Amazing coincidences in football

[TheRealComptroller]

Geelong in 2020 and 2025.



Lost the GF to the reigning premier with the same player from the previous year going on to be the Norm Smith medalist. Both of those teams had finished their season in a loss to Collingwood the year before becoming the reigning premiers by beating a team from Sydney.

Lost the GF to another feline team. One in a game played in Brisbane and the other against the team from Brisbane.

Lost the GF to the team they lost the PF to in the previous season while leading at halftime. Had previously played them in September two years prior to the PFs.

Lost the GF to the team that finished third.

Lost the GF after not being behind at halftime and then losing convincingly.

In the GF an All Australian captain was injured during the first half but saw out the game. Those two players having successive jumper numbers with GAJ wearing #4 in 2020 and Cameron in #5.

Lost the GF to a team that lost in the QF. FWIW Geelong also lost their QF in 2020. Both GF teams doing so is a unique occurrence?

Had the season’s Coleman medalist.

 

[BigVic]

Geelong in 2020 and 2025.



Lost the GF to the reigning premier with the same player from the previous year going on to be the Norm Smith medalist. Both of those teams had finished their season in a loss to Collingwood the year before becoming the reigning premiers.

Lost the GF to another feline team. One in a game played in Brisbane and the other against the team from Brisbane.

Lost the GF to the team they lost the PF to in the previous season while leading at halftime. Had previously played them in September two years prior to the PFs.

Lost the GF to the team that finished third.

Lost the GF after not being behind at halftime and then losing convincingly.

In the GF an All Australian captain was injured during the first half but saw out the game. Those two players having successive jumper numbers with GAJ wearing #4 in 2020 and Cameron in #5.

Lost the GF to a team that lost in the QF. FWIW Geelong also lost their QF in 2020. Both GF teams doing so is a unique occurrence?

Had the season’s Coleman medalist.

PS

As of the time of writing Geelong is attempting to acquire Charlie Curnow. If he ends up a Cat it will be a repeat of the 2020 trading period in which the Cats were also able to recruit a Coleman medalist.

In 2021 a team broke a premiership drought then Geelong won the flag the following year

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Ollie Florent and Will Hayward

19

Will Hayward

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

2.8

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

9.0

2star

K

4.3

2star

HB

4.7

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

0.7

4star

D

9.4

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.4

5star

both:

• Taken at the 2016 National Draft by Sydney.

• Played 184 games for the Swans.

• Traded to Carlton on October 15 2025.

 

[BigVic]

Ollie Florent and Will Hayward both:

• Taken at the 2016 National Draft by Sydney.

• Played 184 games for the Swans.

• Traded to Carlton on October 15 2025.

Played in two losing grand finals for Sydney

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

And finished bottom of the ladder for the rest of their careers.



What.

 

[mianfei]

• Round 18, 1935 Hawthorn 14.26 (110) defeated Fitzroy 15.6 (96) for the biggest win with fewer goals.
• Round 13, 1985 Hawthorn 11.31 (97) defeated Melbourne 12.9 (81) to break the record above
• Round 8, 2035 will Hawthorn break its own record again?
  • The way the game has been trending it seems really implausible that a team could win by 17 points with fewer goals — they would need to score 23 more behinds, and 23 behinds by a team is almost unknown at present.
  • If we have a realistic opposition behind tally Hawthorn would need to score far more behinds still, which seems even less plausible

 

[two blue tiger]

That any rule change seems to suit Geelong..............

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Cameron Guthrie

29

Cameron Guthrie

Age

33

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.7

4star

K

8.2

3star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

2.3

4star

D

18.7

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

9.0

4star

M

4.6

4star

T

3.6

4star

CL

3.3

4star

D

11.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

1.2

2star

T

4.0

5star

CL

0.4

3star

at the end of 2025 and Ken Hinkley at the end of 1995.

The Cat who wore #29 delisted three years after winning the B&F.

——

Edit. More connections.

Both B&Fs were won in a year the club played in the GF and been minor premiers.

The delistings occurred after the team finished second on the ladder and lost the GF to an opponent that had been runners up two years earlier.

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Cameron Guthrie at the end of 2025 and Ken Hinkley at the end of 1995.

The Cat who wore #29 delisted three years after winning the B&F.

——

Edit. More connections.

Both B&Fs were won in a year the club played in the GF and been minor premiers.

The delistings occurred after the team finished second on the ladder and lost the GF to an opponent that had been runners up two years earlier.

This is getting ridiculous.



Almost all of these things also happened to/with/around GAJ exactly halfway between Cam and Ken’s experiences.



In 2007 the Cats finished on top and the player who wore #29 won the B&F. Three years later the Cats finished second on the ladder and he left.



Of course unlike Ken and Cam his departure was elective but he did return to the club and like those two players his last season as a Cat was one in which they were runners up; but fourth on the ladder not second as it was for the others.



Every fifteen years these things happen.



Thus in 2037 Geelong will finish on top, the player in #29 will win the Carji Greeves medal and then he will leave the club at the end of 2040 after the team finishes second on the ladder. Guaranteed.

 

[BigVic]

In all of Geelong’s 21st century GF losses those contests were the last time we would ever see certain phenomena.



The 2008 GF was the last time players were allowed to rush behinds from anywhere and when under absolutely no pressure.



The 2020 GF was well… where do we start? It was the last time we’d see a Gabba GF, a game played with sixteen minute quarters, a GF played much closer to summer than to winter, etc.



The 2025 GF was the last GF played with the centre bounce and teams having four players on the bench plus a sub.

As well as the last GF played under the AFL Finals Eight system before the Wild Card Round was introduced.

 

[TheRealComptroller]

In the AFL branded competition there were never back-to-back Norm Smith medalists who had never been All Australian (or members of its equivalent VFL/AFL Team of the Year) up until 2021. Now all the of the recipients since then are non-AAs.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Cameron Guthrie at the end of 2025 and Ken Hinkley at the end of 1995.

The Cat who wore #29 delisted three years after winning the B&F.

——

Edit. More connections.

Both B&Fs were won in a year the club played in the GF and been minor premiers.

The delistings occurred after the team finished second on the ladder and lost the GF to an opponent that had been runners up two years earlier.

Not sure if you just weren't clear enough in what you wrote but the Cats didn't finish minor premiers in 1995 Carlton did.

 

[BigVic]

Melbourne Cup 2001
Brisbane Lions win premiership
Shiela Laxon and Ethereal win the Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup 2024
Brisbane Lions win premiership
Sheila Laxon and Knight's Choice win the Melbourne Cup

Lions go back-to-back the following year

 

[Blues177]

Not sure if you just weren't clear enough in what you wrote but the Cats didn't finish minor premiers in 1995 Carlton did.

Poster was referring to the Cats finishing position on the ladder in 1992 & 2022 and the B&F winner of those years. Cats finished minor premiers in both years. Hinkley won the B&F in 1992 and Guthrie won it in 2022.

 

[BigVic]

Gold Coast conceded 47 points in the Semi-Final to Brisbane which was the winning margin for the Grand Final

 

[BigVic]

2024 Brisbane Lions AFL Premiers
2024 North Melbourne AFLW Premiers

2025 Brisbane Lions Repeat as AFL Premiers
2025 North Melbourne repeat as AFLW Premiers

 

[emuboy]

In 1981 Melbourne under the coaching of Ron Barassi Jnr finished last with a 1-21 record, the only side they beat during the year being the Bulldogs by 1 point in Round 3. The Bulldogs themselves had a 2-20 record in 1981, and their only other win besides against Melbourne in the return match was Essendon still finding their feet under rookie coach Kevin Sheedy in Round 6, a week after they (the Bulldogs) had been beaten by the Swans. Essendon seemed unhappy with this, and in following years inflicted upon the Dogs thrashings of 146-points (1982) and 132-points (1983), margins never seen before or since. As for Melbourne, after the Round 3 win they would lose 20 straight up to including and Round 1 1982 against the Swans.

Twelve years later in Round 12 1993 enigmatic Melbourne defeat top team and eventual premiers Essendon (still coached by Kevin Sheedy), while the Swans in last place, now coached by Ron Barassi lose their 26th game in a row, although are more competitive against the Bulldogs. The next week however the Swans would stun Melbourne at the SCG, the only match Sydney would win in 1993 and making the Demons the only team to be beaten by them for the season.

Fast forward another 20 years to Round 19 2013 and once more Melbourne are the sole victim of a 1 win NSW team ending a long losing streak, this time GWS Giants coached by Kevin Sheedy who were on a 21 game losing run. Melbourne this year are 2-20 with their only wins coming at the expense of GWS earlier in the year and the Bulldogs in a thriller. To add to the coincidences the Bulldogs played the Swans in Round 19 2013, and Essendon again had a win by a unique margin - this time by 148-points - over Melbourne in Round 2.

 

[BigVic]

AFL 2000s: The Brisbane Lions have a successful period making 4 grand finals and winning a 3-peat from 2001-03

AFL 2020s: The Brisbane Lions are having a successful period making 3 grand finals since 2023 and won back-to-back flags this year

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Geelong in 2020 and 2025.



Lost the GF to the reigning premier with the same player from the previous year going on to be the Norm Smith medalist. Both of those teams had finished their season in a loss to Collingwood the year before becoming the reigning premiers by beating a team from Sydney.

Lost the GF to another feline team. One in a game played in Brisbane and the other against the team from Brisbane.

Lost the GF to the team they lost the PF to in the previous season while leading at halftime. Had previously played them in September two years prior to the PFs.

Lost the GF to the team that finished third.

Lost the GF after not being behind at halftime and then losing convincingly.

In the GF an All Australian captain was injured during the first half but saw out the game. Those two players having successive jumper numbers with GAJ wearing #4 in 2020 and Cameron in #5.

Lost the GF to a team that lost in the QF. FWIW Geelong also lost their QF in 2020. Both GF teams doing so is a unique occurrence?

Had the season’s Coleman medalist.

The Cats also drafted a member of the Holmes family after both seasons.

 

[BigVic]

The Cats also drafted a member of the Holmes family after both seasons.

Team broke a long drought (Melbourne 57 years) and Geelong won the following year

 

[TheRealComptroller]

Since 1994 Geelong has had four Coleman medalists (Ablett 1994 & 1995, Hawkins 2020 and Cameron 2025) and in every one of those seasons the Cats have lost the Grand Final.

 

[BigVic]

Each time since 2008 Geelong loses a Grand Final, they won one within 2 years and Collingwood wins the flag the following year after the Geelong flag

2008 Geelong lost GF, 2009 Geelong win GF, 2010 Collingwood win GF
2020 Geelong lost GF, 2022 Geelong win GF, 2023 Collingwood win GF

 

[ioppolo]

Each time since 2008 Geelong loses a Grand Final, they won one within 2 years and Collingwood wins the flag the following year after the Geelong flag

2008 Geelong lost GF, 2009 Geelong win GF, 2010 Collingwood win GF
2020 Geelong lost GF, 2022 Geelong win GF, 2023 Collingwood win GF

I'd be amazed if Collingwood won in 2027

 

[emuboy]

In the 1972 WAFL season, Claremont topped the ladder but on Grand Final day were unable to defeat East Perth whose own most recent Grand Final a year earlier in 1971 resulted in defeat by West Perth. The next year saw Claremont free-fall from minor premiers and runners up in a close game to last, while Subiaco would defeat West Perth in the 1973 Grand Final. These premierships by East Perth and Subiaco over Claremont and West Perth were followed by East Fremantle's 1974 premiership win.

Fast forward 20 years to the mid-1990s and Subiaco finish the 1995 season as minor-premiers but lose the Grand Final to West Perth, with the Falcons previous Grand Final being two seasons earlier and resulting in a comprehensive defeat to Claremont in the 1993 premiership decider. After losing to West Perth in 1995 the Subiaco Lions slumped from minor-premiers and runners up to last in 1996, a year that East Perth would finish the season minor premiers but be beaten by Claremont in the Grand Final.

And these mid 1990s premiership wins by West Perth and Claremont over Subiaco and East Perth would this time be preceded by East Fremantle's 1994 premiership victory.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

1992 grand final 1st qtr Geelong kicked 5 goals to the eagles 2. Led by 17 points at qtr time.

Led by 2 goals at half time. Eagles won the flag.

2018 grand final 1st qtr Collingwood kicked 5 goals to the eagles 2. Led by 17 at qtr time.

Led by 2 goals at half time. Eagles won the flag.