The Best of the Best: Ranking GDFNL Premiership Sides Since 2000
This Saturday the GDFNL season gets underway in style with our commentary team of Dale Smyth, Archie Burley and Richard ‘Grubby’ Cations calling the Round 1 clash between Bannockburn and reigning premier North Geelong.
The opening bounce doesn’t just signal the start of a new season.
It marks the beginning of the second quarter of the 21st century for our proud competition.
Over the past 25 years, eight clubs have etched their names into premiership history, with Bell Post Hill setting the benchmark through a remarkable era that delivered seven flags and ten straight grand final appearances.
But as a new season begins and the next chapter unfolds, one question naturally rises above the rest.
Which was the greatest premiership side of the century?
We put that debate to our commentary team.
Each submitted their top ten list and, after combining the three, we enter the 2026 season with a definitive ranking of the greatest GDFNL premiership sides of the century (so far):
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Premiership Panthers
Three Bell Post Hill premiership sides, from 2011, 2012 and 2014, were voted by two of our commentators in an era of dominance under GDFNL legend Brent Grgic.
``I owe them everything,'' Grgic said of his playing group when the Panthers kicked seven of the final eight goals to secure the 2011 decider by 27 points.
Flagpies Prevail
One commentator selected North Geelong’s 2013 premiership side as a contender.
Darren Ryan’s side suffered a 20.16 (136) to 11.12 (78) semi final defeat to the Panthers before bouncing back to claim a 20-point grand final win.
Teenager Blake Podnar was the recipient of the best on ground medal.
The Six Million Dollar Man
Tim Barton couldn’t help but smile each time GDFNL commentors Jason Doherty and Dale Smyth referred to him as Steve Austin (the Six Million Dollar man).
Rumour had it that the 26-year-old, who had been reprimanded for a strike in the qualifying final, was ruled out due to a leg injury.
It was fiction. He inspired a 15.12 (102) to 6.14 (50) semifinal victory against Thomson and a 15.11 (101) to 11.16 (82) prelim win against Inverleigh.
Then he collected a best on ground medal on grand final as Steve Lewry’s Panthers celebrated a 58-point grand final win against Bannockburn.
Surprisingly, this premiership side only received one vote between our three commentators.
Perhaps the squad will have the right of reply at this year’s ten-year reunion?
Eagles Rock to the Top
Legend has it that East Geelong ruckman Adam Skrobolak called for a player lock-in moments after an upset loss in May 2009.
It prompted a winning streak to remember for one of local football’s oldest clubs as they claimed the minor premiership and then the ultimate a few weeks later.
One commentator selected the premiership winning Eagles with the ninth spot on his list.
Seventh Heaven
Bell Post Hill legend Brad Martin was handed the keys to the GDFNL powerhouse in 2017 and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
Finishing third behind Inverleigh and Bannockburn, the Panthers won all three finals and added youngsters Jack Yates and Liam Meyrich to the club’s long list of premiership players from 2010.
Jayden Ettridge proved to be the grand final hero by slotting six goals against Inverleigh in the 39-point win while the Panthers also held Thomson to a single goal in the 12pm season decider.
“What do they do now, just go home and shower?” commentator Richard ‘Grubby’ Cations stated as the siren sounded on the club’s seventh premiership in eight years.
This premiership side also featured as the 9th ranked for one commentator but did not feature on the other two submissions.
Centurions win the replay
Many say that the third quarter is the premiership quarter.
For the 2004 Werribee Centrals premiership side, it was a case of the fifth quarter.
The Centurions, led by playing coach Chris Gilham, surrendered an early grand final day lead to settle for a draw with Corio 7.5 (47) to 6.11 (47) in wet conditions.
Enter the opening quarter of the replay as Werribee led 10.1 (61) to 1.2 (8).
“I went back to be a steadying influence early and that seemed to work for a while,” Gilham reflected.
Not even this historic side made the final cut of our commentators’ top ten premiership sides of 2000-25.
(Full story to be released this Sunday April 5)
