Almanac Teams: Never played a final
With finals upon us this week, I have selected a team that is based on players since 1980 who have not played a finals game. There are no current players in the squad, at the bottom I have listed the most games of current players who have not played a final which includes a several Gold Coast players who may break their duck this week.
FB: Trevor Barker (St.K) Steve Smith (Melb) Mark Zanotti (WCE/Bris/Fitz)
CHB: John Annear (WCE) Martin Leslie (Bris) Ben Harrison (Carl/Rich/WB)
C: Geoff Cunningham (St.K) Paul Morwood (Syd/St.K/Coll) Jack Newnes (St.K/Carl)
CHF: Ross Lyon (Fitz) Brett Stephens (Fitz) Michael Pickering (Rich/Melb)
FF: Jack Watts (Melb/PA) Jeff Hogg (Rich/Fitz) Jim Wynd (Fitz)
Ruck: Daniel Bandy (Freo/WB) Greg Burns (St.K) Tony Free (Rich)
Interchange: Brad Boyd (Fitz), Aaron Hall (GC/NM), John McCarthy (NM/Fitz), Phillip Walsh (Coll/Rich/Bris)
Sub: Silvio Foschini (Syd/St.K)
Others: Leigh Adams (NM), Jason Baldwin (Fitz/Rich), David Bain (Bris/Fitz), Adrian Battiston (Melb), Rohan Bewick (Bris), Tom Bugg (GWS/Melb), Craig Callaghan (Freo/St.K), Chris Connolly (Melb), Mark Coughlan (Rich), Lynden Dunn (Melb/Coll), Luke Dunstan (St.K/Melb), Bruce Duperouzel (St.K/Foots), Michael Egan (Foots), Robert Elphinstone (St.K), Brad Fisher (Carl), Colin Garland (Melb) Peter Giles (Melb), Jack Grimes (Melb), Pearce Hanley (Bris/GC), Leon Higgins (Syd/Haw), Nick Hind (St.K/Ess), Mark Jackson (Mel/St.K/Geel), Anthony Jones (Freo), Peter Kiel (St.K/Melb), Brandon Matera (GC/Freo) Sam Mayes (Bris/PA), Luke McGuane (Rich/Bris), Dean McRae (NM/Syd), Mark Mickan (Bris/Adel), Michael Mitchell (Rich), Tim O’Brien (Haw/WB), David Palm (Rich), Stephen Patterson (Coll), Kayne Pettifer (Rich), Lachie Plowman (GWS/Carl), Andrew Raines (Rich/Bris/GC), Sam Rowe (Carl/St.K),Greg Smith (Syd/Coll), Paul Stewart (PA), Lewis Taylor (Bris/Syd), Jack Trengove (Melb), Clive Waterhouse (Freo), Darren Wheildon (Fitz), Ted Whitten Jnr (Foots).
Trevor Barker
230 Games ,1975-89
St Kilda finished 6th in 1975 missing the final five by two games and in 1978 missed by half a game. Saints would make the finals in 1991.
Barker was captain from 1983-86 and Best & Fairest 1976 and 1981.
Steve Smith
203 Games, 1974-85
Melbourne finished 6th in 1976 missing finals by half a game.
Smith won the Best & Fairest in 1981.
Mark Zanotti
36 Games West Coast 1987-88
64 Games Brisbane 1989-92
57 Games Fitzroy 1993-95
157 Games 1987-95
West Coast made finals in 1988, where Zanotti played fifteen games for the year his last was in Round 17
John Annear
43 Games Collingwood 1981-83
65 Games Richmond 1984-86
58 Games West Coast 1987-90
166 Games 1981-90
Annear played just one game in 1981 in Round 10 when Collingwood made finals. In 1988 Annear missed the final for West Coast after shoulder injury in Round 22. In 1990 he played four games his last in Round 10.
Martin Leslie
107 Games, 1989-95
Leslie played four games in 1995 with his last game in Round 12 missing the rest of the season with an ankle injury.
Ben Harrison
2 Games Carlton 1995
74 Games Richmond 1996-2000
85 Games Western Bulldogs 2001-05
161 Games 1995-2005
Harrison played in Round 15 & 16 in Carlton premiership year in 1995. Richmond finished 9th in 1996, 1998 & 2000 in his time there after making finals the year prior and after to Harrison’s time at Richmond. At the Bulldogs Harrison best year was when they finished ninth in 2005 and like Richmond, they made the finals the year prior to Harrison’s arrival and the year after.
Geoff Cunningham
224 Games St Kilda 1977-89
In 1978 Saints missed the Finals by half a game. Saints would make the finals in 1991.
Paul Morwood
85 Games South Melbourne/Sydney 1977-82
60 Games St Kilda 1983-85
10 Games Sydney 1986
15 Games Collingwood 1987
170 Games 1977-87
Swans made the Finals in 1977 with Morwood playing four games, his last in Round 10. In his comeback year at the Swans the team made the finals however Morwood was sacked mid-year after Round 10 with Geoffrey Edelstein having financial problems.
Morwood won the Best & Fairest in 1985.
Jack Newnes
155 Games St Kilda 2012-19
52 Games Carlton 2020-22
207 Games 2002-12
St Kilda never made the finals in Newnes time there. They would finish 9th in 2012 and 2016 and made the finals the year after Newnes left. Carlton never made the finals in his time at Carlton, making them the year after he left in 2023.
Ross Lyon
127 Games Fitzroy 1985-94
2 Games Brisbane 1995
129 Games 1985-95
Lyon played just one game due to injury in 1986 in Round 1 when Fitzroy last made the finals. Brisbane made the finals in 1995 but Lyon only played the first two games because of injuries.
Brett Stephens
133 Games Fitzroy 1987-93
Fitzroy finished 6th in 1989 missing the finals by one game. Stephens did play reserves for Essendon between 1981-84
Michael Pickering
136 Games Richmond 1984-91
15 Games Melbourne 1992-93
151 Games 1984-93
Melbourne made the finals in 1991 and 1994, the years either side of Pickering time at Melbourne.
Pickering won Richmond Best & Fairest in 1988
Jack Watts
152 Games Melbourne 2009-17
21 Games Port Adelaide 2018-19
173 Games 2009-19
Melbourne best year was 2017 where they finished 9th missing the finals by 0.5%. Melbourne made the finals the year Watts left in 2018 while Port Adelaide made the finals the year prior and after Watts time at Port Adelaide.
Jeff Hogg
144 Games Richmond 1986-93
40 Games Fitzroy 1994-96
184 Games 1986-96
Hogg was Richmond captain in 1993 and was at Fitzroy when Richmond made the finals in 1995.
Jim Wynd
137 Games Fitzroy 1986-94
Wynd played two games in 1986 when Fitzroy made the finals, the last in Round 10.
Daniel Bandy
105 Games Fremantle 1995-2001
45 Games Western Bulldogs 2002-2005
150 Games 1995-2005
The Bulldogs finished 9th in 2005 missing the finals by two points before making the finals in 2006.
Greg Burns
169 Games St. Kilda 1978-89
In 1978 Saints missed the Finals by half a game. Saints would make the finals in 1991.
Burns won the Best & Fairest in1984 & 1986.
Tony Free
133 Games Richmond 1987-96
Richmond finished 9th in 1994 but when Richmond made the finals in 1995, Free had done an ACL in Round 5 which sadly ended his career as he only played one more match in 1996 suffering a reoccurrence. Free was captain at the time and was only 26 year old.
Free won the Best & Fairest in 1989 & 1993.
Brad Boyd
70 Games Fitzroy 1992-96
15 Games Brisbane Lions 1997-99
Boyd only played one game in 1997 in Round 9 when Brisbane made the Finals and then the first eight games in 1999 before retiring due to injury at the end of the season aged 28.
Boyd was Fitzroy captain 1995-96 and won the Best & Fairest in 1995
Aaron Hall
103 Games Gold Coast 2012-18
58 Games North Melbourne 2019-23
161 Games 2012-23
The Best Hall finished was 12th in 2014 with Gold Coast and 12th in 2019 with North Melbourne.
John McCarthy
92 Games North Melbourne 1986-92
71 Games Fitzroy 1993-96
163 Games 1986-93
McCarthy did not play a game in 1987 when North Melbourne finished 5th, after one game in his debut season. North Melbourne would reappear in finals again once McCarthy left from 1993-96.
Phillip Walsh
22 Games Collingwood 1983
40 Games Richmond 1984-86
60 Games Brisbane 1987-90
122 Games1983-90
Collingwood finished 3rd in 1984, the year Walsh left.
Walsh won Best & Fairest at Brisbane in 1987
Silvio Foschini
38 Games Sydney 1981-82
69 Games St. Kilda 1983-88
107 Games 1981-88
Sydney best finish was 7th in 1982 when Foschini was there.
Others
Leigh Adams
104 Games North Melbourne 2007-14
Adams played two games in Round 5-6 in 2007 when North Melbourne finished 4th. In 2008 Adams did not play a game when North Melbourne finished 7th. In 2012 when North Melbourne finished 8th Adams played eighteen games with his last in Round 20 after injuring his shoulder in a Chris Judd chicken wing tackle. In 2014 when North Melbourne finished 6th Adams played 22 games with his last in Round 23 after being concussed in the last game. Adams would not play another game due to concussion issue.
Adams coached North Melbourne for five games in 2022.
Jason Baldwin
125 Games Fitzroy 1989-96
2 Games Richmond 1997
127 Games 1989-97
Fitzroy finished 6th, one game out of the final five in 1989.
David Bain
86 Games Brisbane 1989-93
12 Games Fitzroy 1994
98 Games 1989-94
10th in 1989 for Brisbane was Bain’s best season.
Bain won the Best & Fairest in Brisbane in 1990
Adrian Battiston
96 Games Melbourne 1982-87
9 Games Sydney 1988-89
105 Games 1982-89
Battiston played the first fourteen games in 1987 before being dropped and not playing another game for Melbourne.
Rohan Bewick
103 Games Brisbane 2011-18
The year after Bewick left Brisbane, they made the finals finishing 5th.
Tomas Bugg
65 Games Greater Western Sydney 2012-15
31 Games Melbourne 2016-2018
96 Games 2012-15
Greater Western Sydney finished 3rd in 2016 the year after Bugg left. Bugg played rounds 2-4 in 2018 the year Melbourne made the finals.
Craig Callaghan
95 Games Fremantle 1995-2000
29 Games St Kilda 2001-02
124 Games 1995-2002
The best year for Callaghan was 1997 when Fremantle finished 12th.
Chris Connolly
84 Games Melbourne 1982-89
Connolly played the first five games in 1987 the year Melbourne played finals before injuring his knee and also missing the whole of 1988. Connolly played ten games in 1989 with his last game in Round 22 before being ruled out of the finals with a knee injury.
Mark Coughlan
92 Games Richmond 2001-09
Coughlan played five games in 2001 when Richmond finished 3rd, with his last game in Round 17.
Coughlan won the Best & Fairest in 2003.
Lynden Dunn
165 Games Melbourne 2005-2016
33 Games Collingwood 2017-20
198 Games 2005-20
Melbourne finished 7th in 2005 with Dunn playing the last of his eleven games in Round 19. In 2018 played fourteen games with his last in Round 15 before doing his ACL and also missing 2019. Dunn played two games in Round 11-12 in 2020.
Luke Dunstan
116 Games St Kilda 2014-21
5 Games Melbourne 2022-23
121 Games
Dunstan only played Round 1 in 2020 when St Kilda missing the rest of the season with a pectoral injury. In 2022 at Melbourne Dunstan last game was in Round 18.
Bruce Duperouzel
139 Games St Kilda 1974-82
25 Games Footscray 1983-84
164 Games 1974-84
St Kilda finished 6th in 1975 missing the final five by two games and in 1978 missed by half a game. Footscray would make the finals the year after Duperouzel left.
Duperouzel would captain St Kilda 1980-81
Michael Egan
128 Games Footscray 1978-87
Egan played five games in 1985 when the Bulldogs finished 3rd with his last game in Round 8 after snapping his cruciate ligament.
Robert Elphinstone
157 Games St Kilda 1980-89
1987 was Elphinstone best year at St Kilda when they finished 10th, St Kilda would make finals in 1991.
Brad Fisher
99 Games Carlton 2003-10
Fisher played seven games in 2009 when Carlton finished 7th with his last game in Round 17. Fisher played just one game in 2010 in Round 18 when Carlton finished eighth.
Colin Garland
141 Games Melbourne 2007-16
Melbourne made the finals the year prior to Garland arrival in 2006 with 2016 his best year at Melbourne where they finished 11th.
Peter Giles
124 Games Melbourne 1979-87
Giles played thirteen games in 1987 when Melbourne finished third with his last game in Round 17 missing with a broken hand and then not able to get back in for Melbourne finals campaign.
Jack Grimes
100 Games Melbourne 2008-16
2016 was Grimes best season at Melbourne when they finished 11th.
Grimes was co-captain from 2012-14.
Pearce Hanley
129 Games Brisbane 2008-16
40 Games Gold Coast 2017-20
Hanley played one game in Round 17 2009 when Brisbane finished 6th.
Leon Higgins
121 Games Sydney 1987-95
1 Games Hawthorn 1996
Higgins played one game in Round 21 1987 when the Swans 4th and one game in Round 2 1996 for Hawthorn when they finished 8th.
Nick Hind
21 Games St Kilda 2019-20
74 Games Essendon 2021-24
Essendon finished 8th in 2021,Hind was originally selected but was ruled out during the Covid period as he had visited a hot spot during that week.
Mark Jackson
41 Games Melbourne 1981-82
10 Games St Kilda 1983
31 Games Geelong 1984-86
82 Games 1981-86
Geelong finished 6th in 1984 missing finals by percentage and sixth in 1985 missing by six points.
Anthony Jones
82 Games Fremantle 1995-2003
Jones played just one game in Round 1 in 2003 when Fremantle finished seventh.
Peter Kiel
80 Games St Kilda 1982-86
1 Game Melbourne 1987
Kiel played in Round 5 1987 when Melbourne finished 3rd.
Kiel won the Best & Fairest for St Kilda in 1982.
Brandon Matera
101 Games Gold Coast 2011-17
43 Games Fremantle 2018-20
144 Games 2011-20
Matera best season was 2014 when Gold Coast came to 12th.
Sam Mayes
101 Games Brisbane 2013-18
17 Games Port Adelaide 2019-22
118 Games 2013-22
Mayes played six games in 2018 with his last game in Round 14 the year Brisbane finished 5th. Mayes played six games in 2020 when Port Adelaide finished 3rd with his last game in Round 13 and played eleven games in 2021 when Port Adelaide finished 3rd with his last game in Round 23. Mayes was dropped for the Finals and named emergency.
Luke McGuane
105 Games Richmond 2006-13
7 Games Brisbane 2014-15
112 Games 2006-15
McGuane played twelve games in 2013 when Richmond finished 7th with his last game in Round 21.
Dean McRae
81 Games North Melbourne 1987-92
60 Games Sydney 1993-96
McRae played twelve games in 1987 when North Melbourne finished 5th playing his last game in Round 18. McRae played three games in 1996 for Sydney when they finished 2nd, with his last game in Round 6.
Mark Mickan
48 Games Brisbane 1987-90
37 Games Adelaide 1991-93
85 Games 1987-93
Mickan played Round 8 & 9 in 1993 when Adelaide finished 3rd.
Mickan was Brisbane captain 1987-89.
Mickan won Adelaide Best & Fairest in 1991
Michael Mitchell
81 Games Richmond 1987-91
Mitchell Best year at Richmond was 1988 when Richmond finished 10th.
Tim O’Brien
97 Games Hawthorn 2014-21
18 Games Western Bulldogs 2022-23
115 Games 2013-23
O’Brien played four games in 2014 when Hawthorn won the premiership with his last game in Round 21. While O’Brien did not play a game in 2015, he played fourteen games in 2016 when Hawthorn finished 5th with his last in Round 20. In 2018 when Hawthorn finished 5th O’Brien played twelve games with his last in Round 17. When the Bulldogs finished 8th in 2022 O’Brien played eleven games with his last game in Round 16.
David Palm
104 Games Richmond 1983-88
Palm best seasons at Richmond were 1984 & 85 when Richmond finished 8th.
Stephen Patterson
96 Games Collingwood 1995-2000
1995 and 1997 was Patterson best seasons finishing 10th.
Kayne Pettifer
113 Games Richmond 2001-09
Pettifer played seven games in 2001 when Richmond finished 3rd with his last game in Round 18.
Lachie Plowman
20 Games Greater Western Sydney 2013-15
125 Games Carlton 2016-23
Plowman played one game in Round 5 in 2023 the year Carlton finished 3rd.
Andrew Raines
56 Games Richmond 2004-09
67 Games Brisbane 2010-14
6 Games Gold Coast 2015
129 Games 2004-15
Raines best seasons were 2006 & 2008 when Richmond finished 9th.
Sam Rowe
99 Games Carlton 2013-18
1 Game St Kilda 2019
100 Games 2012-19
Rowe played ten games in 2013 when Carlton finished 6th with his last game in Round 20
Greg Smith
96 Games Sydney 1980-84
31 Games Collingwood 1985-86
127 Games 1980-86
Smith best season was 1986 when Collingwood finished 6th.
Paul Stewart
101 Games Port Adelaide 2008-16
Stewart played twelve games in 2013 when Port Adelaide finished 6th with his last game in Round 19. In 2014 Stewart played four games in 2014 when Port finished 4th, with his last game in Round 19
Lewis Taylor
112 Games Brisbane 2014-19
12 Games Sydney 2020-22
Taylor played five games in 2019 when Brisbane finished 5th with his last game in Round 12. When Sydney finished 6th in 2021 Taylor played nine games with his last in Round 17 while in 2022 when Sydney finished 2nd Taylor played one game in Round 15.
Taylor was the Rising Star Winner in 2014
Jack Trengove
86 Games Melbourne 2010-17
3 Games Port Adelaide 2018
Trengove left Melbourne in 2017 when Melbourne finished 9th and a year prior to Melbourne finishing 4th in 2018.
Clive Waterhouse
106 Games Fremantle 1996-2004
Waterhouse played eight games in 2003 when Fremantle finished 7th with his last game in Round 11
Darren Wheildon
70 Games Fitzroy 1989-94
Fitzroy finished 6th in 1989 which was Wheildon best year.
Ted Whitten Jnr
144 Games Footscray 1974-82
Whitten played six games in 1974 when Footscray finished 5th. Whitten played eighteen games in 1976 when Footscray finished 5th with his last game in Round 21 missing the rest of the season due to injury.
Most Career Games without a Final
David Swallow 247* Games 2011-
Trevor Barker 230 Games 1975-89
Geoff Cunningham 224 Games 1977-89
Gary Hardeman 219 Games 1967-81
Touk Miller 211* Games 2015-
Jack Newnes 207 Games 2012-22
Steven Smith 203 Games 1974-85
Jarrod Witts 202* Games 2013-
Ted Pool 200 Games 1926-38
Lynden Dunn 198 Games 2006-20
Bert Mills 196 Games 1930-42
Tony Sullivan 191 Games 1967-79
Keith Forbes 187 Games 1928-40
Alex Sexton 185* Games 2012-
Jaff Hogg 184 Games 1986-96
Paul Callery 182 Games 1970-79
Norm Brown 181 Games 1962-73
Jim Adamson 180 Games 1929-41
Ivan McAlpine 179 Games 1927-37
Alec Albiston 177 Games 1936-50
Current Players, Most Career Games without a Final
David Swallow 247 Games 2011-
Touk Miller 211 Games 2015-
Jarrod Witts 202 Games 2013-
Alex Sexton 185 Games 2012-
Jy Simpkin 173 Games 2017-
Sam Day 167 Games 2011-
Ben Keays 159 Games 2016-
Lachie Weller 157 Games 2015-
Darcy Tucker 156 Games 2016-
Ben Ainsworth 154 Games 2017-
Sean Lemmens 149 Games 2014-
Nick Holman 147 Games 2014-
Cameron Zurhaar 143 Games 2017-
Reilly O’Brien 143 Games 2016-
Charlie Ballard 134 Games 2018-
Nick Larkey 134 Games 2017-
Zac Fisher 132 Games 2017-
Luke Davies-Uniacke 129 Games 2018-
Jack Silvagni 128 Games 2016-
Will Powell 126 Games 2018-
Noah Anderson 125 Games 2020-
Jack Lukosius 123 Games 2019-
Darcy Fogarty 123 Games 2018-
Lachlan Murphy 120 Games 2018-
Wayne Milera 120 Games 2016-
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Another good team.
Perhaps Trevor Barker could be captain of this side, although when he was captain of St Kilda from 1983-86, St Kilda unfortunately won 4 wooden spoons in a row from 1983-86. Otherwise, Tony Free could be the captain.
Unless a future article is being done for VFL/AFL coaches who coached the most games without coaching their team to a final, Alan Richardson could be a candidate for the coach of this team as he coached St Kilda for 126 games from 2014-2019, without St Kilda playing in a final. As a player, he played in finals for Collingwood.
Other players who never played in a final include:
Jeff Dunne (101 games St Kilda 1977-83 and 1 game Richmond 1984 for a total of 102 games)
Robert Mace (7 games Hawthorn 1980-81, 72 games St Kilda and 1 game Brisbane Bears in 1988 for a total of 80 games)
Robert Muir (68 games St Kilda 1974-78, 1980 and 1984)
Michael Roberts is another player who never played in a final. He played 77 games for St Kilda from 1978-85, 12 games for Richmond in 1986 and 2 games for Fitzroy in 1987 for a total of 91 games.
Robbie Flower didnt play a final til late in his career. Does that make him unlucky not to qualify for this team. Such a champion.
Rod Owen is another player who never played in a final. He played 60 games for St Kilda from 1983-1990, 9 games for Melbourne in 1991 and and 9 games for the Brisbane Bears in 1992, for a total of 78 games.
Grant Thomas is another player who never played in a final, but coached St Kilda in finals. He played 72 games for St Kilda from 1978-83, 7 games for North Melbourne in 1984 and 4 games for Fitzroy in 1985, for a total of 83 games.
At last! A composite team dominated by Fitzroy players! Up the ROYS!!!! No, wait…
Some really good names in here and a few surprises, Lewy Taylor in particular was one I would have guessed had played some finals.
Cheera Anon Jeff Dunne is probably a good player I missed as he played for Victoria
Thankos Dan, Flower just missed out, so glad he did miss out though I remember the emotion for Melbourne to play finals for him.
Sorry Matt, though Roys was just 86-96, they were not too bad in mid 80’s
Cheers Luke, Taylor was one to miss out once Brisbane got good.