dazbroncos
Max Rooke Appreciation Society
- Oct 9, 2010
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- #1
On 15 October 2010 Chris Scott was appointed senior coach of the Geelong Football Club; 352 days later 1 Oct 2011 the team was playing off the grand final against Collingwood. This was a team that 12 months earlier lost arguably the best player in the league to newest start up club, and by many they were described as too old & too slow, but on that day they proved they were too good
3312 days on from that successful day, Scott and the Geelong Football Club will return to the big stage - something that some had started to doubt, because while the club had only missed the finals once over the past 9 seasons, we had fallen short in preliminary finals on 4 occasions
On Saturday night that apparent hoodoo was put to bed. While an early goal was conceded, once Geelong hit the lead it was on they wouldn’t relinquish before ultimately running out with a 40pt win over the Lions on the back of an even team performance
That brings us to this week and a grand final against modern day rivals, Richmond. Our era of success between 2007 and 2011 started with a 157 point smashing of the Tigers, a result that Geelong fans would love to see repeated on Saturday night when the grand final is played at arguable our second home, GABBDINIA Park - 5 games for 5 wins by an average of 53.2 points
We’ve faced the Tigers once already this season, and that night was arguably our worse performance for the year; a late late change with Ben Jarvis being told to suit up just 10 minutes before the start of the match, we went on to kick just 1 goal across the first 3 quarters and went on to lose the match by 26 points
But the team that will run out on Saturday night looks vastly different from that one that lost to the Tigers 39 days ago - going in unchanged for the 3rd match in the row will mean that Atkins, Ratugolea, Fogarty, Close and Jarvis will be replaced by Rohan, Simpson, Stanley, Selwood & Ablett
And that brings us to the milestones for this coming weekend - Joel Selwood who took over the captaincy following our last premiership will lead the team out for the 200th time, in what will only be game #310 for our fearless leader
Saturday night will also mark the end of career of a legend of not just the GFC but of the AFL when Gary Ablett runs out for one final time in game #357. 3 years ago today (19 Oct 2017) the trade was made that would see him play out his career in the hoops and in just a few days he could well get the fairytale ending to his career. Gary is now just a future hall of fame recipient, but he will no doubt be inducted as a Legend of our game
And as one father & son hangs up his boots, we are now seeing the emergence of another in Sam Simpson. This may be his 4th year on the list, but we are seeing why the club persevered, because while this week may only be game #15 he looks a much more seasoned player.
While other retirements haven’t been made official, suspicion hangs around the future of Harry Taylor the mature age recruit who was drafted with pick #17 back in 2017. Saturday night will be his 280th and potentially last game. Long been the stalwart down back, his gone about the job week in & week out with fuss over the past 13 seasons, and 2020 will be only the 2nd time across his career that he hasn’t played at least 21 games, such has been his durability and reliability
And one of the feel good stories has to be Lachlan Henderson who 12 months ago found himself without a club, but in a sliding doors moment Ryan Abbott took up an offer from St Kilda which opened the door for Henderson to return to Geelong via the rookie draft. Ironically, it was when our recognised rucks all went down with injuries and a shifting of roles was required that he then got his shot agains the Dockers and he hasn’t looked back
And showing the "luck of the draft" & impact it can have on careers, Henderson was selected 9 spots ahead of Taylor in the 07 draft and both debuted in round 2 of 2008. Saturday night will be Taylor's 280th game, 4th grand final and aiming for a 3rd premiership medal; for Henderson it will be game #185 and his first grand final
Saturday isn’t going to be a grand final like we’ve known before and possible unlike what we’ll see again - as a club we’ve adapted to and embraced the challengers that the year and season 2020 have thrown at us, so let that continue through this week. And as the often unsung 2nd verse of our song says:
So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition
Stand up and fight, it’s always our ambition
Throughout the game to fight with all our might
Because we’re the mighty blue and white
And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell
Stand up and fight like hell!
by cats_09
Go Catters
3312 days on from that successful day, Scott and the Geelong Football Club will return to the big stage - something that some had started to doubt, because while the club had only missed the finals once over the past 9 seasons, we had fallen short in preliminary finals on 4 occasions
On Saturday night that apparent hoodoo was put to bed. While an early goal was conceded, once Geelong hit the lead it was on they wouldn’t relinquish before ultimately running out with a 40pt win over the Lions on the back of an even team performance
That brings us to this week and a grand final against modern day rivals, Richmond. Our era of success between 2007 and 2011 started with a 157 point smashing of the Tigers, a result that Geelong fans would love to see repeated on Saturday night when the grand final is played at arguable our second home, GABBDINIA Park - 5 games for 5 wins by an average of 53.2 points
We’ve faced the Tigers once already this season, and that night was arguably our worse performance for the year; a late late change with Ben Jarvis being told to suit up just 10 minutes before the start of the match, we went on to kick just 1 goal across the first 3 quarters and went on to lose the match by 26 points
But the team that will run out on Saturday night looks vastly different from that one that lost to the Tigers 39 days ago - going in unchanged for the 3rd match in the row will mean that Atkins, Ratugolea, Fogarty, Close and Jarvis will be replaced by Rohan, Simpson, Stanley, Selwood & Ablett
And that brings us to the milestones for this coming weekend - Joel Selwood who took over the captaincy following our last premiership will lead the team out for the 200th time, in what will only be game #310 for our fearless leader
Saturday night will also mark the end of career of a legend of not just the GFC but of the AFL when Gary Ablett runs out for one final time in game #357. 3 years ago today (19 Oct 2017) the trade was made that would see him play out his career in the hoops and in just a few days he could well get the fairytale ending to his career. Gary is now just a future hall of fame recipient, but he will no doubt be inducted as a Legend of our game
And as one father & son hangs up his boots, we are now seeing the emergence of another in Sam Simpson. This may be his 4th year on the list, but we are seeing why the club persevered, because while this week may only be game #15 he looks a much more seasoned player.
While other retirements haven’t been made official, suspicion hangs around the future of Harry Taylor the mature age recruit who was drafted with pick #17 back in 2017. Saturday night will be his 280th and potentially last game. Long been the stalwart down back, his gone about the job week in & week out with fuss over the past 13 seasons, and 2020 will be only the 2nd time across his career that he hasn’t played at least 21 games, such has been his durability and reliability
And one of the feel good stories has to be Lachlan Henderson who 12 months ago found himself without a club, but in a sliding doors moment Ryan Abbott took up an offer from St Kilda which opened the door for Henderson to return to Geelong via the rookie draft. Ironically, it was when our recognised rucks all went down with injuries and a shifting of roles was required that he then got his shot agains the Dockers and he hasn’t looked back
And showing the "luck of the draft" & impact it can have on careers, Henderson was selected 9 spots ahead of Taylor in the 07 draft and both debuted in round 2 of 2008. Saturday night will be Taylor's 280th game, 4th grand final and aiming for a 3rd premiership medal; for Henderson it will be game #185 and his first grand final
Saturday isn’t going to be a grand final like we’ve known before and possible unlike what we’ll see again - as a club we’ve adapted to and embraced the challengers that the year and season 2020 have thrown at us, so let that continue through this week. And as the often unsung 2nd verse of our song says:
So! Stand up and fight, remember our tradition
Stand up and fight, it’s always our ambition
Throughout the game to fight with all our might
Because we’re the mighty blue and white
And when the ball is bounced, to the final bell
Stand up and fight like hell!
by cats_09
Go Catters
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