Micro Noises 32 - One day in May
When really bad kicking was really bad football
When the siren sounded last Monday to signal the end of the Queen's Birthday clash between Melbourne and Collingwood, did your mind suddenly drift back to a mild May Geelong day in 1928? Ours certainly did. And little wonder, when you have a closer look at the scores from Monday's game. Collingwood's 17.20 translates to a total score of 122, while Melbourne's 5.9 yielded a final tally of 39. And a quick check of the record books reveals that the last (and only other) VFL/AFL occurrence of a final score of 122-39 was back on May 26, 1928 when Geelong comfortably accounted for Fitzroy.
Now it's not very often that you can say that bad kicking for goal cost you a match where the final margin was 83 points. But the Fitzroy team of 1928 might have had a legitimate claim if indeed they made one after that match at Corio Oval. In response to Geelong's impressively accurate score of 19.8 (122), Fitzroy mustered a quite incredible 2.27 (39)! We're pretty sure that that is the highest margin of any VFL/AFL game where the losing side had more scoring shots than the winner.
Despite having one less scoring shot the following week, Fitzroy straightened up enough to kick 17.11 (115) and defeat South Melbourne, while Geelong, despite again being more accurate than their opposition, succumbed by three points to Richmond, 13.12 (90) to 12.21 (93).
A margin of five points to a flag
Those who saw Friday night's game between Essendon and Carlton would be well aware that a goal umpire's error cost them a goal in the first quarter. A Jeff Garlett toe-poke was deemed as touched, and a point rather than a goal was awarded to the Blues. While it's pointless (pardon the pun) to ponder what might have been had Garlett's goal been paid as such, it's worth noting that a simple score alteration, based on Garlett's kick being a goal instead of behind, would have resulted in a drawn match, with both sides locked on 11.11 (77).
The long-term ramifications of that difference will only come to light at the conclusion of round 23 but Friday's official final result does present us with a significant omen. Prior to Friday night, Essendon and Carlton had been involved in three other matches since 1925 that were decided by five points. They were:
Year | Round | Winner | Score | Loser | Score | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1942 | 3 | Essendon | 11.9 (75) | Carlton | 11.4 (70) | Essendon by 5 points |
1950 | 8 | Essendon | 10.16 (76) | Carlton | 11.5 (71) | Essendon by 5 points |
1970 | 12 | Carlton | 12.9 (81) | Essendon | 10.16 (76) | Carlton by 5 points |
Eagle-eyed students of VFL history might recognise the years of those games. In each case, the winning side of the 5-point match went on to win that year's premiership. So if you're a fan of the omen bet, you might want to get on the Bombers for the 2013 flag.
Score Wars - 77 makes a move
Essendon's winning total was the fifth time this year a team has scored 77. Interestingly, while it's been a losing score three times, on the two occasions it's been enough to win, Carlton has been the losing side. Before Friday night, the Blues lost to St Kilda, 77 to 68, in round 7.
The most frequent score in 2013 is still 103, which has come up six times. As well as 77, 68 has also been registered on five occasions.
The Marginal Medal
The Essendon-Carlton thriller was the third five-point game of 2013, and Carlton have been on the wrong end of two of those three. The Blues lost to Richmond by five points in round one.
28 remains the most common margin of this season, having come up four times, while 4, 5, 9, 16, 26, 41 and 44 have each come up thrice.
First among unequals
Sydney's 77-point thrashing of Adelaide was the first time in VFL/AFL history a a match has finished with a final score of 127 v 50. It was also the first time Adelaide has ever lost a match by 77 points.
Postcode of the week
Even victorious Magpie coach Nathan Buckley admitted that Monday's Melbourne v Collingwood match was anything but classical, either up until three-quarter time or beyond. How ironic then that the score at the last break was 2787, which is the postcode of Mozart.
Year of the week
As mentioned earlier, but for a goal-umpiring error, Friday night's Essendon-Carlton match could well have ended in a draw, with both sides locked at 11.11. And funnily enough, 1111 was the year of the Battle of Shaizar, which most historians regard as also having ended in a tactical draw.
Ridiculous footy anagram of the week
LEVI CASBOULT's goal early in the last quarter against Essendon last Friday wasn't quite enough to get Carlton over the line, but it was enough to get us wondering if he's any good at singing the Carlton theme song. He's an anagram of BLUE VOCALIST.
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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