North achieved its greatest ever start to a season by defeating Carlton on Saturday night.
While the streak itself won’t be on the players’ minds, the significance of the Roos’ success is clear; nine wins in a row is the equal-third greatest streak in the club’s VFL/AFL history.
Going back to 1999, North won 10 games in a row between Round 5 to Round 14 – a win against Sydney would equal that mark.
You only have to go back to ’98 to better that effort, with the club winning 11 games in a row between Round 14 to the Preliminary Final.
Of course, it was a forgettable end to that season after so much promise; North was defeated by Adelaide in the Grand Final.
Ironically, Brent Harvey was a part of both winning streaks in the late 90’s.
The Roos actually went undefeated for 12 games between the Semi Final of 1977, and Round 8 of ’78 – of course the drawn Grand Final in between complicates things a little.
But delve a little deeper into North’s history and there’s one record that may never be beaten.
From July 1914 to August 1919, the club won 49 consecutive matches in the VFA – an amazing feat.
North winning streaks (VFL/AFL)
11 – Round 14, 1998-Preliminary Final, 1998
10 – Round 5, 1999-Round 14, 1999
9 – Grand Final, 1977-Round 8, 1978
9 – Round 1, 2016-Round 9, 2016*
8 – Round 18, 1999 to Grand Final, 1999
