Geelong 2007 vs Hawthorn 2014 - who would win?

[PJays]

Geelong 2007

• Won the minor premiership
• Finished 3 games clear on top of the ladder
• Won 19 of their last 20 games, the only loss being a dead rubber after they had minor premiership sewn up
• Percentage 152.8% Home and Away
• Won 2 of their 3 finals by over 100 points
• Just got over the line in the prelim over 13-9, 6th placed Collingwood at the G (Collingwood's home ground)
• Biggest GF winning margin ever- 128 point lead before Port goaled late. Won by 119 points.

Hawthorn 2014

• Finished 2nd
• Percentage 140.8% Home and Away
• Just got over the line in the prelim, with a tight win over the 14-8, 5th placed Port at the G (Hawthorn's home ground)
• Played impressively on GF day, dispensing of favorite Sydney by 63 points.

Both stumbled in the prelim and both were impressive on Grand Final day. Two of the most impressive Grand Final performances of my lifetime. Geelong toyed with their opponent and turned the last Saturday of September into a training run. And Hawthorn powered through a very strong opponent who, apart from Buddy and one or two others didn't look like a Grand Final team despite their good season to date. In hindsight, Sydney were celebrating pretty hard after thrashing North Melbourne and maybe peaked a week early.

But overall, Hawthorn were a great team who played a great GF. Geelong were unbeatable.

Of Geelong's 21 wins that season, only 2 were by 15 points or less. Their 4 losses were 4, 5, 16 and 20 (4, 16 and 20 being right at the start of the season). Hawthorn by comparison, won 5 by 15 or less. And had 4 losses by 19 or 20 points.

Geelong comfortably. They simply elevated themselves above the rest in a manner rarely seen in the AFL.

In terms of an actual game, Geelong's record against Hawthorn illustrates they generally had the wood on them. Yes Hawthorn won the 2008 GF, but Geelong won the next 11 straight until the "Kennett Curse" was broken with Hawthorn's tight 2013 prelim win. Arguably Hawthorn was helped by Paul Chapman

Paul Chapman

Age

42

Ht

179cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.7

5star

K

12.8

5star

HB

6.9

4star

M

4.7

4star

T

3.5

5star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

6.6

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

2.6

3star

M

1.0

1star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.2

3star

's suspension, after he kicked 4 goals the previous week but got suspended and missed the prelim.

If you took the entire period 2007-2016 before Hawthorn fell out of contention in 2017, Geelong won 15 and Hawthorn won 7. Suggesting a 2007 Geelong would beat a 2014 Hawthorn.

 

[Power Raid]

Geelong 2007

• Biggest GF winning margin ever- 128 point lead before Port goaled late. Won by 119 points.

This is over looked by many who don't really appreciate or understand football. The momentum had just swung in Port's favour but time unfortunately was the enemy.

I often sit and think about what may have been, in 2007, if there was a little more time on the clock.

 

[Holy Rioli]

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but remember Geelong 2007 couldn't even beat Hawthorn 2007.

 

[juss]

These are always unanswerable questions given that if you played the game 10 times, you'd have both teams winning some sort of share of games, so it really depends on who is better "on the day". We see upsets in sport on a daily basis.

As a general rule, the newer/more modern team would generally beat a team from a previous era. Is 7 years long enough for it to be considered an evolved era with newer tactics, conditioning, etc that have evolved to beat the previous era? IMO it's on the cusp.

I voted Geelong, given I think they would win this H2H match "most times" out of 10, but that could easily be a 6/4 split by chance, as both sides on their day are elite.

 

[cryptor]

This is over looked by many who don't really appreciate or understand football. The momentum had just swung in Port's favour but time unfortunately was the enemy.

I often sit and think about what may have been, in 2007, if there was a little more time on the clock.

"Come on Pear! Just 20 quick ones!"

 

[BuddyHawk]

Geelong's 2007 season was more impressive than Hawthorn's 2014 season, no doubt. But I'm not sure that proves in itself they would win a head-to-head game.

After Stevie J missed the first 6 (?) rounds with the club-imposed suspension, Geelong had one of those seasons where everything pretty much went right, including in the medical room, until Matthew Egan

Matthew Egan

Age

40

Ht

196cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.5

3star

K

4.8

2star

HB

5.7

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.2

3star

No current season stats available

D

7.0

2star

K

3.2

2star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

0.4

3star

sadly went down late in the year (what a player he would have been). Hawthorn, by contrast, had long-term injuries to key players - Mitchell, Rioli, Lake, Gibson, plus a few others who missed 2-3 weeks here or there - that probably cost them a couple of wins. They still went 17-5, but I reckon that undersells them a bit, as to me they were at their peak of their powers and could have gone 19-3/20-2 with a better injury run.

I always felt the Cats' one weakness in 07-09 was they were a touch slow, and I reckon that side would have struggled to counter the run of Smith and Hill, as well as the Rioli/Bruest/Puopolo combination in the forward line. I think their 2011 side had a better midfield balance, which is why I rate them more highly than the 07 and 09 teams.

That being said, the 07 vintage had a superb defence, some all-time greats in the midfield and heaps of goalkicking options. It would have been a great (hypothetical) game.

 

[Kim Hagdorn]

Geelong, they weren't too cocky then.

 

[PhatBoy]

Geelong's 2007 season was more impressive than Hawthorn's 2014 season, no doubt. But I'm not sure that proves in itself they would win a head-to-head game.

After Stevie J missed the first 6 (?) rounds with the club-imposed suspension, Geelong had one of those seasons where everything pretty much went right, including in the medical room, until Matthew Egan sadly went down late in the year (what a player he would have been). Hawthorn, by contrast, had long-term injuries to key players - Mitchell, Rioli, Lake, Gibson, plus a few others who missed 2-3 weeks here or there - that probably cost them a couple of wins. They still went 17-5, but I reckon that undersells them a bit, as to me they were at their peak of their powers and could have gone 19-3/20-2 with a better injury run.

I always felt the Cats' one weakness in 07-09 was they were a touch slow, and I reckon that side would have struggled to counter the run of Smith and Hill, as well as the Rioli/Bruest/Puopolo combination in the forward line. I think their 2011 side had a better midfield balance, which is why I rate them more highly than the 07 and 09 teams.

That being said, the 07 vintage had a superb defence, some all-time greats in the midfield and heaps of goalkicking options. It would have been a great (hypothetical) game.

Some reasonable points but a player like Wojinscki who was lightning and fairly defensively minded would have been a factor in that sort of scenario

 

[freddy mercury]

You can't take away three flags in a row. Huge effort, amazing. But I've always questioned them due to beating two Perth based teams who would've played next to no footy at the G and a swans side who is in the boat.

I would've lovee to have seen them against a Victorian side during that three peat.

 

[Pessimistic]

"Come on Pear! Just 20 quick ones!"

the number of geelong fans who believe this about 1989 is enormous. i guess if there had been more time Dipper would have died

 

[Pessimistic]

Geelong, they weren't too cocky then.

Yes their hunger factor would have been much higher than the Hawks, almost 2008 in reverse

 

[Pessimistic]

You can't take away three flags in a row. Huge effort, amazing. But I've always questioned them due to beating two Perth based teams who would've played next to no footy at the G and a swans side who is in the boat.

I would've lovee to have seen them against a Victorian side during that three peat.

how’d Geelong fare v the west coast?

 

[freddy mercury]

how’d Geelong fare v the west coast?

I don't know.

I just know that it was an easy kill, all three grand finals. Just wish during that run a Victorian side got there instead of one interstate side.

 

[Pessimistic]

I don't know.

I just know that it was an easy kill, all three grand finals. Just wish during that run a Victorian side got there instead of one interstate side.

was there for all four. initially the travelling fans were louder than us, just not later in the game obviously

 

[Pessimistic]

And which Victorian team did Geelong beat in 2007 GF. Not sure you guys can keep a straight face?

 

[Seeds]

I'm sure it's been mentioned before, but remember Geelong 2007 couldn't even beat Hawthorn 2007.

Lol. We lost the first 3 out of 5 that season. Nth spanked us at home, bulldogs spanked us and we lost to hawthorn by a kick in tassie.

we smashed both nth and dogs later in the season. Its cute you dont think the same would of happened to you guys if we actually played you.

 

[Holy Rioli]

Lol. We lost the first 3 out of 5 that season. Nth spanked us at home, bulldogs spanked us and we lost to hawthorn by a kick in tassie.

we smashed both nth and dogs later in the season. Its cute you dont think the same would of happened to you guys if we actually played you.

yeah but you didn't...all we got was two games in 2008 and on aggregate we won those as well...

Geelong 2007 just wouldn't stand up to Hawthorn 2014 in full flight.

 

[Havoc]

RUNVS who would win in a match..?

 

[Seeds]

yeah but you didn't...all we got was two games in 2008 and on aggregate we won those as well...

Geelong 2007 just wouldn't stand up to Hawthorn 2014 in full flight.

Geelong beat hawthorn in 2014 at your home ground and we were effing terrible that year.

I just used your dumb argument on yourself in reverse.

Although I could of just said that on every single metric to compare sides the Geelong of 2007 were a better side.

More dominant in finals, more wins, bigger percentage, way way more all Australians.

 

[Seeds]

Geelong 2011 was better then Geelong 2007.

I suppose we have to compare our second best side cos it would just be silly otherwise.

 

[RUNVS]

RUNVS who would win in a match..?

Geelong for mine, but it would be a bloody good match that is for sure.

 

[MinerBoy]

Geelong 2011 was better then Geelong 2007.

I suppose we have to compare our second best side cos it would just be silly otherwise.

We all know 2008 was your best side xx

 

[Seeds]

We all know 2008 was your best side xx

Meh. We were a good side then but we were terrible in the finals. All our forwards were playing injured.

 

[Seeds]

the number of geelong fans who believe this about 1989 is enormous. i guess if there had been more time Dipper would have died

Everyone believed it. Not just Geelong fans.