"You don't want to be playing your best football at this point of the season" is an old adage that is thrown around among fans and pundits alike at this point of the year.
Sydney and Fremantle are the two clubs flying at the moment, both sitting on a record of 9-1 and at least two wins clear in the top two spots on the ladder. The Dockers, in particular, have found their groove in 2026 and are currently on a nine-game winning streak (an equal club record) after only losing their first match of the season.
Thanks to its early hard work, Fremantle is poised for its first shot at a premiership tilt in more tha a decade, but how have other teams who have had similar red-hot starts fared across the past two decades?
As it turns out, clubs have found long-winning streaks to start the season provide no certainty of success.
5Fremantle 2015: Rounds 1-9 (nine wins)
Similar to this season, the Dockers, then under Ross Lyon started its 2015 campaign on fire with nine straight wins before a surprising loss to Richmond at home in Round 10.
While not performing at a similar rate for the rest of the year, Fremantle did enough to secure the minor premiership and a home preliminary final against Hawthorn.
However, the fast-finishing Hawks - and Cyril Rioli - once again ended the Dockers' title charge.
The Western Australian club would then nose-dive down the ladder in 2016, losing the first 10 games of the season, before starting a decade long rebuild.
