Geelong and GWS - the rivalry that wasn't to be

[BigVic]

They were close to making the 2016, 2017 and 2019 grand finals and have only played in one final on neutral territory in the 2021 Semi Final in Perth. Had GWS beaten Brisbane last week, they would've faced Geelong at the MCG on Saturday with only their 2nd meeting in a finals ever.

In an alternate world, Geelong and GWS would've been a finals rivalry that never was and on Saturday they'd be playing each other in their 5th finals match.

 

[crocsta]

Geelong’s extended success makes it feel like we’ve had a few rivalries:

St.Kilda - 2009 GF, rd 14 game)
Hawks - rival with 2008, Kenner’s curse
Pies- with many finals and GF
Tigers - although we were never our best
Sydney - over the journey
Port Adelaide - several finals plus 119pts

It feels like the Sydney rivalry has been building

 

[BigVic]

Sydney and Geelong has a rivalry dating back 19 years but only one close game.

 

[Freomaniac]

Geelong’s extended success makes it feel like we’ve had a few rivalries:

St.Kilda - 2009 GF, rd 14 game)
Hawks - rival with 2008, Kenner’s curse
Pies- with many finals and GF
Tigers - although we were never our best
Sydney - over the journey
Port Adelaide - several finals plus 119pts

It feels like the Sydney rivalry has been building

Geelong had some close games vs freo in 2010-13. 2 of them were memorable finals. but that is forgotten.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I don't know that it really counts as a rivalry. They've beaten us a few times recently. Lots of clubs have.

 

[STPer18]

Geelong’s extended success makes it feel like we’ve had a few rivalries:

St.Kilda - 2009 GF, rd 14 game)
Hawks - rival with 2008, Kenner’s curse
Pies- with many finals and GF
Tigers - although we were never our best
Sydney - over the journey
Port Adelaide - several finals plus 119pts

It feels like the Sydney rivalry has been building

Freo for a little while and based on BigFooty.com posting about 10 other teams too. I think we've completed the whole set.

 

[Warhorse]

A lot of teams see Geelong as their own big rivals. Look at the way Richmond supports froth at the mouth at every Geelong thread and we don't even consider them a traditional rival.

 

[Toump Ass]

Had GWS beaten Brisbane last week, they would've faced Geelong at the MCG on Saturday

Huge if true.

 

[PhilX]

The only team I've ever felt a rivalry with was Hawthorn. Back in the 80s, we used to drive down to Kardinia from Western Vic for the Geelong-Hawthorn games, as some family friends were Hawks supports.

There was, of course, the classic 1989 Grand Final. In 2008 I was living with a Hawks fan, and he brought along a bunch of his extended family to our annual Grand Final BBQ. That was a depressing day. Then the Kennett Curse, then the 2013 Prelim.

In addition to numerous big games, it's also one of those situations where you often get tight fought games even when one team or the other are otherwise going through a down period.

At one point I thought we might end up with St Kilda as rivals, but they rose and then fell quickly in the late aughts, while we stayed up. Richmond were similar, although I will say that even though I don't see Richmond as rivals, Dustin Martin certainly is. Damn the man, and the most frustrating thing is he seems to actually be a really good bloke, so I can't even dislike him, really.