STEPHEN RODGERS, the expert statsman
famous for Every Game Ever Played kindly provided an update of material on The
Great Revivals recorded in League football. His efforts were originally presented in his
1986 work The Complete Book of VFL Records. I thank him for his friendship in
submitting these for inclusion originally in Footystats 2000 and
updated from there.
RECORD DEFICITS DURING A LAST QUARTER
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48pts – 1994-R7-SCG–Syd 17.6-108 v StK
8.12-60
Final, StK 16.14-110 v Syd 17.7-109
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47pts – 1977-R9-M–StK 18.18-126 v Mel 12.7-79
Final, Mel 20.12-132 v StK 18.19-127
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47pts – 1992-R6-MCG–Mel 19.7-121 v Ess 10.14-74
Final, Ess 18.16-124 v Mel 19.9-123
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46pts – 1995-R16-BCG–Haw 13.11-89 v Bri 5.13-43
Final, Bri 14.20-104 v 14.13-97
RECORD DEFICITS DURING A MATCH
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69pts — 2001-R16-MCG — Essendon v Kangaroos
at MCG
10 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Kangaroos led 14.1-85 to 2.4-16.
Essendon won the match 27.9-171 to 25.9-159.
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63pts — 1999-R12-P — Hawthorn v St Kilda at
Waverley
4 minutes into the 2nd quarter, St Kilda led 11.4-70 to 1.1-7.
Hawthorn won the match 17.7-109 to 14.12-96.
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60pts — 1970-R10-VP — Collingwood v St Kilda at
Victoria Park
time-on, 2nd quarter, St Kilda led 11.8-74 to 1.8-14.
Collingwood won the match 14.23-107 to 15.10-100.
58pts — 2001-R16-MCG — Ess v Kan, at the end of Q1.
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56pts — 1989-R6-PP — Hawthorn v Geelong at
Princes Park
time-on, 2nd quarter (28 mins), Geelong led 17.6-108 to 8.4-52.
Hawthorn won the match 26.15-171 to 25.13-163.
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55pts — 1937-R2-GO — Hawthorn v St Kilda at
Glenferrie Oval
at quarter time, Hawthorn led 8.7-55 to 0.0-0.
St Kilda won the match 15.22-112 to 14.15-99.
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55pts — 1978-R20-MCG — Richmond v Collingwood at
the MCG
10 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Richmond led 10.2-62 to 1.1-7.
Collingwood won the match 19.9-123 to 16.13-109.
54pts — 2006-R10-KP — Geelong v West Coast at Kardinia Park
Cameron Mooney (Gee) goaled at 13.49 into Q3 to extend the lead 13.7 to 5.1.
West Coast won 16.5-101 to 15.8-98.
FAMOUS NEAR MISSES
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1924-R1-BS — At the 6-minute mark of the 3rd quarter
Fitzroy led Carlton by 66pts, 14.5-89 to 3.5-23. From that point to the end of the match,
Carlton added 12.8-80 to 2.4-16 to lose by only two points, 16.9-105 to 15.13-103. The
Blues were in attack at the final bell.
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1980-R22-PP — At three-quarter time, Carlton led
Fitzroy by 51pts, 19.17-131 to 11.14-80. No side had (or has) ever got up from such a
last-change deficit, but the Lions failed by only four points, 21.20-146 to 20.22-142.
Although they held on, the fade-out cost the Blues any chance of top position—on
percentage from Geelong—and a first-week bye in the finals, while for the Lions a
win, or even a draw, would have seen them avoid the wooden spoon.
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1983-R1-SCG — Sydney, who in their previous home match
(82-R21) had squandered an 8-goal quarter-time lead to Richmond, were in an identical
position against Essendon 8.2 v 0.2. The physically stronger Bombers had reduced this to
13pts at half-time and only 4pts at the last change. Despite Essendon dominating the last
quarter, the Swans with only 13 fit players somehow held on for a 1-point win, 17.9-111 to
15.20-110.
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1983-R5-MCG — In an Anzac Day match, Footscray led
Richmond by a clear 10 goals at quarter-time, 10.3 to 0.3. The Tigers reduced this to 19
then 12 at the breaks, before failing by only two points, 18.8-116 to 17.12-114. The
Tigers came to within a breath of creating a new all-time record comeback.
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1987-R19-WCA — West Coast faced an
‘impossible’ last-change deficit of 58pts, 7.12-54 to 17.10-112, against North
at the WACA. The Eagles had reduced this to five points with about a minute left. There
was one final goal, but it went to North who thus won 18.12-120 to 15.19-109.
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1990-R11-MCG — Melbourne led Carlton by 56pts, 14.6-90
to 5.4-34, nearly halfway through the third term of this Queen’s Birthday clash. From
that point on, the Blues dominated but sprayed many easy shots in the closing stages, to
lose by a goal, 15.9-99 to 13.15-93. |
