Why are Geelong so unbeatable at home?

[footyfan1978]

Compared to every other club it makes no sense. .

It is just that they are the only Victoria based club that still have their original home ground to enjoy that advantage that you noticing it more. Most other Vic based clubs virtually have no home ground anymore. My club certainly don't since we left our true home ground at Princes Park.

It is regular home ground advantage if you look up raw stats of leading ones below:

Collingwood at Victoria Park historically won 74.8% of games at home.
West Coast 76.5% at Perth Stadium.
Carlton 70.7% at Princes Park
Adelaide 69.2% at Adelaide Oval.
Essendon 67.3% at Windy Hill.
Geelong 67.1% at Kardinia Park.

 

[Taper]

I think we're harder to beat at home than anyone else because we've generally been better than everyone else for so long.
It helps being able to regularly train on our home ground too.
Do any of the non Vic clubs get to regularly train on their home ground? Melbourne clubs don't get to train at Docklands or the MCG at all although I'm sure they'd love to if given the chance.

 

[The 747]

Doesn't seem to both the Big Sound when they come down. Actually both Sydney teams play well in Geelong (Sydney less so lately but we have been very strong against them).

Some teams seem to give up when they get on the bus though. Hai West Coast.

 

[Chinacats]

GWS beat them so they aren’t unbeatable…. Generally lose 1-2 at home each year. Brisbane’s Gabba record is actually better in last 4 years or so…

 

[dean33]

I think we're harder to beat at home than anyone else because we've generally been better than everyone else for so long.
It helps being able to regularly train on our home ground too.
Do any of the non Vic clubs get to regularly train on their home ground? Melbourne clubs don't get to train at Docklands or the MCG at all although I'm sure they'd love to if given the chance.

Yep only team in Victoria that gets to train on their home ground coupled with the fact it has no wings and so very different to every other ground on the comp. Visiting teams who see the ground once every 1-2 years get lost on it. In a game when small percentages make such a huge difference this adds up to one of the comps biggest home ground advantages.

 

[Crusty Demon]

Being able to train at your home ground is a huge advantage surely. Getting to pick and choose who you want to play against at home helps as well.

 

[The 747]

Being able to train at your home ground is a huge advantage surely. Getting to pick and choose who you want to play against at home helps as well.

How do we pick and choose who we play at home? We ask for 11 home games every year.

 

[MOONEY 21]

Getting to pick and choose who you want to play against at home helps as well.

huh?

 

[Taper]

Yep only team in Victoria that gets to train on their home ground coupled with the fact it has no wings and so very different to every other ground on the comp. Visiting teams who see the ground once every 1-2 years get lost on it. In a game when small percentages make such a huge difference this adds up to one of the comps biggest home ground advantages.

It hasn't helped us this year.
We have a better record away from Kardinia Park.

 

[Sttew]

How do we pick and choose who we play at home? We ask for 11 home games every year.

And only get 9…

 

[PerthBoy86]

That might be coming to an end. But as others have said, it's such an atypical ground compared to most, plus a dominant home crowd and training there. The question is why were so dismal at Kardinia and the SCG, while even when Adelaide and Brisbane were good we could win in Adelaide and Brisbane.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

That might be coming to an end. But as others have said, it's such an atypical ground compared to most, plus a dominant home crowd and training there. The question is why were so dismal at Kardinia and the SCG, while even when Adelaide and Brisbane were good we could win in Adelaide and Brisbane.

I always felt West Coast went in way too tall over and over again. Doesnt have the space for all 3 of Kennedy/Allen/Darling but you had to stick to your structure.

Conversely sides that played very defensive footy - previous iterations of Sydney and Fremantle especially - could more easily roll off to intercept and became very hard to score against.

But as current season shows, mostly we won at home because we were good. Now we're middle of the road we loose at home occasionally. It's not magic.

 

[PerthBoy86]

I always felt West Coast went in way too tall over and over again. Doesnt have the space for all 3 of Kennedy/Allen/Darling but you had to stick to your structure.

Conversely sides that played very defensive footy - previous iterations of Sydney and Fremantle especially - could more easily roll off to intercept and became very hard to score against.

But as current season shows, mostly we won at home because we were good. Now we're middle of the road we loose at home occasionally. It's not magic.

Yeah we did do that. I rewatched the epic 54 point comeback again a few weeks ago. Still amazes me, but I felt that 2006 could come back against anyone any time. It's still amazing it happened at Kardinia Park, the longest thinnest ground (along with Subi) and hardest to score quickly at. Maybe it was because both grounds shared similar dimensions and the mid 00s Eagles had perfected that handle run and carry game which worked well on the long pitch.

 

[Cleansweep17]

Unique dimensions, don’t share the ground with another home team and they train on the ground. VIC teams don’t train on the MCG for example and there are a few MCG tenants.

They know this hence why they didn’t change anything in the $142m reno apart from adding 4,000 seats. Gross, I’d never support a club like that it’s almost cheating.

 

[Sttew]

Unique dimensions, don’t share the ground with another home team and they train on the ground. VIC teams don’t train on the MCG for example and there are a few MCG tenants.

They know this hence why they didn’t change anything in the $142m reno apart from adding 4,000 seats. Gross, I’d never support a club like that it’s almost cheating.

Never stop being Falcon!!

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Unique dimensions, don’t share the ground with another home team and they train on the ground. VIC teams don’t train on the MCG for example and there are a few MCG tenants.

They know this hence why they didn’t change anything in the $142m reno apart from adding 4,000 seats. Gross, I’d never support a club like that it’s almost cheating.

It's such an advantage for us to have a home ground we genuinely suck at

 

[Cleansweep17]

It's such an advantage for us to have a home ground we genuinely suck at

It’s just a bit of fun man hahah

I don’t think you guys have space to increase the size of the ground cause it’s next to the road or something?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

It’s just a bit of fun man hahah

I don’t think you guys have space to increase the size of the ground cause it’s next to the road or something?

You would have to demolish the whole place. Would take a very big election promise

 

[NetworkNerd]

2024 has been interesting
St Kilda (5 trips in previous 10 years) - Did well to lose by only 8
North (7 times) - Geelong were flying so big loss was expected
Port (3 times) - 6 point win
GWS (6 times) - 4 point win
Richmond (1 time) - Faded late but were leading at half time
Hawthorn (1 time during COVID) - Big loss
Bulldogs (8 times) - Amazing 47 point win
Adelaide (7 times) - Tight loss

Geelong are still a top 4 quality side so it is not as if they are significantly weaker. But in general the more a side has played their the better their results are. Even if they do not win a good performance is displayed.

Therefore the AFL needs to play 11 games a year asap so all clubs get exposure

 

[Mr Meow]

2024 has been interesting
St Kilda (5 trips in previous 10 years) - Did well to lose by only 8
North (7 times) - Geelong were flying so big loss was expected
Port (3 times) - 6 point win
GWS (6 times) - 4 point win
Richmond (1 time) - Faded late but were leading at half time
Hawthorn (1 time during COVID) - Big loss
Bulldogs (8 times) - Amazing 47 point win
Adelaide (7 times) - Tight loss

Geelong are still a top 4 quality side so it is not as if they are significantly weaker. But in general the more a side has played their the better their results are. Even if they do not win a good performance is displayed.

Therefore the AFL needs to play 11 games a year asap so all clubs get exposure

Negative.

We're a 7th-12th quality side now (in a weak year we've been top 4 at times - but so have Essendon et al), whose current gameplan/list perform better on the G.

Our record in Geelong especially in recent years has been propped up by the quality of the opposition. But 2023-2024 you are seeing it start to slip along with the quality of our side. It happens.

 

[kickazz]

If you look closely at the data, you'll see that Geelong being good at KP coincides with Geelong being good.

There is some home ground advantage, but it is massively overstated.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Geelong are still a top 4 quality side so it is not as if they are significantly weaker. But in general the more a side has played their the better their results are. Even if they do not win a good performance is displayed.

Que?

 

[Mr Meow]

Hopefully we can petition to have only away games in season 2025, as this suits our current list and playing group.

The "cheat ground" is now a handicap for Geelong.

 

[Bunnings]

That might be coming to an end. But as others have said, it's such an atypical ground compared to most, plus a dominant home crowd and training there. The question is why were so dismal at Kardinia and the SCG, while even when Adelaide and Brisbane were good we could win in Adelaide and Brisbane.

Atypical?
Look up Adelaide Oval and GWS home ground

 

[Seeds]

Hopefully we can petition to have only away games in season 2025, as this suits our current list and playing group.

The "cheat ground" is now a handicap for Geelong.

Thats ridiculous. We need to play all 11 home games at geelong. We need to stop being disadvantaged by playing our home games in front of opposition supporters.

And have you just used a phrase created by the worst hawk troll on bay 13? Seriously? Oh the shame.