The Geelong Cants

[Baloo]

I don't like the Cats as much as the next person, but this year they made it to the Grand Final without the massive home ground advantage we always thought gave them an easy ride into the Finals. Based purely on that, if next year is back to a normal H&A season, I can see the Cats back in amongst the big boys at the end of the season,

Lions or Port, without the advantage of being one of the few teams living a fairly normal life at home and rarely travelling for matches, will struggle. I hope it's Port as they deserve nothing for butchering a decent INXS song and making it unlistenable now.

 

[Batchelor Party]

Interesting recruitment for Geelong, in my opinion does not address their need for leg speed, skill and agility in the backline. In Higgins and Smith they get run and carry from the wing forward; the retirement of Taylor leaves a solid key position player in Henderson, possibly supported by Blicavs who is also their best ruck option. They may be thinking a player like Higgins could transition to a half-back role.
Cameron is a class forward but Geelong look like they may have to tweak their game style in 2021 given this year a lot of the strategy involved emptying out the forward line for Hawkins and they now will have 2 key forwards demanding the ball. Both Cameron and Hawkins may relief ruck in the forward line but typically they don't give the main ruck a spell in the middle, which means they may have to play a 2nd ruck which again will make them slower. Given they will probably play 8-10 games on their narrow ground they will make the 8 but unknown how their age and game style will work for them on the MCG in September (if that happens!)

 

[Jonesracing82]

Most years one side drops out of the 8 from the top 4 and either 1 or 2 drop out of the bottom 8 sides. It is really hard to predict the top 4 to slide, who would have thought the crows, Melb or GWS at the time would crash so far.

So from Port, Bris, tigers and Cats my pick is the cats as I think there are teams who will overtake them next year with pace. The other could be Port as they had a massage advantage this year but next year maybe will be the first time in awhile where they don’t tumble completely out of the 8.

Pies and Eagles the other top 8 contenders who could fall away.



I agree - I think we enter that zone where we can’t just assume - it will come down to how hungry we are and if our young group of players (Dow, RCD, Stack, Ross and CJJ) can’t improve enough to get plenty of games I think we are vulnerable and tbh I can’t see improvement from Houli, Jack and some of our older players anymore. Our improvement has to come from our youth for us to get better.

At he moment we are still better than any other team so if we come back to the pack we are still in it with a big fat chance.

There are many if‘s against our contenders
- can Daniher stay on the park
- can the Doggies manage a Treloar and Dunkley dynamic
- can a slow Geelong find a finals gear
- how will port and Eagles go without the hub advantage they had this year
- can the pies even field a team next year

saints are a Smokey and lions will improve

Dees didn't surprise me, during H&A they'd beaten 2 top 8 sides all yr. This yr the Dogs beat 1 so they could be the slider next yr. Of the top 4 Port had a % of 93 against top 8 sides so they'd be my tip from the top 4, they all have similar win/loss.

 

[Jonesracing82]

Interesting recruitment for Geelong, in my opinion does not address their need for leg speed, skill and agility in the backline. In Higgins and Smith they get run and carry from the wing forward; the retirement of Taylor leaves a solid key position player in Henderson, possibly supported by Blicavs who is also their best ruck option. They may be thinking a player like Higgins could transition to a half-back role.
Cameron is a class forward but Geelong look like they may have to tweak their game style in 2021 given this year a lot of the strategy involved emptying out the forward line for Hawkins and they now will have 2 key forwards demanding the ball. Both Cameron and Hawkins may relief ruck in the forward line but typically they don't give the main ruck a spell in the middle, which means they may have to play a 2nd ruck which again will make them slower. Given they will probably play 8-10 games on their narrow ground they will make the 8 but unknown how their age and game style will work for them on the MCG in September (if that happens!)

it is known how the MCG affects them, we see it every yr. What they need to change is thier game style, i hope they & all other sides keep trying the kick/mark game against us.

 

[Ossie]

I just love the fact that after years of suffering at the hands of Geelong, going right back to the horrible 150+ point massacre, all 3 premierships have featured a finals win against them.
A trifecta as well in that it was in a qualifying, Preliminery and Grand final

Totally agree Sintiger! They owned us for so many years, the constant floggings, Ablett Snr kicking 14 rotating from a wing to full forward in 1989 on Wayne Peters, the 157 point smashing at Etihad etc. Interesting to note that in the second halves of the three recent finals, we have outscored them 10.6 to 3.6, 8.8 to 2.4 and 9.7 to 2.3 for a combined second half total of 27.21.183 to 7.13.55 (we have had 16 scoring shots in each of these games in the second halves). A total difference of 128 points across the three games - that's a touch convincing and I reckon pays back some of the torment they have dished out over the years! We now have a 10-2 finals record against them, which is lovely, including the 1967 and 2020 Grand Final wins and the 1969 first semi final 118 point win to the Tigers. Let's hope for some more wins over them in the home and away season and most importantly, the finals.

 

[zippadeee]

Fingers crossed they join the list of teams capitulating after a GF slapping at the hands of our mighty footy club.
Does anyone Reckon Scotty will insult us next year??

 

[waiting]

Fingers crossed they join the list of teams capitulating after a GF slapping at the hands of our mighty footy club.
Does anyone Reckon Scotty will insult us next year??

Odds on.
Bookmark PRE.
Scott will resume normal transmission.

 

[zippadeee]

Totally agree Sintiger! They owned us for so many years, the constant floggings, Ablett Snr kicking 14 rotating from a wing to full forward in 1989 on Wayne Peters, the 157 point smashing at Etihad etc. Interesting to note that in the second halves of the three recent finals, we have outscored them 10.6 to 3.6, 8.8 to 2.4 and 9.7 to 2.3 for a combined second half total of 27.21.183 to 7.13.55 (we have had 16 scoring shots in each of these games in the second halves). A total difference of 128 points across the three games - that's a touch convincing and I reckon pays back some of the torment they have dished out over the years! We now have a 10-2 finals record against them, which is lovely, including the 1967 and 2020 Grand Final wins and the 1969 first semi final 118 point win to the Tigers. Let's hope for some more wins over them in the home and away season and most importantly, the finals.

In 1980 we beat them in the semi too.
Totally agree the late 80's all of the 90's was especially hard. One of the saddest days ive spent at the footy has been defeats against Geelong. The 95 final in the rain, i was one of the very few that refused to sing our song while we were 10 goals down.
The 1994 home and away game at princess park when Brainless kicked 8 and ended any chance we had making the finals. Or the night at the Telstra Dome when they smashed us, I thought the club would join Fitzroy and shut down.
The first time i went to Karadinia park was the day KB got reported.
Then there was other countless times, the game would be over at half time or when umpires refuse to pay a free to Naish. Or in the last qtr when Steven King kicked 3 or one of the few happy memories, the day we finally beat them down there, Ottens went off, hyde was everywhere and we finally won down there. But there were stages i thought we will never beat this mob.
Now we just slap them into submission any time we play them.
It will interesting to see if Hocking makes us play them at Karadinia park because of the reduced Crowds. A slapping down there could be the end of them for good..

 

[Sintiger]

In 1980 we beat them in the semi too.
Totally agree the late 80's all of the 90's was especially hard. One of the saddest days ive spent at the footy has been defeats against Geelong. The 95 final in the rain, i was one of the very few that refused to sing our song while we were 10 goals down.
The 1994 home and away game at princess park when Brainless kicked 8 and ended any chance we had making the finals. Or the night at the Telstra Dome when they smashed us, I thought the club would join Fitzroy and shut down.
The first time i went to Karadinia park was the day KB got reported.
Then there was other countless times, the game would be over at half time or when umpires refuse to pay a free to Naish. Or in the last qtr when Steven King kicked 3 or one of the few happy memories, the day we finally beat them down there, Ottens went off, hyde was everywhere and we finally won down there. But there were stages i thought we will never beat this mob.
Now we just slap them into submission any time we play them.
It will interesting to see if Hocking makes us play them at Karadinia park because of the reduced Crowds. A slapping down there could be the end of them for good..

Zips if I recall correctly that game down at Geelong that you refer to when Chris Hyde played a blinder i seem to remember that it was one of Richard Tambling's better games for us as well.

 

[23.21.159]

Zips if I recall correctly that game down at Geelong that you refer to when Chris Hyde played a blinder i seem to remember that it was one of Richard Tambling's better games for us as well.

23 disposals.

AFL Tables - Geelong v Richmond - Sat, 27-May-2006 2:10 PM - Match Stats

afltables.com

It really is an outer-world experience to look at the team lists of that match knowing what we now know about the players involved - on both sides, and think that we beat them there for the only time in 14 attempts between 1991 and 2017.
But of course the two teams faced off again less then a year later at Etihad and order was restored by 26 goals. The teams involved had 13 players in common for Richmond and 15 for Geelong.

 

[zippadeee]

Zips if I recall correctly that game down at Geelong that you refer to when Chris Hyde played a blinder i seem to remember that it was one of Richard Tambling's better games for us as well.

I can't remember Tambling. I just remember Hyde kicking 3 and the punch ons after the game.

 

[Sintiger]

23 disposals.

AFL Tables - Geelong v Richmond - Sat, 27-May-2006 2:10 PM - Match Stats

afltables.com

It really is an outer-world experience to look at the team lists of that match knowing what we now know about the players involved - on both sides, and think that we beat them there for the only time in 14 attempts between 1991 and 2017.
But of course the two teams faced off again less then a year later at Etihad and order was restored by 26 goals. The teams involved had 13 players in common for Richmond and 15 for Geelong.

had a look at the stats. Kayne Pettifer as well, 21 disposals 3 goals and 4 tackles ....

Every time I see stats with Mark Coughlan in the team it makes me sad that we didn't see another 150 games from him due to injury. Such a good player.

 

[Ossie]

In 1980 we beat them in the semi too.
Totally agree the late 80's all of the 90's was especially hard. One of the saddest days ive spent at the footy has been defeats against Geelong. The 95 final in the rain, i was one of the very few that refused to sing our song while we were 10 goals down.
The 1994 home and away game at princess park when Brainless kicked 8 and ended any chance we had making the finals. Or the night at the Telstra Dome when they smashed us, I thought the club would join Fitzroy and shut down.
The first time i went to Karadinia park was the day KB got reported.
Then there was other countless times, the game would be over at half time or when umpires refuse to pay a free to Naish. Or in the last qtr when Steven King kicked 3 or one of the few happy memories, the day we finally beat them down there, Ottens went off, hyde was everywhere and we finally won down there. But there were stages i thought we will never beat this mob.
Now we just slap them into submission any time we play them.
It will interesting to see if Hocking makes us play them at Karadinia park because of the reduced Crowds. A slapping down there could be the end of them for good..

I was at Waverley as a 12 year old watching KB wreak havoc against the Cats in the 1980 Second Semi - 8 beautiful goals! I was sitting in the stand behind the goals at Kardinia Park in 1982 the day KB got reported for striking Bruce Nankervis. Surrounded by Cats fans, it was a tense scene! Bernard Toohey kicked some last quarter goals and we hung on by a couple of points (I think we kicked poorly that day - yes, it was 11.23, including 1.8 in the first quarter!).

 

[Ridley]

Every time I see stats with Mark Coughlan in the team it makes me sad that we didn't see another 150 games from him due to injury. Such a good player.

Agree he was a beauty and cruelly cut down in his prime. Really liked him from the first time I saw him play.

 

[zippadeee]

had a look at the stats. Kayne Pettifer as well, 21 disposals 3 goals and 4 tackles ....

Every time I see stats with Mark Coughlan in the team it makes me sad that we didn't see another 150 games from him due to injury. Such a good player.

I loved Coughlan. Top class footballer. Cut down by injury.
I always said Coughlan, Foley and Free are the best 3 players we missed out seeing a 10 year career from.

 

[Sintiger]

I loved Coughlan. Top class footballer. Cut down by injury.
I always said Coughlan, Foley and Free are the best 3 players we missed out seeing a 10 year career from.

and Nathan Brown although we might not have got 10 years from him

 

[Harry]

love how they load up for a flag and we just knock them out

It's a thing of beauty

 

[King Kong]

I loved Coughlan. Top class footballer. Cut down by injury.
I always said Coughlan, Foley and Free are the best 3 players we missed out seeing a 10 year career from.

Wallet destroyed Foley's career by playing him injured. The others were just unlucky

 

[AngryAnt]

I was at Waverley as a 12 year old watching KB wreak havoc against the Cats in the 1980 Second Semi - 8 beautiful goals! I was sitting in the stand behind the goals at Kardinia Park in 1982 the day KB got reported for striking Bruce Nankervis. Surrounded by Cats fans, it was a tense scene! Bernard Toohey kicked some last quarter goals and we hung on by a couple of points (I think we kicked poorly that day - yes, it was 11.23, including 1.8 in the first quarter!).

I think I remember listening to that game on the radio in Melbourne!

 

[zippadeee]

Wallet destroyed Foley's career by playing him injured. The others were just unlucky

That game against Port just destroyed Foley. Nothing was going to get that ankle back to normal.
Thats why i hated state games...