Nine rounds into the AFL season there appears to be a clear bottom three sides.
North Melbourne, West Coast and Hawthorn currently sit in 16th, 17th and 18th respectively with the Roos going the best of the three sides from a ladder perspective with two wins to their name and a percentage of 62.9.
With every other side currently holding a percentage of at least 90, it’s a stark gap between GWS and 15th and the Kangaroos in 16th.
As the sides seemingly are on the receiving end of lashings each week, leading journalist Damian Barrett believes the trio of sides are now historically bad.
He discussed their plight in 2023 on Nine’s Sunday Footy Show with Kane Cornes, Nathan Brown and Matthew Lloyd.
Barrett: “Speaking of the Hawks, they’re ultimately one of three dreadful teams playing football in 2023.
“They might be the best of the three we refer to, North Melbourne and West Coast being the other two.
“They’re down into the low 60s (with percentage) with these records.
“North Melbourne won their first two games but they’ve now lost seven (straight).
“Essendon have got the benefit of playing West Coast and North Melbourne twice this season they come in consecutive weeks (Round 11, Round 12, Round 21, Round 22).
“You’d think that’s a guaranteed 16 premiership points on this year.
“It is historically as bad as it’s been.”
Cornes: “It’s a blight on the season, it’s threatened to derail the season somewhat.
“You’ve got three out of the nine games (each round), when they don’t play each other, that are effectively ruined.”
Brown: “How does it derail the season though?”
Cornes: “You’ve got three of nine games each round (that are ruined).”
Brown: “That’s the way the competition is, you’re always going to have teams down the bottom that are struggling and teams at the top that are good, that’s the nature of the game.”
Lloyd: “North won two last year and West Coast won two last year, so isn’t it the same?”
Brown: “Melbourne used to be down the bottom, they were easy beats and all of the sudden they’re at the top. It happens every year, it’s no surprise.”
Cornes: “I don’t think we get three every year that are this bad.”
In Round 9 alone, the Eagles went down by 70 to the Suns, the Kangaroos lost to the Power also by 70 points, while the Hawks were downed by the Demons to the tune of 54 points.
"It's a blight on the season"
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) May 14, 2023
The panel debates the issues with the fixture, with some teams in the finals hunt getting the advantage of playing the worst three teams in the competition twice. #9AFLSFS | @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/58wpoux9uB