THE CURSE of the Grand Final thrashing has infiltrated Sydney.
Dating back to 1995, teams that have lost Grand Finals by 40 points or more have a remarkably poor record the following season as the heartbreak lingers. This year, it appears to be affecting the Swans.
The last 12 teams to have lost a Grand Final by 40 or more points have failed to win a final the following year, with none making it beyond the second week of September.
The Swans, currently two games outside the top eight with a 3-6 record and having lost their past four consecutive matches – including last Saturday's disappointing home defeat to the Dockers – don't look as though they will break that streak this year.
The victim of an 81-point thrashing against Geelong in last year's Grand Final, Sydney has a raft of injuries that has decimated its key-position stocks in particular. It now faces an uphill battle to get back to September.
Only six of the aforementioned 12 sides have made finals the following season to begin with. Melbourne (2001), Collingwood (2004), Brisbane (2005), Port Adelaide (2008), Adelaide (2018) and Greater Western Sydney (2020) all crashed out the following season without September footy, having made the Grand Final the year prior.
Those that did make it back to the finals have a collective 0-7 record in September. Geelong (1996), Sydney (1997), St Kilda (2011), West Coast (2016) and the Western Bulldogs (2022) all qualified, but then lost in week one elimination games. Sydney (2015) locked in a top-four spot, but then exited in straight sets.
Losing a GF by 40+ pts
Geelong 1995 – Lost GF by 61 points
Geelong 1996 – Finished 7th (lost elimination final)
Sydney 1996 – Lost GF by 43 points
Sydney 1997 – Finished 6th (lost elimination final)
Melbourne 2000 – Lost GF by 60 points
Melbourne 2001 – Finished 11th
Collingwood 2003 – Lost GF by 50 points
Collingwood 2004 – Finished 13th
Brisbane 2004 – Lost GF by 40 points
Brisbane 2005 – Finished 11th
Port Adelaide 2007 – Lost GF by 119 points
Port Adelaide 2008 – Finished 13th
St Kilda 2010 – Lost GF by 56 points
St Kilda 2011 – Finished 6th (lost elimination final)
Sydney 2014 – Lost GF by 63 points
Sydney 2015 – Finished 4th (lost qualifying final, lost semi-final)
West Coast 2015 – Lost GF by 46 points
West Coast 2016 – Finished 6th (lost elimination final)
Adelaide 2017 – Lost GF by 48 points
Adelaide 2018 – Finished 12th
GWS 2019 – Lost GF by 89 points
GWS 2020 – Finished 10th
Western Bulldogs 2021 – Lost GF by 74 points
Western Bulldogs 2022 – Finished 8th (lost elimination final)
Sydney 2022 – Lost GF by 81 points
Sydney 2023 – Currently 14th