Quirky AFL Facts that make no sense but ...exist

[emuboy]

Melbourne were in the highest scoring game, losing 31.18-204 to 21.15-141 against St. Kilda, but the Demons are the only Victorian team to have never kicked a score of 200 points or more. Melbourne's highest score is 28.14-182, kicked twice against North Melbourne in 1986 and 1991.

Melbourne have the player with the highest tally of goals in a match (18 by Fred Fanning in 1947) and the fastest player to kick 100 goals (Allen Jakovich in 1991-1992) however have never had a player kick 100 goals in a season.

Melbourne's biggest score in a quarter is 12.2-74, but it took place in one of Melbourne's poorest ever seasons in 2013 when the Demons finished second last with a 2-20 record. The 12.2 was kicked in one of these two victories, in the final quarter against the bottom placed GWS Giants.

 

[terrybull]

Players to have played for the most clubs

Dale Kicked- 5
Fitzroy, West Coast, Fremantle, Essendon, St.Kilda

Scott Cummings - 4
Essendon, Collingwood, West Coast & Port Adelaide

Martin Pyke - 4
North Melbourne, Fitzroy, Brisbane, Melbourne

Mark Athorn - 4
Carlton, Footscray, Fitzroy, Sydney

Richard Osborne - 4
Fitzroy, Sydney, Collingwood, Footscray

Geoff Raines - 4
Richmond, Collingwood, Brisbane, Essendon

Mike Richardson - 4
Richmond, Collingwood, Brisbane and Essendon

Justin Murphy

Justin Murphy

Age

47

Ht

185cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.8

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.1

3star

No current season stats available

D

17.6

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

7.6

5star

M

7.2

5star

T

1.6

4star

- 4
Essendon, Richmond, Carlton (x2), Geelong

Simon Minton-Connell - 4
Carlton, Sydney, Hawthorn, Dogs

Peter Francis - 4
Carlton, Essendon, Richmond, Fitzroy

Craig Davis - 4
Carlton, North, Collingwood, Sydney

Jonathan Giles

Jonathan Giles

Age

36

Ht

201cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.1

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

3.9

3star

CL

3.3

5star

HO

23.1

5star

No current season stats available

D

13.4

4star

K

8.6

4star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

2.8

5star

HO

23.6

5star

- 4
Port (didnt play), GWS, Essendon and Eagles

Adrian Fletcher - 4
Fremantle, Saints, Geelong and Brisbane

Stuart Wigney - 4
Richmond, Dogs, Sydney, Adelaide

Daryl Cumming - Richmond, Melbourne, North Melbourne, South Melbourne

Mark Jackson - Richmond Reserves, Melbourne, St.Kilda, Geelong

 

[blackers]

If Michael Tuck had the "standard" 15 year career (ages 18-33, 1972-1986), he would have played "just" 313 VFL/AFL games, and would have played in 4 flags, and 3 losing GFs.

As it was, he played 426 games, winning 7 flags, and playing in 4 losing GFs.

There was an article in the 1986 Grand Final record (if I recall correctly), discussing whether anyone could possibly beat KB's games record. It mentioned Tuck briefly but dismissed him as a possibility because he was getting on and didn't have enough years left.

 

[TRP1996]

The biggest half-time score the Sydney Swans ever kicked was 120 (19 goals, 6 behinds) against North Melbourne in 1991.

They lost the match by 54 points.

How the hell do you kick 19.6 in one half and 2.2 in the other?

 

[big_e]

The biggest half-time score the Sydney Swans ever kicked was 120 (19 goals, 6 behinds) against North Melbourne in 1991.

They lost the match by 54 points.

Umpires in that game were Carey and McKernan!

 

[Damon_3388]

How the hell do you kick 19.6 in one half and 2.2 in the other?

Not only that, but the Swans went completely scoreless in the last quarter, while the Roos scored 8.8.64.

John Longmire kicked 5.6, and John McCarthy kicked 1.6 for North Melbourne, so the damage could have been much worse too.

 

[wagstaff]

How the hell do you kick 19.6 in one half and 2.2 in the other?

They had form in falling away at the end of matches; previous week against Essendon they led by 21 at three-quarter time and lost by 31.

 

[Damon_3388]

They had form in falling away at the end of matches; previous week against Essrndon they led by 21 at three-quarter time and lost by 31.

Does make you wonder whether there was matchfixing at play...

 

[emuboy]

Daryl Cumming - Richmond, Melbourne, North Melbourne, South Melbourne

Mark Jackson - Richmond Reserves, Melbourne, St.Kilda, Geelong

The career of Scott Simister was pretty interesting when thinking about football journeymen.

In 1992 he played for the Springvale Scorpions in the VFA and was drafted by Melbourne. He played three senior games and was delisted at season's end, but was part of the Demons' 1993 Reserves premiership team. His last senior game for the Dees saw them become the first and only team to lose to the Sydney Swans that year, a week after Melbourne upset top team and eventual premier Essendon (Simister also in this match).

He moved to South Australia and played for the West Adelaide Bloods from 1994-1996. Simister's next stop was Western Australia, where he played for new WAFL team Peel Thunder in 1997, one of the worst teams to ever play football at this level, the Thunder going 1-19 in 1997 and 1998, and 0-20 in 1999, Simister one of the best players in a team that was frequently thrashed by 100 points or more. Around 2000 & 2001 Simister returned to Victoria and played in the VFL for the Frankston Dolphins, then went back to WA and played for Peel again. In 2003 Simister left struggling Peel mid-season and transferred to rival WAFL club East Fremantle, Simister managing the rare feat of heading the goalkicking for both the Sharks and Thunder in the same season. His last season at this level was in 2004 for East Fremantle - a year the Sharks won the wooden spoon for the first time since 1898.

 

[big_e]

Does make you wonder whether there was matchfixing at play...

Nah, they were just s**t. Could put it together for a quarter or a half here or there, but that's it.

 

[PT Bar None]

Does make you wonder whether there was matchfixing at play...

Or a barrel in the changeroom at half time!

 

[Linda Lovelace]

Does make you wonder whether there was matchfixing at play...

Not the same thing, but if you want to see examples of extreme discrepancies in teams ability to score in different parts of the match, then look no further than our own games this year.

We managed to lose games while restricting other teams to basically nothing over multiple quarters and win games while not being able to score for multiple quarters ourselves.

We drew with Richmond after scoring only 1 goal in 3 quarters, we lost to Brisbane after keeping them to 0, 0 and 1 goal in 3/4 quarters. We managed to double Hawthorn's score despite only kicking 3 goals in 3 quarters. Our full-time score was nearly quintuple our half-time score vs Adelaide.

A team getting a run on and then collapsing seems decidely normal compared to the bizarre sh*t we were doing this year.

 

[Partridge]

From 1988 to 1995 Geelong beat Richmond by over 60 points 10 times.

And one particular player in just those years kicked bags of 10, 14, 6, 12, 12, 8, and 7.

 

[BigVic]

I only learned this a week ago but early in the VFL if the minor premier lost in a PF they could request a rematch.

the old challenge rule

 

[Partridge]

the old challenge rule

Yes when you reexamine the late 1920s it seems Collingwood's unbelievably awesome team wasn't quite so awesome. Fortunate in 1929 and unbelievably ridiculously so in 1930.

 

[Linda Lovelace]

Yes when you reexamine the late 1920s it seems Collingwood's unbelievably awesome team wasn't quite so awesome. Fortunate in 1929 and unbelievably ridiculously so in 1930.

Luckily our hot streak of consistent over-performance in Grand Finals never changed...

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

Not only that, but the Swans went completely scoreless in the last quarter, while the Roos scored 8.8.64.

John Longmire kicked 5.6, and John McCarthy kicked 1.6 for North Melbourne, so the damage could have been much worse too.

8.8.64 cannot possibly be right...

any footy fan that didn't make it pass year 8 still would have known that 8.8 is 56

 

[Damon_3388]

8.8.64 cannot possibly be right...

any footy fan that didn't make it pass year 8 still would have known that 8.8 is 56

Miscalculated

Went with 8 x 8, rather than 8 x 6 + 8.

Either way it was a 56-0 last quarter, which is pretty insane.

 

[CaptchaProofBot]

Miscalculated

Went with 8 x 8, rather than 8 x 6 + 8.

Either way it was a 56-0 last quarter, which is pretty insane.

it WAS true to the thread tho...made no sense !!!

 

[Off Tap]

nopremiership = 22 scrabble points

ncbuckley = 22 scrabble points

Spookey...

 

[STFU Donnie]

I don't know if this qualifies as quirky, but it is certainly unique. Replays don't count.

David O'Halloran played in the 1984 Grand Final. He then spent the whole of 1985 in the reserves, before being recalled for his one and only game in 1985 - the Grand Final. He then retired and remains the only player whose final two matches were both Grand Finals.

 

[Starburns_]

The only losing Grand Final teams who didn't have a player in it who already was, or would become a premiership player are
1950 - North Melbourne
1970 - Collingwood
1977 - Collingwood
2000 - Melbourne
2013 - Fremantle (7 players still playing)

2017 Crows surely on this list too.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

the old challenge rule

Kinda cool in its own way I reckon.
Certainly put a genuine value on the minor premiership.

Yes when you reexamine the late 1920s it seems Collingwood's unbelievably awesome team wasn't quite so awesome. Fortunate in 1929 and unbelievably ridiculously so in 1930.

Not really “fortunate” I don’t think. They weren’t rewarded some lucky prize to challenge. It was awarded based on performance. They finished top of the ladder five years in a row, which is a fair achievement. A minor premiership is earned over 5 months, and the competition placed a high value on it.

 

[Partridge]

Kinda cool in its own way I reckon.
Certainly put a genuine value on the minor premiership.



Not really “fortunate” I don’t think. They weren’t rewarded some lucky prize to challenge. It was awarded based on performance. They finished top of the ladder five years in a row, which is a fair achievement. A minor premiership is earned over 5 months, and the competition placed a high value on it.

True enough for the time. 1929 it's not a stretch at all to imagine they would have won a Prelim. But in 1930 they lost the Prelim. That should be a season ender. Plenty of teams have stumbled there before and after.

 

[Occidental]

True enough for the time. 1929 it's not a stretch at all to imagine they would have won a Prelim. But in 1930 they lost the Prelim. That should be a season ender. Plenty of teams have stumbled there before and after.

What Collingwood did in winning the flag in 1929 is exactly what Geelong did in 1925.