Biggest upset by your worst-selected side in memory?

[joe444]

For Geelong, I'm thinking a little-recalled match agains the Bulldogs late in 1998. We were utterly crap and at the end of the Ayres coaching era. Only Milburn would be around for the 'era' a decade later.

Bulldogs were steamrolling their way to a second consecutive premiership threat - one of many that came to follow for a team so sorry for itself, come to think of it.

Anyway, Justin Wood played his only decent game for the Cats, destroying the Dogs with three freakish goals.

 

[ioppolo]

Towards the end of 2009, we travelled to Etihad to face the 3rd placed Bulldogs, meanwhile we were around 13th/14th on the ladder. After leading by 47 in the second quarter, we held on for a 5 point win, thanks largely to our accuracy and the Dogs inaccuracy.

 

[Bluelegs]

Last year vs Essendon was pretty great considering where they were at the time. Not so impressive at the end of the season though. 2010 was pretty crazy with the draw against Collingwood and the 1 point loss in which Ricky Petterd dropped the mark though I'm not sure those count.

 

[Kaiser Powser]

Probably beating reiging premiers Sydney in 2006 hen we would only go on to win 3.5 games for the year.

But it was round 1 and before Lloyd got injured, so it didn't even seem like that big of an upset at the time.

 

[Catsace]

Round 17 1982...Geelong were looking pretty sick at that stage of the season being 6 wins and 10 losses, up against Carlton who were in the middle of their 'Mosquito fleet' era. Anyway Geelong somehow came out and smashed an out-of-sorts Carlton line up by a surprising 40 points, and from memory Michael Turner kicked a goal from a set shot minus one of his boots!

1998 was a funny season as highlighted by the OP, as RD 22 that year, with Geelong well out of finals contention defeated Essendon in a high-scoring game at the 'G' in RD 22. In complete contrast to those games, Geelong's last few games at K.P were rather inglorious losses to just about all the interstate sides, lowlighted by a loss to the wooden-spoon Lions, in Roger Merrett's 1st game as coach.

 

[Macca19]

Probably vs North in R22 2008. We had nothing to play for, had only won 6 games for the year at that point. North were sitting in 4th spot and a win would ensure the double chance. We had 7 regulars out including guys like Boak, Chaplin, Chad Cornes & Tredrea.

We ended up beating North by 80 points away from home. Other results (Adelaide won by 9 to go to 4th, Sydney won to go to 6th, and in a stunning result, St Kilda won by 108 points to gain enough percentage to jump over Adelaide into 4th, pushing the Crows to 5th) saw North go from 4th with the double chance, to finishing 7th, missing the DC AND a home final. They ended up having to play away to Sydney for an Elimination Final and lost.

 

[winty]

1998 was a funny season as highlighted by the OP, as RD 22 that year, with Geelong well out of finals contention defeated Essendon in a high-scoring game at the 'G' in RD 22. In complete contrast to those games, Geelong's last few games at K.P were rather inglorious losses to just about all the interstate sides, lowlighted by a loss to the wooden-spoon Lions, in Roger Merrett's 1st game as coach.

Was going to nominate that game. We were so injury depleted by the end of that season we had to ring around country leagues on Friday nights to get players to fill up our reserves side.

Another one was against a top of the table Port Adelaide at KP in 2003 when we won by a point after Ben Graham tried to pass the ball to Matty Scarlett streaming into the forward 50, but the ball went over his head and bounced through for a goal.

 

[SuperSub17]

Round 9 2005 we were on the bottom of the ladder with 1 win...we played West Coast, who were 8-0 and on top. Came from behind at 3QT to win by 23

 

[Mateyman]

Round 9 2005 we were on the bottom of the ladder with 1 win...we played West Coast, who were 8-0 and on top. Came from behind at 3QT to win by 23

Still remember listening to that game on the radio. It was a pretty huge upset when we smashed Geelong by 86 in 2008 by 86. One of the most unexpected results I've even seen live (when you include the margin)

 

[MrRockett24]

Can i say Rd 22, 2003 against the "superteam" st.kilda.

I know ladder position doesnt reflect it but with the saints spruiking their colossal draft picks and power players...against a team of no-body moggies from geelong.

Winning that one was sheer bliss and bombers interview afterwards highlighted how good it was.

 

[millsy29gopies]

Round 9 2005 we were on the bottom of the ladder with 1 win...we played West Coast, who were 8-0 and on top. Came from behind at 3QT to win by 23

That match was beautiful. Was in the car and we passed the MCG just as the siren rang while listening to it on the radio. Definitely one of our biggest if not our best.

 

[BLPC08]

Top thread!

1998. Round 18. Bottom of the ladder. Up against a Richmond team who'd been in reasonable form and were 8th on the ladder.

I had very low expectations, yet somehow we absolutely killed them and restricted them to only 2.7(19) to 3/4 time (in perfect conditions).

They ended up missing the finals on percentage and would've been furious at giving up an easy win against a young and out-of-form Hawks side.

 

[Wickzki]

You could name almost any Carlton win from 2002 to 2008 we were that bad during the years following the salary cap rorting. For that reason I'll go earlier.

I believe our biggest upset win didn't come in the '99 preliminary final. Yes, it was a major upset but it pales in comparison (in regards as 'big upsets') to Round 3, 2001 against the same team we upset in that famous prelim, Essendon.

Carlton were given little chance of beating the undefeated reigning premiers, especially following the late withdrawal of three champion players in Silvagni (bruised hip), Bradley (calf strain) and Koutoufides (flu), on top of the long term loss of Allan (stress fractures foot). A five day break from its previous match had made it impossible for these players to recover.

After an even first quarter, the Bombers would outscore the Blues by a goal in the second and third quarters, to go to the final break 11 points up. A terrible mistake from Murray Vance handed Essendon an early goal to extend the margin to 17 points but the determined Blues would kick the next 6 goals to run out 17 point winners. It was to be Vance's final game for the Blues.

 

[SE_Blue]

Last year against the Tigers was pretty good.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Essendon's win against us in 2011 comes to mind.

 

[Stratton_Gun]

For me it was against Geelong in 2006. Round 3 at SS. We were paying about $10 or more I think and we didn't put a foot wrong all day. Oh how the times have changed

 

[maelcoluim]

Probably the win against a highly rated Hawthorn Round 18, 2001 at the Docklands. We were winless up to that point in the season, although admittedly Hawthorn had 4 injuries in that match.

 

[Harris Specter]

This. This all the way. Massive underdogs going into the game. No chance to beat them at their home ground.

 

[tazaa]

Saints in 2009 comes to mind. Had Power and Watt in the side.

 

[Phone]

Probably beating reiging premiers Sydney in 2006 hen we would only go on to win 3.5 games for the year.

But it was round 1 and before Lloyd got injured, so it didn't even seem like that big of an upset at the time.

The Collingwood game later on in that season comes to mind

 

[Doss]

A few that come to mind...

2011 against Geelong, without Watson and a few others (they were missing Selwood and Hawkins admittedly)
2010 (twice) against St Kilda
2009 against St Kilda, with basically no bench left
2006 game against Collingwood.

And going way back, Round 22 1997 against Adelaide. We were 14th, they were 3rd, we had an extremely patched up side missing, among others, Hird and Long. Several others missing too, just can't recall exactly who. Anyway, we won somehow. Also Mark Harvey and Chris Daniher's final games.

 

[ferrisb]

Great thread. My fondest Carlton memory is Rnd 4, 2008 v Coll.

We were massive underdogs that day and a loss would have set a new record for our club's longest losing streak. And who worse to deliver that than our hated rival? I went with a bunch of Coll supporters expecting us to get pantsed.

We won by about four goals, but all I remember is Fev going nuts kicking 7, Judd going nuts in the last qtr and me going more nuts than a bloody Nobbies factory.

On the other side of the ledger, 1995 Carlton season still shocks me. Carlton finished the season 23-2 (incl finals). We lost those two to Syd and StK, who both finished outside the 8. The StK one, I think we were top of the ladder and they were bottom. Rare for that kind of upset, rarer in a season like 1995 when were almost unbeatable. Hmmm, actually this is maybe not a case of horrible side winning, rather an amazing team losing...anyways...

 

[Tex Support]

Richmond knocking Adelaide off at the dome in 2006.

We were about 4 or 5 games clear on top at the time, and most people (including myself) had us penciled in for the flag. They played a bit of keepings off and we nearly won, but they hung on by a kick I think?

I'll never forget getting home from footy and my housemate goes: "haha, you lost to Richmond". I dismissed him and didnt even bother to check, and only found out at the pub a few hours later when a Tigers teammate was pointing and laughing at me as I walked in...

 

[LongBomb]

Geelong v Carlton 1994 SF

Pre-game word filtered around the ground that Geelong had an amazing amount of late withdrawals - namely Bairstow, Couch, Hocking and Michael Mansfield.
Carlton supporters around us were laughing and cheering. In their minds the game was already over.

What followed was battlers like Liam Pickering, Aaron Lord and Paul Brown putting on clinic, beating Carlton by 5 goals and consigning them to a straight sets exit.

 

[Ron The Bear]

"Basketball " match v top-placed Adelaide, Etihad 2006. Coming off a 118-point loss at the same venue seven days earlier and ceding almost 3 years/60 games of experience per player.

Edit: mentioned above