The biggest upsets you have ever seen.

[Dan26]

What are the biggest upsets you have ever seen ? I'm not talking little upsets. I'm talking HUGE unimaginable upsets.

3 spring to mind for me.

1.) NSW def Victoria in 1990 at the SCG

This was not the Victorian "B" team that played Tasmania in this era. This was the full strength Victorian side. The best players from the most populous Australian Football state. It is beyond comprehension how NSW beat the Vics. Don't try and analyse it, because it can't be explained.

To compare it to something, it would be like the Victorian Rugby team going up against the full strength NSW rugby team in State of Orgigin and beating them. We all kow this would be impossible, which is what we assumed NSW would find it (i.e impossible) to beat Victoria. To me, this is the biggest upset of all time.


2.) Fitzroy def West Coast. Round 24 1991.

West Coast were on top with a 19-2 record. Fitzroy was last with a 3-18 record. West Coast had a percentage of about 165, while Fitzroy were regarded as being one of the weakest teams of all time. Somehow, Fitzroy won by 10 points. They avoided the wooden spoon and gave it to Brisbane. Remarkable.


3.) Brisbane Bears def Hawthorn at Cararra

Hawthorn had only had 2 losses fr the season until this game. I think they were 17-2, or thereabouts. Brisbane were last. Hawthorn were one of, if not THE greatest team of all time. They were awesome and as unbeatable as you can imagine. The fact that the Bears won, defies any reasonable explanation. I remember this game vividly. I remember where I was, and what i was doing. It was a HUGE upset. The kind that happen once every 30 years.

Can anyone think of any others ?

 

[The Dutchman!]

Think last year's PF beat all. (sob)

 

[golions]

yeah last years PF between Carlton and Essendon definitely has to be up there

 

[Dan26]

Well, yeah, it was an upset, sure.

But I don't think it compares to the three I mentioned in my opening post.

Carlton had a percentage of 101 in 1999. Essendon had a percentage of 125. This shows we were "about" 4 goals better than the Blues........ hardly an insurmountable hurdle for them.

Finals upsets, maybe.

But for overall upsets (including H&A), surlely there are bigger upsets.

 

[Tim]

1973 TFL Grand Final
Hobart had scraped into the finals in fourth place on percentage, won the first semi by 2 points and the prelim by about 5 points. Their opponents, Sandy Bay were undefeated for the season. Hobart won the GF by 40 plus points thus ruining the preparations for the following week's State Grand Final. In those days Tassie had three major comps - TFL (Hobart), NTFA (Launceston) and NWFU (Burnie/Devonport region). Scottsdale were undefeated in the NTFA for the season. Everyone was looking forward to the clash of the undefeated Sandy Bay and Scottsdale for the State title but it all went horribly wrong. Scottsdale beat Hobart easily but most people thought the Hobart players still hadn't sobered up from the week before!

 

[Grendel]

Dan, as soon as i saw the topic i knew that there has to be a mention of the Hawks/Bears game.

For me, without question it was the greatest upset ive seen, but there were circumstances to explain it.

It was during the pilots strike and the club had to hire charted flights to get to Brisbane. They then had to get a bus, which i think from memory arrived late and caused the team to get to Carrara about ten minutes before the ball was due to be bounced. The commentators were even saying the match was in serious doubt to take place and that it could be rescheduled for later on, or called a draw. It was also one of those hot muggy Queensland days, where the air and humidity after travelling from Melbourne didnt do the Hawks any favours.

Still the Hawks lost and I was flabber (as frankie howerd would say) gasted, my flabber hasnt been the same since

Others that come to mind are Hawks vs WC semi final 91, no one really gave us a chance. the coasters were the dominant team and really had that 'invincible' look about them. To add to it Dermie went down early in the 2nd Q and i thought we were history. To come over the top and win that, well if we hadnt i reckon that 91 flag wouldnt have been ours now.

Going a bit further back the Roys vs Nth game in 83 where the Roys CLOUTED the living bejeezus out of them to the tune of 160 something points out at the Junction (loved that ground) oval when the Roos where clear on top of the ladder. Just a stunning upset at the time. In hindsight may have cost them the 83 flag as they always seemed vunerable after that, no matter how well they might be playing in a game, if they could lose by that margin then you would always have felt you were a chance against them.

 

[Eagle_Fan]

At the time, the Dockers first Derby win felt like a massive upset

But looking back, we were already in shocking form, so perhaps the result was less of a surprise. But they did it style too (47points), something Freo don't do very often.

Last year we beat the Bullies in that final at the 'G where Mick went mad in the box. We shouldm't have won that game

 

[Shinboners]

Melbourne vs West Coast in Perth in (I think) 1998. Melbourne lost something like their best 6 or 7 players through injury and took over pretty much their reserves side. The Dees won and it started a run that led them to the finals.

Geelong vs Carlton in the (again, my memory for the year is a bit dodgy) '94 finals when Geelong went into the game without four of their best players and the Blues were hot favourites. Led by Aaron Lord, the Cats upset the Blues.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

My favourite from recent times is Round 8 1995, Sydney v Carlton

Carlton was in the middle of their greatest season ever, they were undefeated with a percentage of 150. Sydney were not as bad as in previous seasons but were still stumbling and stuttering along the bottom of the table.

It was a clear but cold Friday night and barely 18,000 showed up to what was supposed to be a regulation win for Carlton and another plucky but miserable effort from the hapless Swans.

What happened ? Carlton kicked the opening goal and from then on it was Swans, Swans, Swans as they comp[letely outlplayed Carlton to win byt a truly staggering 74 points. Paul Roos, Mark Bayes and Paul Kelly had a field day and Lockett kicked 7 (i think)

Carlton lost the next game to Saint Kilda (another upset of huge proportions) but never lost another game that season as they finished the minor round 20-2, and won the flag easily, beating Geelong by 80 ponits in the GF.

But that game in '95 was a massive upset, a game that all Swans fans have fond memories of.

 

[Bernie]

1986 - rain-lashed Waverley , lights on - reigning premiers. Enter one M. Conlan. Fantabulous.

 

[Joel]

Collingwood V Carlton this year....to the tune of 73 points. Who ever thought that would happen?

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Dan24:
1.) NSW def Victoria in 1990 at the SCG

This was not the Victorian "B" team that played Tasmania in this era. This was the full strength Victorian side. The best players from the most populous Australian Football state. It is beyond comprehension how NSW beat the Vics. Don't try and analyse it, because it can't be explained.

To compare it to something, it would be like the Victorian Rugby team going up against the full strength NSW rugby team in State of Orgigin and beating them. We all kow this would be impossible, which is what we assumed NSW would find it (i.e impossible) to beat Victoria. To me, this is the biggest upset of all time.

That's not quite true Dan, as IIRC one of the qualifications for that NSW side was if you'd played for the Swans. I'm pretty sure there was at least one player who'd played for Victoria running around in that NSW team, as well as others who would have normally qualified for other states. Still it was a pretty good win.

For mine, the biggest upsets were Melbourne and Geelong's wins over Carlton in '94 and Hawthorn's win over the Eagles in '91. Three games where the winners were given virtually no chance by anyone.

 

[GoEagles]

When I first saw this post I, like Dan24 thought of the Fitzroy vs Eagles game in Round 24 1991. I was looking through an old footy record and the eagles had all the old stars in the team and a few names that made me remember their faces (ever remember Robbie West?) he won a Sandover Medal over here once. Also I think and I'm fairly sure a Fitzroy player played his last game against the eagles, was it Matt Randell perhaps?

 

[sainter]

BA, glad you mentioned the swans and saints wins over Carlton in 1995. The round 8 and 9 losses by Carlton were their only ones for their year. The Carlton side of 1995 has to go down as one of the best sides ever.

Because our win was after the swans win, perhaps it may not be viewed as a huge upset. The reason I remember it so fondly was the way in which we won. The saints managed to keep Carlton goalless until about the 20 minute mark of the 3rd quarter when James Cook kicked a goal. They went on to score two more goals for the match.

That was one of the sweetest wins I can ever remember. Particularly as our head to head record against Carlton is something like 34 wins and 150 losses. Dan, if you are reading this message, surely that is by far the greatest domination of one side over another in the leagues history.

 

[jod23]

Any win the Saints had this year hhahahhaah
Just Kiddin Sainter

 

[Dan26]

Sainter,

Yes, Carltons domination of St.Kilda is the biggest domination by any club over any other club

Part of the reason, is that Carlton started their history poorly in 1897. The Blues actually missed the finals for the first 6 years. They always finished second last to the Saints.

It was during this time period that all the other clubs racked up wins against Carlton. But due to St.Kilda incompetence in the early years, the Blues won every game against the Saints in that period, so after 1902, the record stood at 14-0 (approx) in Carltons favour.

After 1902, Carlton became a power, and stayed a power for the next 100 years, so their imposing record agaisnt the Saints grew and grew.

St.Kilda has only won about 35 matches agaisnt the Blues since 1897.

 

[Daniel]

It’s difficult to recall anything monumentally shocking in recent seasons. I think Carlton losing to Sydney and St. Kilda in consecutive weeks in the middle of the ’95 season, when Carlton were dominating and the Swans and Saints were ordinary, was shocking at the time. I also remember Adelaide suffering humilating losses to Sydney and Fitzroy at home in ’95 or ’96 when the club was at its nadir, but those probably don’t qualify.

Dan24, do you think the games you mentioned, when there was no conceivable explanation for the results, were candidates for match fixing? It’s possible if the games were at the end of the year pre-finals and little hinged on the result.

 

[hawkforce]

1994. Hawks had lost three in a row by an average 80 points. Went to Subiaco to face the might of the Eagles... and proceeded to spank them to the tune of 80 13 odd goals.

Several weeks later the boys went up to Footy Park and kept the crows goalless for two quarters on the way to a 100 point win.

Aaaah, 1994, it was the middle of the end, but we were going out in style!

 

[Dan26]

Daniel,

I don't believe match-fixing can take place. Certainly not over a whoe team. Cricket is different, because you play as an individual, and you don't "connect" through teamwork like you do in football.

As a previous poster said, the Brisbane Bears defeat of Hawthorn was done during an airline strike and the Hawks didn't arrive at the ground until after 3:00 pm.

With Fitzroys defeat of West Coast, it was the last H&A match, it was an "away" game for the Eagles (always a danger for them), and Fitzroy were trying to avoid the wooden spoon, which is a huge motivation.

As for NSW's defeat of Victoria. Victoria had many, many more scoring shots, but kicked innacurately. NSW kicked 13 goals, but were helped by a remarkable individual performance from John Longmire who kickjed 8 out of 13.

So despite the huge upsets, that these matches were, it is still possible to justify all the losses.

 

[Rooboy 96]

Originally posted by Dan24:

NSW kicked 13 goals, but were helped by a remarkable individual performance from John Longmire who kickjed 8 out of 13.

So Dan24, what was so remarkable about Longmire kicking 8 goals? It was before he did his knee 3 times.

Dan24, having unprovoked snide shots at players that contributed to the game is not what you should want to be remembered for.

Johnny was 19 when he kicked 98 goals in a home and away season, how old is Matty? and how many goals did he kicked in the H&A season?

Remember, it does not take much to have it all taken away.

[This message has been edited by Rooboy 96 (edited 18 August 2000).]

 

[Dan26]

Rooboy96

Don't get so emotional (what the f*ck ?)

I think John Longmire kicking 8 goals against the Victorians in the wet, is a remarkable performance. Remember he was doing it against some of the best players in the country. And in the wet too. And as a 19 year old too !!!! In a low scoring match too !!!!

Look, I think Longmire was a great player. A proven goal-kicker. But that one match, was one of his great individual performances. Right up there with his 14 goal haul in the home and away that year.

Now settle down. Go and watch a video of last years Grand Final to calm yourself down.

 

[Dan26]

Snide shots at players ?????

You're joking right ?

 

[Barney]

North V Essendon ..year2000 GF.
Dean Wallis marks the ball in the centre of the MCG and plays on..tries to run around Byron Pickett ..gets tackled and Essendon lose by 1 point..
News reports after the match indicated both Wallis and Sheedy were leaving Essendon to join the Russian Navy as submariners.

 

[gocatsgo]

Biggest upsets

1. Geelong over Carlton in the 1994 semi final. No Barirstow, Couch, G. Hocking and Mansfield....NO WORRIES!

2. Essendon defeating Adeliade in the 1993 Preliminary Final - Not so much an upset, just an upset after half time. Similar to Geelong v North round 1 1999.

3. Fitzroy over WCE in 1991

4. Brisbane over Hawthorn in 1989

5. Brisbane over Carlton in 1989 when Capper kicked that goal that got Robert Walls sacked.

6. Essendon over North last week - not the winner, but the margin

7. Geelong 25 14 164 v Essendon 10 10 70 1989 Preliminary Final after Essendon had 2 weeks previously beaten Geelong by 76 points.

 

[Dan26]

Gocatsgo,

What about Ricmond defeating Geelong at Kardinia park in 1990. Richmond got the wooden spoon in 1989, and Geelong played in the GF in '89, obviously. I remember this was a huge upset.

Also, the Brisbane Bears defeated Geelong at Kardinia Park during the Bears dark years. I can't remember what year it was, but it was during the era where Geelong was continously playing in Grand Finals. That was a massive upset.