The Kennett curse was the name given to Australian Football League club Geelong's dominance against rivals Hawthorn in the period between Hawthorn's upset win against Geelong in the 2008 AFL Grand Final[1][2] and Hawthorn's win in the 2013 preliminary finals.[3]
Background
Geelong and Hawthorn contested the 2008 AFL Grand Final.[4] Geelong went into the match as the favourites; they were the defending premiers, and had lost only one match for the entire season;[5] however, Hawthorn prevailed by 26 points to claim its 10th premiership.[6]
Ahead of the teams' first round meeting at the start of the 2009 season, then-Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett publicly questioned Geelong's mental drive to defeat Hawthorn.[7]
What they don't have, I think, is the quality of some of our players; they don't have the psychological drive we have. We've beaten Geelong when it matters.
Additionally, following the upset Grand Final loss, Geelong players made a private pact, which was later made public by Paul Chapman, to never again lose to Hawthorn.[9][10]
Following Kennett's comments, Geelong won the match in Round 1, 2009,[11] and until the 2013 preliminary final, did not lose another match against Hawthorn. The winning streak stood at eleven matches. Kennett's demeaning comments in 2009 came to be seen as the initating event of a curse on Hawthorn, known as the Kennett curse. He said in 2013 that while he was not proud of what he had said, he did not wish he could take it back.[12]
Results
Over the period of the curse, the rivalry between the clubs remained strong. All matches were played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, drew at least 63,000 spectators, and although Geelong won all eleven matches, most matches were close. Nine of the eleven matches were decided by ten points or less, with two decided by kicks after the final siren: Round 17, 2009, with a behind to Jimmy Bartel;[13][14] and Round 19, 2012, with a goal to Tom Hawkins.[15] The Cats' 11-match winning streak against the Hawks was the longest by any team following a Grand Final loss to their opponent.[16]
| # | Round/Year | Winner | Score | Widest Margin | Winning Margin | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | Round 1, 2009 | Geelong | 15.21 (111) – 16.7 (103) | Geelong by 43 | 8 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 69,593 |
| 2 | Round 17, 2009 | Geelong | 15.9 (99) – 14.14 (98) | Hawthorn by 28 | 1 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 64,803 |
| 3 | Round 2, 2010 | Geelong | 14.16 (100) – 13.13 (91) | 9 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 68,628 | |
| 4 | Round 15, 2010 | Geelong | 12.13 (85) – 11.17 (83) | 2 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 69,220 | |
| 5 | Round 5, 2011 | Geelong | 17.15 (117) – 15.8 (98) | Hawthorn by 26 | 19 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 78,579 |
| 6 | Round 12, 2011 | Geelong | 13.10 (88) – 13.5 (83) | Geelong by 20 | 5 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 63,476 |
| 7 | Qualifying Final, 2011 | Geelong | 14.14 (98) – 9.13 (67) | Geelong by 31 | 31 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 73,400 |
| 8 | Round 2, 2012 | Geelong | 14.8 (92) – 13.12 (90) | Hawthorn by 18 | 2 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 69,231 |
| 9 | Round 19, 2012 | Geelong | 18.10 (118) – 17.14 (116) | Geelong by 51 | 2 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 65,287 |
| 10 | Round 1, 2013 | Geelong | 13.15 (93) – 12.14 (86) | Hawthorn by 30 | 7 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 76,300 |
| 11 | Round 15, 2013 | Geelong | 11.16 (82) – 10.12 (72) | Geelong by 33 | 10 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 85,197 |
Source: Footy Wire
The winning streak ended as follows:
| # | Round/Year | Winner | Score | Widest Margin | Winning Margin | Venue | Attendance |
| 12 | Preliminary Finals, 2013 | Hawthorn | 14.18 (102) – 15.7 (97) | Geelong by 20 | 5 | Melbourne Cricket Ground | 85,569 |
The curse looked to continue with Geelong leading by 19 points half way through the last quarter, but Hawthorn rallied and kicked 3 goals 7 behind to Geelong's solitary point to overrun the Cats by 5 points.[17]
See also
References
- ^ The Kennett curse - AFL.com.au
- ^ It's no monkey, that's a gorilla | Geelong, VIC, Australia
- ^ Hawthorn edges Geelong to book place in AFL grand final and lift Kennett curse, ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 20 September 2013
- ^ Hawks set up dream final with Cats - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- ^ Preview of AFL grand final: stats, profiles and analysis | The Roar
- ^ Hawks rise over Cats to claim premiership - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- ^ Geelong lacks drive: Jeff Kennett | Herald Sun
- ^ Whateley, Gerard (30 March 2013). "Geelong Cats got your tongue? No, but they've got your measure".
- ^ Forget The Kennett Curse, it should be renamed the Chapman Factor | News.com.au
- ^ Geelong star Paul Chapman says Cats never want to lose to Hawthorn again | Herald Sun
- ^ Cats escape to avenge grand final heartbreak - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- ^ Hex gets Wiki guernsey Peter Hanlon (3 July 2013)
- ^ Bartel behind buries Hawthorn | Sports News | Fox Sports
- ^ Geelong defeat Hawthorn in rivalry round thriller | The Roar
- ^ Cats stun Hawks to win after the siren - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
- ^ AFL Finals: Hawthorn v Geelong preview - Hawks out to end the Kennett curse with win over Cats, ABC Grandstand Sport (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 17 September 2013
- ^ http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-09-20/hawks-stop-the-streak
External links
- Game by game: Four years of the Kennett curse, Geelong Advertiser, 5 July 2013[a]
- The 'Kennett Curse' has nothing on these long-running sporting curses from around the world, Fox Sports, 18 September 2013
Notes
- ^ Only the first ten matches in this streak are detailed, as this article was published the day before Geelong's eleventh consecutive victory over Hawthorn.