countback having come runner-up in GF's more often

[BenDoolan]

Come off it you blokes. If it were such a shit competition, why are we seeing these gimpy South Australians in our AFL Hall of Fame, especially when some haven't played one single VFL game in their life?

[Boyler_Room]

Come off it you blokes. If it were such a shit competition, why are we seeing these gimpy South Australians in our AFL Hall of Fame, especially when some haven't played one single VFL game in their life?

You should hear the uproar over here every year when the Hall of Fame inductees are announced and some bloke who wasn't good enough to cut it in the VFL but dominated the SANFL doesn't get selected. We just had another half a dozen stories this last week about more players who have been shafted by the AFL Hall of Fame.

Give me a break. Can anyone tell me why the VFL was converted to the AFL? Because it is and was the best league in the country. Players from around the country flocked to Melbourne to play against the best players there was. If the SANFL was the best league going, I'm sure it would have attracted the same level of interest from around the country and developed into the current AFL. The fact is it's an inferior league, akin to the old VFA (now VFL), and isn't up to the same standard. Yet because players dominated they should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

I guess it is an Australian Hall of Fame, but still. Why not induct players from amateur leagues and country leagues who dominated their competition?

[BenDoolan]

Come off it you blokes. If it were such a shit competition, why are we seeing these gimpy South Australians in our AFL Hall of Fame, especially when some haven't played one single VFL game in their life?

You should hear the uproar over here every year when the Hall of Fame inductees are announced and some bloke who wasn't good enough to cut it in the VFL but dominated the SANFL doesn't get selected. We just had another half a dozen stories this last week about more players who have been shafted by the AFL Hall of Fame.

Give me a break. Can anyone tell me why the VFL was converted to the AFL? Because it is and was the best league in the country. Players from around the country flocked to Melbourne to play against the best players there was. If the SANFL was the best league going, I'm sure it would have attracted the same level of interest from around the country and developed into the current AFL. The fact is it's an inferior league, akin to the old VFA (now VFL), and isn't up to the same standard. Yet because players dominated they should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

I guess it is an Australian Hall of Fame, but still. Why not induct players from amateur leagues and country leagues who dominated their competition?

So you're saying that to determine the most successful club "in the land", you only take into consideration the clubs that only played in Victoria?

[LND]

"

Boyler_Room wrote;
Give me a break. Can anyone tell me why the VFL was converted to the AFL? Because it is and was the best league in the country. Players from around the country flocked to Melbourne to play against the best players there was. If the SANFL was the best league going, I'm sure it would have attracted the same level of interest from around the country and developed into the current AFL. The fact is it's an inferior league, akin to the old VFA (now VFL), and isn't up to the same standard. Yet because players dominated they should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Boyler Room, before the VFL started paying blokes huge amounts of money, the SANFL, WAS JUST AS GOOD AS THE VFL. When the champions of Australia games were played the SANFL sides won more than they lost. (this is going back from the 1900's to the 1970s) From about the 70's the VFL had the money and the population to develop the VFL into the best competition. Today it is definitely the best league going around, no questions. The SANFL is no longer up to the standard and never will be, but before the draft was introduced and before guys like Motely, Blight, Bradley went to play in the VFL, the SANFL was just as good, but broke and could not afford to spend money like the VFL. The VFL/AFL destroyed SANFL football.

BUT when guys like Fos Williams, Barrie Robran, Ken Farmer (who kicked over 1500 goals for North Adelaide), Russel Ebert (who played VFL with 2 dodgy knees) i could keep on going...i mean Ron Barrassi considers Barrie Robran the best player he has ever seen, (RB applaud Robran numerous times during a SA v VIC match because he couldn't stop him) Robran played the last years of his career with a bad knee (not sure here but i think his ACL is gone because of it)

I believe that players who played either AFL/VFL and SANFL before the 80's should be in the AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. The key word being AUSTRALIAN.

It was just as good as the VFL, the but the VFL offered more money, more security, why do you think the VFL offered money to SANFL players??? cos they were better than some of the players in the VFL at the time. (not any more)

[dom_105]

I believe that players who played either AFL/VFL and SANFL before the 80's should be in the AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. The key word being AUSTRALIAN.

But they are though, that's the thing. Nobody debates that.

[LND]

Some People do Dom and so does the AFL

The Legends category is reserved for those who are deemed to have had a positive impact on the game of Australian rules. The title of Legend is intended to be bestowed on no more than 10% of the total inductees of the Hall of Fame (the actual percentage of "Legends" to total inductees is currently 10.23%). All "Legends" enshrined to date represent former players of the VFL/AFL, with the exception of Barrie Robran who played the whole of his career in the SANFL. Being named as a "Legend" of the Australian Football Hall of Fame is the highest honour which can be bestowed onto an Australian footballer.]

only barrie robran being named a legend, when guys like Farmer and Kerley were huge for SANFL Footy. Is joke especially when it is the highest honour to an AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLER

Plugger is seen as the games greatest full forward, i challenge that. Ken Farmer is the games greatest Full Forward, kicked more goals in less games in an era where both competitions were just as good as each other. (no offence to Plugger, the guy was a champion)

In 13 seasons Farmer kicked 1419 goals from 224 games, thus being the highest goal scorer in the history of league football, a record that stands to this day. His average of 6.33 goals per game exceeds that of even VFL legends such as Peter McKenna and Gordon Coventry. On 35 occasions he kicked 10 goals or more. In 224 games he was only held goalless once, when he was carried off injured after 10 minutes of play.
He holds the equal record for most goals kicked in a SANFL match with 23 goals against West Torrens. His 23.6 were a contribution to his side's winning score of 26.11.

[BenDoolan]

He holds the equal record for most goals kicked in a SANFL match with 23 goals against West Torrens. His 23.6 were a contribution to his side's winning score of 26.11.

Bloody hell!

[LND]

imagine if he had kick straighter lol

[grassy1]

BERNIE NAYLOR kicked 23 for SOUTH FREMANTLE in their GOLDEN YEARS of the early 50's(1953).The WAFL Leading Goalkicker is called the BERNIE NAYLOR MEDAL,but perhaps should have been the GEORGE DOIG(EAST FREMANTLE) MEDAL.Both kicked over 1000 Career goals,as did AUSTIN ROBERSTON Jnr(SUBIACO) and TED TYSON(WEST PERTH).

ALL LEGENDS of WA FOOTY.

[LND]

And all should be in the AUSTRALIAN RULES Hall of Fame (if they aren't)