ENTERING 2014, Paul Roos’ first season as Melbourne coach, the club had some unfortunate hoodoos hanging over its head.

It hadn’t defeated a host of teams or won at several venues for some time.

But in the past two and a half seasons, several bad streaks have ended.

Some still remain however.

On the weekend, Melbourne ended a seven-match losing streak in the Northern Territory, winning its first game up there since round 17, 2011.

Although it has yet to win from three attempts in Alice Springs, Melbourne now has a 3-4 win/loss record in Darwin, which is hardly disastrous.

In the process, Melbourne ended a seven-match losing streak against Fremantle, which also dated back to 2011. Since that round 13 win at the MCG five years ago, Melbourne endured some punishing losses at the hands of Freo, losing seven matches by an average of 66.42 points per game. 

And although Fremantle had remarkably won just three matches entering last round – after finishing on top of the ladder following last year’s home and away season with 17 wins – it was still an impressive win by Melbourne, given it needed to overcome two hoodoos: defeating Freo and winning in the NT.

For defender Tom McDonald, who played his 97^th AFL game on the weekend, it was the first time he has played in a winning side over Fremantle. 

“I can’t ever remember beating Freo in my career,” he said.

“We haven’t won [in Darwin] in the time I’ve been here, so it’s just another one to tick off that we haven’t done.”

This week, Melbourne faces another potential hoodoo-breaking match.

It’s aiming for its first win over St Kilda since its most recent finals win – the second elimination final in 2006. That was back when Neale Daniher was coach and Grant Thomas was at the helm of the Saints for the last time.

Melbourne hasn’t defeated St Kilda in its past 13 encounters, with a shattering two-point loss at Etihad Stadium in round 11 last year the closest the red and blue has come in 10 years.

In fact, it will be the third time Melbourne has played St Kilda this year – and at Etihad Stadium – although one of those clashes was a NAB Challenge game, which the Dees won.

Overcoming St Kilda will be another great challenge for Melbourne to tick off another unwanted record before the season’s end.

Unfortunately, it won’t be able to break the North Melbourne drought – unless somehow the cards fell that both met in the finals – but Melbourne’s five-point loss to the Kangaroos at Blundstone Arena in round three was the second closest it’s been to defeating the Roos since 2006.

Only Melbourne’s one-point loss in round nine, 2007 – the first of its 15-match losing streak against North Melbourne – was the nearest it’s come to beating the Roos since round 20, 2006. But the five-point loss in Hobart earlier this year was almost a thrilling Melbourne victory, which went right down to the wire.

Again, unless something magical happens in September, Melbourne will only take on Hawthorn one more time this year, meaning it has the opportunity to end a 13-game losing streak against the brown and gold.

In round 11 this year, Melbourne came as close as it’s been to knocking off the Hawks. It went down by 18 points, which was its ‘best loss’ against Hawthorn since Melbourne’s most recent win against it in round eight, 2006, which was a 75-point victory at the MCG.  

The only other teams Melbourne hasn’t beaten under Roos’ reign are Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles.

Melbourne’s most recent win over the Power was in Darwin in round 17, 2011, while round 17, 2010 – when Roos was coaching the Swans – was the most recent time it beat Sydney.

Another opportunity will present itself in round 18, when Melbourne tackles West Coast at Domain Stadium. If it can overcome the Eagles, it will end an eight-game losing streak. And if Melbourne can win in the west, it will be its first victory at Subiaco Oval since round 11, 2004 when it defeated Fremantle. Round 19, 2002 was the last time Melbourne overcame West Coast in Perth.

That would be some mighty achievement – and just one of the reasons that keeps Melbourne’s season alive and interesting.  

But it’s fascinating to reflect on what’s been ticked off during Roos’ time at the club.

In round seven, 2014, Melbourne defeated Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval, which was not only its inaugural win at the venue, but its first victory in South Australia since round two, 2001.

Last year in round 12, Melbourne produced a brilliant 24-point win over Geelong at the Cattery – ending a nine-year losing streak against the Cats and a 10-year losing streak at Geelong.

It has also notched up consecutive wins against sides such as Collingwood, winning its past three, after losing seven in a row from round 20, 2007 to round 10, 2015. Melbourne has also defeated Richmond in its previous three meetings.  

A 22-game losing streak was also broken at Etihad Stadium in the final round of last year, after Melbourne defeated Greater Western Sydney. That was a remarkable hoodoo that needed to be smashed.

And now Melbourne is just one match away from winning its eighth game for the season – equaling its best effort in the past 10 years.

If it can crack nine wins, Melbourne will have achieved its best season in 10 years. 

Under Roos, his coaching staff and players, several important hurdles have been overcome.

In the final seven home and away matches, there are a handful more.

And based on what’s happened since 2014, you’d expect more to be broken.