The Best AFL Players Never to Win a Premiership (Since 1990)
Robert Harvey is the best AFL player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score. Only 15.4% of the 3,773 players with a senior game since 1990 have played in one.
Robert Harvey is the best AFL player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 2 Brownlows, 8 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 383 games. Nathan Buckley is next.
- 1.Robert Harvey93 pts
2 Brownlows, 8 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 383 games · 1988–2008
- St Kilda
- 2.Nathan Buckley80 pts
1 Brownlow, 7 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 280 games · 1993–2007
- Brisbane
- Collingwood
- 3.Matthew Pavlich69 pts
6 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 353 games · 2000–2016
- Fremantle
- 4.Scott West67 pts
5 All-Australians, 7 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 324 games · 1993–2008
- Footscray
- 5.Nick Riewoldt64 pts
5 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 336 games · 2001–2017
- St Kilda
- 6.Tony Lockett63 pts
1 Brownlow, 5 All-Australians, 3 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 281 games · 1983–2002
- St Kilda
- Sydney
- 7.Patrick Cripps63 pts
2 Brownlows, 4 All-Australians, 5 club best and fairests and 255 games · 2014–2026
- Carlton
- 8.Brad Johnson61 pts
6 All-Australians, 3 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 364 games · 1994–2010
- Footscray
- 9.Paul Roos58 pts
4 All-Australians, 5 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 356 games · 1982–1998
- Fitzroy
- Sydney
- 10.Paul Kelly55 pts
1 Brownlow, 3 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 234 games · 1990–2002
- Sydney
- 11.Jim Stynes53 pts
1 Brownlow, 2 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 264 games · 1987–1998
- Melbourne
- 12.Nat Fyfe53 pts
2 Brownlows, 3 All-Australians, 3 club best and fairests and 248 games · 2010–2025
- Fremantle
- 13.Nathan Burke51 pts
4 All-Australians, 3 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 323 games · 1987–2003
- St Kilda
- 14.Garry Hocking51 pts
4 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 274 games · 1987–2001
- Geelong
- 15.Chris Grant45 pts
3 All-Australians, 2 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 341 games · 1990–2007
- Footscray
- 16.Lenny Hayes45 pts
3 All-Australians, 3 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 297 games · 1999–2014
- St Kilda
- 17.Zach Merrett43 pts
3 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests and 274 games · 2014–2026
- Essendon
- 18.Gerard Healy42 pts
1 Brownlow, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 211 games · 1979–1990
- Melbourne
- Sydney
- 19.Gary Ablett Sr41 pts
4 All-Australians, 1 club best and fairest, Hall of Fame and 248 games · 1982–1996
- Hawthorn
- Geelong
- 20.Matthew Richardson39 pts
3 All-Australians, 1 club best and fairest, Hall of Fame and 282 games · 1993–2009
- Richmond
Honours score: 10 points for each Brownlow Medal, 10 for the Hall of Fame, 4 for each All-Australian selection, 3 for each club best and fairest, and 1 for every 20 career games. Players with 100 or more games only.
Draft the flagless side
The strongest legal nine from this list: 2 defenders, 3 midfielders, a ruck, 2 forwards and a utility. Lines come from the game’s draft cards, so only players with a card can be picked.
- DefenderChris Grant
- DefenderMatthew Pavlich
- MidfielderPatrick Cripps
- MidfielderScott West
- MidfielderNathan Buckley
- RuckJim Stynes
- ForwardTony Lockett
- ForwardNick Riewoldt
- UtilityRobert Harvey
Unlimited deals you the greats of every club. Can your side go 23-0?
At a glance
- 582 of the 3,773 players with a senior AFL game since 1990 (15.4%) have played in a premiership. The other 84.6% never have.
- Robert Harvey tops the list: 2 Brownlows, 8 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 383 games for St Kilda, and no flag.
- 18 of the 41 Brownlow medallists who played since 1990 never played in a premiership.
- 23 of the 83 Hall of Famers who played since 1990 never played in a premiership.
- Travis Boak played the most games without a flag: 387, for Port Adelaide.
- 26 players have played 300 or more games without a premiership.
Checked 21 October 2026 · data since 1990
The top 50 without a premiership
| # | Player | Clubs | Seasons | Games | Brownlows | All-Australian | Club B&F | Hall of Fame | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Harvey | St Kilda | 1988–2008 | 383 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Yes | 93 |
| 2 | Nathan Buckley | BrisbaneCollingwood | 1993–2007 | 280 | 1 | 7 | 6 | Yes | 80 |
| 3 | Matthew Pavlich | Fremantle | 2000–2016 | 353 | – | 6 | 6 | Yes | 69 |
| 4 | Scott West | Footscray | 1993–2008 | 324 | – | 5 | 7 | Yes | 67 |
| 5 | Nick Riewoldt | St Kilda | 2001–2017 | 336 | – | 5 | 6 | Yes | 64 |
| 6 | Tony Lockett | St KildaSydney | 1983–2002 | 281 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Yes | 63 |
| 7 | Patrick Cripps | Carlton | 2014–2026 | 255 | 2 | 4 | 5 | – | 63 |
| 8 | Brad Johnson | Footscray | 1994–2010 | 364 | – | 6 | 3 | Yes | 61 |
| 9 | Paul Roos | FitzroySydney | 1982–1998 | 356 | – | 4 | 5 | Yes | 58 |
| 10 | Paul Kelly | Sydney | 1990–2002 | 234 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Yes | 55 |
| 11 | Jim Stynes | Melbourne | 1987–1998 | 264 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Yes | 53 |
| 12 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | 2010–2025 | 248 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 53 |
| 13 | Nathan Burke | St Kilda | 1987–2003 | 323 | – | 4 | 3 | Yes | 51 |
| 14 | Garry Hocking | Geelong | 1987–2001 | 274 | – | 4 | 4 | Yes | 51 |
| 15 | Chris Grant | Footscray | 1990–2007 | 341 | – | 3 | 2 | Yes | 45 |
| 16 | Lenny Hayes | St Kilda | 1999–2014 | 297 | – | 3 | 3 | Yes | 45 |
| 17 | Zach Merrett | Essendon | 2014–2026 | 274 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 43 |
| 18 | Gerard Healy | MelbourneSydney | 1979–1990 | 211 | 1 | – | 4 | Yes | 42 |
| 19 | Gary Ablett Sr | HawthornGeelong | 1982–1996 | 248 | – | 4 | 1 | Yes | 41 |
| 20 | Matthew Richardson | Richmond | 1993–2009 | 282 | – | 3 | 1 | Yes | 39 |
| 21 | Paul Couch | Geelong | 1985–1997 | 259 | 1 | 2 | 3 | – | 39 |
| 22 | Garry Lyon | Melbourne | 1986–1999 | 226 | – | 3 | 2 | Yes | 39 |
| 23 | Robbie Gray | Port Adelaide | 2007–2022 | 271 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 38 |
| 24 | Travis Boak | Port Adelaide | 2007–2025 | 387 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 37 |
| 25 | David Neitz | Melbourne | 1993–2008 | 306 | – | 2 | 1 | Yes | 36 |
| 26 | Aaron Sandilands | Fremantle | 2003–2019 | 271 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 35 |
| 27 | Wayne Campbell | Richmond | 1991–2005 | 297 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 34 |
| 28 | Peter Everitt | St KildaHawthornSydney | 1993–2008 | 291 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 32 |
| 29 | Toby Greene | Greater Western Sydney | 2012–2026 | 282 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 32 |
| 30 | Ollie Wines | Port Adelaide | 2013–2026 | 292 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 31 |
| 31 | Rory Laird | Adelaide | 2013–2026 | 289 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 31 |
| 32 | Doug Hawkins | FootscrayFitzroy | 1978–1995 | 350 | – | – | 1 | Yes | 30 |
| 33 | Isaac Heeney | Sydney | 2015–2026 | 244 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 30 |
| 34 | Brad Hardie | FootscrayBrisbaneCollingwood | 1985–1992 | 150 | 1 | – | 1 | Yes | 30 |
| 35 | Eddie Betts | CarltonAdelaide | 2005–2021 | 350 | – | 3 | – | – | 29 |
| 36 | Matt Priddis | West Coast | 2006–2017 | 240 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 29 |
| 37 | Jordan Dawson | SydneyAdelaide | 2017–2026 | 178 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 29 |
| 38 | Nick Dal Santo | St KildaNorth Melbourne | 2002–2016 | 322 | – | 3 | – | – | 28 |
| 39 | Scott Wynd | Footscray | 1988–2000 | 237 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 28 |
| 40 | Jobe Watson | Essendon | 2003–2017 | 220 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 28 |
| 41 | Nic Naitanui | West Coast | 2009–2022 | 213 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 28 |
| 42 | Zak Butters | Port Adelaide | 2019–2026 | 156 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 28 |
| 43 | Caleb Serong | Fremantle | 2020–2026 | 149 | – | 3 | 3 | – | 28 |
| 44 | Brendon Goddard | St KildaEssendon | 2003–2018 | 334 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 27 |
| 45 | Stewart Loewe | St Kilda | 1986–2002 | 321 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 27 |
| 46 | Tony Liberatore | Footscray | 1986–2002 | 283 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 27 |
| 47 | Lachie Whitfield | Greater Western Sydney | 2013–2026 | 278 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 27 |
| 48 | Brett Deledio | RichmondGreater Western Sydney | 2005–2019 | 275 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 27 |
| 49 | Joel Bowden | Richmond | 1996–2009 | 265 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 27 |
| 50 | Brodie Grundy | CollingwoodMelbourneSydney | 2013–2026 | 264 | – | 2 | 2 | – | 27 |
Each player gets 10 points for each Brownlow Medal, 10 for being in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, 4 for each All-Australian selection, 3 for each club best and fairest, and 1 point for every 20 career games. Only players with 100 or more games are ranked. Ties go to the player with more games.
Quick answers
- Robert Harvey is the best AFL player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 2 Brownlows, 8 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 383 games. Nathan Buckley is next. Open the list→
- Matthew Pavlich is the best AFL player since 1990 never to win a Brownlow Medal, on our honours score: 6 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 353 games. Scott West is next. Open the list→
- 15.4% of AFL players since 1990 have played in a premiership: 582 of 3,773. See who missed out→
- Travis Boak has played the most games without a premiership of anyone since 1990: 387. See the 300-gamers→
- 18 Brownlow medallists who played since 1990 never played in a premiership, Robert Harvey, Nathan Buckley, Tony Lockett and Patrick Cripps among them. See them ranked→
- Robert Harvey is the best St Kilda player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 2 Brownlows, 8 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 383 games. Nick Riewoldt is next. St Kilda list→
- Patrick Cripps is the best Carlton player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 2 Brownlows, 4 All-Australians, 5 club best and fairests and 255 games. Eddie Betts is next. Carlton list→
- Matthew Pavlich is the best Fremantle player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 6 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 353 games. Nat Fyfe is next. Fremantle list→
- Touk Miller is the best Gold Coast player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 2 All-Australians, 2 club best and fairests and 237 games. Matt Rowell is next. Gold Coast list→
- Toby Greene is the best Greater Western Sydney player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 3 All-Australians, 2 club best and fairests and 282 games. Lachie Whitfield is next. Greater Western Sydney list→
- Matthew Richardson is the best Richmond player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 3 All-Australians, 1 club best and fairest, Hall of Fame and 282 games. Wayne Campbell is next. Richmond list→
- Jim Stynes is the best Melbourne player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 1 Brownlow, 2 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 264 games. Gerard Healy is next. Melbourne list→
- No. Tony Lockett played 281 games for St Kilda and Sydney from 1983 to 2002 without playing in a premiership. See the list→
- No. Nick Riewoldt played 336 games for St Kilda from 2001 to 2017 without playing in a premiership. See the list→
- No. Patrick Cripps has played 255 games for Carlton since 2014 without playing in a premiership. Carlton's last flag was in 1995. See the list→
- No, not as a player. Nathan Buckley played 280 games for Brisbane and Collingwood from 1993 to 2007 without playing in a premiership. See the list→
- No. Matthew Pavlich played 353 games for Fremantle from 2000 to 2016 without playing in a premiership. See the list→
Common questions
Who is the best AFL player never to win a premiership?
Robert Harvey is the best AFL player since 1990 never to play in a premiership, on our honours score: 2 Brownlows, 8 All-Australians, 4 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 383 games. Nathan Buckley is next.
What percentage of AFL players win a premiership?
15.4%. Of the 3,773 players with a senior AFL game since 1990, 582 have played in at least one premiership.
Who is the best player never to win a Brownlow?
Matthew Pavlich is the best AFL player since 1990 never to win a Brownlow Medal, on our honours score: 6 All-Australians, 6 club best and fairests, Hall of Fame and 353 games. Scott West is next.
How is the honours score worked out?
Each player gets 10 points for each Brownlow Medal, 10 for being in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, 4 for each All-Australian selection, 3 for each club best and fairest, and 1 point for every 20 career games. Only players with 100 or more games are ranked. Ties go to the player with more games.
What counts as winning a premiership here?
Playing in the winning grand final side. Being on a premiership list without playing in the grand final does not count, and neither does coaching.
Why does it start in 1990?
The data covers every player with a senior game from 1990 on, with his whole career. So games, honours and flags from before 1990 all count: Dermott Brereton's 1980s premierships with Hawthorn keep him off this list.
Why is a great player missing?
Either he played in a premiership, he played fewer than 100 games, or his career ended before 1990. All-Australian selections count from 1991 on, so players from the 1980s score a little lower than their careers deserve.
How up to date is it?
Checked 21 October 2026. Games and honours come from our data, last read on 15 September 2026, plus the 2026 grand final and the 2026 Brownlow Medal. Games and honours after 15 September 2026 are not counted yet.
How this list is made
A premiership here means playing in the winning grand final side. Every player with a senior game since 1990 is counted, with his whole career: games, honours and flags from before 1990 count too.
The honours score is a simple, stated sum, not a judgement of who was better. It favours players with long careers and many awards, and it cannot see what a player meant to his club. Treat it as a starting point for the argument, not the end of it.
Our data was last read on 15 September 2026. Since then we have added Brisbane’s 2026 premiership side and the 2026 Brownlow Medal by hand. Games and other honours after 15 September 2026 are not counted yet.
Sources
- Season statistics and grand final line-ups from AFL Tables (afltables.com), including the 2026 grand final.
- Club best and fairest lists, the Australian Football Hall of Fame and pre-1990 medal lists from Wikipedia.
- Facts compiled from public records; no text is copied from either source.
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