It could be argued that TIO Stadium in Darwin is a relatively ‘neutral’ venue considering AFL football is generally only played there once or twice each season.

But it’s no coincidence that on eight of the past 10 occasions, the adopted ‘home’ side has come away with the four points.

Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, in particular, have hosted matches at TIO Stadium in recent years, and the odds have been well and truly in their favour.

The Bulldogs have won their past six outings at the venue, including an upset of potential Finalists Port Adelaide earlier this season, while the Demons have lost just once in Darwin over the past three years.

While Port Adelaide have historically been the ‘visiting side’ for matches played in the ‘Red Centre’ as the away team, Gold Coast, Fremantle and Carlton have all suffered defeats there in the past.

If the Lions can overcome Melbourne this Saturday night, they will become just the second club in AFL history – behind the Power – to claim victory in Darwin as the away team.

The results from the past two seasons also suggest that the match will be a low scoring affair, with teams averaging just over 60 points per game.  

So while the Lions will likely head into the match as warm favourites, history tells us that matches played at TIO Stadium are completely different ball games.

Melbourne will have the added advantage of having spent a considerable amount of time in Darwin earlier this year as part of their pre-season training program.

The below table provides a comprehensive list of results from previous AFL home-and-away matches played at TIO Stadium in Darwin.