Throughout the history of the AFL, there have been champions and then there have been the unfortunate teams who never quite climbed to the top of the mountain.
The Zero Hanger team have identified and ranked the best 10 teams to never win a flag since 2000.
Two important factors made up our criteria - each club could only be represented once and was ineligible if they won a premiership the season before or after.
Without further ado, here are our 10 best AFL teams to never win a premiership since 2000.
8. 2000 Carlton
Whilst Essendon was the clear best team in the year 2000, Carlton were arguably the second best team of the competition – sitting second and five games behind the Bombers. Still, 16-6 is a solid effort.
Unfortunately they ran into the Essendon juggernaut in the Preliminary Final and were consequently knocked out by the Bombers.
Here’s a fun fact: Carlton actually had more players in the All-Australian team than Essendon did. The Blues had five people acknowledged in the team – Andrew McKay, Brett Ratten, Scott Camporeale, Anthony Koutoufides and Lance Whitnall.
Ratten, Camporeale and ‘Kouta’ all kicked 25 goals or more whilst they averaged 26-27 disposals, which is nearly unheard of in the game today.
Whitnall kicked 70 goals for the Blues this year, but the Blues had other decent avenues – Aaron Hamill kicked 42.24, Matthew Lappin kicked 33.21 and a 19-year old Brendan Fevola kicked 26.29 in 14 games.
B: Glenn Manton, Scott Freeborn, Ryan Houlihan
HB: Andrew McKay, Trent Hotton, Michael Mansfield
C: Simon Beaumont, Craig Bradley, Scott Camporeale
HF: Matthew Lappin, Anthony Koutoufides, Aaron Hamill
F: Brendan Fevola, Lance Whitnall, Adrian Hickmott
FOL: Matthew Allan, Brett Ratten, Anthony Franchina
INT: Mark Porter, Dean Rice, Darren Hulme, Simon Fletcher
