The opposite of 'most consecutive games', and luckless winne

[SimonH]

A couple of completely unrelated trivia questions for spelly (or anyone else who wants to jump in):

1. I read recently that Norwood's Brad deVries debuted by playing a single game in 2004. Then he came back for a couple in late 2006, and didn't add to that tally until the last few weeks of this year. Made me wonder: what's the longest period in recorded SANFL history between a bloke's debut, and his 2nd game of league footy?

2. I also noticed that the U/17 ladder this year finished up roughly as follows (sorry for lousy formatting):
1 Sturt 20 15 5 0 3 0 2319 1499 30 60.74
2 North Adelaide 20 15 5 0 3 0 2083 1570 30 57.02
3 Norwood 20 14 6 0 3 0 1937 1310 28 59.66
4 Port Adelaide Magpies 20 14 6 0 3 0 2210 1535 28 59.01
5 Eagles 20 11 9 0 3 0 1918 1774 22 51.95
6 South Adelaide 20 6 14 0 3 0 1706 2187 12 43.82
7 Glenelg 20 6 14 0 3 0 1522 2401 12 38.80
8 Central District 20 5 15 0 3 0 1205 2072 10 36.77
9 West Adelaide 20 4 16 0 3 0 1646 2198 8 42.82
So, somehow, Port Adelaide have wound up on 14-6 and 59% (aided by the fact that the U/17s always seems to be a very uneven comp with at least 2 or 3 chopping-block teams) and had to go into the elimination final!

At league level, what's the highest number of wins, and what's the best percentage, a team has ever had but still missed out on the double chance?

Cheers.

[spell_check]

I couldn't really answer no.1, but I can for no.2:

Final 4 system:
Sturt 1971 - 15 wins
Sturt 1971 - 59.75

Final 5 pre 1991:
Port - 1978 14 wins
Norwood - 1977 13 wins 57.82

Final 5 from 1991:
Port - 1991 14 wins
South - 2006 55.17

[scott]

Port was on top of the table for the majority of the season, and only slipped out of a double chance spot in the final round!

[SimonH]

Thanks, Spelly. That Norwood 1977 team was an enormously high-quality side which could have won the minor premiership (or near enough to it) had it not lost concentration in the 2nd half of the year, and somehow disgracefully lost an elim final to seriously inferior opposition.

[Ecky]

A couple of completely unrelated trivia questions for spelly (or anyone else who wants to jump in):

1. I read recently that Norwood's Brad deVries debuted by playing a single game in 2004. Then he came back for a couple in late 2006, and didn't add to that tally until the last few weeks of this year. Made me wonder: what's the longest period in recorded SANFL history between a bloke's debut, and his 2nd game of league footy?

I don't have the answer either, but Josh Willoughby had a longer gap. His first league game for Glenelg was in round 17, 2003, and then played his next game when he came back from Sydney in round 1, 2007.
Also, if Daniel Bell is ever delisted by Melbourne and comes back to Glenelg he will have a longer gap. His only game so far was in round 22, 2002 (when he broke his arm).