'Cursed' AFL great seals unwanted hat-trick of final defeats
The Melbourne Stars’ horror collapse in the Big Bash final on Sunday has sealed an unwanted hat-trick for AFL premiership captain Nick Maxwell.
Nearly five months after Maxwell was dealt a double blow across a single weekend, the 35-year-old has watched another title defeat from close range.
In addition to a role with his former club Collingwood and the Pies-aligned Stars, whose president is Eddie McGuire, Maxwell works with the Stars and the Melbourne Storm in leadership and mentoring roles.
But it’s been an unhappy period for the 2010 flag winner.
On the last Saturday of September last year Collingwood lost to West Coast in a heartbreaking result at the MCG.
After sitting on the bench for that game, Maxwell flew up to Sydney for the NRL grand final.
The Storm were beaten badly as the Sydney Roosters came up with a 21-6 victory.
Now, months later, Maxwell has sat alongside Melbourne Stars coach Stephen Fleming at Docklands and again watched his team fall short.
The Stars handed the Big Bash title to the Melbourne Renegades with a monumental collapse of seven wickets for just 19 runs.
Maxwell’s misfortune didn’t go unnoticed with Aussie sport fans:
Nick Maxwell effect 😂 Pies, Storm, now Stars. Zip and 3 in whatever coaching/mentor roles he was involved in with those three teams! #Cursed #BBL08final
— Rick Maynard (@Rickmaynard11) February 17, 2019
In the last 12 months, Nick Maxwell has coached at Collingwood, the Stars and the Storm. All made and lost their respective Grand Finals.
— ChookNorris (@chooknorris21) February 17, 2019
Nick Maxwell is a leadership consultant to the three teams in the AFL, NRL and now the BBL that have lost the grand final
— Nick Welch (@NickWelch51) February 17, 2019
People were also raving on about Nick Maxwell during week.
Employed by Storm, Pies and Stars.
How did that turn out?
Bloody cursed bastard!— Matthew Nolan (@mattsda1) February 17, 2019
It’s not all bad news for the 2010 premiership-winning captain, however, with success seeming to follow him.
He was part of the Storm’s 2017 NRL grand final win over the North Queensland Cowboys.
And he only returned to Collingwood in 2018, when they broke their four-year finals drought and made it all the way to the grand final.
Epic choke coughs up Big Bash title
The Renegades have claimed their first Big Bash title and bragging rights in Melbourne after an impossible 13-run victory over the Stars.
In the derby at Docklands in front of 40,816 fans, the Renegades were held to just 5-145 after being sent in to bat.
The Stars were cruising towards their own drought-breaking championship but from 0-93 they first lost an incredulous four wickets for six runs, but by the time the collapse was halted it was seven for 19.
Ben Dunk returned to form with 57 runs off 45 balls, while Marcus Stoinis was supporting him brilliantly until he fell for 39 off 38.
The choke was on immediately.
Peter Handscomb was out for a two-ball duck, Dunk fell the next over and in-form captain Glenn Maxwell was soon caught for one.
Renegades captain Aaron Finch, whose impact with the bat was curtailed by a freak run out, kept the foot on the pedal and the Stars batsmen kept dropping like flies.
Harry Gurney dismissed Nic Maddinson for just six runs to end the 17th over and Dan Christian had Seb Gotch and Dwayne Bravo caught in the 18th.
The Stars finished on 7-132, 13 runs short, after some late hitting by Adam Zampa (17 runs off 10 balls).