Richmond’s second-half comeback in the 2020 Grand Final against Geelong was the third-best in a premiership-decider at AFL/VFL level since Carlton’s remarkable 1970 resurrection, when it turned a 44-point half-time deficit v Collingwood into a 10-point win.
The Tigers trailed the Cats by 15 points in this year’s Grand Final at the Gabba but produced a superb second half to ultimately triumph by 31 points.
Only Essendon in 1984, and Adelaide in 1998, have come from further behind at half-time to capture a premiership post-1970.
The Bombers beat Hawthorn in the ’84 Grand Final by 24 points after trailing by 25 points at the main break.
Adelaide produced the biggest second-half Grand Final turnaround of the past half-century when it overcame a 24-point deficit against North Melbourne in 1998 to secure a 35-point victory.
The only other time Richmond had been behind in a Grand Final at half-time, and gone on to win, was in 1921 against Carlton. That day, the Tigers came from 13 points down to score a four-point win.
There have been just 14 AFL/VFL Grand Finals throughout the past 50 seasons where the team trailing at half-time has managed to emerge victorious.
Those 14 Grand Finals were . . .
1971: Hawthorn trailed St Kilda by two points. Won by seven points.
1978: Hawthorn trailed North Melbourne by four points. Won by 18 points.
1982: Carlton trailed Richmond by 11 points. Won by 18 points.
1984: Essendon trailed Hawthorn by 25 points. Won by 24 points.
1992: West Coast trailed Geelong by 12 points. Won by 28 points.
1997: Adelaide trailed St Kilda by 13 points. Won by 31 points.
1998: Adelaide trailed North Melbourne by 24 points. Won by 35 points.
2001: Brisbane trailed Essendon by 14 points. Won by 26 points.
2004: Port Adelaide trailed Brisbane by one point. Won by 40 points.
2009: Geelong trailed St Kilda by six points. Won by 12 points.
2011: Geelong trailed Collingwood by three points. Won by 38 points.
2016: Western Bulldogs trailed Sydney by two points. Won by 22 points.
2018: West Coast trailed Collingwood by 12 points. Won by five points.
2020: Richmond trailed Geelong by 15 points. Won by 31 points.
