5 most iconic AFL rivalries
At the end of the eighth round, footy fans were treated to one of the most entertaining AFL weekends. They were stacked with quality and many rivalry matches.
Carlton faced off against Collingwood. With both teams desperate for the win, fans were entertained. This was the 265th time the teams were facing off. At the end of round seven, Carlton were sixth with 20 points with five wins and two losses while Collingwood were 10th with 14 points with three wins, three losses and a draw. Collingwood won 85-79.
The West Coast Eagles took on Essendon. The Eagles sat 15th in the table and were looking to move up with a win against bitter rivals Essendon. West coast’s inclusion of Tom Barass with his return from suspension and Noah Long from injury didn't tip the scales in their favor, as they lost to seventh-placed Essendon.
Coach Brad Scott acknowledged that West Coast were no more pushovers and praised their inclusion of players like Harley Reid:
"He's as good as everyone says he is. There's no surprises to us. We had him training with us for a couple of weeks (last year), we had him play in our VFL team but it's not just Harley. West Coast have good availability now, they've got a strong line-up."
Brisbane Lions faced the Gold Coast Suns at home and were also looking to move up the table as they sat 13th on the log. Coach Hardwick of Gold Coast said a lot of Brisbane's stats in 2024 were just as good as previous seasons and he expected them to "breathe fire" in their match on Sunday.
On that note, let's take a look at some of the most iconic rivalries, including Brisbane vs Gold Coast, in V/AFL history:
#5 Brisbane vs Gold Coast
The game between Brisbane and Gold Coast is typically called the Q-clash, as they are the only two Queensland clubs.
Despite losing the first game of this clash by eight points in 2011, Brisbane have gone on to dominate with a head-to-head tally of 18-7.
#4 Essendon vs West Coast
The three-decade rivalry between the Bombers and the Eagles started when then Essendon's coach Kevin Sheedy tied down the windsock so that the opposition would get confused with the direction of the wind.
Nevertheless, the West Coast still went on to win the match. In another incident in the 16th round of the 1993 season, Sheedy celebrated the winning goal by forward Paul Salmon by waving his jacket in the air, a tradition still upheld by fans when the teams face off.
They went on to defeat West Coast again in their semi final clash and lift the 1993 premiership cup in the final.
#3 Sydney Derby
The Sydney derby also called the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ is the most recent local derby in the AFL. The inclusion of Greater Western Sydney in the 2012 AFL season brought about one of the league's most bitter rivalries.
Although the Sydney Swans have gone on to dominate the rivalry with a 16-10 games advantage, the games have become tighter since the 2014 season. The Giants won a historic qualifying final in 2016 and also elimination finals in 2018 and 2021.
#2 Hawthorn vs Geelong
The rivalry between these two teams has been called by many ‘the greatest modern-day rivalry’.
Although Hawthorn and Geelong had played against each other in several high profile matches, including the 1963 grand final, which Geelong won by 49 points. Many believe that their round 12 match up in the 1985 season caused the bad blood between them.
Hawthorn star Leigh Matthews struck Neville Bruns in the jaw and caused him to miss five matches. Matthews was deregistered for a month and faced criminal charges, making him the only player in VFL/AFL history to face charges for on- field acts.
The 1989 grand final solidified the rivalry. The game noted for its extreme brutality is still considered one of the best grand finals in VFL/AFL history as Hawthorn won by six points.
In the 2008 grand final, Geelong lost by 26 points to Hawthorn despite only losing one match that season. Geelong didn't lose any match to Hawthorn till the 2013 season after this game.
#1 Carlton vs Collingwood
Carlton and Collingwood is argued by many to be the “greatest and longest standing rivalry”.
This is fuelled by competition between white and blue collar suburbs and their proximity to each other. The teams have met in six grand finals in the AFL.
Each final is as memorable as the next, with Carlton winning five and Collingwood winning one. Games between them always attract large crowds. In the 264 games they've met, Collingwood has won 131 and Carlton 129, with four games drawn.