2nds VFL Round 2 - Casey v Geelong, Casey Fields, 2:00PM Sunday 13 April

[Partridge]

That's funny. I never hear that expression used about Geelong Football Club these days. It was used frequently in my past youth. The way Geelong often played back then I did not think that it was an entirely unfair criticism.

I always did. It was bullshit. Lou Richards might have thought he was being funny (if he invented the term, he certainly used it), but considering just since I've been watching we've had Gary Ablett, Garry Hocking, Ray Card, Tim McGrath, Steve Hocking for starters (before you get to the modern era) it's wildly inaccurate. Not to mention bookends at either ends of their careers were John Newman (lost a kidney on the field but returned to play 300 games in a very tough era), and Tom Lonergan now, it's so far beyond accurate to defy belief.

Additionally, have Geelong ever had players as outright SOFT as Nathan and Ryan Lonie? Or Ken Judge, or Michael Long? Doubtful.

I use a pretty simple technique which I don't waver from - anyone who uses that term I don't interact with. It displays a level of stupidity, arrogance and intentional ignorance worthy of nothing but contempt.

 

[Teriyakicat]

Didn't someone comment not long ago that the Cats have taken to carrying bricks in their handbag these days? That made me chuckle
Sorry Partridge- but I try not to let the little things that don't matter bother me.

 

[vinum coupe]

The Geelong team of the 70's and 80's were not a tough team.
As a group they just didn't like getting their hands dirty.

Completely opposite to the group of Corey, Selwood, Bartel, Kelly, Scarlett, Enright, Ling. etc.

 

[The rabbi]

I always did. It was bullshit. Lou Richards might have thought he was being funny (if he invented the term, he certainly used it), but considering just since I've been watching we've had Gary Ablett, Garry Hocking, Ray Card, Tim McGrath, Steve Hocking for starters (before you get to the modern era) it's wildly inaccurate.

All fairly recent in my history. But as a young bloke in the 70's we were ordinary and the physical approach of Hawthorn in particular was a stark contrast to Geelong. Newman was an exception not the rule.

 

[The rabbi]

The Geelong team of the 70's and 80's were not a tough team.
As a group they just didn't like getting their hands dirty.

Completely opposite to the group of Corey, Selwood, Bartel, Kelly, Scarlett, Enright, Ling. etc.

A Hawthorn mate of mine (I use the term "mate" loosely here) was critical of Geelong in that period you describe. He felt that Geelong were just not tough at the football. I agree.

However, it would be absolute bullshit to describe the recent Geelong era in those terms and our recent history bares that out.

 

[thejester]

To be honest every time I hear 'handbagger' I think of this for some reason:

 

[The rabbi]

I did a search on the word "handbagger" to try and get some sort of handle on how this above image comes to your mind.
A foolish task.

 

[Partridge]

All fairly recent in my history. But as a young bloke in the 70's we were ordinary and the physical approach of Hawthorn in particular was a stark contrast to Geelong. Newman was an exception not the rule.

Fair enough, I know I heard Crackers Keenan being asked about it once, and he said Geelong during his playing time (which was the 1970s and early 1980s) were a side that played tough but fair, and never whinged.

I think too many conflate an ordinary team (which we absolutely were then) to being a soft team. Not sure the two are automatically related. If you based it on one or two players you could find a receiver at every club (or more than one).

 

[The rabbi]

I think too many conflate an ordinary team (which we absolutely were then) to being a soft team. Not sure the two are automatically related. If you based it on one or two players you could find a receiver at every club (or more than one).

And no doubt that is true of ordinary teams.
But in those days I think we lacked players who were physically tough at the footy that the power sides had. Or at least, we lacked physically strong players that the power sides like Hawthorn, Richmond, Carlton had in that period.

 

[Teriyakicat]

And no doubt that is true of ordinary teams.
But in those days I think we lacked players who were physically tough at the footy that the power sides had. Or at least, we lacked physically strong players that the power sides like Hawthorn, Richmond, Carlton had in that period.

="thugs"
We were probably just lacking the thugs that other teams had and admired so much.

 

[thejester]

I did a search on the word "handbagger" to try and get some sort of handle on how this above image comes to your mind.
A foolish task.

It's a Holocaust survivor belting a Neo-Nazi with her handbag in Sweden in the early 80s. Alway quite liked the idea of an apparently law-abiding middle age woman going beserk at the sight of Nazis and beating the crap out of them with her handbag, but then I think I read somewhere that the lady in the photo may have loaded it up with bricks before attacking. Which is sort of even better.