How about a place where we can ask for a various stat and hopefully one of us can come up with an answer? If you can answer a stat question, it would be helpful if you could indicate where or how you found the answer. If you can correct or elaborate on answer, please do so. Or you can do like me and answer your own question (although I didn't realise it would be so long)
One I was just wondering about was
- have two teams played each other 3 consecutive times?
- or put another way, has a team played another team 3 consecutive times?
I can think of three obvious places to check. The drawn grand finals ('48 and '77), the early years where the challenge system was in place, and the Final Four and Five where teams may have played in the 2nd semi final, the grand final, and Round 1 the following year.
1977: Collingwood and North Melbourne only played two consecutive games (the two grand finals). They did not meet in the 2nd semi final nor in Round 1, 1978. (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1977.html#fin)
1948: Essendon and Melbourne did not play each other in Round 1, 1949, but they did play each other in the 2nd Semi Final. Melbourne defeated Collingwood in the preliminary final before Essendon and Melbourne played two grand finals. So, it can be said that Essendon played Melbourne in 3 consecutive games in the 1948 finals. And just to be complete, Essendon did not play Melbourne in the last H+A game on 1948.
1948 2nd Semi Final - Essendon v Melbourne (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1948.html#fin)
1948 Preliminary Final - Melbourne v Collingwood
1948 Grand Final - Melbourne v Essendon
1948 Grand Final Replay - Melbourne v Essendon
**********
1987/1988:
1987 2nd Semi Final - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1987.html#fin)
1987 Preliminary Final - Hawthorn v Melbourne
1987 Grand Final - Carlton v Hawthorn
1988 Round 1 - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1988.html)
1986/1987:
1986 2nd Semi Final - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1986.html#fin)
1986 Preliminary Final - Hawthorn v Fitzroy
1986 Grand Final - Hawthorn v Carlton
1987 Round 1 - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1987.html)
1982/1983:
1982 2nd Semi Final - Richmond v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1982.html#fin)
1982 Preliminary Final - Carlton v Hawthorn
1982 Grand Final - Carlton v Richmond
1983 Round 1 - Carlton v Richmond (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1983.html)
1972:
1972 2nd Semi Final - Richmond v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1972.html#fin)
1972 2nd Semi Final Replay - Richmond v Carlton
1972 Preliminary Final - Carlton v St Kilda
1972 Grand Final - Carlton v Richmond
1963:
1963 Round 18 - Hawthorn v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1963.html#18)
1963 2nd Semi Final - Geelong v Hawthorn
1963 Preliminary Final - Hawthorn v Melbourne
1963 Grand Final - Geelong v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1963.html#fin)
1956:
1956 Round 18 - Collingwood v Melbourne (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1956.html#18)
1956 2nd Semi Final - Melbourne v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1956.html#fin)
1956 Preliminary Final - Collingwood v Footscray
1956 Grand Final - Melbourne v Collingwood
Melbourne played Collingwood in Round 2, 1957, so in the space of 5 games, Melbourne played Collingwood 4 times!
1931:
1931 Round 18 - Richmond v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1931.html#fin)
1931 2nd Semi Final - Richmond v Geelong
1931 Preliminary Final - Geelong v Carlton
1931 Grand Final - Geelong v Richmond
1930/1931:
1930 Preliminary Final - Geelong v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1930.html#fin)
1930 Grand Final - Collingwood v Geelong
1931 Round 1 - Collingwood v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1931.html)
1929/1930:
1929 Semi Final - Richmond v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1929.html#fin)
1929 Preliminary Final - Richmond v Carlton
1929 Grand Final - Collingwood v Richmond
1930 Round 1 - Richmond v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1930.html)
1916/1917:
1916 Preliminary Final - Fitzroy v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1916.html#fin)
1916 Grand Final - Fitzroy v Carlton
1917 Round 1 - Fitzroy v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1917.html)
1898/1899:
1898 Sectional Round 3 - Fitzroy v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1898.html#fin)
1898 Semi Final - Fitzroy v Collingwood
1898 Grand Final - Fitzroy v Essendon
1899 Round 1 - Fitzroy v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1899.html)
I may have missed some.
One I was just wondering about was
- have two teams played each other 3 consecutive times?
- or put another way, has a team played another team 3 consecutive times?
I can think of three obvious places to check. The drawn grand finals ('48 and '77), the early years where the challenge system was in place, and the Final Four and Five where teams may have played in the 2nd semi final, the grand final, and Round 1 the following year.
1977: Collingwood and North Melbourne only played two consecutive games (the two grand finals). They did not meet in the 2nd semi final nor in Round 1, 1978. (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1977.html#fin)
1948: Essendon and Melbourne did not play each other in Round 1, 1949, but they did play each other in the 2nd Semi Final. Melbourne defeated Collingwood in the preliminary final before Essendon and Melbourne played two grand finals. So, it can be said that Essendon played Melbourne in 3 consecutive games in the 1948 finals. And just to be complete, Essendon did not play Melbourne in the last H+A game on 1948.
1948 2nd Semi Final - Essendon v Melbourne (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1948.html#fin)
1948 Preliminary Final - Melbourne v Collingwood
1948 Grand Final - Melbourne v Essendon
1948 Grand Final Replay - Melbourne v Essendon
**********
1987/1988:
1987 2nd Semi Final - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1987.html#fin)
1987 Preliminary Final - Hawthorn v Melbourne
1987 Grand Final - Carlton v Hawthorn
1988 Round 1 - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1988.html)
1986/1987:
1986 2nd Semi Final - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1986.html#fin)
1986 Preliminary Final - Hawthorn v Fitzroy
1986 Grand Final - Hawthorn v Carlton
1987 Round 1 - Carlton v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1987.html)
1982/1983:
1982 2nd Semi Final - Richmond v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1982.html#fin)
1982 Preliminary Final - Carlton v Hawthorn
1982 Grand Final - Carlton v Richmond
1983 Round 1 - Carlton v Richmond (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1983.html)
1972:
1972 2nd Semi Final - Richmond v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1972.html#fin)
1972 2nd Semi Final Replay - Richmond v Carlton
1972 Preliminary Final - Carlton v St Kilda
1972 Grand Final - Carlton v Richmond
1963:
1963 Round 18 - Hawthorn v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1963.html#18)
1963 2nd Semi Final - Geelong v Hawthorn
1963 Preliminary Final - Hawthorn v Melbourne
1963 Grand Final - Geelong v Hawthorn (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1963.html#fin)
1956:
1956 Round 18 - Collingwood v Melbourne (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1956.html#18)
1956 2nd Semi Final - Melbourne v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1956.html#fin)
1956 Preliminary Final - Collingwood v Footscray
1956 Grand Final - Melbourne v Collingwood
Melbourne played Collingwood in Round 2, 1957, so in the space of 5 games, Melbourne played Collingwood 4 times!
1931:
1931 Round 18 - Richmond v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1931.html#fin)
1931 2nd Semi Final - Richmond v Geelong
1931 Preliminary Final - Geelong v Carlton
1931 Grand Final - Geelong v Richmond
1930/1931:
1930 Preliminary Final - Geelong v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1930.html#fin)
1930 Grand Final - Collingwood v Geelong
1931 Round 1 - Collingwood v Geelong (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1931.html)
1929/1930:
1929 Semi Final - Richmond v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1929.html#fin)
1929 Preliminary Final - Richmond v Carlton
1929 Grand Final - Collingwood v Richmond
1930 Round 1 - Richmond v Collingwood (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1930.html)
1916/1917:
1916 Preliminary Final - Fitzroy v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1916.html#fin)
1916 Grand Final - Fitzroy v Carlton
1917 Round 1 - Fitzroy v Carlton (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1917.html)
1898/1899:
1898 Sectional Round 3 - Fitzroy v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1898.html#fin)
1898 Semi Final - Fitzroy v Collingwood
1898 Grand Final - Fitzroy v Essendon
1899 Round 1 - Fitzroy v Essendon (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/seas/1899.html)
I may have missed some.