Opinion Geelong v Sydney GF. Neutral supporter prediction/analysis

[WillHayward]

At least if the Cats win we don't have to hear the media crap on about the start of a new "dynasty".

 

[WillHayward]

Eagles fans are torn to be sure.

Feels dirty going for either team.

You can just go for Buddy, Warner and McDonald.

 

[The hands of stone]

Reid is a potential big out for the Swans , worth around 3-4 goals for them.

If he doesnt play Swans by 30 .

 

[momentbymoment]

The Swans were fading somewhat in the last Qtr last night.

To win I think they'll need to be in front by 3QT & then hang on.

Swans have been good in the last qtr all year. The trouble last night is we went defensive early in the second half. It’s a rookie mistake (we are a young team) but we won’t make it again.

Doesn’t mean we beat Geelong but we won’t fade. In fact, we will probably take a lot of confidence from the shellacking we gave them earlier this year

 

[Rod Stroker]

Reid is a potential big out for the Swans , worth around 3-4 goals for them.

If he doesnt play Swans by 30 .

It was no coincidence yesterday that when he went off, their scoring dried up.

 

[momentbymoment]

Credit has to go to both teams.

Other than the expansion clubs no teams in the AFL have been given more comparative advantages than Sydney and Geelong, but at the end of the day good luck to them, they are both worthy Grand Final Teams.

What is interesting is that this grand final, perhaps more than any other grand Final, will define careers.

Both coaches have had a long time between drinks, 10 years, yet both are premiership coaches. Coaches having such incredible, faith, trust and support from their clubs, despite not winning, is not common, and is testament to how well run both organizations are, they kept turning up, and one of them is going to salute

It is also arguable to say that both coaches have suffered in reputation due to the fact that their first and only flag as coaches was from inherited teams.

In any case a flag by either will enhance their reputations, and in Chris Scotts case especially, be a crowning achievement, coming from what has to be considered a disappointing finals record.

For the players as well this flag will change and improve the neutral fans perception, Dangerfield especially would now get the flag that is missing on his resume, Joel Selwood will be a 4 times premiership player, and a captain of a premiership team, Hawkins will win his third flag, 11 years after his last. The length and quality of their careers has to be respected.

Then there's Buddy Franklin, he will become a 3 time premiership player. This may perhaps punctuate an incredible career, that is hard to beat on both its length and consistent brilliance. Imagine if he kicks six and wins the norm smith?

Holmes and Reid are huge outs for both teams. This may be Selwood's last game, so many subplots, so high stakes, should be a ripper.

And yet neither team gets to play a Grand Final on their home ground. Funny that ….

 

[BigVic]

Got a horrible feeling im wrong but, sydney played a gf last night - geelong will run away after 3/4 time

2011 saw Collingwood winning close and Geelong an easy PF win over West Coast the following day. Close for 3 quarters before the Cats ran away with it.

 

[PhatBoy]

Geelong has a massive natural advantage to attract mature players.

So they dont bottom out. Its that simple.

Only advantage we have is culture of success.

 

[SSwans2011]

Only advantage we have is culture of success.

The AFL really need to do something about this.

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Geelong has a massive natural advantage to attract mature players.

So they dont bottom out. Its that simple.

There's a number of reasons Obeanie1 but what you say is definitely apart of that with half the Geelong players living on the Surf Coast/Bellarine Peninsula but a successful and a well run club is also imperative for a mature player to relocate, plus they have to be a finals chance, Jeremy Cameron himself said as much. Forgoing suburbs such as Corio and Nth Geelong the rest of the region is becoming more expensive with Torquay on the 'trendy' Surf Coast now selling at ridiculous land prices with many Geelong Players living there.... check it out with link, cheers Richard

https://www.realestate.com.au/buy/property-land-in-torquay,+vic+3228/list-1

 

[Shane Heard]

Geelong

 

[CrowToon]

What? No idea how its awkward at all.

It really isnt hard to comprehend.

MCG M stands for?

No GF for two years and now another without any Melbourne teams playing.

....will not engage for fear I am speaking with someone eligible for funding.

 

[Ari]

I aren’t watching After seeing Collingwood get robbed

Pies had an armchair the whole game. Get one close decision go against you toward the end and you're salty?

 

[Carlton_Blues]

It was no coincidence yesterday that when he went off, their scoring dried up.

I think their fitness is in question as well, they couldn’t run out the game

 

[The Goon]

Think Geelong will win.

Just hoping for a good close game either way.

Too many s**t gf’s lately.

16 was a great game. 17 not as close but still anyones at the start of the last. 18 was a great comeback win, 19 was obviously boring for everyone other than tiger supporters. 20 a cracking game and 21 was again close till the last qtr.

So in the last 6 years we’ve had two crackers, three close at 3/4 (and all three being drought breakers) and one shit one. Not sure what more you would expect.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[63pinecone]

Swans have been good in the last qtr all year. The trouble last night is we went defensive early in the second half. It’s a rookie mistake (we are a young team) but we won’t make it again.

Doesn’t mean we beat Geelong but we won’t fade. In fact, we will probably take a lot of confidence from the shellacking we gave them earlier this year

I think there is a big advantage going in to games as underdogs. I would much rather be in Sydney's position to be honest.

 

[Seeds]

We've heard this for the last 12 years...by law of averages it'll probably be right sooner or later, but success is not manufactured, it is earned. There's a reason Geelong have never finished lower than 12th and missed Top 8 once (finishing 9th) in the last 15 years, and it's got nothing to do with the talent on our list - it's our culture. Same with Sydney.

For perspective, this is our side in 2024 once Hawkins, Selwood, Smith, Stanley, Ceglar, Dahlhaus, Higgins, Tuohy, Rohan all retire and O. Henry and Bruhn (likely) at a minimum come in:

B: Zuthrie, SDK, Henry
HB: Bews, Kolo, Stewart
C: Holmes, C. Guthrie, Duncan
FO: Conway, Danger, T. Atkins
HF: Miers, J. Cameron, O. Henry
F: Stengle, S. Neale, Close
INT: Blicavs, Parfitt, O'Connor, Menegola

It's not amazing, and is reliant on two KPP's in Conway who we have big hopes for, and Neale who is already shown a bit, reaching the heights we hope they will - but it's not awful either. Obviously there'll be more retirements and more stars going out in '25 and '26, but we'll either develop or find others suitable to fill a role to keep us competitive (see our pursuit of McKenna a as an SSP as an example).

For a side that has been up there as much as we have to still have a side that on paper doesn't look Bottom 4, is a testament to that development and transition that we've done well all these years.

We also have some former first
/second round round draftees who we're excited about, other possible FA's/SSP's/Traded/Draftees, in that time, and further development of the guys already on our list. It's not the heights others will have list wise, but it's still competitive and will help us transition through to the next era of talent and success.

We're not a side that believes in bottoming out and rebuilding. We'll re-tool on the run, but it's not just not in our ethos to give up on the hunt and have seasons that don't mean anything- in the pursuit of success down the track. I for one an extremely proud of the club when it comes to that mentality - and don't expect that to change anytime soon in the coming years.

I think it's very much to do with talent. You haven't provided a reason why it's not talent.

 

[Seeds]

You won't find many interstate club supporters hoping for a Vic club to win.

Which is weird given Victorian's usually barrack for the interstate club when it's a vic club vs a interstate club. Perhaps the exception to this rule is West Coast. But that would be it.

Interstate clubs think they have a rivalry with Vic clubs when none actually exists. Except with West Coast.

 

[63pinecone]

Which is weird given Victorian's usually barrack for the interstate club when it's a vic club vs a interstate club. Perhaps the exception to this rule is West Coast. But that would be it.

Interstate clubs think they have a rivalry with Vic clubs when none actually exists. Except with West Coast.

I just barrack for whoever is the underdog. (Unless it's Collingwood or Richmond)

 

[SSrixon]

The game will end in a draw the game keeps drawing in extra time. No premier can be decided and 2022 gets written off . My serious prediction is that this might be a repeat of 2008 and the young Swans cause an upset.

 

[Yellow Feathers]

Geelong by 119 points. Sydney are lucky to even be there.

 

[Rod Stroker]

I think their fitness is in question as well, they couldn’t run out the game

not sure about that, they ran away from Melbourne 2 weeks ago

 

[The Casey Cat]

If I were an AFL player around retirement age, I would love to retire after a premiership-winning game. It's the perfect way to go and very few players get that privilege.

Yep. Ottens and Ling both did and don't think they were even 31 (or might have just turned it). Both maybe had a little more in the tank but who could begrudge it at the time? Scarlett should have gone with them as his 2012 was horrific.

 

[PhatBoy]

I think it's very much to do with talent. You haven't provided a reason why it's not talent.

Conversely you haven’t shown any reason why it is, either.

Of our current best 22 I would say that Stengle, Hawkins, Cameron, Duncan, Miers - oddly but it’s true - and maybe Dangerfield in every aspect beyond general kicking are what I would call ‘gifted’ players.

Selwood: has great game sense and his skills ARE underrated but his not a talent-reliant player.
Stewart: personally I think he’s a freak but if his natural talent was that ingrained he wouldn’t have slipped through the net for so long.
Atkins: no explanation needed
Close: good hard runner with good game sense and reasonable skills but not a brilliant talent
Holmes: athletically excellent but again not a freak across the board skills wise he’s just matured very quickly and knows his role beautifully
Kolo/Bews: neither are gifted
Tuohy: a beautiful long kick but not blessed with a lot of other physical attributes that make him a gifted player
Stanley: for his size he’s an athletic machine and he DOES have that streak of mercurial football in him that manifests occasionally but he’s not there for his talent
Blicavs: well we all know what you think of him
Rohan: could not have less game sense if he deliberately tried
Jack Henry: thought about putting him in the talented list but he’s not quite that good
O’Connor: no explanation needed
C Guthrie: great contributor but he’s not gifted
Z Guthrie: almost a copy of his brother in that for 3-4 years looked incapable of cementing a spot so unlikely he’s in the talented bracket
Parfitt: makes his name as a tough tackling inside player


I don’t think we suffer from a ‘lack’ of top end talent but it isn’t the standout feature of why we win a lot of games

 

[Rotayjay]

We're due a close GF after last year's bloodbath at Optus

Syd 16 points up half way through 3rd then Cats kick last 5 of the 3rd to take a 10 point 3 qtr time lead

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

I didn't mind last year's granny - the Demons ran away with it, but the Bulldogs were ahead late in the third quarter. For me, if a game ceases to be competitive late in the piece, it can still be a good game. I also think there is something magical about the good old grand final party time junk time, when the players and fans can enjoy the rest of the game knowing the flag is theirs. As long as that doesn't last for almost the entire match.