<Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2015 </Td> <Td> AFL Grand Final </Td> <Td> 2017 → </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> ← 2015 </Td> <Td> AFL Grand Final </Td> <Td> 2017 → </Td> </Tr> <P> The 2016 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between the Sydney Swans and the Western Bulldogs . It was the 120th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League), staged to determine the premiers of the 2016 AFL season . It was the Swans' fifth grand final appearance since 2005, while the Bulldogs were competing in their first grand final since 1961 . The match, played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 99,981 spectators, was won by the Bulldogs by a margin of 22 points, marking their second VFL / AFL premiership victory and first since 1954, breaking a 62 - year premiership drought . It was also the first time in VFL / AFL history that a team won the premiership from seventh place on the ladder . Jason Johannisen of the Bulldogs was awarded the Norm Smith Medal as the best player on the ground . </P> <P> Minor premiers for the ninth time, the Sydney Swans finished the home - and - away season with a 17 - 5 record . They were defeated by the GWS Giants in the qualifying final by 36 points, but bounced back with a semi-final victory against Adelaide, and then a 37 - point preliminary final win against Geelong at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for their third grand final appearance in five years . </P>

Who played in the 2016 afl grand final