What are the best teams in the history of the AFL?

While every football fan has different sensibilities depending on who they support and who they hate, they all have one thing in common; everyone wants the premiership. Take that a step further, and even better if your team wins multiple premierships. There’s nothing quite as stunning as when your team rises up the ladder to ultimately lift the premiership cup.

The AFL has 18 teams so there is a fair amount of competition to win a premiership however the league has implemented a salary cap and draft system to ensure each club has the opportunity to compete for the flag.

The sport is very popular in Australia but has fans worldwide. You can now bet on this and other mainstream sports on a reputable online casino while taking advantage of offerings like Fair Go casino bonuses. Certain teams are better at the game than others; some have multiple premierships, while others have none.

Understandably, clubs that have performed better in the last 60 years and the last decade have a greater fan base than those that have performed dismally. After all, no one wants to wait until they’re using a walking cane for their team to win their first or next club premiership.

The Hawks have garnered a clean 13 premierships since they joined the AFL in 1925, making them the most successful club in the last six decades. They have also appeared in the Grand Finals 19 times and 36 times in the finals. The Hawks were in 7 consecutive Grand Finals from 1983-1989. They won 4 out of these, in 1983, 1986, 1988, and 1989.

They went on to also win the 1991 premiership despite critics terming them too slow and too old. Hawthorn proved that they’ll always get the job done when they lifted the premiership in 2014, although the team was plagued with player injuries the entire season. Their recent history shows that teams in the league need a strong offense rather than defence to lift the premiership.

The club has played host to some of the best forwards, including players Peter Hudson, Jason Dunstall and Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin. In their 2013 and 2015 grand finals, they beat Fremantle, the Swans, and the Eagles by 15pts, 63pts, and 46pts, respectively. The Hawks don’t stop until they get what they want, especially under the leadership of Alistair Clarkson.

Geelong is among the AFL founding football club and barely stays out of contention for long periods. Over the last two decades, they have had a very impressive track record of near dominance. The Cats won three grand finals in 5 years, tasting success in 2007, 2009 and 2011 but have rarely been out of the top eight since the late 1980s. Despite making 4 Grand Finals between 1989 and 1995, they were unable to take the flag on those occasions.

They have 7 VFA and 9 AFL premierships under their belt, having won their first premiership in 1925 and the last in 2011. Although they haven’t won since 2011, they have made the finals every year except for 2015. Geelong has managed to recruit well and keep some of the best players on their roster, which can be attributed to their great track record over the past few decades.

The Eagles have been one of the most successful clubs in the AFL since they joined the league in 1986. Their home base is in Perth, Western Australia, represented by the colours gold and navy blue.

West Coast has won 4 premierships in their limited history,winning the grand final in ’92, ’94, 2006, and 2018.

Much like Geelong, they have been a consistent team with only a few periods where they have missed out on making a finals appearance. The Eagles have also been remarkably popular, recording the highest amount of club members in 2020 and 2021.

Collingwood has won 15 premierships, the third highest in AFL history. They have also made it to the grand finals more than 44 times, losing 27 of those meaning that they have taken part in more grand finals than any other team in the league’s history. They first became premiers in 1903, and their last premiership victory was in 2010.

The only other teams with more premierships are Carlton and Essendon. Collingwood’s consistency in their grand final journey indicates that the club is superior to most teams in the league, even if they haven’t been crowned premiers in over a decade.

Love them or hate them, the Bombers are a successful club with a clean 16 premierships under their belt. Along with Carlton, they have the highest number of titles. It had one of its most successful seasons in 2000, where they were nearly undefeated throughout the season.

Many legends have emerged from Windy Hill, which is expected to continue. In 1897, they won the first VFL flag and, over the years, are rarely far from the tip for long. The Bombers were particularly good in the late ’30s and ’40s when they were runner-ups five times and premiership winners four times.

However, the last two decades haven’t been their best since they made their last Grand Final appearance in 2001.

The AFL league has some of the finest players, and teams cannot get too comfortable. Other noteworthy teams are the Sydney Swans and the Carlton Blues, who joined the league before the Bombers. The oldest team in this league is Melbourne though the first ever team to be formed is the Geelong Cats.

Please note this is an opinion article.