Micro Noises 200: Milestone madness
Happy 200th to us and happy 250th to 12.11!
As Micro Noises celebrates a milestone 200th edition we must also acknowledge that we have a fair way to go before we can match the ever-reliable final score of 12.11.83, which came up for the 250th time in V/AFL matches on Saturday night. And it couldn't have brought up the mark in a more important way. Kicked by GWS, it was just enough for the Giants to get over the line against the Brisbane Lions, who kicked 11.14.80 (which came up for the 235th time). Over it's 250 appearances, 12.11 has been a winning score 101 times, it's been a loser 144 times, and it's been part of five drawn matches.
To celebrate this fine scoring achievement, let's look back, 'This Is Your Life' style, at 12.11's greatest moments.
The Beginning: 12.11.83 made its first appearance way back in 1898, the VFL's second season, when Melbourne brought up the score in a Round 2 thrashing of Carlton at the MCG. At that stage it was only the second time a team had kicked exactly 12 goals, Essendon having kicked 12.6 (also against the Blues) in Round 3, 1897. Surprisingly, although five higher scores had been recorded prior to this day, this was the first day on which a score in the 80s was registered. (Geelong kicked 11.19.85 on the same day.)
A Grand total: For such a common score, 12.11 has surprisingly been a final score just once in a Grand Final. Unfortunately it was a losing one, kicked by Carlton in a nine-point loss to Richmond in 1932.
The final count: 12.11 has made up for its scarcity in Grand Finals with plenty of appearances in other finals, particularly over the last decade, the most recent pair of those being recorded by GWS in thrillers. While 12.11 had the Giants on the right side of the ledger on Saturday night, it was a heart-breaker for them against the Bulldogs in the 2016 Preliminary Final.
Altogether, 12.11 has been a final score in 14 finals matches, the first of those a winning score by Collingwood against Carlton in the 1920 Preliminary Final. In fact, 12.11's first two appearances in finals were in matches involving Carlton. Unfortunately for the Blues, they were the losers in both of those games. The last five finals in which one side has scored 12.11 have all been decided by a goal or less.
12.11.83 IN FINALS
YEAR | FINAL | MATCH SCORE | WIN/LOSS/MARGIN |
1920 | Preliminary | Collingwood 12.11.83 d Carlton 8.11.59 | Lost by 24 |
1932 | Grand Final | Richmond 13.14.92 d Carlton 12.11.83 | Lost by 9 |
1950 | Preliminary |
North Melbourne 14.16.100 d Geelong 12.11.83
|
Lost by 17 |
1957 | Second Semi | Essendon 12.11.83 d Melbourne 8.19.67 | Won by 16 |
1976 | Qualifying Final | Hawthorn 14.19.103 d North Melbourne 12.11.83 | Lost by 20 |
1992 | Second Elimination | St Kilda 13.13.91 d Collingwood 12.11.83 | Lost by 8 |
2000 | First Elimination | Hawthorn 14.8.92 d Geelong 12.11.83 | Lost by 9 |
2003 | First Semi | Port Adelaide 12.11.83 d Essendon 6.8.44 | Won by 39 |
2008 | First Preliminary | Geelong 12.11.83 d Western Bulldogs 7.12.54 | Won by 29 |
2009 | First Semi | Collingwood 12.11.83 d Adelaide 11.12.78 | Won by 5 |
2010 | Second Qualifying Final | St Kilda 12.11.83 d Geelong 11.13.79 | Won by 4 |
2016 | Second Qualifying Final | Geelong 12.13.85 d Hawthorn 12.11.83 | Lost by 2 |
2016 | First Preliminary Final | Western Bulldogs 13.11.89 d Greater Western Sydney 12.11.83 | Lost by 6 |
2019 | Second Semi Final | Greater Western Sydney 12.11.83 d Brisbane 11.14.80 | Won by 3 |
Drawing a conclusion: 12.11.83 has been a final score in five drawn V/AFL matches. Amazingly in all five cases, the opposition score was not 12.11, but 11.17.83.
12.11.83 IN DRAWS
YEAR |
ROUND |
MATCH SCORE |
VENUE |
1944 | 9 | Fitzroy 12.11.83 v Essendon 11.17.83 | Brunswick St |
1950 | 16 |
Carlton 12.11.83 v St Kilda 11.17.83 | Princes Park |
1960 |
9 |
Richmond 11.17.83 v Carlton 12.11.83 | Punt Rd |
1980 |
22 |
North Melbourne 11.17.83 v St Kilda 12.11.83 | Arden St |
2015 | 8 |
Gold Coast 12.11.83 v West Coast 11.17.83 | Carrara |
Other close encounters: 12.11.83 has also been a final score in nine games decide by one point, five times as a winner and four times on the losing side of the ledger.
So much at stake for the Cats and Tigers — if the Magpies win
Richmond and Geelong are playing for places in the Grand Final this Friday night, with their eyes no doubt on the ultimate prize — no, not the premiership, something far more important. If Collingwood wins on Saturday against GWS, as expected by most, then Friday night's winner and Collingwood will meet in a Grand Final for a record-equalling seventh time. Only Collingwood and Melbourne, and Essendon and Melbourne have come together as many times in a V/AFL premiership decider.
Of course if the Giants defy the odds and beat the Pies, we will have a Grand Final first, GWS v Geelong or GWS v Richmond, producing the 28th 'one-off' Grand Final in 124 V/AFL seasons.
THE GRAND FINAL MATCH-UP LADDER:
7 - Collingwood v Melbourne, Essendon v Melbourne*
6 - Carlton v Collingwood, Carlton v Essendon, Carlton v Richmond, Collingwood v Geelong, Collingwood v Richmond
4 - Carlton v South Melbourne, Collingwood v Essendon, Collingwood v Fitzroy
3 - Carlton v Fitzroy, Collingwood v South Melbourne, Collingwood v St Kilda*, Essendon v Hawthorn, Geelong v Hawthorn, Hawthorn v North Melbourne
2 - Brisbane v Collingwood, Carlton v Hawthorn, Collingwood v North Melbourne*, Essendon v Fitzroy, Essendon v Richmond, Geelong v Richmond, Geelong v West Coast, Hawthorn v Sydney, Hawthorn v West Coast, Richmond v South Melbourne, Sydney v West Coast
1 - Adelaide v North Melbourne, Adelaide v Richmond, Adelaide v St Kilda, Brisbane v Essendon, Brisbane v Port Adelaide, Carlton v Geelong, Carlton v North Melbourne, Collingwood v West Coast, Essendon v Geelong, Essendon v North Melbourne, Essendon v South Melbourne, Essendon v St Kilda, Fitzroy v Richmond, Fitzroy v Melbourne, Fitzroy v St Kilda, Fitzroy v South Melbourne, Footscray v Hawthorn, Footscray v Melbourne, Western Bulldogs v Sydney, Fremantle v Hawthorn, Geelong v Port Adelaide, Geelong v St Kilda, Hawthorn v Melbourne, Hawthorn v St Kilda, Melbourne v Richmond, North Melbourne v Richmond, North Melbourne v Sydney
* includes one Grand Final Replay
Score Wars
In last week's Micro Noises, we reported that 88, 71 and 69 were equal leaders in Score Wars 2019, each having come up 11 times as a final score this year. Well, we must have been looking into our crystal ball when we made that statement, because 88 had at that point only been recorded 10 times. But that thanks to Geelong's winning score of 13.10 against West Coast on Friday night, our preemptive post is now true!
Those scores are now definitely one clear of 72, 75 and 85, each of which has made 10 appearances. West Coast's score of 10.8 and Brisbane's 11.14 brought up 68 and 80 for the ninth time this season, so they also remain in with a shot at Score Wars glory.
Postal anagram of the week
GWS had a great start to their Semi-Final against Brisbane on Saturday night, jumping out to a 25-0 lead in quick time. But by the time the quarter-time siren sounded, they'd lost their run and found themselves behind 26-32. Perhaps a look at the scoreboard during the break was all they needed to remind themselves to keep roaming and running all of the Gabba. 2632 is the postcode of MOUNT DARRAGH IN NSW which, of course, is an anagram of GWS HINT: ROAM AND RUN.
Ridiculous footy anagram of the week
Despite the great win, things turned sour for the Giants when Toby Greene was suspended for making unnecessary contact to the eye region of Brisbane's Lachie Neale. Now we would never suggest that Greene deliberately tried to put his hand near Neale's eye, but we couldn't help but notice that GIANT TOBY GREENE is an anagram of INTENT: GO GRAB EYE.
Micro Noises is Andrew Gigacz's regular, quirky look at all things footy. The name Micro Noises is an anagram of Enrico Misso, who played one game for St Kilda in 1985. He remains the only Enrico and the only Misso to have played footy at the highest level.
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