Melbourne, Brisbane, Western Bulldogs with AFL’s biggest losing streaks entering 2018
IT’S now 2018. The last time Melbourne beat North Melbourne was in 2006. How is that even possible? Plenty of other clubs have long-term hoodoos they want to break. Who spooks your team?
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IT’S now 2018 and Melbourne’s last win over North Melbourne came in 2006. That’s a long time between drinks.
While the Demons’ 17-match losing streak against the Roos is the AFL’s biggest, there are some other sides which also have some long-time hoodoos they will be hoping to break this year.
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ADELAIDE
NOT many teams have troubled the Crows over the past few years but Sydney is the exception. Adelaide has lost its past two games against the Swans — one home and one away — and has lost six of its past seven overall by an average of 43 points. Since 2012 Adelaide has averaged 103 points a game but against Sydney the Crows have scored more than 82 points just twice from eight encounters.
Redemption time: Round 5, SCG
BRISBANE
HAVING recorded four bottom-four finishes in a row, the Lions have lacked roar against a lot of sides but Richmond is the standout. Brisbane has lost its past 11 matches against the reigning premier dating back to Round 7, 2009 when Terry Wallace was still coaching the Tigers. The average losing margin across those games stands at 34 points, Richmond scoring more than 100 points in all but two of them.
Redemption time: Round 4, MCG
CARLTON
OVER history dating back to 1908 the Blues have won 34 more games against Richmond than they have lost. But in recent times, it has been the Tigers that have had the wood over their long-time rivals. Carlton has lost its past six matches against Richmond by an average of 25 points since its upset elimination final triumph in 2013, which the Tigers lead by 26 points at halftime. The Blues have also not beaten Richmond in a Round 1 season opener since 2012.
Redemption time: Round 1, MCG
COLLINGWOOD
WESTERN Bulldogs have only won 47 of a possible 88 home-and-away games over the past four years but they keep finding a way to overcome Collingwood. The Magpies have lost their past five clashes with the Bulldogs, all of which have been decided by 21 points or less. In the most recent encounter in Round 1 last year Collingwood had 17 more inside-50s but fell 14 points short.
Redemption time: Round 10, Etihad Stadium
ESSENDON
ONE of two things tends to happen when Essendon plays Sydney. The Swans either limp over the line or hand out a spanking. The Bombers have lost their past eight matches against Sydney dating back to 2012, three coming by 12 points or less and four of the other five coming by more than seven goals. Sydney spearhead Lance Franklin is a factor, the forward having kicked more goals against Essendon than any other side across his career.
Redemption time: Round 19, Etihad Stadium
FREMANTLE
THE Dockers simply haven’t been able to deliver in the Western Australia derby in recent times. Fremantle has lost its past five clashes with West Coast by an average of 35 points, having failed to kick 10 goals in four of those matches. West Coast’s Josh Kennedy has kicked 19 goals from his past five matches against the Dockers.
Redemption time: Round 6, Perth Stadium
GEELONG
THE Cats’ relative success over recent years sees them with only one current losing streak of more than one match and that is against Adelaide. Geelong played the Crows three times last year, winning the first but losing the last two including the preliminary final by 61 points.
Redemption time: Round 17, Adelaide Oval
GOLD COAST
THERE are two teams the Suns have still never beaten in their existence — Adelaide and Sydney. The Swans hold a 8-0 record against Gold Coast but the Crows are an even more commanding 10-0. The Suns’ average losing margin against Adelaide is 57 points and they have won just three quarters from the past five clashes combined.
Redemption time: Round 6, Adelaide Oval
GWS
THE Giants have proven a force against most teams over the past two years but Adelaide is not one of them. GWS has beaten the Crows just once from nine meetings in its history and has lost the past three games between the sides by an average of 38 points including last year’s qualifying final by 36 points.
Redemption time: Round 11, Adelaide Oval
HAWTHORN
IN 2014 and 2015 the Hawks scored some big wins over Geelong but since then it has all been the Cats. Hawthorn has lost its past four matches against Geelong, two coming by less than a kick and the other two being 30 and 86 point blowouts. Going back further, the Hawks have won just five of the past 21 games between the sides since 2009.
Redemption time: Round 2, MCG
MELBOURNE
THE longest losing streak in the AFL has for some time been at embarrassing levels for Melbourne. The Dees have fallen to North Melbourne in their past 17 meetings dating back to 2007, the average margin across those matches 36 points. David Neitz kicked eight goals the last time Melbourne beat the Roos way back in Round 20, 2006 while current full-forward Jesse Hogan was still in primary school.
Redemption time: Round 3, MCG
NORTH MELBOURNE
HAWTHORN has been a tough side for most teams to topple in recent years but North Melbourne has particularly struggled. The Roos have lost their past four matches against the Hawks by an average of 34 points, Hawthorn leading at every change in three of those four matches. North Melbourne has lost eight of the past nine games between the sides overall.
Redemption time: Round 5, Etihad Stadium
PORT ADELAIDE
THE Showdown has not been a happy hunting ground for Port Adelaide in recent years. The Power have lost their past five matches against cross-town rival Adelaide, the most recent coming by a whopping 84 points in Round 20 last year. The Crows have the edge in Showdowns overall, having won 22 of them to Port Adelaide’s 21 since 1997.
Redemption time: Round 8, Adelaide Oval
RICHMOND
THE Tigers had lived under a dark cloud of 13 straight losses to Geelong until winning last year’s qualifying final. Now Richmond’s biggest losing streak is just four games against the Western Bulldogs — one of only two teams the Tigers did not defeat on their way to the 2017 Premiership. Richmond’s average losing margin from those games is just nine points, two having come by less than a kick.
Redemption time: Round 23, MCG
ST KILDA
SAINTS fans must have counted their blessings when the 2018 fixture was released showing only one match against Sydney. St Kilda has had no answers to the Swans in recent times, losing the past eight matches between the sides by an average of 54 points. Lenny Hayes collected two Brownlow votes the last time the Saints beat the Swans back in Round 9, 2012.
Redemption time: Round 12, Etihad Stadium
SYDNEY
BETWEEN rounds 7 and 23 last season the Swans lost just two games and both came against Hawthorn. Remarkably, both also came by margins of six points. The results mean Sydney has now lost its past three games against the Hawks and six of its past eight overall including, most importantly, the 2014 Grand Final by 63 points.
Redemption time: Round 8, MCG
WEST COAST
THE Eagles took care of Greater Western Sydney the first five times the two sides ever met but has struggled since. West Coast has lost its past three matches against the Giants including last year’s semi-final where it was beaten for speed and copped a 67-point belting.
Redemption time: Round 8, Spotless Stadium
WESTERN BULLDOGS
THE Bulldogs have not been alone in struggling against a powerful Geelong outfit in recent times but it has been a long time between drinks. The sons of the west have lost their last 11 matches against the Cats by an average of 34 points. Brad Johnson had 22 touches and kicked two goals last time the Bulldogs overcame the Cats back in Round 21, 2009.
Redemption time: Round 15, Etihad Stadium
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