Victory’s horror yellow card omen

And the rash of yellow cards received combined with its lack of results continues an interesting trend at Victory under Kevin Muscat’s rule.

Victory players have combined for a total of 22 yellow cards this season at an average of 2.75 per game.

Included in that are both the yellow cards Mitch Austin received against Western Sydney on Melbourne Cup eve, as well as Mark Milligan’s red card against Newcastle last Thursday which will keep him out of Sunday’s trip to Wellington.

The yellow card tally is tracking similarly to the 2015-16 season in which Victory finished sixth and crashed out of the finals at the first hurdle.

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In that 28-game campaign the team copped 76 yellows at an average of 2.71 per game.

But in the two other full seasons in which Muscat has been in charge, the yellow card count has been much lower — and both of those seasons ended in grand final appearances.

Victory registered 62 yellows (average of 2.14 per game) in its 2014-15 championship season, while last season it copped just 64 yellows (at an average of 2.2).

Muscat’s men have also this season committed 127 fouls at an average of 15.9 per game.

Only Melbourne City (135) and Brisbane (132) have been whistled more times.

And Victory is, along with City and Central Coast, one of just three teams to have two players sent off this season.