What are the winning streaks and losing hoodoos to watch in 2017?
CAN the Dees finally beat the Saints? Will anyone knock off Hawthorn at Launceston? Check out your team’s streaks and hoodoos heading into the 2017 season.
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IF the world of sport taught us one thing in 2016, it is that anything is possible.
From the Western Bulldogs breaking a 62 year premiership drought to Leicester City winning the EPL title and the Chicago Cubs snapping their 108 year championship curse, the hoodoos evaporated from existence.
So if those teams can change history then surely Melbourne can find a way to beat St Kilda or someone can knock-off Hawthorn at Launceston.
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But things aren’t always that easy in the AFL.
Heading into the 2017 season, catch up on the streaks your team are trying to keep alive and the hoodoos they are desperate to shake.
ADELAIDE
The Crows copped a double dose of bad luck when their 2017 fixture was released. Firstly, the Gold Coast Suns only appeared once. Adelaide has owned the Suns since they joined the competition, holding a 9-0 advantage in the win-loss ledger.
Scanning through the draw and seeing a trip to Simonds Stadium would have also sparked some alarm bells. Adelaide has lost nine times in a row at the Geelong fortress and has been drawn there to take on the Cats in Round 11.
BRISBANE
It has been a tough few years for Brisbane and there aren’t many winning streaks left to brag about. However, the hoodoos are building up. The Lions have lost nine straight games to all three of Richmond, Sydney and Fremantle.
CARLTON
Hawthorn has got the better of plenty of sides over the past decade but perhaps none more so than Carlton. The Blues have lost 14 straight games to the Hawks. Carlton’s last win over Hawthorn came in Round 6, 2005 with the likes of Barnaby French, Troy Longmuir and Trent Sporn lining up for the Blues.
COLLINGWOOD
There is no doubt Greater Western Sydney are building something special but for the moment, the Pies have their measure. Collingwood has never lost to the Giants.
However, Adelaide and Port Adelaide moving from Football Park to Adelaide Oval has been a blow for the Magpies. Collingwood won eight of its last nine matches at Football Park but are yet to register a win at Adelaide Oval (0-3).
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ESSENDON
Losing 12 of your club’s best players for a whole year will end most of your winning streaks pretty quickly. But it isn’t just over the past 12 months that Etihad Stadium has been a challenge for the Bombers. Essendon has won just one of its last 15 matches at the ground.
FREMANTLE
For a long time the streaks and hoodoos were all running Fremantle’s way. But a four-win season will change things pretty fast. No matter how bad things got last season though, the Dockers still managed to top the Lions for the ninth time in a row.
The one that will really sting the Dockers is their derby record. After winning six derbies in a row between late 2012 and early 2015, Fremantle has lost the last three.
GEELONG
Kardinia Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for too many clubs of late. The Cats have won a staggering 44 of their last 50 matches at the ground. That is a winning percentage of 80.
Geelong skipper Joel Selwood has been awarded at least one free kick in his last 57 matches. The last time Selwood played a match without winning a free was in Round 12, 2014. The most frees he has received in a single match during the streak is seven.
GOLD COAST
The Gold Coast Suns have been in the AFL since 2011 but they are still waiting for their first win against a number of opponents. The Suns have never beaten Sydney, Hawthorn or Adelaide and have managed only a draw against West Coast. The club’s record against those four clubs reads 0-1-31.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
Like the Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney is still waiting to celebrate its first wins over a couple of rivals. The Giants have never beaten Collingwood or West Coast. With the Giants going into the 2017 season as premiership favourites, that may not last much longer.
HAWTHORN
When it comes to building a fortress, it is hard to go past Hawthorn’s efforts at Launceston. The Hawks have won a staggering 19 games in a row at the ground. Will that change now that Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis have moved on?
As for their record against two of the league’s traditional powerhouses, the Hawks haven’t lost to Carlton for a decade and have won the last nine clashes with Collingwood.
MELBOURNE
The Demons finally broke their Etihad Stadium losing streak in 2015 but it is tough to say the hoodoo is over. Melbourne has won one of its last 25 matches at the ground. The stats aren’t any better out west, with the Demons on the end of 17 straight losses in Perth. Incredibly, Melbourne has lost 14 games in a row against St Kilda despite the Saints not making the finals since 2011.
NORTH MELBOURNE
North Melbourne has owned cross town rivals Melbourne in recent seasons. The Kangaroos have won the past 15 encounters with the Demons. The last time Melbourne beat the Roos was Round 20, 2006. That North Melbourne team featured Leigh Brown, Leigh Harding, and Saverio Rocca.
PORT ADELAIDE
The 2017 season is shaping up as a make or break one for the Power and the club has been dealt a tough start. Port Adelaide has won one of its last 14 games against Sydney and has lost its past seven games at the SCG. And the Power’s first round opponent? That’s right, the Swans at the SCG.
RICHMOND
The Tigers have had plenty of trouble with the Cats over the years. Richmond has lost its past 12 games against Geelong. But if you think that’s bad, it actually gets a lot worse. The Tigers have also dropped 19 of their last 20 and 41 of their last 50 games against the Cats. Ouch.
Richmond’s problem also extends to the Scott family with Brad and Chris having the Tigers’ measure. The Tigers have a 2-13 record against the respective coaches.
ST KILDA
Playing interstate rivals hasn’t brought too much joy for the Saints recently. St Kilda has lost its last seven games against West Coast, six games against Adelaide, six games against Sydney and five games against Port Adelaide.
SYDNEY
Etihad Stadium might be a home away from home for Sydney. The Swans have won their past 10 games at the ground.
A growing streak to keep an eye on is the Swans’ record against the Western Bulldogs. In the past two years the Dogs have won two nailbiting home and away clashes against the Swans as well as taking out the Grand Final.
WEST COAST
West Coast forward Josh Kennedy has kicked at least one goal in his past 23 matches. In fact, Kennedy has been held goalless just once in his past 58 matches. That was in the 2015 Grand Final loss to the Hawks.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Even with the premiers tag, there is one club out there that still has the Western Bulldogs’ measure. The Dogs have lost their last 10 matches against Geelong. The last Western Bulldogs team to beat the Cats was coached by Rodney Eade and featured Jason Akermanis in a forward pocket.
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