Who will be better in 2025 - Geelong or Hawthorn?

[Black Haze]

Traditional rivals who both had good finals series this year and exceeded pre season expectations, despite losing close finals in heartbreaking fashion.

Both sides will be expected to play finals in 2025, so it'll be interesting to see who people think will be better and why.

Who do you think will be better in 2025?

 

[Downhill Skier]

I feel Hawthorn will be this years St Kilda tbh .
They will be good in time but I think they will level off and teams like GC , Pies and Melb jump back over them next year .

 

[WatWouldCyrilDo]

I feel Hawthorn will be this years St Kilda tbh .
They will be good in time but I think they will level off and teams like GC , Pies and Melb jump back over them next year .

GCS I can see, but Mel and Pies are cooked.

Although the question is Cats v Hawks... they get Smith and we get Battle and Barras.. feel like we both address a big issue with our squads. Given our age demographic and who our top 10 players are vs Geelong, feels like we should have more natural improvement of younger players and less older players in decline.

But then again, the cats are like cockroaches who seem to always find a way.. so who knows.

 

[Downhill Skier]

GCS I can see, but Mel and Pies are cooked.

Although the question is Cats v Hawks... they get Smith and we get Battle and Barras.. feel like we both address a big issue with our squads. Given our age demographic and who our top 10 players are vs Geelong, feels like we should have more natural improvement of younger players and less older players in decline.

But then again, the cats are like cockroaches who seem to always find a way.. so who knows.

GCS I can see, but Mel and Pies are cooked.

Although the question is Cats v Hawks... they get Smith and we get Battle and Barras.. feel like we both address a big issue with our squads. Given our age demographic and who our top 10 players are vs Geelong, feels like we should have more natural improvement of younger players and less older players in decline.

But then again, the cats are like cockroaches who seem to always find a way.. so who knows.

I have given up on thinking Grelong are on the way down .

Knowing Geelong they will end up with Smith and then snag Sean Darcy and a 1st round pick for a future 3rd rounder

 

[WatWouldCyrilDo]

I have given up on thinking Grelong are on the way down .

Knowing Geelong they will end up with Smith and then snag Sean Darcy and a 1st round pick for a future 3rd rounder

My only solace is that Smith is one of the biggest turnover merchants in the AFL so there is hope he can be another Dylan Shiel. But, knowing Geelong, he'll probably win a brownlow in a year or 2.

 

[SSSSSS]

You would think natural development would suggest the Hawks having more upside but development isn't always linear.

History is littered with many clubs taking one step a little bit early and taking a step back before truly maturing.

I'd like to think with Sam at the helm he will be able to steer these kids in the right direction but young players still need to develop the ability to be consistent and reliable week in and week out.

It took Heeney 10 years to become a reliable consistent midfielder.

 

[matey]

Hawks ain’t approaching a cliff …… Cats are!

 

[Aaron Reed]

Hawks ain’t approaching a cliff …… Cats are!

Cats have apparently been approaching a cliff since early 2009 so it’s gotta get here eventually.

 

[juss]

The trajectories suggest Hawthorn, but it doesn't always go that way.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Geelong did great to make a prelim with their midfield, nowhere near what Brisbane have. Holmes stays fit they probably win.

They'll get Smith in, and think they should try Mannagh on ball or trade for someone. Jhye Clark is a fumble machine and Bruhn is nowhere near where he needs to be. They need Conway to stay fit badly next year.

Hawks will be a headache for everyone again for with proper key defenders and Day back. If Mitch Lewis' knee holds up they'll be the most complete team in the league.

 

[NetworkNerd]

How many home games at GMHBA? Will they get 11?

 

[WesternSydneyHawk]

What's likely to happen is there'll be a group of clubs from about 3 to 14 or thereabouts, with only a small number of wins separating them.

Throughout the season, teams will regularly bounce up to the top 4 based on form, a few good wins, and injuries.

Likewise, a couple of losses and injuries will see clubs fall away from the top 4 to outside the 8.

Assuming a decent run with injuries, which I'd a big unknowable, both Hawthorn and Geelong should fall within that range.

If that's the case, it could be that Hawthorn are ahead of Geelong, and vice-versa, at different points of the season.

If Geelong consistently clings to a top two spot, as Sydney did in 2024, they will have had better than expected year.

If Hawthorn falls outside that 3 to 14 band, it is likely to be on the lower side, but they will also be seen to have underachieved.

There will absolutely be an unexpected bolter from the clubs in the bottom third of the ladder in 2024. Gold Coast or Adelaide look likely, but it could potentially also be North or West Coast.

There will also be a club that will crash down to the bottom four, like Richmond did in 2024. So that balances out.

If course, a lot can happen during the offseason. We'll need to see in 2025.

 

[Roddy]

Tonight I saw someone (not a Hawk) describe Geelong as ‘the club with no salary cap’.

They’re probably always going to have talent fall into their laps, and thus are always going to be up there, with that being the case.

 

[PhatBoy]

Tonight I saw someone (not a Hawk) describe Geelong as ‘the club with no salary cap’.

They’re probably always going to have talent fall into their laps, and thus are always going to be up there, with that being the case.

Whoever described us is probably an idiot.

We currently have two superstars:

Jeremy Cameron and Tom Stewart.

People can argue Patrick Dangerfield but he is 34 and is about to negotiate a one year contract; he is not about to command a million dollars, even if he IS our best midfielder.

If WE have no salary cap, then where the f**k does that leave Carlton with Cripps, Curnow, McKay, Walsh?
Melbourne with their midfield stars and May at the back?
Port’s stars in the middle?

We will have guys go up in price, no doubt, but people can’t keep giving us shit for how garbage our players are, and then turn around and give us shit for being over the cap.

 

[Delisted]

Probably Hawthorn. Not biased just expert opinion. We have our own thread PhatBoy!

 

[PhatBoy]

Probably Hawthorn. Not biased just expert opinion. We have our own thread PhatBoy!

Wouldn’t be surprised either way, old boy. Hawthorn have every right to be expected to finish above us, I would think it would be close either way based on this year

 

[Daka]

I would say the Hawthorn given Barrass & Battle should make them a lot better.

I think Smith improves the Cats but not dramatically.
They need better inside midfielders imo.

 

[Roddy]

Whoever described us is probably an idiot.

We currently have two superstars:

Jeremy Cameron and Tom Stewart.

People can argue Patrick Dangerfield but he is 34 and is about to negotiate a one year contract; he is not about to command a million dollars, even if he IS our best midfielder.

If WE have no salary cap, then where the f**k does that leave Carlton with Cripps, Curnow, McKay, Walsh?
Melbourne with their midfield stars and May at the back?
Port’s stars in the middle?

We will have guys go up in price, no doubt, but people can’t keep giving us shit for how garbage our players are, and then turn around and give us shit for being over the cap.

The excuses being reeled out, the backtracking, the doublespeak, the leaps of logic etc emanating from salty cat fans right now are simply delicious.

It’s impossible not to laugh.

 

[PhatBoy]

The excuses being reeled out, the backtracking, the doublespeak, the leaps of logic etc emanating from salty cat fans right now are simply delicious.

It’s impossible not to laugh.

What are you even arguing in this post?

 

[Wojcinski]

The excuses being reeled out, the backtracking, the doublespeak, the leaps of logic etc emanating from salty cat fans right now are simply delicious.

It’s impossible not to laugh.

The hypocrisy of this comment after the Hawthorn supporter outrage last week

 

[jackenny]

My only solace is that Smith is one of the biggest turnover merchants in the AFL so there is hope he can be another Dylan Shiel. But, knowing Geelong, he'll probably win a brownlow in a year or 2.

I remember that being a big knock on Dangerfield, too. And, well, uh… I reckon you’re right about him winning a Brownlow if he goes to Geelong.

And suddenly Bruhn and Clarke will go up a gear, too. Or they’ll trade for a no-name roleplayer (like Morrison) and suddenly he goes up a level at the Cats.

 

[The 747]

It's the time of year for posters to get their sandwich boards out "Geelong to slide! Too old, too slow! Too young, too inexperienced!"

To the OP, probably Geelong, but the reverse wouldn't surprise me. The Hawks were pretty impressive this year and I can't hate on them because they play footy the right way.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

It’s an interesting question, and as plenty of others have alluded to it’s not as simple as x player/ age profile should lead to more progression.

In the long term, I think Hawthorn should be looking for a few years of contending/ top 6 finishes, and Geelong are probably looking for a little bit of a list refresh in the next few years that may see them slow down.

If we can get Lewis fit, bolster our defence with Barrass and Battle, and get some further progression from younger players on our list I would be expecting to finish somewhere in that 3-7 range, but there’s a few ifs.

If Geelongs older players can keep on keeping on, and they get Baz, and they get some good performances out of a lesser light or two, then I see them in the 2-6 range.

Can’t wait for Easter Monday!

 

[toomanysquibs]

The hypocrisy of this comment after the Hawthorn supporter outrage last week

Still plummeting sub terrainian depths of stupidity about our loss, and too simple to recognize nuance.

But you tell everyone, captain emoji!

 

[toomanysquibs]

It’s an interesting question, and as plenty of others have alluded to it’s not as simple as x player/ age profile should lead to more progression.

In the long term, I think Hawthorn should be looking for a few years of contending/ top 6 finishes, and Geelong are probably looking for a little bit of a list refresh in the next few years that may see them slow down.

If we can get Lewis fit, bolster our defence with Barrass and Battle, and get some further progression from younger players on our list I would be expecting to finish somewhere in that 3-7 range, but there’s a few ifs.

If Geelongs older players can keep on keeping on, and they get Baz, and they get some good performances out of a lesser light or two, then I see them in the 2-6 range.

Can’t wait for Easter Monday!

I think almost more important than Smith is the output of Dangerfield.

Can he be their best mid at 35?

If he's still got the leg speed to get away from Jai Newcombe, Worpel and Connor Nash, then it's possible.

And maybe they tread water, and remain a chance like they did this year.

We could go forward a little bit or a lot.

With new players coming in, in key posts, there is potential for us to drop off a little first.