TOPIC:

Try this one for size people. There are a few ways to look at it i think: on the one hand we have the fast finishing sides, which just miss out on the finals; and the other, sides which start well and then fade into football nothigness.

Also, what does one do with a side, such as WP, in 1974, which won a flag and played in a grand final either side of that season?

Some sides I remember:

SD 1964, 1979
SF 1982
WP 1974? 1979, 1980
CL 1985 -- that side had a lot of ability
EF 1978, 1980

Teams that had won 12/9 and not made the finals.
Claremont 1978.
SFreo 1977-1984.
Other ones Swans 2011,Perth 1979,Subi 2010,Claremont 2015-16-17.

In my time the best side to miss the WAFL finals was SD in 1979 AR.

Not being biased but a barnstorming finish to the end of the season where we beat all the finalists easily continued on into 1980 were we extended our winning streak to 18 and ultimately lead us to our golden era including the 1982-83-84 Premierships.

The only sides that would even come close would be-
SF in 1982 (have no idea what happened to them that season and to a lesser extent 84)
CL in 1978 & 1985
WP in 1983-84
EF in 1980

In my era

Claremont 2016. Had the 3rd best percentage but missed finals.

Whilst this is off topic - Worst sides to make finals

SD & WP both in 2017

I remember Swans in 97 winning 9 of their first matches, but then fading badly to lose something like 8/9 of their last 10 to miss the finals.

BH: all true about your beloved SD so no bias on your part at all. My only concern would have been whether they could have handlled the extra pressure of the finals.

M.O came to EF from SD in 1980 BH......thus the calamity of that year for EF.....plus all the celebrations still going on from the boys after that 79 derby win.....was one huge arse hangover for the club after the 79 win....one too many hair of the dogs that 1980 season for the EF boys sadly.....

I was thinking about that WP side from 1980 -- it was the best I reckon -- they could have easily won 15 games that year, lossing to the worst mighty Lions team I have seen by a point, but instructively, they also lost twice to SF by a kick or less and and once to SD by 2 points. As I have said before, those two sides would be in the top three that I have seen in WAFL.

Freezin wrote: M.O came to EF from SD in 1980 BH......thus the calamity of that year for EF.....plus all the celebrations still going on from the boys after that 79 derby win.....was one huge arse hangover for the club after the 79 win....one too many hair of the dogs that 1980 season for the EF boys sadly.....

A bit like 1975 all over again hey Freeze?!

SF in 1984 - we were at the very end of that era so I guess the Gods of kickable Leather objects could have played the jack