Melbourne, Collingwood with worst records against top-eight sides with West Coast the best
MELBOURNE and Collingwood have worse records against top-eight sides than St Kilda and Brisbane, while there is a reason Geelong sits ninth. YOUR SIDE’S TOP-EIGHT RECORD HERE.
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MELBOURNE and Collingwood have worse records against top-eight sides than St Kilda and Brisbane, while there is a reason Geelong sits outside the top eight.
The Demons have sit seventh on the ladder but hold a 0-5 record against current top-eight sides after yesterday’s nine-point defeat to Sydney at the MCG.
If you add ninth-placed Geelong to those figures — which Melbourne has lost to twice — Simon Goodwin’s team is 0-7.
THE TACKLE: WHY CAN’T CATS WIN WITH BIG THREE?
Collingwood’s record against top-eight sides is not much better at 1-6, that one win coming against Melbourne by 42 points in Round 12.
The figures mean bottom-four sides St Kilda and Brisbane have performed better against the premiership contenders, with the Saints scoring having scored one win and a draw against top-eight sides and Brisbane having beaten fourth-placed Hawthorn twice.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon slammed the Demons as mentally fragile after their loss to Sydney on Sunday, that defeat also the club’s fifth by 10 points or less this season.
“They’re not mentally tough enough right now,” Lyon said on SEN radio.
“You can excuse one, two, maybe three. Five times they’ve lost games by under 10 points, they haven’t beaten any side when it comes to the big games against the sides that are competing. They’ve fallen short every single time.”
Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson said of the Demons’ struggles against the competition’s best sides that the “monkey on the back is now a gorilla two weeks from finals”.
Based on their number of games against top-eight sides, Melbourne has been shown to have the easiest fixture this year having played only five games that fit that bill but hold just a 12-8 record with two games to go.
Ninth-placed Geelong, meanwhile, has played the most games against top-eight sides at 12, winning six to hold an overall record of 11-9.
Second-placed West Coast has the best winning record against top-eight sides at 7-2, while sixth-placed Sydney is not far behind at 6-2.
Ladder-leader and reigning premier Richmond is 5-3, with its three defeats all coming interstate against West Coast, Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney.
EACH TEAM’S RECORD AGAINST THE CURRENT TOP-EIGHT:
RICHMOND
Round 3: Hawthorn — won by 13
Round 5: Melbourne — won by 46
Round 6: Collingwood — won by 43
Round 9: West Coast — lost by 47
Round 12: Port Adelaide — lost by 14
Round 15: Sydney — won by 26
Round 17: GWS Giants — lost by 2
Round 19: Collingwood — won by 28
Total: 5-3
WEST COAST
Round 1: Sydney — lost by 29
Round 7: Port Adelaide — won by 42
Round 8: GWS Giants — won by 25
Round 9: Richmond — won by 47
Round 10: Hawthorn — won by 15
Round 13: Sydney — lost by 15
Round 16: GWS Giants — won by 11
Round 17: Collingwood — won by 35
Round 21: Port Adelaide — won by 4
Total: 7-2
GWS GIANTS
Round 2: Collingwood — won by 16
Round 3: Sydney — lost by 16
Round 8: West Coast — lost by 25
Round 15: Hawthorn — won by 11
Round 16: West Coast — lost by 11
Round 17: Richmond — won by 2
Round 18: Port Adelaide — won by 22
Total: 4-3
HAWTHORN
Round 1: Collingwood — won by 34
Round 3: Richmond — lost by 13
Round 4: Melbourne — won by 67
Round 8: Sydney — lost by 8
Round 10: West Coast — lost by 15
Round 11: Port Adelaide — won by 3
Round 15: GWS Giants — lost by 11
Total: 3-4
COLLINGWOOD
Round 1: Hawthorn — lost by 34
Round 2: GWS Giants — lost by 16
Round 6: Richmond — lost by 43
Round 12: Melbourne — won by 42
Round 17: West Coast — lost by 35
Round 19: Richmond — lost by 28
Round 20: Sydney — lost by 2
T otal: 1-6
SYDNEY
Round 1: West Coast — won by 29
Round 2: Port Adelaide — lost by 23
Round 3: GWS Giants — won by 16
Round 8: Hawthorn — won by 8
Round 13: West Coast — won by 15
Round 15: Richmond — lost by 26
Round 20: Collingwood — won by 2
Round 21: Melbourne — won by 9
Total: 6-2
MELBOURNE
Round 4: Hawthorn — lost by 67
Round 5: Richmond — lost by 46
Round 12: Collingwood — lost by 42
Round 14: Port Adelaide — lost by 10
Round 21: Sydney — lost by 9
Total: 0-5
PORT ADELAIDE
Round 2: Sydney — won by 23
Round 7: West Coast — lost by 42
Round 11: Hawthorn — lost by 3
Round 12: Richmond — won by 14
Round 14: Melbourne — won by 10
Round 18: GWS Giants — lost by 22
Round 21: West Coast — lost by 4
Total: 3-4
GEELONG
Round 1: Melbourne — won by 3
Round 2: Hawthorn — lost by 1
Round 3: West Coast — lost by 15
Round 5: Port Adelaide — won by 34
Round 6: Sydney — lost by 17
Round 7: GWS Giants — won by 61
Round 8: Collingwood — won by 21
Round 13: Richmond — lost by 18
Round 16: Sydney — won by 12
Round 18: Melbourne — won by 2
Round 20: Richmond — lost by 3
Round 21: Hawthorn — lost by 11
Total: 6-6
NORTH MELBOURNE
Round 3: Melbourne — lost by 37
Round 5: Hawthorn — won by 28
Round 6: Port Adelaide — lost by 33
Round 7: Sydney — won by 2
Round 8: Richmond — lost by 10
Round 9: GWS Giants — won by 43
Round 17: Sydney — lost by 6
Round 18: Collingwood — lost by 66
Round 19: West Coast — won by 40
Total: 4-5
ESSENDON
Round 4: Port Adelaide — won by 22
Round 5: Collingwood — lost by 49
Round 6: Melbourne — lost by 36
Round 7: Hawthorn — lost by 23
Round 10: GWS Giants — won by 35
Round 11: Richmond — lost by 71
Round 14: West Coast — won by 28
Round 16: Collingwood — lost by 16
Round 19: Sydney — won by 43
Round 20: Hawthorn — lost by 4
Total: 4-6
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