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View Full Version : Geelong vs West Coast - remember when....


SeinDude
1 Jul 2002, 18:18
Well, after a convincing win over Richmond at the MCG, we now suddenly find ourselves with an impressive 7-6 record, and sitting in the eight. As has been said many times over the past few days, this is quite an achievement for a young side like us.

So, now we face our old nemesis – the West Coast Eagles – at Skilled Stadium – and if we win this one, we would have won 5 on the trot! We can’t let this one go. This is another ‘must win’ – we have to take advantage of all of our games at Skilled Stadium, and capitalize on the weagles poor interstate form. A loss here would undo all our good work of late – and with Collingwood, Essendon and Adelaide all to follow, we obviously must win as many as we can at home. Winning the games we have been expected to has been Geelongs main strength this year, and I’m looking forward to a good game at Skilled Stadium this Saturday arvo.

So, lets get fired up for our upcoming clash with another ‘Remember When?’ thread.

We all know that in the early 90’s, West Coast were definitely our nemesis. I have no sympathy for these blokes after destroying our premiership dream in 1992 and 1994, and I’m hoping our recent record against the West Australians will continue this Saturday. Since season 2000, under coach Mark Thompson, our record has been fantastic against the Eagles. Over that time, we have won every game against them by respective margins of 81pts, 30pts, 66pts and 70pts.
Other memorable wins have been an 96-point thumping of them at Kardinia in 1989, a couple of good wins against them in Perth in ’92, ‘93 and ’96 when they had the wood over us, the Grand Final Replay in 1995 at Kardinia Park and Couch’s 250th game against them in 1996.

Today I will focus our ‘Remember When’ thread to our memorable win against them at the WACA in round 22, 1993. None of these wins against them give any sort of revenge from those dreaded Grand Finals, so lets show them no mercy this Saturday and continue our string of recent wins against them!

REMEMBER WHEN – Geelong kept its finals hopes alive by winning its 5th straight match by defeating West Coast on their home turf in the final round of 1993?

You cant bring up this game without remembering Collingwoods woeful effort against the Crows 2 days later which ended our finals dream – but lets not take away how great our win against the Eagles actually was.

Geelongs spirited but failed charge at a finals berth at the end of 1993 will long live in the memory. 4 good wins against strong opposition ended with another ‘must win’ against one of the toughest tasks in football – the Eagles in Perth. Innovative coach Malcolm blight treated his charges as cricketers pre-match, saying that the Friday night match at the WACA was ‘night cricket’. Barnes, Bairstow, Couch and Steele were opening batsmen, McGrath and Stoneham were the middle order, and it was left up to Gary Ablett and Billy Brownless to hit the big sixes!

In a classic tousle, Geelong were surprising many by being so competitive against the strong Eagles outfit. In the latter half of the match, Geelongs spirited effort took a battering with the great man, Gary Ablett, falling into a goal post in a marking contest, seemingly doing his back. He was stretched off and it seemed that this would not be Geelongs night. But the Cats pressed on, and overran the Weagles in an inspired final quarter to post a most impressive 20 point victory (17.14.116 (v96)). Gary Ablett ended up booting 5 majors as the Cats gave the Eagles a football lesson, and for a couple of nights at least, the premiership dream was alive and well.

Geelongs win gave somewhat revenge of the Grand Final loss a week earlier, but the charge towards the finals ended 2 days later when Collingwood, who were leading at quarter time, fell away against the Adelaide Crows. Geelong finished 7th – just one place out of the then final 6, and amazingly were only 1 and a half games off top spot. The Cats were the form team at this stage, and if we had of snatched a finals berth, we may well have gone on to win the premiership that year.

So close, yet so far. But 2002 presents us with an unexpected situation – we may make the finals this year! So, lets strive towards this goal, starting with a good victory this Saturday. The Cats played with a new-found spirit against the Eagles in 1993, and this year is no different. The Cats of late have been playing for one another – playing for the guernsey – with a never say die attitude. Lets continue that form into this week.




Posted by: LemmeCsum1963 on the Unnoficial Geelong Messageboard

SeinDude
1 Jul 2002, 18:35
On the Unofficial Geelong Messageboard this season, there has been a topic every week posted by LemmeCsum1963 which remembers past matches between Geelong and their opponents for the following week. I thought they were really good and got the ok from Lemme to post them on the Geelong board here as well. (until he gets a BigFooty account himself!!) :):)

Cheers!! :cool:
SeinDude

Mattster
1 Jul 2002, 19:38
i don't remember games as clearly as you do.

my remember when...

Gary Ablett taking 'that' mark over Gary Pert of Collingwood. Then going back and kicking a behind...

USAEagle
2 Jul 2002, 23:30
I seem to remember that only two games between us have really mattered for anything other than four points..........

SeinDude
5 Jul 2002, 21:41
Originally posted by USAEagle
I seem to remember that only two games between us have really mattered for anything other than four points..........

There's no doubt we owe West Coast for those 2 Grand Final losses in 1992 and 1994. They were 2 very dark days in Geelong's history, but things have changed in the last 8 years. Both teams have gone through a rebuilding phase in the last couple of years, and Geelong have matched up pretty well against the Eagles of late.

Last year Geelong and West Coast met twice. In round one at Geelong, the Cats won easily by 66 points, and in the return match at Subiacco in round 16, the Cats again won by a large margain... 70 points it was in the end after West Coast led by 22 points early in the 2nd term. Kent Kingsley kicked 4.6 and 1 out of bounds on the full in that game, while Cameron Mooney did the ruck work against Gardiner with King out injured.

Go Cats!! :cool:
SeinDude