WHEN Richmond and the Adelaide Crows take to the MCG on Saturday afternoon, they will end what have been the two longest AFL grand final droughts.
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For the Tigers it will be their first grand final since 1982 – 35 years ago – when they were beaten by Carlton by three goals.
The Crows haven’t played in a grand final for 19 years since they beat an inaccurate North Melbourne by 35 points in 1998.
Locally, no clubs across the AFL Central Victoria region, which takes in the Bendigo, Heathcote District, Loddon Valley and North Central leagues, have had a wait as long as Richmond has to play in a grand final.
Inglewood is enduring the longest wait, with 2017 marking 30 years since the Blues last played in a Loddon Valley grand final.
When the Blues take to the field in their first match next season it will be 500 games since they played in their last grand final – 1987 when they lost to YCW.
The Blues are the only club in the AFLCV region not to have played in a grand final in the past 20 years.
Behind the Blues the AFLCV club enduring the next longest gap since playing off for a flag is the 20-year wait Kyneton has now had since its last appearance in 1997.
The Tigers have played 333 games since they belted Golden Square by 67 points in the 1997 Bendigo league decider.
• Games since last grand final appearance:
BENDIGO
KYNETON
20 years, 333 games
1997 – d Golden Square by 67
……………………………….
MARYBOROUGH
18 years, 317 games
1999 – d Castlemaine by 31
……………………………….
KANGAROO FLAT
17 years, 298 games
2000 – lt Castlemaine by 12
……………………………….
CASTLEMAINE
17 years, 296 games
2000 – d Kangaroo Flat by 12
……………………………….
SOUTH BENDIGO
7 years, 126 games
2010 – lt Golden Square by 29
……………………………….
GISBORNE
5 years, 93 games
2012 – lt Golden Square by 3
……………………………….
GOLDEN SQUARE
1 year, 21 games
2016 – lt Sandhurst by 32
……………………………….
SANDHURST
1 year, 20 games
2016 – d Golden Square by 32
……………………………….
STRATHFIELDSAYE
EAGLEHAWK
Played in grand final this year, Strathfieldsaye d Eaglehawk by 32
……………………………….
HEATHCOTE DISTRICT
WHITE HILLS
12 years, 199 games
2005 – lt Mount Pleasant by 23
……………………………….
MOUNT PLEASANT
11 years, 182 games
2006 – d Elmore by 37
……………………………….
ELMORE
10 years, 170 games
2007 – d Colbinabbin by 99
……………………………….
COLBINABBIN
8 years, 137 games
2009 – d Heathcote by 4
……………………………….
HEATHCOTE
6 years, 101 games
2011 – lt LBU by 6
……………………………….
HUNTLY
4 years, 71 games
2013 – lt LBU by 58
……………………………….
LBU
3 years, 48 games
2014 – d North Bendigo by 11
……………………………….
LEITCHVILLE-
GUNBOWER
NORTH BENDIGO
Played in grand final this year, Leitchville-Gunbower d North Bendigo by 26
……………………………….
LODDON VALLEY
INGLEWOOD
30 years, 499 games
1987 – lt YCW by 28
……………………………….
MAIDEN GULLY YCW
15 years, 247 games
2002 – d Calivil United by 38
……………………………….
MARONG
13 years, 218 games
2004 – lt Calivil United by 66
……………………………….
PYRAMID HILL
6 years, 109 games
2011 – lt Bridgewater by 99
……………………………….
NEWBRIDGE
5 years, 85 games
2012 – lt Bridgewater by 65
……………………………….
BEARS LAGOON-
SERPENTINE
3 years, 52 games
2014 – lt Bridgewater by 96
……………………………….
MITIAMO
1 year, 18 games
2016 – lt Bridgewater by 50
……………………………….
CALIVIL UNITED
BRIDGEWATER
Played in this year’s grand final, Calivil United d Bridgewater by 34
……………………………….
NORTH CENTRAL
DONALD
8 years, 134 games
2009 – lt Charlton by 12
……………………………….
BOORT
7 years, 115 games
2010 – lt Wycheproof-Narraport by 44
……………………………….
WEDDERBURN
3 years, 48 games
2014 – d Charlton by 1
……………………………….
SEA LAKE NANDALY
2 years, 34 games
2015 – d Ouyen by 54 (Mallee league)
……………………………….
ST ARNAUD
2 years, 32 games
2015 – d Charlton by 8
……………………………….
CHARLTON
1 year, 16 games
2016 – d Wycheproof-Narraport by 7
……………………………….
Wycheproof-Narraport
Birchip-Watchem
Played in this year’s grand final, Wycheproof-Narraport d Birchip-Watchem by 12