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In the rich history of the Australian Football League (AFL), certain matches stand out for their outstanding displays of dominance by one team over another. These matches denote significant winning margins, showcasing the superior performance and skill of the victorious team.
From thrilling defeats to astounding victories, the AFL has seen its fair share of one-sided results where teams demonstrated exceptional superiority on the field with big winning margins.
The biggest winning margin in AFL history is 190 points (238-48), set by now-defunct club Fitzroy against Melbourne in 1979. However, this articld will focus on the biggest winning margins recorded in the 21st century.
Without further ado, here are the five biggest AFL-winning margins of the 21st century.
#5 Geelong Cats vs Gold Coast Suns - 150 points
Geelong have recorded some of the highest one-sided victories in the AFL in the past decade. The Cats have been on the winning end of some iconic games of footy, and hold the record for the biggest winning margin in the 21st century.
One such victory came in 2011 against Gold Coast en route to winning the 2011 premiership. The Cats were in terrific form that year, finishing second in the league table behind Collingwood.
When the Suns - who were playing in their inaugural season - visited the Skilled Stadium, they were thrashed 188-28 by the Cats. This defeat still stands as the biggest defeat in Gold Coast's history.
#4 Hawthorns vs GWS Giants - 162 points
Hawthorn Hawks are one of the elite clubs in the AFL and have dished out some of the heaviest losses witnessed in the league since 2001. They enjoyed a successful four-year period in the league, winning three consecutive Grand Finals (2013, 2014 and 2015) and finishing as runner-up in 2012.
In Round 15 of the 2012 season, the Hawks inflicted on Greater Western Sydney (GWS) their heaviest-ever defeat (193-31). The 162 points-winning margin game was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
#3 Hawthorn Hawks vs Port Adelaide Power - 165 points
A year before the GWS' 162 points win, Hawthorn had recorded the biggest winning margin in the club's history against Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide Power was one of the weeping boys of the 2011 AFL season. They recorded only three wins in 24 games, finishing 16th in the table, and were handed the biggest loss of their history by the Hawks.
A 197-32 win over Port Adelaide at the MCG gave Hawthorn their biggest AFL winning margin, surpassing the previous record of 160 points. On the other hand, it was a case of bad to worse for the Power as the 165-point loss overtook their biggest losing margin (138 points) set the previous week against Collingwood.
#2 Sydney Swans vs West Coast Eagles - 171 points
A team scoring 200 points is an uncommon thing to see in the AFL, and only two teams have been able to achieve this feat in the past two decades. Sydney Swans is one of the two teams to have reached this milestone.
In Round 15 of the 2023 season, the Swans scored 205 points against the West Coast Eagles in a 171-point win (205-34). The enthralling victory at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) saw them play out a 58-6, 35-19, 71-2, and 41-7 scoreline in each quarter.
Fans at the SCG were stunned by the Swans' electric performance. At the time, the last time a 200-game was witnessed was over a decade ago.
#1 Geelong Cats vs Melbourne Demons - 186 points
The 2011 AFL season was a hugely successful campaign for Geelong. They sealed a ninth premiership and set the record for the biggest winning margin of the 21st century.
The Cats thumped the Melbourne Demons 223-47 in Round 19 of that season. It was their second-highest score and their highest score ever at the Skilled Stadium. It was also their fourth-highest score of all-time and the highest score by any team since quarters were shortened to 20 minutes in 1994.
This result led to the sacking of Melbourne coach Dean Bailey a day after the disappointing loss.
