Most overrated team of the modern era.

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Essendon 99-2003/4 or whenever their dynasty ended

Our side going into last years grand final was overrated especially by david king

What was King saying?

 

[Whiskers]

I've thought North to be overrated all off season. The Prelim was an overachievement and the public get ahead of themselves.
Round 1 is a bit early to claim I'm right but they remind me of Richmond after the 2001 season.
The Tigers made a prelim even though they weren't that good and Danny Frawley thought a few top ups would make a difference.
Eerily similar.

 

[Back One Out]

A bit like Geelong in 2012. After a very slow start everyone just assumed once they got into the eight they'd be fine and they'd make a bit of noise as a sleeping giant in the finals, only to be bundled out at home by an interstate team in the first week in a game nobody expected them to lose.

No. I went along to that match fully expecting Fremantle to upset the Cats.

From the stunned silence and shocked faces around me, it'd be more accurate to say it was game that no Geelong supporter expected to lose.

 

[robertg22]

As mentioned, the Pies did lose Pendlebury for the finals (though I don't think many outsiders realised just how good he was until the following year) which didn't help, but Collingwood was fancied as a bit of a bogey side for Geelong up until that PF, with the epic 2007 PF and the inexplicable 15-odd goal hiding they dished out to us in 2008 (Geelong's only loss that year until the GF). Still, at the ground that night, looking at the teams line up for the national anthem, it was clear that it was men against boys. Jolly and Ball were definitely the final pieces to the puzzle.

I never really felt confident about that game at all. We kicked the first couple of goals from memory but then did nothing for the rest of the night. It was one of my least favourite games to have gone to as a Collingwood supporter.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Lost 2 prelims by a couple of goals. Overrated? Not really. Just not quite good enough.

They just didn't have the winning culture IMO

 

[The King!]

What was King saying?

That we would flog hawthorn

Im the most bias swans person out there but even i wouldnt of said that

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

No. I went along to that match fully expecting Fremantle to upset the Cats.

From the stunned silence and shocked faces around me, it'd be more accurate to say it was game that no Geelong supporter expected to lose.

Geelong went into the finals having won six of its last seven, including wins over Hawthorn (first), Adelaide (second) and Sydney (third) and the only loss being by under a kick at Subiaco against West Coast (fifth) in a game where Tom Hawkins was stretchered off with concussion halfway through the first quarter.

According to Footy Wire, Fremantle was paying $3.85 and the line was 22.5. You don't get much stronger favourites than that in a final.

Seems Geelong supporters weren't on their own.

 

[Tiger2709]

Richmond.

Every year they are talked up about taking the next step, that this will be their year. Fail to deliver. Rinse and repeat.

By our own supporters maybe who else ever over rates us?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

That we would flog hawthorn

Im the most bias swans person out there but even i wouldnt of said that

So many people overrate talent in this game. In my mind it was clear that Hawthorn would win on that day, and I tipped them by 37 points. You look at that Hawthorn team and the Brisbane team of the early 2000's, they weren't necessarily the best, but I would back either team to the hilt against anyone.

Just get it done when they have to

 

[Back One Out]

Geelong went into the finals having won six of its last seven, including wins over Hawthorn (first), Adelaide (second) and Sydney (third) and the only loss being by under a kick at Subiaco against West Coast (fifth) in a game where Tom Hawkins was stretchered off with concussion halfway through the first quarter.

According to Footy Wire, Fremantle was paying $3.85 and the line was 22.5. You don't get much stronger favourites than that in a final.

Seems Geelong supporters weren't on their own.

I suppose I ignored all that horse shit.

What stuck in my mind was the closeness of the previous 3 Fremantle v Geelong home & away matches.

2012 - Fremantle 16.9.105…..Geelong 15.11.101
2011 - Fremantle 10.18.78…..Geelong 13.11.89
2010 - Fremantle 18.17.125...Geelong 17.16.118

They were three early season epics at Subiaco. The great Geelong weren't able to intimidate the Dockers like other sides.
If anything, Freo seemed to get under Geelong's skin and win the mind games with Ballantyne and Crowley, etc.

It just seemed obvious to me the Dockers matched up well against them, or maybe it was the game plans. Not really sure.

I just know that I went along to the MCG that night, hoping for (and expecting) a Dockers upset.

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

Richmond win this thread easily. Year after year after year, same old crap different season.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I suppose I ignored all that horse shit.

What stuck in my mind was the closeness of the previous 3 Fremantle v Geelong home & away matches.

2012 - Fremantle 16.9.105…..Geelong 15.11.101
2011 - Fremantle 10.18.78…..Geelong 13.11.89
2010 - Fremantle 18.17.125...Geelong 17.16.118

They were three early season epics at Subiaco. The great Geelong weren't able to intimidate the Dockers like other sides.
If anything, Freo seemed to get under Geelong's skin and win the mind games with Ballantyne and Crowley, etc.

It just seemed obvious to me the Dockers matched up well against them, or maybe it was the game plans. Not really sure.

I just know that I went along to the MCG that night, hoping for (and expecting) a Dockers upset.

Of course Fremantle still wasn't trusted, especially at the MCG, at that point. In fact, last time Geelong had played Fremantle there in a final, two years earlier, they led the Dockers by seven goals at quarter time.

Regardless, the facts back up what I wrote. Geelong was an overwhelming favourite. You predicted Fremantle to win? Good for you. You were in a very small minority.

 

[Back One Out]

Of course Fremantle still wasn't trusted, especially at the MCG, at that point. In fact, last time Geelong had played Fremantle there in a final, two years earlier, they led the Dockers by seven goals at quarter time.

Pfft.. The Dockers were never going to get near Geelong in that 2010 semi final with Sandilands under a fitness cloud and hobbling around with a foot injury sustained the week before. They went into that game with a bunch of injured players. They were also missing Hasleby, Ballantyne, Tarrant, Barlow and a couple others. The Dockers failed to fire a shot that night. I went to that game as well. As you pointed out, it was over at quarter time, so it was hardly worth paying attention to if you were trying to get a line on the two teams. It was a lacklustre rubbish final. Freo had spent all their petrol tickets in their previous two games at Subi vs Carlton and Hawthorn.

I've got no doubt that in 2012, you convinced yourself that Geelong would make short work of Freo and make a charge through the 2012 finals series as the "danger team" or the "wild card", or whatever label that journos like Mark Robinson were giving the Cats. I viewed it differently. I thought Geelong's 6th place & 15-7 record had flattered them. Without going into all of it again, the Hawks should've beaten you twice - 2012 was the only year where I gave the Kennett Curse (Hawk mental scarring) any credence - we were the far better team that year, but we somehow construed to hand you victory twice. Against any other top side, you would've been done twice, so I figured 13 wins, 9 losses and 8th place was probably closer to where Geelong should've finished, but for the freaky win streak over Hawthorn.

Fremantle were no mugs that year. From a shaky 6 wins, 7 losses after Rd 14, they stormed into the finals by winning 8 of their last 9 games by an average winning margin of 8 goals. Things had clicked under Ross Lyon .

I thought they would take Geelong. I was not alone in thinking this. Perhaps it was wishful thinking by my Hawk mates, but we all thought Geelong would get rolled that night. That's why a few of us went along - to barrack for the Dockers to do what our Hawks couldn't do.

Regardless, the facts back up what I wrote. Geelong was an overwhelming favourite. You predicted Fremantle to win? Good for you. You were in a very small minority.

Facts?

You said "everyone" thought Geelong would win. I'm pointing out that not "everyone" thought that.
The game was a lot, lot closer on paper than many people realised.

edit: Dockers fans were up and about - they were quietly confident…
I just don't think it was the "huge upset" that many in the media thought it was.
Geelong were getting by on past reputation. I thought they were an ordinary team in 2012.

 

[the dog's kennel]

Was 2010. A lot of people thought addition of B.Hall would be the missing link.

Yes, the Bulldogs were faves at the start of 2010 too. But that wasn't stupidly over-rated - it was just wrong.

The year I brought up in this thread was 2011. I know in hindsight it seems ludicrous. But it happened. When I say we were "flag favourites", I don't mean we were literally favourites with the bookies. I mean there was a period for a week or two where we getting talked up bigtime by media types, like this: http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/03/22/my-tip-for-2011-western-bulldogs-to-be-premiers/

There was a week after Smorgon announced that it was GF for us or bust in 2011 when heaps of scribes jumped on board. I remember watching Mike Sheahan going on about us on On The Couch. And Gerard Healy was on board, and I was in disbelief. Then the day after it was the same on AFL360. Then on Triple M there was more of it. It was a little bubble that only lasted a week or two. But it was there.

And then, as now, I can only sadly shake my head.

 

[AFDogs]

Richmond in recent years springs to mind.

We play them next week and I'm seriously backing us in, albeit in a close one. They just don't recruit well enough to improve. They don't chase big names in the off-season nor make the strides necessary to push for a flag.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Pfft.. The Dockers were never going to get near Geelong in that 2010 semi final with Sandilands under a fitness cloud and hobbling around with a foot injury sustained the week before. They went into that game with a bunch of injured players. They were also missing Hasleby, Ballantyne, Tarrant, Barlow and a couple others. The Dockers failed to fire a shot that night. I went to that game as well. As you pointed out, it was over at quarter time, so it was hardly worth paying attention to if you were trying to get a line on the two teams. It was a lacklustre rubbish final. Freo had spent all their petrol tickets in their previous two games at Subi vs Carlton and Hawthorn.

I've got no doubt that in 2012, you convinced yourself that Geelong would make short work of Freo and make a charge through the 2012 finals series as the "danger team" or the "wild card", or whatever label that journos like Mark Robinson were giving the Cats. I viewed it differently. I thought Geelong's 6th place & 15-7 record had flattered them. Without going into all of it again, the Hawks should've beaten you twice - 2012 was the only year where I gave the Kennett Curse (Hawk mental scarring) any credence - we were the far better team that year, but we somehow construed to hand you victory twice. Against any other top side, you would've been done twice, so I figured 13 wins, 9 losses and 8th place was probably closer to where Geelong should've finished, but for the freaky win streak over Hawthorn.

Fremantle were no mugs that year. From a shaky 6 wins, 7 losses after Rd 14, they stormed into the finals by winning 8 of their last 9 games by an average winning margin of 8 goals. Things had clicked under Ross Lyon .

I thought they would take Geelong. I was not alone in thinking this. Perhaps it was wishful thinking by my Hawk mates, but we all thought Geelong would get rolled that night. That's why a few of us went along - to barrack for the Dockers to do what our Hawks couldn't do.

Facts?

You said "everyone" thought Geelong would win. I'm pointing out that not "everyone" thought that.
The game was a lot, lot closer on paper than many people realised.

edit: Dockers fans were up and about - they were quietly confident…
I just don't think it was the "huge upset" that many in the media thought it was.
Geelong were getting by on past reputation. I thought they were an ordinary team in 2012.

So your problem is that I wrote 'everyone' (actually I wrote 'nobody')? What are you, Hymie from Get Smart?

The facts are the gambling odds that I have provided for you. Case closed.

 

[South of the Yarra]

Geelong, Hawthorn and Brisbane were certainly not overrated. Nor were Sydney. They can rest easily. Flags on the board is all that counts.

 

[PCORF]

Geelong, Hawthorn and Brisbane were certainly not overrated. Nor were Sydney. They can rest easily. Flags on the board is all that counts.

Also the 4 sides mentioned have all won multiple premierships over recent years too.

 

[PCORF]

West Coast were our bogey side. If we vs'ed any other team we would have another flag.

Collingwood is our real bogey side.

 

[robertg22]

Collingwood is our real bogey side.

Not in 2014!

 

[Zarrix]

Have a feeling that Gold Coast may have overrated their list massively, with the exception of a handful of players (one who is unfortunately out for this season ), a fair few of them are journeyman plodders (especially up forward) who would struggle to get a game at one of the rubbish Victorian sides.

 

[Tiger2709]

Richmond win this thread easily. Year after year after year, same old crap different season.

Did you struggle to understand the thread you strange little hawk bandwaggoner, if we deliver the same crap year after year how are we over rated and by whom and for what reason?
Im betting your a Tassie born Hawk supporter

 

[Tiger2709]

Richmond in recent years springs to mind.

We play them next week and I'm seriously backing us in, albeit in a close one. They just don't recruit well enough to improve. They don't chase big names in the off-season nor make the strides necessary to push for a flag.

So did you over rate us and change your mind I still fail to see where or when we have been over rated, werent we the worse team since Fitzroy?
So tell me if we beat you next week will that make the doggies the most overrated, after all 3 prelims in a row with more praise than premierships then last year when you were given huge raps pre season only to fail dismally?

 

[Roobs321]

Hawthorn 2004 was first to come to mind.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Collingwood did look unstoppable at various stages in 2011. Still don't know how Geelong managed to trump them.

3 times in the season.