IF GREATER Western Sydney defeats Richmond in the AFL Grand Final on Saturday, it will have won its first premiership in less than half the League average time.

Since the competition started in 1897, 16 clubs have won flags, with the average time span between joining the League and claiming their first piece of silverware being 19 years.

If successful on Saturday, the Giants will have saluted in just their eighth season, equalling the effort of Port Adelaide in 2004 under Mark Williams, later an inaugural member of the Giants' coaching staff.

In that case, GWS and Port would sit in equal-seventh place among the fastest premiers.

The top four clubs on the list – Essendon (one year), Fitzroy (two), Melbourne (four) and Collingwood (six) – benefited from being foundation clubs, winning their ice-breaking flags in the League's first six years.

GIANT RIVALRY BUILDING Can GWS win latest, and greatest, chapter against Tigers?

The GWS team for the Grand Final could include as many as six players who represented the Giants in their first game back in the opening round of 2012, when they suffered a 63-point loss to now strong rival Sydney at ANZ Stadium.

The survivors from that game are co-captain Phil Davis, spearhead Jeremy Cameron, the brilliant Toby Greene and defenders Adam Kennedy and Adam Tomlinson, with gun midfielder Stephen Coniglio remaining an outside chance.

'NO DRAMAS' Phil Davis confident he'll be right for the Grand Final

YEARS BEFORE FIRST PREMIERSHIP

Years

Club

First season

First flag

Years to first GF

1

Essendon

1897

1897

1*

2

Fitzroy

1897

1898

2

4

Melbourne

1897

1900

4

6

Collingwood

1897

1902

5 (Runner-up)

6

West Coast

1987

1992

5 (Runner-up)

7

Adelaide

1991

1997

7

8

Port Adelaide

1997

2004

8

10

Carlton

1897

1906

8 (Runner-up)

13

Richmond

1908

1920

12 (Runner-up)

13

South Melbourne/Sydney

1897

1909

3 (Runner-up)

15

Brisbane

1987

2001

15

29

Geelong

1897

1925

29*

30

Footscray/Western Bulldogs

1925

1954

30

37

Hawthorn

1925

1961

37

51

North Melbourne

1925

1975

26 (Runner-up)

70

St Kilda

1897

1966

17 (Runner-up)

* No Grand Final was played in 1897. The premier (Essendon) and runner-up (Geelong) were decided after a round-robin finals series.

  • Fremantle, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney are yet to win premierships.