94 easily.

Only beaten by the heat in Perth.

For some clubs the planets have really aligned haven't they. I believe you make your own luck for the most part but us pinching 94 or 98 would've been no different to adelaide nabbing 97 and 98.

Still, a st kilda fan would have a cross to bear on that front even more than us

1994 and its not even close. Lyon and Schwarz fully fit and dominating and Jakovich doing his thing for 13 games before getting injured..... supported brilliantly by Pike and Charles

Its a shame Jakovich got injured during the season.... who knows what would have happened if we had him in that Prelim final vs West Coke

Total score of the six leading goal kickers from those years -

1994 - Lyon, Schwarz, Jakovich, Lovell, Pike, Charles - 268 goals, 153 behinds

1998 - Neitz, Lyon, Farmer, Schwarz, White, Robertson - 181 goals, 124 behinds

Should the 1998 forward line include Shaun Smith or did we unload him one year after his mark of the century?

I'm most definitely biased on this as I can '98 really was the beginning of me becoming 100% red and blue. I was only a kid but after the club almost merged I decided I was going to commit to being a demon fan through better or worse.

So anyway, I think from memory that year I don't think we lost one game with that forward line out on the park. That was the biggest challenge with them was they were all pretty injury prone. Can someone recall if they were all playing in the prelim vs North? But for me it felt like the perfect mixture. Schwartz being the general CHF crashing packs, taking marks and kicking a good amount of goals. Then you had Lyon as the one out of the box, he was a really different player old Gary, I think I kind of liken him to Stevie J in some ways; very different. Neitz was starting to come into his own as a FF at that time and played some truly important games. Then there was the Wiz, I don't even fell I need to say anything.

It had talls, mediums, and a deadly small, and they always seemed to pick up the slack for one another. Even though we missed out on the granny (and got royally screwed by the bizarre finals system) it is on par as the most enjoyable year of footy for me (2000 being the other).

As a side note, how the Wizard missed out on mark of the year I will never know. His mark was ridiculous for his size, he just about high five'd me at the top of the great southern stand!

I think the 94 team would have been even better had the delivery into the forward line been better. Balmey's game plane when on song could look like Geelong circa 2007 but when it fell to pieces, it could be farcical.

I think on talent alone 94 but I think the 98 forward line had been a more consistent proposition throughout the year. Some of the younger members of the board may not appreciate how big a freak Jaka was. He was a remnant of the pre professional era when you could smoke, eat fish and chips and still kick 11 goals on a weekend due to talent alone.

I think the 94 team would have been even better had the delivery into the forward line been better. Balmey's game plane when on song could look like Geelong circa 2007 but when it fell to pieces, it could be farcical.

I think on talent alone 94 but I think the 98 forward line had been a more consistent proposition throughout the year. Some of the younger members of the board may not appreciate how big a freak Jaka was. He was a remnant of the pre professional era when you could smoke, eat fish and chips and still kick 11 goals on a weekend due to talent alone.

Haha love the description of Jakkas lifestyle! The days when the ONLY difference between a league footballer and a country footballer was talent.

At the end of the day jakka did not work harder en had enough to get over his back injuries , had he played in September we would have won the 94 flag, after he went down the team lost 7 games in a row.

This thread is bringing back fantastic memories for me. Farmer, Schwarz, Lyon, Jakovich, Neitz, Robertson were all incredibly gifted players. I can't wait until we have a forward line that can compare to '94, '98 and '00.

Difficult one. As some have said, 94 was probably a little more talented at it's best, but for me I can't go past 98'.

The Ox at CHF, Neitz at FF, Lyon as a third tall. The Wiz as the best small forward running around, and then throw in a young Russell Robertson and Shaun Smith couldn't even get a game despite kicking 5 on Queens Birthday. Also recall him taking a screamer in the Reserves before the Melbourne v St Kilda semi final.

Should the 1998 forward line include Shaun Smith or did we unload him one year after his mark of the century?

He was there in '98. Had a huge hand in us rolling the Pies that year as well when he kicked 5 goals. Amazing to think that, back then, we had the talent to keep out a bloke who could kick a bag of goals like that.

The definition of gifted for mine. Short, not that quick, fiery to the point of unpredictable, but just played like he loved the game and understood it better than anyone else. We don't get many of those in these days of ultra-programming.

as an old boxing commentator on ch7 once said to describe an up and commer ,young gifted and black

He was there in '98. Had a huge hand in us rolling the Pies that year as well when he kicked 5 goals. Amazing to think that, back then, we had the talent to keep out a bloke who could kick a bag of goals like that.

I remember that game so clearly. 3 point winners in an absolute thriller.

94 easily.

Only beaten by the heat in Perth.

And the eventual Premiers.

Leading up to and including our first 2 finals, the 1994 forward line was the most exciting. Schwarz was unbelievable, along with a fit Lyon, Pike and Charles. I recall in the final against the Dogs, that late in the 3rd quarter Lyon (who'd kicked 10) and Schwarz collided. Lyon was done for the day and Schwarz was proppy. In the prelim against an outstanding WC, we were in it till half time, but got run over in the 2nd half.

The 1998 team had more of a chance to win the GF because the opposition were inferior to the 1994 WC team. In the prelim against North, Lyon was basically a statue due to his back, and Schwarz was 70% of the player he was in 1994.

The 1994 forward line for mine.

I remember that game so clearly. 3 point winners in an absolute thriller.

It was a great game too. Trapper kicked 4 as well, while Farmer kicked 3 before doing his hammy.

I'd say 94.

Even without Jako, Lyon and Ox were a more formidable forward duo in an era of dominant full forwards. Pike was very reliable. And Charles kicked a few bags of 5.

98 was good, but Ox was well below his best (at least the best of 94), Neitz was still finding consistency, and Farmer was too in-and-out. Ultimately, had we had both a fit Lyon and '94 Schwartz to go up against North in the 98 Prelim, it might have been a different outcome. Probably not, but maybe. Even with a fit Lyon, he was well past his prime by 98.

It was a great game too. Trapper kicked 4 as well, while Farmer kicked 3 before doing his hammy.

And 18 yo Brent Grgic lit up our expectations of a superstar key forward in waiting. Sadly….

Oh, and Joel Smith's old man kicked 5 goals from his 6 kicks.

Leading up to and including our first 2 finals, the 1994 forward line was the most exciting. Schwarz was unbelievable, along with a fit Lyon, Pike and Charles. I recall in the final against the Dogs, that late in the 3rd quarter Lyon (who'd kicked 10) and Schwarz collided. Lyon was done for the day and Schwarz was proppy. In the prelim against an outstanding WC, we were in it till half time, but got run over in the 2nd half.

The 1998 team had more of a chance to win the GF because the opposition were inferior to the 1994 WC team. In the prelim against North, Lyon was basically a statue due to his back, and Schwarz was 70% of the player he was in 1994.

The 1994 forward line for mine.

Agree that Adelaide were more inferior, plus the fact that we'd smashed Adelaide on the G earlier in that final series.

However, North were an outstanding team in '98, despite losing to Adelaide in the GF by basically kicking themselves out of it early. And probably presented a greater challenge in the PF that year, than that of WCE in the '94 PF.

However, '94 forward line for mine was more exciting. A fit Jakovich would have been a huge plus.

I was excited by the '98 forward line though come finals time. And Viney was something else throughout '98.

It was a great game too. Trapper kicked 4 as well, while Farmer kicked 3 before doing his hammy.

It was a great year to be a Dees supporter, especially after what we dished out in '97. I'll never forget how good it felt smashing Adelaide in that first week of finals. Should've been our year...

The forward talent of 94 was offset by our Swiss cheese defence.

4th best defence in the league was hardly swiss cheese

The 1994 team was a much better team than the 1998 team, but they came up against much stronger opposition. West Coast, Geelong and Carlton had very strong teams in 1994, whereas 1998 was a relatively weak year. Hence Adelaide were able to pinch a flag from nowhere.

Our forward line in 1994 featured Lyon and Schwarz at the absolute peak of their powers, and the supporting players did their jobs nicely. The 1998 forward line had plenty of talent, but Lyon and Schwarz were past their best whilst Neitz, Farmer and Robertson were yet to reach their prime.

1994 easily for me.

4th best defence in the league was hardly swiss cheese

That figure lies. We lost 5 games when we led at half time. We lost 10 for the season. We lost every game we trailed at half time. Not one come from behind win. Our forward line was awesome and free scoring but let down by conceding too many cheap goals to the opposition at crucial times. Defensive structures were poor when we were not completely dominating. We should have been at least 17/5 minimum instead of 12/10. A defining feature of the entire Balme era.

We lost every game we trailed at half time. Not one come from behind win.

Forgive me for looking and I was only a young'n but we did have a win from trailing at halftime. Sean Charles went on the rampage after half time. My Mum was not happy!

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1994/031119940911.html

Forgive me for looking and I was only a young'n but we did have a win from trailing at halftime. Sean Charles went on the rampage after half time. My Mum was not happy!

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/1994/031119940911.html

Yes that was the final against Carlton. I was referring to the regular season. I went to most games that season and it was infuriating to watch us lose games we should have won.