Whos the best ever VFL/AFL side? I know its difficult comparing sides from different eras, but I find it hard to go past the current Brisbane team. There are people that talk about the Collingwood side that won four premierships in a row as being the best ever. I've also read about Melbourne in the 1950s and 1960s being considered the best. But I reckon to put things into perspective if that Collingwood team could appear now at their peak and be pitted against any current AFL or for that matter even VFL side they would be slaughtered. Why do I say that? In a game that requires physical fitness and physical strength they would have no chance now. For starters the average size of the team was below 180cm. They would be outmarked, outrrun and outbustled all over the field.

As everyone says "you can't compare teams of different eras", so I think it's an impossible question. Personally, although I am a Brisbane Lions fan, I think they have been over-rated. Their feat of 4 grand finals and 3 wins in a row is great, but they've never finished minor-premiers and have possibly been helped by Port's choking on a couple of occasions. Still, you can only beat who you come up against, so let's just say that they were a great team and those others were great teams and leave it at that.

By the way, there's no reason at all why Port couldn't go on and win the next two premierships and then they would probably be called the "greatest ever".

Another good point. I guess history will look at that and Brisbane will be heavily marked down for their inability to finish on the top of the ladder. If it was like English football (soccer) then Port Adelaide would have been premiers.

But then again - I just realised if teams knew that finishing on top of the ladder gave them the premiership maybe Brisbane may have been trained etc. differently.

I agree with Sportz. You just can't compare different era's because it wasnt a pro sport back in the 50's etc. A lot of the old time stars would still be stars today because they would be given the opportunity to be supremely fit and there ability would let them cope with the rigours of modern day footy, no worries. I bet Coleman would easily kick 100+ goals if he was playing in this current "keepings off" footy that is played each week.

Just from a biased point of view I reckon the Essendon 2000 team would be close to the best team of all time. They were so focused that you actually went to the footy not thinking they would win but what the margin would be.
I bet Carlton supporters felt the same way in 95 also.
I often wonder how the switched on 2000 Bombers would go against the Lions at there best.
Sportz, or any other Brisbane supporters out there; which year do you think was the Lions at there best?

The biased Hawthorn supporter in me tells me that the Hawks of the late 80's are worth a look, but as with the last two posts, you have no means of comparing the teams.. so lets just leave it at that

Personally 2001. I still remember that day against Carlton at Optus Oval when they were totally thrashed. Believe it or not, that defeat was the turning point for the Lions. They decided as a team that they weren't going to embarass themselves or their supporters (especially Melbourne based ones) like that again. The next week they lost a close one to Adelaide after a much better performance and then they never lost another game all season. I think they won the last 16 or 17 games of the season and became totally unstoppable. Despite a few Essendon players playing injured in the final, that was still a great Bombers team they beat that year.

Marcus,

You can only beat the teams you're up against and win with the rules you play by. Despite saying that Brisbane haven't won the Minor-premiership, that doesn't mean that they weren't still the best team in each of those 3 winning years. I think they were, but it's just that they weren't a totally dominant team all season long like Essendon in 2000 or Carlton in 1995.

And you're right. If we had a Soccer system of first past the post, we don't know that Port would have actually won the last 3 years. By the way, I'm damn glad we don't have that system. How BORING not having finals!!!

I would have to agree. That Essendon 2000 side was awesome. It wasn't an old side either. I'm wondering why Kevin Sheedy was only able to win one flag with that team - look at the Preliminary Final it lost - and it also didn't really stick together like Brisbane. Sure, Brisbane has had a salary cap allowance, but that can't be the only reason they haven't lost plenty of key players to other clubs.

It makes me laugh a bit when supporters talk about how much Essendon choked in that era.
We choked in '99. No question! We were the best team thay year and should have won a flag. In 2000 we were unstoppable and in 2001 we were beaten by a better team. End of story.
Kangaroos played in 7 prelims in a row and only won 2 flags in the 90's but does anyone say they choked!
It's ************ hard to win an AFL flag and apart from prelim day 99 which was the worst day ive ever had to spend at the footy ( I can hear the blues supporters laughing from here) I reckon we had a pretty good run.

Sportz is here to brighten my day once again
Thankyou Sportz
I think you must have been stolen by Gypsies as a baby and brainwashed to make crazy statements like that
Cheers