Geelong players getting suspended for crucial finals - coincidence or culture problem?

[Brain Power]

2013 - Paul Chapman belts someone in the SF against Port, gets suspended for the prelim against Hawthorn which they lose by a kick. Probably cost them a flag.
2016 - Steve Johnson (by then at GWS of course) belts someone against the Swans, gets suspended for the prelim against the Dogs which GWS lose by a kick. Probably cost his team a flag, too.
2019 - Tom Hawkins needlessly belts Schofield, almost certain to cop at least a week. Will this end up costing the Cats a flag?

Unless I'm forgetting someone, in the last 10 years or so, the only three star players to miss a cut-throat final (I think Buddy missed a QF at one point) through suspension have been two Geelong players and a guy who spent 14 years at the Cats and developed a hard edge to his game while there.

So, in an era where violent acts are largely a thing of the past, why is it that Geelong players just can't seem to stop whacking blokes at this time of year, with so much on the line? Is the pressure of the occasion getting to them?

 

[JohnZ]

Hawthorn Poster trying to make themselves relevant: tick
Thread based on a massive stretch: tick
Easily explainable by AFL conspiracy: tick

Congrats Brain Power you've won yourself another 3peat.

 

[Duskfire]

Geelong have made finals 14 out of the last 16 years and there are three examples. It’s not really a culture thing. All those three players were known for being morons and tiring the line

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Stick to your stinky flogcast Penal. The main board isn't for you.

 

[STPer18]

Geelong don't get the same preferential MRO treatment as some of the AFL's favoured clubs. Oh well.

 

[BIRDBRAIN]

Would they really suspend a Victorian player for a prelim for hitting a weagle? They'll change the rule or something.

 

[Americanpies]

Geelong don't get the same preferential MRO treatment as some of the AFL's favoured clubs. Oh well.

Tom Hawkins should immediately announce he is moving to GWS next season. The AFL will let him off for the hit. Then after the game he should retract and say he has changed his mind. In fact all players facing suspension should do that. Even Willie Rioli should do it.. he'd be playing round 1 next year.

 

[Roobs321]

Hawky's good blokeness and Schofield's Geelongness will ultimately see him line up in the prelim. He only hit an Eagle.

 

[JackFlash]

The AFL have nailed Geelong to the wall at finals time for years...the Hawkins incident is borderline frivlous when compared to the Toby Greene gauge or NicNat fence throwing, but that's just the way it is. It's all trial by media and Hawkins doesn't stand a chance, the media have hung him already! There was nothing in it, but he will go for sure! Why the hell is Greene playing?

 

[Black white]

Hawky's good blokeness and Schofield's Geelongness will ultimately see him line up in the prelim. He only hit an Eagle.

King hit with the ball 30 metres away

 

[Gameova_]

Should be ban on hawthorn/Geelong posters making threads about each club. Shit fights. Bitterness. Boring.

 

[HTPunter]

Hawkins puts a bloke down more than a kick off the ball and Geelong fans cry 'conspiracy'.

Spare me.

 

[Stev0]

Well, that's three players in under 10 years and considering how often Geelong has made the finals and the total number of games played it's more than any Geelong fan would wish for but statistically meaningless.

Have you controlled for suspensions at other clubs, the number of finals they've played, altering of rules over this period and sensitivity of AFL to impact and/or controversial tribunal decisions?

 

[Blues_Man]

Deserved a week ..move on

 

[deck]

Geelong have made finals 14 out of the last 16 years and there are three examples. It’s not really a culture thing. All those three players were known for being morons and tiring the line

And one of them wasn't even playing for Geelong. Talk about what a long bow to stretch.

 

[sounda]

The AFL have nailed Geelong to the wall at finals time for years...the Hawkins incident is borderline frivlous when compared to the Toby Greene gauge or NicNat fence throwing, but that's just the way it is. It's all trial by media and Hawkins doesn't stand a chance, the media have hung him already! There was nothing in it, but he will go for sure! Why the hell is Greene playing?

Are you off your head??

He deliberately whacked another player in the face FFS.

He reached around so he could whack him and then went to apologize for his actions.

Why apologize if you have not done anything wrong?

If that had been a WCE or Collingwood player they would have received 4 weeks - no doubt!

 

[STPer18]

Are you off your head??

He deliberately whacked another player in the face FFS.

He reached around so he could whack him and then went to apologize for his actions.

Why apologize if you have not done anything wrong?

If that had been a WCE or Collingwood player they would have received 4 weeks - no doubt!

Please, Niccy Natty threw someone into the fence head first and got off with a slap on the wrist.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Deserved a week ..move on

Agreed

Dumb from Hawkins
.has let club down

 

[The 747]

Would they really suspend a Victorian player for a prelim for hitting a weagle? They'll change the rule or something.

He'll be fine it was "in play"

 

[PieLebo87]

I never really visit Bay 13.. is this a glimpse?

 

[Paul Kersey]

Doubt Hawkins has cost them anything this year but he is quite a dirty footballer.

 

[Holden Hillbilly]

If it was a player outside Victoria he would have got 2-3 games.

Geelong can GAGF.

 

[Sttew]

2013 - Paul Chapman belts someone in the SF against Port, gets suspended for the prelim against Hawthorn which they lose by a kick. Probably cost them a flag.
2016 - Steve Johnson (by then at GWS of course) belts someone against the Swans, gets suspended for the prelim against the Dogs which GWS lose by a kick. Probably cost his team a flag, too.
2019 - Tom Hawkins needlessly belts Schofield, almost certain to cop at least a week. Will this end up costing the Cats a flag?

Unless I'm forgetting someone, in the last 10 years or so, the only three star players to miss a cut-throat final (I think Buddy missed a QF at one point) through suspension have been two Geelong players and a guy who spent 14 years at the Cats and developed a hard edge to his game while there.

So, in an era where violent acts are largely a thing of the past, why is it that Geelong players just can't seem to stop whacking blokes at this time of year, with so much on the line? Is the pressure of the occasion getting to them?

Stretching a long bow with the 2016 suspension. That would be like me saying Hawthorn is used to 150 point GF drubbings because Burgoyne played in the 2007 GF

 

[Sttew]

Are you off your head??

He deliberately whacked another player in the face FFS.

He reached around so he could whack him and then went to apologize for his actions.

Why apologize if you have not done anything wrong?

If that had been a WCE or Collingwood player they would have received 4 weeks - no doubt!

Nic Hat flung a Footballer into the fence last week. No weeks

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Should be ban on hawthorn/Geelong posters making threads about each club. s**t fights. Bitterness. Boring.

Hawthorn supporters took last nights Geelong win harder than the Eagles supporters did.

It's embarrassing.