It doesn’t matter what the sport, from AFL to the NBA, momentum is everything!
With finals just around the corner in the two main Australian codes, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the most unlikely finals runs across multiple sports.
2016 Western Bulldogs
Every AFL fan worth their salt remembers the great run that the Dogs went on in 2016.
They were a good team in a tight season, with only 2 home and away games separating the minor premiers and the Dogs in 7th on the ladder.
The Footscray men were a bit banged up come the end of the season, but luckily for them this was the first year where there was a bye before the first round of the Finals series, and gee whiz did it give them the energy they needed!
The first week saw them dominate West Coast on their own turf, winning by 47.
Next, they ended the Hawthorn dynasty, knocking off the premiers of previous three years by four goals.
The Prelim Final against GWS was the second-most watched AFL game outside of a grand final in history, and they got over the line by a goal.
Finally, in the big dance, they finished off the Swans by four goals to end the longest premiership drought in the AFL at the time, 62 years.
2011 Dallas Mavericks
Dallas finished third in the Western Conference heading into the 2011 NBA Finals, which is pretty good going.
But it’s who they had to beat on their way to Championship glory that was so impressive.
On the back of big Dirk Nowitzki, the Texas team beat Portland, the reigning champs led by Kobe Bryant the Lakers, a stacked Thunder team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, only to come up against a prime Lebron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh Miami Heat.
With Nowitzki averaging 26 points and 10 rebounds, Dallas went on to win the series in six games.
Nobody tipped them heading into the Playoffs that’s for sure.
2009 Parramatta Eels
On the back of the Hayne Plane the Paramatta Eels barely made it into the finals in eighth place in 2009 before going on one of the great runs.
They beat the minor premiers, the Dragons, in the first round of the finals before beating the third place Titans and Bulldogs on their way to the big dance against the Melbourne Storm.
Whilst they lost 23-16, the Storm were later stripped of the premiership leaving Eels fans to wonder what could have been…
1998 Adelaide Crows
The last team to win the AFL premiership outside of the top four before the Western Bulldogs was the Crows way back in 1998.
Looking into this finals series, it’s one of the most dramatic turnarounds you’ll ever see.
The Crows finished 5th in the 1998 season, and in the first week of the finals they played the hardened Melbourne Demons who finished fourth.
The Dees demolished the Crows by 8 goals, seemingly putting an end to their season.
Fortunately, they managed to get the Swans in the second week, ending their season with a 27 point victory.
They then dominated the Dogs in the prelim by over 11 goals before punishing an inaccurate North Melbourne in the Grand Final.
2017 Lincoln City Imps
Never heard of these guys?
No wonder, in 2017 the Lincoln City Imps were playing in the fifth tier of English Football heading into the FA Cup, representing a town with a population of 10,000 people.
If you aren’t familiar with the FA Cup, essentially every club in England can enter the tournament with the chance to win.
In comparison, you’re local Rugby League club could enter with the chance to eventually play the Melbourne Storm if they go well enough.
And gee whiz did Lincoln City exceed expectations.
By beating Premier League team Burnley in the 5th round, Lincoln made it into the top 8 round where they played a quarter final against Arsenal.
Whilst they lost 5-0, they sure gave their die-hard fans one wild ride.
There’s plenty of great finals runs we’ve missed drifters. Do you think we will see something unlikely in the AFL or NRL this year?
Let us know on our socials below.
Written by,
Declan Jones & Dan Hutcheon
On the Drift
Instagram: @onthedriftpodcast
Twitter: @onthedriftpodcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwPnFxsdeEI&ab_channel=OnTheDrift