VFL side Northern Bullants failed to kick a goal in a 157-point thrashing by Footscray Bulldogs at Genis Steel Oval on Saturday afternoon.
It was an embarrassing result for the competition, which is nation's premier second tier Australian Rules competition, with Footscray being the reserves team for AFL side Western Bulldogs.
The Sporting News explains what happened in the Round 18 match.
MORE: VFL 2023: Fixtures, results, goalkickers, best players, ladder
What was the score in Northern Bullants vs Footscray Bulldogs
Quarter by quarter score
| Team/Qtr | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Bullants | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 (4) |
| Footscray Bulldogs | 3.5 | 13.11 | 17.13 | 24.17 (161) |
The Bullants failed to score in the opening term before Darcy Fritsch got their only score of the half in the second quarter.
Fritsch scored another behind the third term, while Jean-Luc Velissaris added another in the same period to make it their highest scoring quarter.
In the final term, Benjamin Holian added a solitary behind to complete their final score of four points.
For Footscray, seven players kicked multiple goals including five who are Western-Bulldogs listed.
Rory Lobb was chief destroyer with 5.3, while Toby McLean, Caleb Lewis and Mitch Hannan kicked three goals.
Jordan Sweet, Riley Garcia and Lachlan Sullivan chipped in with two six-pointers, while four players kicked a single goal.
The defeat sees Northern Bullants remain second-last on the VFL standings with only two wins for the season.
VFA/L lowest score records
Only six teams have managed a lower score than Northern Bullants' four points in 2023.
Lowest VFA/L scores
| Score | Team (Year) |
|---|---|
| 0.0 | Footscray (1902) |
| 0.1 | Brunswick (1897) |
| 0.2 | Port Melb (1906), Brunswick (1904) |
| 0.3 | Brighton (1909), Williamstown (1899) |
| 0.4 | BULLANTS (2023), Northcote (1919), Preston (1905), West Melb (1901), Richmond (1899), W'town (1897) |
Northern Bullants history
Northern Bullants originated as Preston Football Club in 1882 and have played in the VFA, which transitioned into the VFL.
The team have won four premierships in their history - 1968, 1969, 1983 and 1984.
In 1999, the club was renamed from Preston to Northern Bullants, and they became affiliated with AFL club Carlton in 2003.
This affiliation saw the club renamed Northern Blues in 2012, which remained this entity until Carlton withdrew from the agreement in 2020 due to COVID-19 pressures.
However, the club re-emerged as Northern Bullants for the 2021 season, which they remain as today.
