Which Club has been more Successful in the AFL era Geelong or Hawthorn?
- Thread starter strand_victor
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- Nov 10, 2022
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Yeah and I bet cat fans adore the pure prestige of looking through the list of ‘best winning percentage’ years…
They actually do. All about wins at cat park
- May 5, 2016
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- Geelong
Think you’ll find we would all swap it for more flags.
Football fans also like just watching their team win, though, so there is nothing ‘bad’ about turning up each season and being knee deep in the title race for most of the year regardless. You’re allowed to enjoy being competitive too, whether it results in a flag or not. They’re not mutually exclusive.
The thing is, our strategy of bottoming out, rising to glory, bottoming out, rising to glory, has proved way more successful over the decades, than the teams like Geelong, Pies and Swannies who seem to remain almost perpetually 'up'. By way of illustration, since 1958, the three mentioned clubs have a grand total of 10 flags between them. We have 13 by ourselves.
Sure, the down times are tough to go through, but I'll still take the extra flags thanks...
Sure, the down times are tough to go through, but I'll still take the extra flags thanks...
- Nov 10, 2022
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Not sure hawks bottoming out was a planned strategy
- May 5, 2016
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Yeah I dunno about that.
Pre-1990 it carries little relevance as teams didn’t go through anything like the drafting or trading process they do now.
All that period proves is that you were an exceptional club full stop between then and 1960 and obviously in the last 10-12 years of that period, better than anyone in general let alone Geelong who didn’t even threaten between 1981-1988. Or most of the 1970s.
Since 1990, whatever strategies are he clubs have used, you’ve won an extra cup.
You’ve made two less grand finals so I doubt in your strategic planning over the 34 seasons since the AFL started there was a lot of planning based around individual games that we all know can go either way on the day. I doubt the losses in either of the 2 grand finals we’ve led at half time in the period discussed owed a lot to not having a strategy of bottoming out and rising again.
And I don’t think the Cats hierarchy were dissecting what went wrong after Dustin Martin or Stewart Dew carved us up and said ‘oh that’s what we should have done instead. Bottomed out.’
- May 23, 2016
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Hawthorn by one Stewart Dew quarter.
- May 12, 2015
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Doubt supporters of either team really care all that much. The reason both clubs have been so successful in the last 20 odd years is that we don't dwell too much on the past.
- May 23, 2016
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Both are significant to our history. We own the Cats in gfs 2-0, but we're 0-2 against the Hawks. Wonder if we'll ever get revenge..
- May 23, 2016
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Have you forgot we've got 4 AFL cups too?
Wojcinski
Brownlow Medallist
yes I did lol
strand_victor
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- Feb 2, 2025
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Geelong Supporters still Talk about 2007 quite regularly. If they win the Flag this Year they'll be saying their 2007 Team is a Five Time Premiership Team.
The 1991 flag seems kind of irrelevant and merely sneaks in as a formality based on the arbitrary measurement of "AFL era".
The Hawks' 1991 flag win had many of the great players from the '80s flag-winning era. This team comprised of zones, not draft picks.
By virtue of comparing five flags versus four, you cannot mount a case where Geelong is ever ahead of Hawthorn. It would be illogical.
However, if you compare the clubs in the 21st century, you'd have to put Hawthorn, Geelong and Brisbane on very similar footing.
The Hawks' 1991 flag win had many of the great players from the '80s flag-winning era. This team comprised of zones, not draft picks.
By virtue of comparing five flags versus four, you cannot mount a case where Geelong is ever ahead of Hawthorn. It would be illogical.
However, if you compare the clubs in the 21st century, you'd have to put Hawthorn, Geelong and Brisbane on very similar footing.
Richmond Flats
Team Captain
- Oct 7, 2024
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How can anyone argue Geelong?
Hawthorn are clear and have done it without cheating.
Hawthorn are clear and have done it without cheating.
Geelong way more successful....at infiltrating the AFL.
We only bring up 2007 to mock those of you Port supporters who are still incredibly stung by it, and who follow a club that have been serial choke artists ever since that day (well let's face it, even before).
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