"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.
1Melbourne 2022: Rounds 1-10 (10 wins)
Melbourne looked destined for a dynasty at the start of 2022 as the club kept the good times rolling following its flag with 10 straight wins. Going one better than it did to start the year prior.
However, the Dees began to choke and splutter as the season went on and lost in straight sets to Sydney and Brisbane.
The club would then go out in straight sets again the following year before having to completely reshape the culture of the club at the end of 2025.
Leaving the record of early season win streaks of at least nine converting to flag success, across the past two decades, evenly poised at 4-4.
