The AFL, like so many other sports, is defined by its rivalries.
For footy fans, winning becomes as much about defeating and demoralising a hated opposition, as it is about receiving four premiership points.
With a mix of modern rivalries and more historic duels, these are the AFL's 10 best current rivalries ranked.
4. Hawthorn vs Geelong
In terms of modern rivalries, it's hard to look past the Hawthorn-Geelong clashes of the 21st century. While Hawthorn and Geelong have always had a history of great encounters, their rivalry reached a new level after the 2008 Grand Final, when Hawthorn stunned the heavily favoured Cats. After the game, then-Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett publicly questioned Geelong's mental toughness, sparking what would become the Kennett Curse.
Following those comments, Geelong famously went on to win the next 11 meetings between the two sides, with almost all of them being close, hard-fought battles. When Tom Hawkins kicked an improbable goal after the siren in 2012, it certainly felt like the curse was real.
The streak was finally broken in the 2013 Preliminary Final, when Hawthorn won a tense contest on their way to the first flag of their three-peat. With multiple finals encounters and high-stakes clashes, this remains one of the AFL's most gripping rivalries.
Confected garbage used as “content-filler”.
Carlton v ‘wobbles…. it’s a “rivalry” only.. no more ….. there’s nothing there. Neither club has ever challenged the existence of the other.
The Darby and the Showdown have far more than “rivalry” both behind the members and the history of each club and the Leagues they came from.
The card games of the vfl don’t come anywhere near what’s behind these clubs.
The “q clash” – if you want to make a confection this is it.
It means nothing, it’s just another game, they might be in the same state but there is no history, in every way, it’s simply another game.
Simply pretending they’re in WA or SA is indicative of the pretence the afl is pushing.