Amazing coincidences in football

Remove this Banner Ad

Geelong in the late 1990s had an unlikely number of players with brothers at North Melbourne.

There was Brad Sholl’s brother Craig, Adam Houlihan had Damien (was with Collingwood earlier - IIRC debuted against Geelong in the Gary Ablett over Gary Pert game), Daniel Lowther had Nick, and in his first year as a Cat Jason Mooney had Cameron playing in his last year at NMFC.

IIRC with the exception of Carl Steinfort, whose brother Patrick was at Richmond, every Geelong player from 1996-1999 with a brother on an AFL list was with North.
 
North Melbourne's incredible run of bad luck with the number 1 as follows:

1. North Melbourne has never made the finals in a year ending in 1.
2. The Kangaroos made the finals every year from 1974-1983 and 1993-2002 inclusive, with the exceptions of 1981 and 2001.
3. North looked fairly certain to feature in the 1991 finals, until an unexpected loss in a high scoring match to lowly Fitzroy late in the season. The Lions' winning margin? 1 point.
4. The Kangaroos have won four minor premierships for finishing 1st on the ladder - 1949, 1978, 1983 and 1998. North did not win the Grand Final in any of those seasons.
5. North took home the wooden spoon in 1931 and 1961.
6. The Kangaroos have endured 1 win seasons in their last placed finishes in 1929, 1930, 1935 & 1972.
7. North Melbourne were the sole victims of several 1 win teams - Hawthorn in 1927 and St Kilda in 1947 & 1955, and the Kangaroos could only manage a draw with the Saints' 1 win team of 1943.
8. North slipped from runner up in 1950 to 9th in 1951.
9. Despite finishing 9th in 1971, North Melbourne easily had the worst percentage for the year.

All in all, 2021 doesn't look too promising for the Kangaroos.
 
emuboy said:
North Melbourne's incredible run of bad luck with the number 1 as follows:

1. North Melbourne has never made the finals in a year ending in 1.
2. The Kangaroos made the finals every year from 1974-1983 and 1993-2002 inclusive, with the exceptions of 1981 and 2001.
3. North looked fairly certain to feature in the 1991 finals, until an unexpected loss in a high scoring match to lowly Fitzroy late in the season. The Lions' winning margin? 1 point.
4. The Kangaroos have won four minor premierships for finishing 1st on the ladder - 1949, 1978, 1983 and 1998. North did not win the Grand Final in any of those seasons.
5. North took home the wooden spoon in 1931 and 1961.
6. The Kangaroos have endured 1 win seasons in their last placed finishes in 1929, 1930, 1935 & 1972.
7. North Melbourne were the sole victims of several 1 win teams - Hawthorn in 1927 and St Kilda in 1947 & 1955, and the Kangaroos could only manage a draw with the Saints' 1 win team of 1943.
8. North slipped from runner up in 1950 to 9th in 1951.
9. Despite finishing 9th in 1971, North Melbourne easily had the worst percentage for the year.

All in all, 2021 doesn't look too promising for the Kangaroos.
Click to expand...
 

Log in to remove this ad.

One of the sadder coincidences in football is a series of tragedies and misfortunes that have befallen South Australian teams that have won a significant premiership, such as a first premiership or a drought breaker as follows:

Woodville-West Torrens Eagles (1993) - The merged Eagles 1993 premiership team won a premiership over Norwood in only its third year. Woodville had never won a flag, while Torrens' last premiership was in 1953. Two members of this Eagles premiership team died young. One was Laurence Schache, who died from a rare heart condition in 2002. The next year Jamie Tape, who had played for Richmond and Collingwood in the 1990s, died in a car accident after suffering a heart attack while driving, this following a battle with cancer.

Central District (2000) - The captain of the Central Districts first ever premiership team 2000 was Daniel Hulm, who retired after the game and took up a job in England. Less than six months later, Hulm was struck by a train in London in early 2001 and died of his injuries.

Sturt (2002) - Few begrudged Sturt their first premiership for 26 years in 2002, after so many poor seasons and the club coming close to folding in a winless 1995 season. The flag was won in a huge upset over Central Districts, but sadly for the Double Blues things turned tragic a week later, when player Josh Deegan and veteran trainer Bob Marshall were killed in the Bali Bombings.

Port Adelaide (2004) - Port Adelaide won its first AFL flag in 2004, coached by Mark Williams. Two of his assistant coaches who went on to be senior coaches at other teams - Dean Bailey and Phil Walsh - have since died prematurely. Bailey died of cancer in 2014, and Walsh was killed by his mentally ill son in 2015. Around this time Williams battled cancer, but survived.

West Adelaide (2015) - West Adelaide were coached to their first premiership in 32 years by Mark Mickan in 2015, but sadly Mickan has since been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Hopefully North Adelaide (first flag in 27 years in 2018) and Glenelg (first flag in 35 years in 2019) can avoid this misfortune.
 
Wally Donald played 205 games for Footscray , mostly as a back pocket.
He kicked one goal in his career, in game 102.
This makes him the only player in VFL/AFL history to have two separate 100+ game streaks without kicking a goal.
 
emuboy said:
North Melbourne's incredible run of bad luck with the number 1 as follows:

1. North Melbourne has never made the finals in a year ending in 1.
2. The Kangaroos made the finals every year from 1974-1983 and 1993-2002 inclusive, with the exceptions of 1981 and 2001.
3. North looked fairly certain to feature in the 1991 finals, until an unexpected loss in a high scoring match to lowly Fitzroy late in the season. The Lions' winning margin? 1 point.
4. The Kangaroos have won four minor premierships for finishing 1st on the ladder - 1949, 1978, 1983 and 1998. North did not win the Grand Final in any of those seasons.
5. North took home the wooden spoon in 1931 and 1961.
6. The Kangaroos have endured 1 win seasons in their last placed finishes in 1929, 1930, 1935 & 1972.
7. North Melbourne were the sole victims of several 1 win teams - Hawthorn in 1927 and St Kilda in 1947 & 1955, and the Kangaroos could only manage a draw with the Saints' 1 win team of 1943.
8. North slipped from runner up in 1950 to 9th in 1951.
9. Despite finishing 9th in 1971, North Melbourne easily had the worst percentage for the year.

All in all, 2021 doesn't look too promising for the Kangaroos.
Click to expand...

10. Another case of bad luck with the number 1 for North Melbourne which I forgot - the Kangaroos 1956 team are the only wooden spoon team in AFL/VFL history to finish last after at one stage holding first place on the ladder. North started 1956 with a thrashing of St. Kilda that had the Kangaroos on top of the ladder, but they won only two more games for the rest of the season to slide all the way down twelfth by season end.
 
Clayton Oliver after 100 games

50 wins & 50 losses
 
1983 Hawthorn won the flag
1984 Richmond lost in round 1

1986 Hawthorn won the flag
1987 Richmond lost in round 1

1988 Hawthorn won the flag
1989 Richmond lost in round 1

1989 Hawthorn won the flag
1990 Richmond lost in round 1

1991 Hawthorn won the flag
1992 Richmond didn't win in round 1

2008 Hawthorn won the flag
2009 Richmond only defeated Carlton in round 1

2013 Hawthorn won the flag
2014 Richmond lost to Gold Coast in round 1

2014 Hawthorn won the flag
2015 Richmond lost to Carlton in round 1

2015 Hawthorn won the flag
2016 Richmond narrowly defeated Carlton in round 1

So if Hawthorn wins the flag in any given year, Richmond lose in round 1, unless they play the worst team of the modern era, Carlton.
 
1972 - South Melbourne Swans begin a losing streak in May that stretches to 29 games by June 1973.
1992 - Sydney Swans begin a losing streak in May that runs for 26 games to June 1993.
 
All the clubs that win really close finals over the Crows seem to win the premiership the next year.

2007 EF Hawthorn 15.15 (105) def Adelaide 15.12 (102)
Hawthorn 2008 Premiers

2009 SF Collingwood 12.11 (83) def Adelaide 11.12 (78)
Collingwood 2010 Premiers

2012 PF Hawthorn 13.19 (97) def Adelaide 14.8 (92)
Hawthorn 2013 Premiers
 
Each time the Eagles lose to Collingwood in a Semi Final, they miss the finals the following year.

2007 Semi Final West Coast 10.12.74 def by Collingwood 10.12 (13.15).93 (after extra time)
West Coast finish 15th in 2008 (4-18)

2012 Semi Final Collingwood 10.13.73 def West Coast 9.6.60
West Coast finish 13th in 2013 (9-13)
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Here is another Collingwood Grand Final curse. A team that beats Collingwood in a Grand Final endures a long drought.

1980: Richmond beat Collingwood in the 1980 Grand Final, no premiership for 37 years

2003: Brisbane beat Collingwood in their most recent premiership, no premiership for Brisbane since then.

2011: Geelong beat Collingwood in the 2011 Grand Final, no premiership for Geelong since then

2018: West Coast beat Collingwood in the 2018 Grand Final......this doesn’t bode well based on history
 
every time covid affects a season, matt rowell gets injured
 
BigVic said:
Here is another Collingwood Grand Final curse. A team that beats Collingwood in a Grand Final endures a long drought.

1980: Richmond beat Collingwood in the 1980 Grand Final, no premiership for 37 years

2003: Brisbane beat Collingwood in their most recent premiership, no premiership for Brisbane since then.

2011: Geelong beat Collingwood in the 2011 Grand Final, no premiership for Geelong since then

2018: West Coast beat Collingwood in the 2018 Grand Final......this doesn’t bode well based on history
Click to expand...
You didn't include 1964 and 1966??? Although Carlton 1979 invalidates your theory!
 
Dan26 said:
Essendon has only ever started one season 0-3 (that was in 1967)

The Bombers went from 1897-1966 getting at least a draw in the first three rounds and are currently on a 52 year streak of getting at least a draw in the first three rounds.

Game starts in 2 hours.
Click to expand...

cool stat and genuinely interesting

don't know if it's a coincidence though

but i'll still like the post
 
Dan26 said:
Essendon has only ever started one season 0-3 (that was in 1967)

The Bombers went from 1897-1966 getting at least a draw in the first three rounds and are currently on a 52 year streak of getting at least a draw in the first three rounds.

Game starts in 2 hours.
Click to expand...
Make that streak 54 years.
 
The AFL record for the fewest hit-outs by a winning team is 4, which has now happened 4 times

All four games featured the Brisbane Bears/Lions

Round 22 1989 vs Carlton (Blues won the hitouts 18-4, Bears won 105-70)
Round 11 1991 vs Sydney (Swans won the hitouts 23-4, Bears won 168-121)
Round 6 2018 vs GWS (Lions won the hitouts 47-4, Giants won 77-43)
Round 3 2021 vs Collingwood (Pies won the hitouts 63-4, Lions won 73-72)
 
Foxx said:
Essendons only loss in 2000 was in round 21 against the Bulldogs (2000 and 21).
The Bulldogs are currently undefeated and play Essendon in round 21 (2021).
Click to expand...
And?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Shane Heard
Toast Collingwood’s amazing record now of playing Grand Finals in nearly every decade since 1896 ( 11 out of 12)
2
Replies
49
Views
2K
demondavey
demondavey
G
Risk Football
Replies
3
Views
168
spudmaster
spudmaster
The_Wookie
384,000 people registered to play junior and senior community club football in 2023, beating the previous high set in 2019
Replies
2
Views
407
Aristotle Pickett
Aristotle Pickett
WatWouldCyrilDo
  • Article
News Clarkson to step away from football indefinitely
38 39 40 41 42
Replies
1K
Views
41K
Lingsface
Lingsface
Always Ballin
Power and Privilege: Intersectionality in Australian Rules Football
2
Replies
40
Views
2K
Blackhawk42
Blackhawk42
L
Football Jargon, Phrases You Can’t Stand
2 3 4
Replies
82
Views
3K
Arr0w
Arr0w
South of the Yarra
The Modern Era of Football
2 3 4
Replies
90
Views
3K
Simche
S

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top