Geelong - Food for thought ?

[Duskfire]

I think its a decent enough question. The fact of the matter is Geelong isn't playing great at the moment and have times somehow scraped a win out of nothing. However, I am recently confident that they know what they are doing. Perhaps the rampage run last year took its toll more so then we lead to believe? Whatever the case, it does seem as if the Cats are taking it lightly for the time being.

Don't forget, brisbane never really outright dominated the competition as such. They played great but were also patchy at times throughout the season. However, the Lions waited until the Finals to turn it up a notch. Since Thompson took a leaf out of the Lions books last year, he could be very well doing the same thing this year and letting things amble along.

However, I could be just another overly optomistic Cats supporter

 

[cat in sydney]

I guess in some ways, despite most likely being a veiled troll, it is a valid question. Was 07 a weak year?

Consider the two teams who played in the previous two GFs, Sydney and West Coast.

At the beginning of 07, West Coast, the reigning premiers, were 6-0, undefeated on top of the ladder. They then were beaten by Geelong by 39 points, who clearly got better as the year went on. The Eagles still went on to make the finals (semi's), after losing a couple of key people (Cousins & Judd) to injury.

Sydney, the 05 premiers and 06 Grand Finalists, have continued to be there or thereabouts since:
05 - premiers
06 - runners up
07 - elimination final
08 - currently 6th

So, without too many personnel changes since '05, Sydney has consistently finished lower and lower each year since their 'halcyon' days.
And West Coast, with two significant personnel changes, have plummented down the ladder even further.

My point is, why is '07 brought into question as being a potentially 'weak' year, while '05 and '06 weren't, despite much evidence to suggest that they were?
My theory is that Sydney and West Coast won in weak years, but when other teams started improving (most notably Geelong), they went to water.

 

[Jimmy 2 Shoes]

Cats are a horrible side that every team would love to play against every week.

Don't let the fact that they started their pre-season later then every other side because you know, they won the premiership last season... get in the way. Or even the fact that they didn't really start winning until around this time last season or even the fact that they don't even have their elite ruckman or AA CHB in the side yet and have lost last years CHF (yes that's right, 3 players gone from the spine...)

Cats are really struggling at the moment at 7-0 with the best % and 1st spot on the ladder. I for one as a supporter am absolutely horrified with the way were travelling at the moment. Just pathetic, might aswell give Hawks the cup now and possibly every year that Buddy 'priority pick' Franklin plays until retirement because no one else has a chance.

 

[Sttew]

Just as suspected ... the catters are crying ... get out the kleenex ...

was only putting it up as a discussion ... but it truly hurts me deeply to be called a "Dawk" supporter ... u got me, can i delete the thread ?

Bullshit! You put it up to get a reaction, not for any rational discussion. You knew what the reaction would be, didn't you?

 

[Exhale You]

awwwww, sounds like somebody needs a hug

Nah, i'll just whack the premiership DVD in instead

 

[cat in sydney]

Don't forget, brisbane never really outright dominated the competition as such. They played great but were also patchy at times throughout the season. However, the Lions waited until the Finals to turn it up a notch. Since Thompson took a leaf out of the Lions books last year, he could be very well doing the same thing this year and letting things amble along.

That's a good point. Brisbane is certainly the most dominant team of the past 20 years (if not ever), and yet they never had a home & away year like the Cats had last year.

Consider this hypothetical (and this is a hypothetical, for all those who think I'm getting ahead of myself):

The Cats go undefeated through this 08 season (inc GF), but never really blow teams away, and just scrape wins as they are now.

Which would be considered the most dominant year?
07 - Flag
18-4 H&A, with massive wins over more than half of opposition teams (inc 4 wins by over 100points)

08 - Flag
22-0 H&A, with only close wins the whole time

Which would you choose?

(And remember, this is a question regardless of team... it may well be asked of Hawthorn in the next couple of years too).

 

[Jammer]

How Ottens comes back is going to be very important to the Cats.
I know plenty of Geelong fans who understandably think they are going to
be much improved with Egan's return.
But its Ottens who is the key if Geelong meet an inform Hawthorn at the
end of the year.
If the Hawks roll Geelong in the finals its going to be because they break
even or get on top of what is about a 8 deep onball squad.
Egan wont make much difference with that forward line if their getting
service.
For me Ottens is key.

By the way Cats fans ....how good is Selwood? He could well be the Brownlow smokey at massive odds.... like when Kerr nearly won it at 100 to 1. a few years ago.

 

[And_ROOS]

Just as suspected ... the catters are crying ... get out the kleenex ...

was only putting it up as a discussion ... but it truly hurts me deeply to be called a "Dawk" supporter ... u got me, can i delete the thread ?

Its a poor discussion topic. Basically in your post you put the boot in, yet if a Cats fan made a "discussion post" on that Hawthorn would get flogged if Buddy misses through injury all you Hawks fans would cry foul.

Maybe you should have said how teams are now lifting to test themselves against the best team in the land, which is what happens whenever a premier is crowned. Maybe you should have listed better reasons as to why the gap has closed (injuries to Geelong, younger lists at other teams being more experienced).

Not to mention Geelong were much more dominant in the second half of the season then the first half. Why didnt you take that into account?

Instead this comes across as a poor troll and not a discussion. So either make a decent trolling attempt, or a proper discussion. Dont bitch out and half and half it.

 

[Mooney_d'King]

Its a poor discussion topic. Basically in your post you put the boot in, yet if a Cats fan made a "discussion post" on that Hawthorn would get flogged if Buddy misses through injury all you Hawks fans would cry foul.

Maybe you should have said how teams are now lifting to test themselves against the best team in the land, which is what happens whenever a premier is crowned. Maybe you should have listed better reasons as to why the gap has closed (injuries to Geelong, younger lists at other teams being more experienced).

Not to mention Geelong were much more dominant in the second half of the season then the first half. Why didnt you take that into account?

Instead this comes across as a poor troll and not a discussion. So either make a decent trolling attempt, or a proper discussion. Dont bitch out and half and half it.

I wouldn't say it's a poor topic, but I have noticed that the OP hasn't been back to respond since some balanced and considered Geelong responses surfaced. Maybe he's lost for words? Maybe it was a poorly disguised troll after all. Maybe he's at work and isn't as slack as the rest of us Proof will be in the pudding I suppose.

 

[bungholes_premiers]

I wouldn't say it's a poor topic, but I have noticed that the OP hasn't been back to respond since some balanced and considered Geelong responses surfaced. Maybe he's lost for words? Maybe it was a poorly disguised troll after all. Maybe he's at work and isn't as slack as the rest of us Proof will be in the pudding I suppose.

You want a response ?

Thank f*k for some honest responses and a few of ur fellow supporters not crying and playing the "troll" card ! FFS if i had a buck for every time a tosser used the "troll" excuse i wouldnt need to be at work !


To those who actually are civil in their responses - thanks for the decent replies and come round 17 i still think u will win .. as long as we learn and keep improving i'll be happy.

 

[bungholes_premiers]

Maybe you should have said how teams are now lifting to test themselves against the best team in the land, which is what happens whenever a premier is crowned.

Which is basically what i'm asking ..

 

[JUBJUB]

I mean, did Port deserve to be in the GF ? I don't think so - they JUST made the top 4 because of 2 skin off their ballsack wins late in the season - all in all when a side gets blown away like that in a GF they were not worthy.
So MAYBE the cats had it easy ...

FFS you dipstick Dawk bogans,GET OVER IT !!!
Port deserved to be there.Unlike the Tassie Dawks they didn't choke in a semi-final they should easily have won.They waited until the GF to do it

 

[ben_cats_fan]

You know, I find it amazing. Geelong has won 7-0 and, although have been challenged in a few games, have risen to the top. But what gets me is everyone doubting the cats - are Hawthorn on top of the ladder at the moment? Not quite. Small percentage difference in fact. But isn't the percentage a reflection of winning margins? The greater the win, the higher the percentage, and vice versa?

So, in theory, doesn't that in actual fact mean that, contrary to beliefs, Geelong HAS in actual fact been the best team to date this season, regardless of patchiness?

 

[bungholes_premiers]

You know, I find it amazing. Geelong has won 7-0 and, although have been challenged in a few games, have risen to the top. But what gets me is everyone doubting the cats - are Hawthorn on top of the ladder at the moment? Not quite. Small percentage difference in fact. But isn't the percentage a reflection of winning margins? The greater the win, the higher the percentage, and vice versa?

So, in theory, doesn't that in actual fact mean that, contrary to beliefs, Geelong HAS in actual fact been the best team to date this season, regardless of patchiness?

Please point in the direction of the person who said they WERE NOT the best team to date ?

 

[Bulldogs Roar]

Every grand final winning side finds it hard to come up the next year, call it a premiership hangover if you like. They started training later and might be struggling for a little bit of motivation. Doesn't matter how Well Geelong plays in H&A, come finals time when they are involved, i hope my team doesn't have to play them.

 

[candiehappy]

Just as suspected ... the catters are crying ... get out the kleenex ...

was only putting it up as a discussion ... but it truly hurts me deeply to be called a "Dawk" supporter ... u got me, can i delete the thread ?

sorry, shouldn't be Dawk, should be F Wit. I bet the other Hawks supporters are embarrassed but such a pathetic post. What replys do you expect ? And the fact is we well ahead of where we were this time last year.
What a goose.

 

[daics cousin]

Geelong won that premiership last year for a couple of reasons,
The players that make up that team have played together consitantly.Thev team balance wasn't upset.
Joel Selwood was outstanding in what i believe that he was really the number one pick in the super draft and not gibbs.Geelong got a bargain.
Most importantly Geelong sailed through 2007 without any injuries(egan excluded)
The senior core group of players made a psycological pact that they were going to win the premiership after afew years of heart break,to dispell the rumours that geelong are crap.
The team has been 10 years in the making
They just got over the line in what was the real grand final against a depleted collingwood.Very lucky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The had to get the monkey off their backs,that's why they will soften this year.Part of winning a premiership is not all pyhsical it's psycological.
The want for something is greater than the need.
Be very careful about sitting in what's called a comfort zone.

 

[Alpha Male]

Before this turns into a Hawthorn vs. Geelong topic I'd like to throw in my 2c.

Geelong are far and away the best team in the AFL right now.

Ive seen every Cats game this year (Go Foxtel!) and its safe to say that they have not played at their fullest in season '08. Ive seen them play live twice. The first time was vs. Essendon and thanks to a very attacking game plan from an ill-equipped side Geelong coasted (Yes, coasted) to a massive 99 point win. The second game I saw live was against my beloved Saints.

I went to that game with a heart full of hope. While I've never bought into the hype that we were the 'only' team to challange Geelong our early season form looked good. It was still looking good to half time when only inaccurate kicking was the difference. Then it happened.

In the next ten minutes of football the game was over.

They have done this in every game so far. They play in second or third gear for as long as they have to then one of them will go up a gear when the game needs to be won. Vs St. Kilda, Sydney and Fremantle are the obvious games. Go and watch if you dont believe. Watch Freo hold Ablett only to see Selwood win the game. Watch Sydney lock Geelongs forwards but leave Ablett to slip through.

Hawthorn are an awesome side. The Doggies not far behind. But IF Geelong fire on all cylinders the only thing between them and the '08 flag is 20-odd weeks of football.

 

[bungholes_premiers]

sorry, shouldn't be Dawk, should be F Wit. I bet the other Hawks supporters are embarrassed but such a pathetic post. What replys do you expect ? And the fact is we well ahead of where we were this time last year.
What a goose.

 

[Brent24]

They still have the best midfield and defence in the game. That being said, i can see how Hawthorn can compete with them this year, with both Roughhead and Franklin firing, the Hawks forwardline does look a step above Geelongs.