What is the worst team in AFL history?

[Chicago1]

Has to be '96 Fitzroy. I was a Footscray Social Club member and went to almost all of the Fitzroy home matches at the Western Oval out of support and sympathy. One of the saddest moments I ever had at the footy was Fitzroy's last match in Melbourne at the MCG that year. And to be beaten by Richmond by 151 points, well...

 

[Kim Hagdorn]

Fitzroy 96 were the absolutely the worst but I guess the AFL trying to knock them off didn't help. In saying that they never put in anything as insipid as Melbourne's 186 point loss

 

[mianfei]

Fitzroy 96 were the absolutely the worst but I guess the AFL trying to knock them off didn't help. In saying that they never put in anything as insipid as Melbourne’s 186 point loss

Interesting look at things. It does show how bad Fitzroy were in 1996 - when an allowance is made for the very bad conditions under which so many matches were played that year, they look far worse that Sydney in 1993, who played game after game under the most favorable of conditions without the artificial aid of drying grounds let alone roofed stadiums. Even Melbourne’s 186 point loss may have been no worse than Fitzroy losing by 60-80 points week after week on bad grounds. However, off-field chaos and the merger had to be a factor, though other clubs in that list had very bad off-field problems which no doubt failed to attract as much attention as they do today.

Melbourne in 1981, who would have 0 and 22 but for a lucky one-point win over an almost equally insipid Footscray team, never got within seventeen points of any team they lost to and it really does surprise me they are so low in that list. Their efforts that year I have often thought comparable with Fitzroy in 1996 (and in a similarly wet season) but they did not lose by such huge margins. However, this lack of enormous losses may be due to opponents’ casual play: Melbourne conceded three of only nineteen thirty-behind scores in VFL/AFL history during their 20 game losing streak that year and in 1996 Fitzroy did not concede more than 20 behinds in any game. In total:

• Fitzroy in 1996 conceded 438 goals and 307 behinds
  • Overall accuracy of 58.79 percent as against League average of 53.55 percent
• Melbourne in 1981 in similar conditions conceded 406 goals and 437 behinds
  • Overall accuracy of 48.16 percent as against League average of 49.79 percent

So, if Fitzroy’s opponents in 1996 had been as casual as Melbourne’s in 1981 they would have kicked something like 385 goals 360 behinds 2670 points?? That would still be a worse record than Melbourne’s in 1981 or North Melbourne in 1931 (the only other listed team from a season of similar conditions) who conceded 284-265 with a maximum of 22 behinds against. From another angle, it is possible that the skill demanded in such conditions as prevailed in 1931, 1981 and 1996 did not even up the competition but just exaggerated how bad those teams were. Still, even if that is the case, it would be hard to go past Fitzroy in 1996 as the worst team since 1919.

 

[GoalSneak38]

I would imagine swapping a game like that might be a little harder than it first appears. Theoretically, nearly every club could concievably be affected. For example, if Richmond v Fitzroy had been switched to Round 22, North v Richmond (which was played in Round 22) would have been switched to Round 21- which then would have meant North v Geelong in Round 21 had to be switched, which then would have meant Geelong v...you get the picture.

Having said that, if every club did agree to it, and the AFL still refused...that is incredibly poor.

And refusing to spend a dime on even giving them a tribute is a total disgrace.

Ross Oakley was a tosser.

Have some others words for that bloke. Another rat was Collo. Tried to ruin the AFL

 

[Roysforever]

GWS are certainly making a run for this title. I can't recall seeing a lower percentage this late into an AFL season. I do appreciate there are numerous reasons explaining their current predicament.

 

[Auger Martel]

Would be the '96 Fitzroy Lions for mine. I was at their last game in Melbourne against Richmond and while I was only about 9 or 10 at the time, that has to be the absolute saddest day at a football match I have ever been too. They got thumped by like 150 or so points but seeing a lot of the Roy fans in tears or weeping openly was heartwrenching to watch. Will never forget that.

 

[skilts]

Having seen the 1996 Fitzroy team play, they were absolute champions compared with their 1963 and 1964 teams. They won one game in two seasons. Their only win during that period was against the eventual premiers for 1963, Geelong.

 

[RogersResults]

GWS are certainly making a run for this title. I can't recall seeing a lower percentage this late into an AFL season. I do appreciate there are numerous reasons explaining their current predicament.

Facts on GWS' percentage and more here.
http://www.users.on.net/~rogersresults/Rogers_Results/home.htm#match9

 

[mianfei]

GWS are certainly making a run for this title. I can't recall seeing a lower percentage this late into an AFL season. I do appreciate there are numerous reasons explaining their current predicament.

I knew even before Greater Western Sydney’s recent thrashings that their percentage would have been the lowest by any team since Melbourne in 1919 and it is lower than any of University’s percentages between 1911 and 1914.

However, now Greater Western Sydney have a percentage lower than Melbourne in 1919 their percentage stands as the lowest since St. Kilda in 1902 - that is for 110 years! In 1902, St. Kilda’s minimum losing margin was seven points - ironically the closest they got to a win was against eventual premiers Collingwood - but they were less uncompetitive than in 1901 when they did win once against Carlton. If Greater Western Sydney’s percentage keeps falling they could even surpass St. Kilda in 1902.

It’s interesting to speculate what is wrong with Greater Western Sydney and what the AFL will do if they - like Hawthorn and North Melbourne in their early years in the VFL - remain uncompetitive for a very long time. Hawthorn and North Melbourne did not generally do as badly as Greater Western Sydney are doing now, but they had awful financial problems that prevented them competing for good players.

 

[JimmyDE]

Freo 2001 and Melbourne 2012 are the worst I can remember, the side gws fielded on the weekend are the worse I've witnessed by eye but they have an excuse.

 

[mianfei]

Freo 2001 and Melbourne 2012 are the worst I can remember, the side gws fielded on the weekend are the worse I’ve witnessed by eye but they have an excuse.

Although they looked like 0 and 22 for a long time, Fremantle in 2001 were never nearly so inept as St. Kilda in 2000, let alone Fitzroy in 1996 or Sydney in 1993 or Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS this year. One should not forget West Coast and Melbourne being repeatedly thrashed in 2008, but for all these modern teams one can be a little lenient because Docklands replacing Waverley makes it harder to find enough suitable players.

Fremantle in 2001 never lost by more than 92 points, and were indeed in a winning position in all of their first six games and three others of the first seventeen. Even in such games as those against Sydney and Geelong where they were never in a position to win the Dockers were never guilty of completely throwing in the towel - something they did only against North Melbourne and Port Adelaide all season. That alone would rule out the 2001 Dockers for any “worst team” title, and would have made them marginal even had they not beaten Hawthorn and Adelaide. They lost games in an unspectacular fashion that was, of course, all the more despairing for their fans.

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

Yeah, I'm going with Fremantle.

 

[Roysforever]

Although they looked like 0 and 22 for a long time, Fremantle in 2001 were never nearly so inept as St. Kilda in 2000, let alone Fitzroy in 1996 or Sydney in 1993 or Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS this year. One should not forget West Coast and Melbourne being repeatedly thrashed in 2008, but for all these modern teams one can be a little lenient because Docklands replacing Waverley makes it harder to find enough suitable players.

Fremantle in 2001 never lost by more than 92 points, and were indeed in a winning position in all of their first six games and three others of the first seventeen. Even in such games as those against Sydney and Geelong where they were never in a position to win the Dockers were never guilty of completely throwing in the towel - something they did only against North Melbourne and Port Adelaide all season. That alone would rule out the 2001 Dockers for any “worst team” title, and would have made them marginal even had they not beaten Hawthorn and Adelaide. They lost games in an unspectacular fashion that was, of course, all the more despairing for their fans.

Vintage Mianfei commentary

 

[mianfei]

Yeah, I'm going with Fremantle.

Maybe so far over their AFL career, but even when 0-17 in 2001 they woudl easily have beaten:t

• the Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne of 2012
• the Melbourne and West Coast of 2008
• the Carlton and Richmond of 2007
• the St. Kilda of 2000
• the Fitzroy of 1994 to 1996
• the Sydney of 1992 to 1993
• the Melbourne of 1981
• the St. Kilda of parts of 1979 to 1986

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

Maybe so far over their AFL career, but even when 0-17 in 2001 they woudl easily have beaten:t

• the Gold Coast, Greater Western Sydney and Melbourne of 2012
• the Melbourne and West Coast of 2008
• the Carlton and Richmond of 2007
• the St. Kilda of 2000
• the Fitzroy of 1994 to 1996
• the Sydney of 1992 to 1993
• the Melbourne of 1981
• the St. Kilda of parts of 1979 to 1986

Only said Dockers because they haven't made a GF yet, didn't take West Coast or Adelaide as long.

 

[VanBerlo=God]

I can't remember teams having as many 100+ point losses as Carlton in the period between 2002-2007.

I know everyone will laugh at this, but really, the only thing that made us any better than the 1996 Fitzroy was that we had a Brendan Fevola - at elast a forward who kick a bag of goals.

True that I do remember games where you would have barely scored 2 goals without him. Down by almost 100 points at half time in some.

 

[Mr Magic]

As the title suggests what is the worst team in AFL (not VFL) history? Here are the teams which have finished last in each season from 1991 onwards.

Year - Team - Wins - Percentage
1991 - Brisbane Lions - 3 - 69.53%
1992 - Sydney Swans - 3 - 74.13%
1993 - Sydney Swans - 1 - 63.32%
1994 - Sydney Swans - 4 - 78.07%
1995 - Fitzroy Lions - 2 - 58.17%
1996 - Fitzroy Lions - 1 - 49.47%
1997 - Melbourne Demons - 4 - 60.81%
1998 - Brisbane Lions - 5 - 75.83%
1999 - Collingwood Magpies - 4 - 84.82%
2000 - St Kilda Saints - 2 - 70.51%
2001 - Fremantle Dockers - 2 - 72.02%
2002 - Carlton Blues - 3 - 73.13%
2003 - Western Bulldogs - 3 - 74.79%
2004 - Richmond Togers - 4 - 69.24%
2005 - Carlton Blues - 4 - 75.51%
2006 - Carlton Blues - 1 - 74.16%
2007 - Richmond Tigers - 3 - 77.18%
2008 - Melbourne Demons - 3 - 62.61%

you have to give us the draws.

I would have to say probably RFC around 2004 or around that time. Reasons are depth was shocking, they were not tanking and unlike other teams that had some handy youth like Bris and Fitzroy RFC had very little .

As i said you need to look at the draws and injuries list ages etc.. to assess properly as well as adjustments for tanking

 

[underthestars]

FUN FACT!

The last time Essendon finished last on the ladder was the 1933 season.

This is the longest running legacy of not finishing last in the AFL today.

Not bad considering the number of teams have been growing and growing ever since.

The demand to be successful just bleeds from this club. Winning culture never dies.

If you're going to masturbate in public, could you please face the other way.

 

[RogersResults]

Matches played that were lost by at least 14 points each quarter.​

(Has happened 178 times in 14,112 matches 1897-2012 R18)​

​

RogersResults​

 

[estibador]

Only said Dockers because they haven't made a GF yet, didn't take West Coast or Adelaide as long.

Then you've completely misunderstood what this thread is about.

 

[Doss]

GWS' percentage is 41.18 with five games to go. That is horrendous, even Fitzroy of 1996 managed 49%.

 

[NetworkNerd]

GWS may go down as the side with the worst ever percentage but they would have very competitive, if not beaten most early 1990's sides.

 

[estibador]

GWS may go down as the side with the worst ever percentage but they would have very competitive, if not beaten most early 1990's sides.

They would have won the premiership any time in the first half of last century, but you can only rank them relative to their own time period.

 

[Waynesworld]

Carlton - because they cheated.

 

[utility]

Anyone who remembers watching Fitzroy '96 live knows there is no contest.

Sydney in '93 weren't really any better.