I find it ironic that they forcibly moved on club legends such as Bartel, Chapman, Kelly, Johnson, Corey etc. when they got to the wrong side of 30 and a few years later are bringing in players the same age on multi year contracts. How are Jack Steven and Josh Jenkins working out?Going a bit against the grain here.
The way Geelong is managing its list is interesting. No one said there is only one way to do it.
I'll put a caveat on this right away: if they don't put games into at least some of their promising youngsters, then it could all go pear-shaped. More on that in a sec.
Geelong is a different proposition to a lot of clubs. Being based out of town, yet in the state that is the home of football, makes it an enticing destination for an awful lot of players. Isaac Smith made the point that he chose Geelong over Melbourne for 'lifestyle reasons'.
I don't think there will ever be a shortage of high quality 30-year-olds who are jaded by Melbourne city living and crave the different pace of the Corio area.
They nearly won a grand final with one of the oldest lists ever. Not much more needs to go right before they snag a flag with this strategy.
I always hated what Melbourne did circa the tanking episode. Losing games breeds a loser's culture. I think you must always strive to win. Geelong has been winning for more than a decade and was just one good half of footy away from franking the strategy.
I reckon the beauty of this approach is they can bring in good eggs. Blokes who've been around the traps, and are known to be quality people, not to mention high-calibre footballers. No great risk in that.
So what about taking the next step?
The likes of Narkle, Cockatoo and Clarke have proven they are good players. The older imports can set the expected standards, while the kids provide the side with the legs to go with the younger teams for the full 120 minutes. They must be played ... it was the missing link this season.
I'm not declaring it a success ... yet. But if it bears fruit in the next year or two, expect more clubs to go down this path.
Bizarre strategy. The one Geelong supporter I have spoken to today is spewing about it.