The '' Back to Back '' Crows of 1997/98

[PowerfulPies2023]

So you rate them with the other great teams the OP mentioned?
They were good. Not great.

I feel you have to. All that matters is premierships and they won b2b and were the only side to do it in the 90's. We couldn't. West Coast couldn't. The Bombers, Carlton, North, Geelong couldn't even win one and they played in 3. The first side to win 4 finals and the first side to win 3 on the road, in a row. As mentioned they played their last 5 games of the year on The Road including going to Perth in the final home and away game. Modra won the Coleman in 97 and didn't play The Granny through injury. Riccuito was also absent and Modra again missed out in 1998.

As a home and away team? No chance. 13-9 records both years. But what did that count for during the finals. Geelong went 23-1 going into the 2008 Grand Final but where did that get them? Did they win? Who would you rather be for THAT year? Geelong or Hawthorn? Exactly.

Adelaide beat the best both seasons. Every team above them excluding Melbourne in 98 who didn't make the Grand Final.

1997

West Coast and Geelong at home
Bulldogs and Saints away

1998

Sydney at The SCG
Bulldogs MCG
North at the MCG from 4 goals down with Wayne Carey and co and Pagan as coach.

Brilliant team. Any team that had Darren Jarman and Andrew McLeod in it could beat anyone on any given day and that's exactly what they did.

The fact that North won it in 99 after losing to Adelaide in 1998 shows what a good team they were. Regardless if The Bombers got done in the Prelim. And that's because THEY weren't good enough either.

Adelaide 97&98 were as good as any Premiership team IN The Finals. If they weren't, they wouldn't have won. And they beat The very best of the best Both years.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Don't rate them that highly. But they had Peter Vardy. One of my all time favs so they were alright. Which year were they a better side 97 or 98? I remember 98 more

Good player btw. He smashed Sydney with those 6 majors in the semi final up there.



Destroyed them.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Jarman 6 in 97 Granny, Ellen 5

Vardy 6 in the semi in 98

McLeod 7, Robran 6 in The 1998 Prelim

Jarman another 5 in the 98 Granny.


These guys had an Arsenal that stood up when needed and could certainly fire some big ones.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Very good side.

Real genuine star power in Ricciuto, Jarman, McLeod, Rehn (ridiculously good ruckman) and Modra (in 97).

Really underrated backline who clamped down - Hart, Smart, Jameson, Caven weren’t box office but did their jobs very very well. And plenty of other reliable foot soldiers across the ground.

Forward line not great on paper and in 97 still revolved around Modra, who actually won his only Coleman that year. Tbf plenty of forward lines of the era revolved around one gun full forward.

Forward line had to go somewhat makeshift when he went down and that’s to Blight’s credit how he managed it and still got the result. Brilliant coach.

Just on Rehn - was a little simpler time when footy wasn’t so structured, and players who could sit just behind the play like most ruckman did… the very good ones could absolutely control the flow and tempo of a game almost single-handedly.

Don’t underestimate this stat:

Rehn games played - Crows finish

95 - 3 - 11th
96 - 3 - 12th
97 - 22 - Premiers
98 - 26 - Premiers
99 - 0 - 13th

Dominant All Aust ruck both premiership years.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I'd guess that very few if any teams have won a flag with just 13 wins in the H&A. And they did it 2 years in a row.

Broke my heart in 98, but you have to respect them.

Not on the same level though as Geelong, Hawks, Tigers, Lions.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

I'd guess that very few if any teams have won a flag with just 13 wins in the H&A. And they did it 2 years in a row.

Broke my heart in 98, but you have to respect them.

Not on the same level though as Geelong, Hawks, Tigers, Lions.

You guys were a great side.

I love the additions of Martin Pike, Winston Abraham, Peter Bell, Shannon Grant when they all had their time at North. I must admit I was glad you won in 99 instead of The Dons. No matter who you barracked for North Melbourne were just a joy to watch during that decade. Captain Carey lit up The MCG on man occasions. Remember his 9 against Geelong at The SCG in 99? Or his 10 in a losing side to the Dons.

 

[Rod Stroker]

You guys were a great side.

I love the additions of Martin Pike, Winston Abraham, Peter Bell, Shannon Grant when they all had their time at North. I must admit I was glad you won in 99 instead of The Dons. No matter who you barracked for North Melbourne were just a joy to watch during that decade. Captain Carey lit up The MCG on man occasions. Remember his 9 against Geelong at The SCG in 99? Or his 10 in a losing side to the Dons.

We were a great side. Sadly that was 25+ years ago now, and we haven't even made a GF since. Our next appearance still looks like a few years off.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

We were a great side. Sadly that was 25+ years ago now, and we haven't even made a GF since. Our next appearance still looks like a few years off.

True, but Sydney, The Dogs and Dees in more recent times suffered much longer heart break. Let's not forget in 2014 and 2015 you made the prelims both times. In Footy years, that's not all that long ago.

Look at how long it's taken the Blues to get back up? A long friggin time mate. BTW, micky Martyn. Now that was a great Full Back!

 

[BF Tiger]

97 was a really even season. Saints and Cats finished 1st and 2nd going 15-7. Adelaide finished 4th with a 13-9 record and 10.5 wins booked a finals spot. Melbourne finished last with four wins, but next to last Hawthorn had eight wins (omly 2.5 wins off a finals spot).

98 the Crows finished 5th going 13-9 again, three games off first and lost the first final by eight goals. They did have the best % in the league though, by some margin too (also the case in 97, but much tighter).

So a solidly good side, who really performed when they had to. But 26-18 in H&A really marks them down. For comparision (the worst B2B years) Brisbane went 31.5-12.5 in 02/03, Hawthorn went 33-11 in 14/15 and Richmond went 28.5/10.5 in 19/20 and of course Geelong went 39-5 across 07/08 and 08/09 but for only one flag.

 

[crows dude]

I'd guess that very few if any teams have won a flag with just 13 wins in the H&A. And they did it 2 years in a row.

Broke my heart in 98, but you have to respect them.

Not on the same level though as Geelong, Hawks, Tigers, Lions.

Rehn was dominant in 98. 1997 came into the season late after coming back from back to back knee recons. Took a little to get going. But came good at the rght time.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

I used to be one of those idiots that thought Adelaide didn't deserve the flag in 1998 because they lost their first final from fifth spot which would have seen them out of the finals under the current structure. Of course, they should have played Essendon who I reckon they would have comfortably accounted for. Fact of the matter, is that side delivered in the last three weeks of the finals two years in a row - the most important time of the year. And as a life long Darren Jarman fan, I can remember going sick at the Grand Final BBQ I was at, as he turned it on again. Seriously good side and you can't argue with success.

 

[Rod Stroker]

True, but Sydney, The Dogs and Dees in more recent times suffered much longer heart break. Let's not forget in 2014 and 2015 you made the prelims both times. In Footy years, that's not all that long ago.

Look at how long it's taken the Blues to get back up? A long friggin time mate. BTW, micky Martyn. Now that was a great Full Back!

It's 10 years ago now, and besides 2016 when we got belted by the Crows, we haven't made finals since. It's been a long drought.

I suppose it could be worse. We could be Essendon.

 

[windyhill]

I suppose it could be worse. We could be Essendon.

Thank **** you’re not.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

Under the modern system they wouldn't have won the flag in 1998. They finished outside the top four that year, lost a finals game and still got a second bite at the cherry!

That was the system they had in place back then and credit where it's due, the Crows made the most of the opportunity. We wouldn't have made the grand final in 1999 either under the current rules.

We lost a finals game that year and we still got a second chance, despite not finishing in the top four! I consider that Crows team to be a good one not a great one.

That flag in 1998 was very fortuitous i think, and North Melbourne beat themselves in that grand final by kicking the game away imo.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

Best premiership team of the 90's (other than the too old, too slow, too good Hawks!).

North Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles say hello!

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

It's 10 years ago now, and besides 2016 when we got belted by the Crows, we haven't made finals since. It's been a long drought.

I suppose it could be worse. We could be Essendon.

Yeah at least you haven't gone almost 20 years without winning a finals game. I don't buy into the talk that Essendon would have won if they made the grand final in 1999.

I think the Roos were men possessed that year after throwing away a flag in 1998. Essendon or no Essendon you were winning that flag anyway.

 

[Dazb86]

Blight coached them very well. One of the first sides to do a late season 'pre season' before finals

 

[Xtreme]

North Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles say hello!

Didn't go back to back

 

[My Tilly]

Bizarre to say this considering how brilliant of a player he was . . . if Modra did not suffer recurring knee injuries, and did play in both grand finals, I highly doubt they go back-to-back.

The move of Jarman to full forward was devastating and completely bamboozled North Melbourne & St Kilda. They never had a component defender capable of matching his exceptionally high footy IQ. Couple that with insane skill, Jarman's 16 disposals, 7 marks & 5 goals in both games are the stuff of legend.

 

[CrowToon]

Under the modern system they wouldn't have won the flag in 1998. They finished outside the top four that year, lost a finals game and still got a second bite at the cherry!

That was the system they had in place back then and credit where it's due, the Crows made the most of the opportunity. We wouldn't have made the grand final in 1999 either under the current rules.

We lost a finals game that year and we still got a second chance, despite not finishing in the top four! I consider that Crows team to be a good one not a great one.

That flag in 1998 was very fortuitous i think, and North Melbourne beat themselves in that grand final by kicking the game away imo.

I'm not necessarily arguing with your point but it is always amusing whenever you get an argument along the lines of 'well if it had been like this then they don't win'. Kinda the whole reason interstate teams roll their eyes when the Vics start talking about their flags from a century ago.

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

I'm not necessarily arguing with your point but it is always amusing whenever you get an argument along the lines of 'well if it had been like this then they don't win'. Kinda the whole reason interstate teams roll their eyes when the Vics start talking about their flags from a century ago.

Back to back flags is still a fine achievement all the same. I just think with regards to the 90's, i'd still have North Melbourne and the West Coast Eagles ahead of that Adelaide Crows team.

 

[PCORF]

Luck went our way in 1997. Esp the wins over Geelong and the Bulldogs in 1997 (Leigh Colbert

Leigh Colbert

Age

49

Ht

192cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.5

4star

K

8.6

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

6.2

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

did take that mark in 1997 so we got away with one there). In 1998 we were just incredible after losing the first game, but the Roos bad kicking helped in the 1998 GF.

It did not in the years that followed.

2005 will always be the best Adelaide team, but once again luck did not go their way. St Kilda coming to town do deny us the ball pretty much killed the season, had to travel to Perth to face the Eagles in the PF always a tough ask. We played well but made too many crucial mistakes.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

No way. They won 4 games in 1997, they didn't lose then.

1998 yes. And it was 8 goals. Maybe you're still bitter about that Leigh Colbert non mark lol. The Crows were great.

Don’t care about that mark.
What was ridiculous is that we finished 2nd, lost week 1 then had to travel to Adelaide to play in week 2.

Then in 98 you had a team finishing 5th and getting the double chance.

I’m glad they changed that ridiculous finals system…

 

[Mr Meow]

Don’t care about that mark.
What was ridiculous is that we finished 2nd, lost week 1 then had to travel to Adelaide to play in week 2.

Then in 98 you had a team finishing 5th and getting the double chance.

I’m glad they changed that ridiculous finals system…

Yeah that finals system definitely brought up some bizarre quirks.

You can only play to the rules of the given day...it just didn't make much sense at times.

 

[Ed_Gein]

Decent. But to be honest, probably closer to a team that ran hot at the right time than a dominant dynasty side.

Had some fantastic players, though. McLeod is definitely amongst one of my all-time fav non-Swan players.