I agree with the rest, this bit is the only part the really responds to what I asked
North = very solid success in the last couple of decades = on their death bed
Tigers = as bad a few decades as you could imagine = still going strong
Obviously winning a flag will help us, but it is not the be-all-and-end-all of the matter, we could win several and still end up in the poo like North, or we could prosper despite not getting the ultimate success due to securing our finances in other ways
I agree there is definitely an argument that you need $$$ to win a flag these days. Collingwood is the only side that disproves the theory, although the Hawks weren't exactly Bill Gates UNTIL they won it and the wheels fell off the bandwagon. Geelong got their act together quite well, helped mainly by their awesome stadium deal and maybe that was the catalyst for their success. Freo, on the other hand, are as rich as anyone and they have a pathetic record. Tough question.