In 1977, North Melbourne set a league record that would prove almost impossible to match, in that they played 27 games in a season to win the Premiership, which compromised of 22 home & away games (In which they finished 3rd on the ladder), played all 4 weeks of the finals, then won the Grand Final Replay against Collingwood after the original game ended in a memorable draw.

Of every North Melbourne player in 1977, only John Cassin played in all 27 games, a rather memorable first year with the Kangaroos after playing in South Australia.

For several years, that record of 27 games was impossible to match when Grand Final Replays were abolished in 2016, given the only way that a team could match it under the current finals system was for a team to come from outside the Top 4 and draw the Grand Final.

In fact, the closest any team came to playing 27 games in that time was West Coast in 2006, given they played 22 H&A games, lost in Week One of the finals to Sydney, came back and made the Grand Final, in which they defeated the Swans by 1 point.

However, after the home & away season was expanded to 23 games in 2023 due to Gather Round, the record became accessible again…

And after 47 years, North’s 1977 record has FINALLY been matched by the 2024 Brisbane Lions, who came from 5th to make the AFL Grand Final…

Which means the following players can join John Cassin in playing 27 games in a season; Jarrod Berry, Charlie Cameron, Joe Daniher, Josh Dunkley, Jaspa Fletcher, Ryan Lester, Kai Lohmann, Hugh McCluggage, Cam Rayner, Darcy Wilmot & Dayne Zorko.

THE AFL’S VERSION OF THE 27 CLUB.