Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney dominance - is there a problem?

[STP18]

Is there are problem? Hmmm. Well, let's leave Sydney out of the equation, because the afl have reserved a perpetual spot for them in the 8. We might as well call it a top 7. Cats & Hawks have a genuine home ground advantage half the year, so they'd probably be embarrassed if they didn't make the finals. Shame on Power, Freo, Suns & Lions. How the hell can these teams miss the 7. All they have to do is win their home games. It's mathematically possible for these teams to lose EVERY away game and still make the 7. Just pathetic. I don't think the cats/hawks/swans have been as powerful as their trophy cabinet suggests. Some of those flags came with a bit of luck. I can think of a couple of finals the hawks probably should have lost. And the cats should have lost to the saints, and probably the pies in the 07 prelim (if Ben Johnson wasn't serving suspension he would've kept Stokes quiet). But that's fine. You need a bit of luck to win a flag. The only team I found intimidating in recent times was the lions in their premiership years. And even they had some luck avoiding the power in 2002/3. This all sounds one-eyed. I better put it on the record that the pies were lucky the ball bounced sideways from Milne in 2010. Happy?

We beat the 'unbeatable' Collingwood side of 2011 three times at the MCG in a single year. The fact that we have to host you guys at Melbourne is already one of the biggest farces in the entire competition, and puts us at a disadvantage every year before a single ball has been bounced. It's akin to Collingwood hosting Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval. We regularly host Melbourne teams in Melbourne, yet we overcame that by spanking them at their own ground.

 

[STP18]

2011:
QF: Hawthorn at their MCG ---> Spanked them
PF: Eagles at neutral MCG ---> Spanked them
GF: Pies at their MCG ---> Spanked them

The real argument would be that both the QF and PF should have been played at Kardinia Park, if the AFL had any integrity whatsoever.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Gunston played 14 games in 2 years and looked like a promising young player. We traded a first second and third rounder to him. Historicly more then adelaide usually get for gun KPP players. Remember he was projected to be a good young player. Not what he currently is

I disagree, I think his form over his last 6 or 7 games at Adelaide was brilliant. Hawks did a great job detecting him and getting him to there club.

20 goals in 10 games showed he was going to be good and your 1st was pick 28 or 30.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

The introduction of the Suns and Giants helped as it stopped other teams topping up on young talent.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Those situations aren't just exclusive to the three clubs mentioned by the OP though. Our most promising young midfielder Christensen who is from Lara down in Geelong decided out of nowhere he wanted to be traded to Brisbane for reasons still unknown by most, and we had to accept pick-21, a complete slap in the face because he was out of contract. Shit happens.

Christensen is overated.

 

[STP18]

Christensen is overated.

He was tracking nicely with us. Just because Brisbane seem to be unable to develop players doesn't mean he wasn't our most promising young midfielder.

 

[Leeda]

You'd think there would be more of the "f... this " and that teams/clubs would absolutely be
belting themselves on the training track to "rise to the occasion".

I just reckon it will even out eventually as long as the rest will "bang on" on the field and "rise up and conquer"....

LOL...

 

[Gunstall555]

Is there are problem? Hmmm. Well, let's leave Sydney out of the equation, because the afl have reserved a perpetual spot for them in the 8. We might as well call it a top 7. Cats & Hawks have a genuine home ground advantage half the year, so they'd probably be embarrassed if they didn't make the finals. Shame on Power, Freo, Suns & Lions. How the hell can these teams miss the 7. All they have to do is win their home games. It's mathematically possible for these teams to lose EVERY away game and still make the 7. Just pathetic. I don't think the cats/hawks/swans have been as powerful as their trophy cabinet suggests. Some of those flags came with a bit of luck. I can think of a couple of finals the hawks probably should have lost. And the cats should have lost to the saints, and probably the pies in the 07 prelim (if Ben Johnson wasn't serving suspension he would've kept Stokes quiet). But that's fine. You need a bit of luck to win a flag. The only team I found intimidating in recent times was the lions in their premiership years. And even they had some luck avoiding the power in 2002/3. This all sounds one-eyed. I better put it on the record that the pies were lucky the ball bounced sideways from Milne in 2010. Happy?

Dude I hate Geelong as much as the next person but in no world should Collingwood have even gotten close in that prelim. The umpiring in that game was so outrageously in your favour it almost (but didn't) make me feel bad for Geelong.
And as for close finals Hawks should have lost, you got pretty lucky in 2011, certainly weren't the better team on the night.
At the end of the day whilst either of Geelong, Hawthorn or Sydney could have lost close finals and not won flags they have won, these clubs get the basics of premiership success right in the first place and that is do the hard work, get yourself a top 4 spot and play your best footy in September. Get yourself a double chance, play good footy when it counts and you'll get plenty of flags. This is pretty much what has happened.

 

[JackOutback]

2011:
QF: Hawthorn at their MCG ---> Spanked them
PF: Eagles at neutral MCG ---> Spanked them
GF: Pies at their MCG ---> Spanked them

The real argument would be that both the QF and PF should have been played at Kardinia Park, if the AFL had any integrity whatsoever.

Did you just call the MCG neutral for West Coast?!?

Gotta give this thread credit, it's brought Hawks and Cats fans together. Can we tackle Israel and Palestine next?

 

[STP18]

Did you just call the MCG neutral for West Coast?!?

Gotta give this thread credit, it's brought Hawks and Cats fans together. Can we tackle Israel and Palestine next?

As far as the Cats go yes. Our home ground is Kardinia Park, yours is Subiaco. Having to host you guys at the MCG is a neutral venue for both clubs.

 

[Upgrayedd]

As far as the Cats go yes. Our home ground is Kardinia Park, yours is Subiaco. Having to host you guys at the MCG is a neutral venue for both clubs.

The eagles play subiaco maybe twice a year? Geelong play a whole lot more. Its hardly neutral

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

The eagles play subiaco maybe twice a year? Geelong play a whole lot more. Its hardly neutral

No the Geelong supporter has I right.

Geelong vs WC at the MCG is a neutral ground. It's the same as last year Hawks played Port at Etihad, neutral ground. Why do interstate teams continually get these benefits Port more than most. They get 10 genuine home games a great, neutral games against Adelaide, WB and Melb (both play Port in NT, so probably advantage for port) and now they have convinced the AFL to schedule a GC home game in China for then to have another neutral game.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Is there are problem? Hmmm. Well, let's leave Sydney out of the equation, because the afl have reserved a perpetual spot for them in the 8.

Either your lengual location is firmly buccal (I suspect this to be the case) or the level of paranoia, persecutionism and swivel-eyed conspiricism about Sydney and the AFL has just plumbed fresh depths.

 

[26_Miles]

Gotta LOL at geelong fans wanting a Kardinia Park home ground advantage for finals when they blew the only one they had there.

 

[JackOutback]

As far as the Cats go yes. Our home ground is Kardinia Park, yours is Subiaco. Having to host you guys at the MCG is a neutral venue for both clubs.

You have to fly four hours to get from Geelong to the MCG?

 

[Goggin Our Best]

As far as the Cats go yes. Our home ground is Kardinia Park, yours is Subiaco. Having to host you guys at the MCG is a neutral venue for both clubs.

Mate - id prefer the MCG - when the Cats had the 11 in a row streak against the Hawks they were all at the MCG

Prior to that Hawthorn had an unbelievable record beating Geelong in Geelong ( at KP ) it used to do my feucken head in

 

[STP18]

Gotta LOL at geelong fans wanting a Kardinia Park home ground advantage for finals when they blew the only one they had there.

Not sure what the point of this is? So losing games means you forfeit your right for future home games?

LOL at richmond fans wanting to play finals when they blew their shot by losing to a team who finished 9th! DERP!

 

[Stratton_Gun]

I don't see a problem if clubs are good enough to stay at the top with all the equalisation measures then why should we try and stop it

 

[The_Eagles]

The rightful top sides IMO are Essendon West Coast and Carlton, and over 100 years it will even out
Bombers and Blues of course are in fact the top sides

 

[STP18]

No the Geelong supporter has I right.

Geelong vs WC at the MCG is a neutral ground. It's the same as last year Hawks played Port at Etihad, neutral ground. Why do interstate teams continually get these benefits Port more than most. They get 10 genuine home games a great, neutral games against Adelaide, WB and Melb (both play Port in NT, so probably advantage for port) and now they have convinced the AFL to schedule a GC home game in China for then to have another neutral game.

Ding ding ding, winner. You wouldn't consider Hawthorn playing at Etihad to give you guys any advantage whatsoever. MCG and Launceston, sure, but not Etihad. Geelong at the MCG is a neutral venue, not positive, not negative, our home ground is Kardinia Park. Not sure why so many seem unable to grasp this simple concept.

 

[26_Miles]

Not sure what the point of this is? So losing games means you forfeit your right for future home games?

LOL at richmond fans wanting to play finals when they blew their shot by losing to a team who finished 9th! DERP!

If only we drew your mob at the cattery, unlucky I guess.

 

[STP18]

If only we drew your mob at the cattery, unlucky I guess.

Gotta make the eight first. You blokes look decades off it.

 

[CobberRodgers]

He was tracking nicely with us. Just because Brisbane seem to be unable to develop players doesn't mean he wasn't our most promising young midfielder.

I have to agree with this.

Would love to see what the outcome would be if a number of high draft picks that have made nothing of themselves ended up in a better developmental club and culture.

Might have ended the same, but maybe, just maybe, they would have got something more out of them.

 

[Rotayjay]

Their success is in a part due to luck, they were the strong successful teams when the AFL r*ped the league to establish GC and GWS, all the prominent young kids who should have gone to the teams at the bottom of the ladder such as Melb, Brisbane, WBD, St Kilda, Port Adelaide etc etc instead were shipped off to plastic AFL franchises. This hamstrung those clubs at the bottom of the ladder, meaning the clubs already up had no competition from below. This lead to sustained success, which made them destination clubs. Bring in Free Agency and being a destination club is suddenly a very large advantage, so the strong teams got stronger.

Then you add in other factors, like Geelong's home ground advantage / advantage of attracting players due to their larger geographical historical base. Add in AFL scams like Buddy Franklin and Tippet to Sydney, as well as COLA and you have the period of dominance.

Im hoping their dominance will die off, but then GWS's will come. The only thing certain about the AFL is their self interest will inevitably cause injustice, and some teams will succeed because of it.

All these idiotic notions about "growing the game" do nothing but abuse THE game, and ruin it for everyone who is already a fan.

Needs to be quoted. Post of the day.

 

[Hawthorn United]

As far as the Cats go yes. Our home ground is Kardinia Park, yours is Subiaco. Having to host you guys at the MCG is a neutral venue for both clubs.

We know the answer to why it's setup that way. Money.

100k maximum attendance vs 40k? Not sure what the capacity is at Kardinia now.

Clubs don't play at their actual locations they're named after anymore and in most cases, don't even train or based there.

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