5 most dominant AFL teams in history
AFL dominant teams are mostly known by an extensive silverware collection. The league measures dominance by grand finals won and finals contested.
Teams being able to compete over and over are in pole position to grab the most coveted prize of the sport. In this article, we take a look at the AFL's most dominant teams in that regard.
Five most dominant AFL teams in history
#5 Geelong
The AFL's Geelong Cats were the inaugural members of the VFL and didn't win their first premiership till the 1925 season. They beat Collingwood by 10 points to win the grand final and won their second grand final in 1931 against Richmond by 20 points.
The Cats tasted grand final success in 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2022. The 2015 season became the Cats' first year since 2006 that they missed out on finals football after fading late in the year and finishing 10th on the ladder. The only other year they've missed the finals series since the turn of the century was the 2023 season when they finished 12th.
In 2022, Geelong went on to finish the home and away season as minor premiers and beat Sydney 20.13 (133) to 8.4 (52) to claim the club's 10th league premiership. They are below top placed Sydney based on percentage in the 2024 season.
#4 Hawthorn
They hold the AFL record for 13 consecutive finals series appearances: 1982-1994.
The club was founded in 1902, making it the youngest Victorian-based team in the AFL. They entered the VFL in 1925. Between 1944 and 1953, the club finished in the bottom-two in every year but one. They were consistently competing with St Kilda for the wooden spoon.
In 1952, Jack Hale took over as coach and eliminated the attitude that prevailed at the club during its first 30 years in the VFL and made it less accepting of defeat than before. Although Hawthorn finished last in 1953, from the next year, improvements began.
After three seasons in mid-ladder, Hawthorn appointed John Kennedy as coach in 1960. Kennedy took the Hawks further than ever before. In 1961, they won their first premiership by defeating Footscray. Brendan Edwards was acknowledged as the best player on the field in the grand final.
They are the only club to have won premierships in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. They have won 13 premierships in their history; 1961, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
#3 Carlton
Founded in 1864, the Carlton Football Club is among the oldest and greatest of sporting institutions. They've won 16 Grand Finals since their inception, a record in the AFL.
In 1877, they joined the VFA as inaugural members and went on to win the premiership that season. They won another VFA premiership in 1887. They were invited to join the VFL in 1897 and finished seventh out of eight teams in their first five seasons.
The appointment of former Fitzroy footballer and Australian Test cricketer Jack Worrall, then the secretary of the Carlton Cricket Club, to the same position at the football club changed their fortunes. He led them to the finals in 1903 and their first three VFL premierships, won consecutively, in 1906, 1907 and 1908.
They became the first club in the VFL to win three premierships in a row with a win-loss record of 19-1 in the 1908 season (including finals), which stood for more than 90 years. They won the grand final in 1914,1915, 1938, 1945, 1947, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987 and 1995.
#2 Essendon
The VFL club nicknamed the Bombers were members of the VFA. They won four consecutive VFA premierships between 1891 and 1894, an unmatched feat in competition history.
They were also the inaugural members of the VFL and inaugural winners. They won the 1897, 1901, 1911, 1912, 1923 and 1924 grand final.
The club's fortunes dipped after finishing third in the 1926 season. Essendon wouldn't even contest a finals series till 1940. Over the years, they went on to win the 1942, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1962, 1965, 1984, 1985, 1993 and 2000 grand finals.
During the 2013 season, the club was investigated by the AFL and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority over its 2012 player supplements and sports science program, specifically over allegations into the illegal use of peptide supplements.
#1 Collingwood
Defending champions Collingwood were inaugural members of the VFL. They won its only VFA premiership in its fifth and final season.
They won their first VFL premiership in 1902 and won their second the following year. The Magpies went on to win four in a row from 1928 - 1930 after winning the 1910, 1917, 1919 premierships. They also won in 1935, 1936, 1953, 1958, 1990, 2010 and 2023, equalling the record for premierships by Essendon and rivals Carlton.
The Magpies have played in more Grand Finals (45) than any other team in the competition.