This is a list of the games with highest aggregate scores in VFL/AFL history.
The great Granny of 1972, when Carlton and Richmond scored 50 goals between them, is the eighth-highest-scoring game of all time – but still that’s 8th out of 20,000 or so, and the fact it’s the only Grand Final in the top 10 must itself be statistically freakish, given that there have been only 118 or so games that qualify for the sobriquet.
It seems to this unsophisticated noggin that, other things being equal, the chances of a GF being on any list of the top-10 highest scores of all time are about 1:200.
| Date | Round | Home team | Away team | Home score | Away score | Total |
| 6 May 1978 | 6 | Melbourne | St Kilda | 141 | 204 | 345 |
| 27 April 1985 | 5 | Hawthorn | Richmond | 149 | 188 | 337 |
| 13 May 1989 | 7 | Geelong | St Kilda | 228 | 109 | 337 |
| 6 May 1989 | 6 | Hawthorn | Geelong | 171 | 163 | 334 |
| 1 May 1993 | 6 | North Melbourne | Sydney | 229 | 105 | 334 |
| 30 April 1988 | 5 | North Melbourne | Hawthorn | 128 | 205 | 333 |
| 22 July 2001 | 16 | Essendon | Kangaroos | 171 | 159 | 330 |
| 7 October 1972 | GF | Carlton | Richmond | 177 | 150 | 327 |
| 8 April 1978 | 2 | Melbourne | Fitzroy | 167 | 157 | 324 |
| 8 May 1982 | 7 | Melbourne | North Melbourne | 143 | 180 | 323 |
An interesting list – most of the top 10 fall within a 15 year window of the competition’s 118 year history.
I know you can say anything with selected stats but this list perhaps explains much of the hand wringing over today’s constipated style of play from those of my generation who grew up when goal sprees were so regular.
Ought not be surprised that so many games clustered 5-7 in – spring in the step post pre-season but enough games under the belt to have touch. Grounds in relatively good nick. Was at the Rnd 6 ’89 game at Ikon (nee Princess) Park – incredible.
I was there on a 292 aggregate day. It was the one-off SCG game in 1980. Turned up at 1/4 time, not sure why I was late as a 15 yr-old. Not sport-related for a change. Too old for church.
It was sobering to walk in and see the mighty Tiges down 7.1 to 5.3. I would have been nervous. Sat with the cheer squad periphery, saw a few guys who supported Easts in the league (me Souths). Good blokes nonetheless. Common cause – Go Tiges!
Anyway, something clicked and we kicked 8.4 to zip in the second quarter. Barker flew but the Saints were abject. Not content we kicked 11.4 – yes, 70 points – in the 3rd. We allowed the Saints 3 consolations.
Then to top it off we smashed 10.7 in the last.
We won the last 75% of the game 189-27. It was ridiculous. I was pretty sure that we would win the comp after watching it.
44 scoring shots in the last 3 quarters. Some teams don’t entre the 50 that much in a whole game these days. We only missed the then VFL record score due to innacuracy in the last.
My fellow Vendemonian and hero Disco Roach got 10. KB 6 , Monteath 5 and Clokey 3 assisted. Cloke’s 30 disposal 10 mark 3 goal 6 hitout game was remarkable for the time. Careyesque! KB actually kicked 6.5, a portent for the GF, when, really, he should have kicked 10 or 11. We had 386 disposals when the avergae was probably 270 a game.
i think this is arguably as one-sided as the Cats record over Brisbane (they kicked 14 in the last as Brisbane lay down) and nearly as dominant as the Cats were when Melbourne capitulated a few years back.
Jesus it was a great trip back to suburban Sydney!
yes watched that Hawk comeback in 89 riveted. arguable the greatest ever comeback as the HAwks were a reasonable 9.5 at halftime yet behind by the length of the straight. Gary Ayres into the centre and off they fly, their 17 goals to 8 second half just enough.
Generally teams who come from way back do it when a team in front stalls or chokes,. The Cats kicked 6 goals in the last but the Hawks just wouldn’t let up and kicked 10. arguably the greatest game ever, probably better than the GF.
oh, and there was no Grand Final in 1972. didn’t happen.
And the 72 GF was played in October. I’m starting fo think this “One Day in September ” stuff is mythology.
Good stuff, Tony – ‘unsophisticated’, sure…
All of these pale in comparison to the Round 17, 1975 SANFL match between Glenelg and Central District with an aggregate of 396 of which Glenelg contributed 317. No doubt Swish’s favourite match. Famously, Glenelg’s last shot on goal hit the post, leaving them with 49 for the match.
Thanks Dave – not sure why, but that was one of the few Centrals games I missed in the 70s.
But you’ve given me the opportunity to (once again) relive the 1976 version of that clash, where the Dogs beat the Bays at Brighton Road in Sonny Morey’s 200th, a 276 point turn-around.
As a young North fan I remember a big day against my older brother’s beloved Roys in 1995 that was a big scoring day with north compiling 204 to Fitzroy’s 101 (305 total). If North had kicked a bit straighter could have cracked the top ten.
I was at the MCG in May 1982 to watch North v Melbourne.
I was 11 years old.
Sat in the sun. Great day. I am surprised to see Gerard Healy kicked 8 goals.
After the game, an MCC member got us into the members bar.
I had a football record and a pen and wandered the bar getting signatures.
My mate, a North fan too, did the same.
After the game, he said he didn’t want his record.
So I’ve got two footy records dating back to 1982, with a heap of player signatures on the middle pages…
I’ll never let them go.
i was at 3 of those games:
1985 hawks v tigers at princes park. Roach kicked 11 goals, the hawks kicked 149 points, normally a great winning score, but we still lost by 39 points!
1988 roos v hawks at mcg, we kicked 205 that day, north still kicked 128! Stephen Lawrence kicked 5 goals on debut.
1989 r6 hawks v cats at princes park. This is THE best home and away game i have ever attended, it had everything. i have watched this game sooo many times, i can ad lib the commentary!!!
I love going back in time and watching on youtiube the games from the 80’s & 90’s. As the games were more exciting to watch and was higher scoring and more direct. Yes some games back in those days were low scroing also but depending on ground conditions whuch were good to watch also. As the ovals these days they play on are more like putting greens on a golf course though they seem to want to go short or backwards at times which is boring to watch. I have been asked by young people recently when I have told them the game is no faster now then when it was back then, that the skills must be better today, but I said to them they are not. I have seen plenty of games over the last 40 or so years that I can compare. And the game was tougher back then which is no fault of todays players is only because the rules are so redicules these days they might as well have netball rules. So that is my opinion and if you dont like my opinion then get on youtube and watch some games from those eras. Plus I follow Essendon but I will say the best game I have seen was in 1989 Round 6 Hawthorn v Geelong. If you have not seen the full game it is on youtune so you should watch if you have not seen yet as was fast and a brilliant game. Also I have the Essendon v St Kilda 1965 GF on disk which I have watched obviously and the pace of that game was not bad. And will say Baldock of St Kilda was a excellent player as could see just after watching that one game of him playing. Also one more thing I hate the countdown clock we see on tive watching a game when it is close. As back in last century we did not have that and it was much much more exciting when we had no idea when the final siren was going to blow
Stats, stats and damned lies.
There are some interesting scorelines here. I’ve been alive for all of these clashes though I’ve forgotten a couple of them: seniors moment.
Do we have a compilation of the lowest aggregates? In my lifetime I recall Carlton beating Geelong on a sodden Princess Park in R 12, 1977. I reckon it was 3-13 to 2-12, I certainly recall both Geelong goals came in the final term.
Also in light of flag prospects Geelong, Western Bulldogs, Fremantle all starting the year (0-2) I wonder what was the worst start to a year for a premier? I recall in 1975 North Melbourne lost their first four games before winning at Kardinia Park, then after a few wins lost form again finding themselves 2-6. As they say; the rest is history. So to give hope to those supporting the contenders who have started the season poorly can any one recall any other premier(s) starting the year on such a bad note?
Glen!