Game Day 2022 AFL Grand Final : Geelong v Sydney

[Simon Crawshay]

Anyone else surprised how much physically bigger cats were? Their back 6 were all 90kgs plus for example - monstered Sydney around the contest but didn’t get exposed for run or pace. Yes geelong has big bodies but rarely see that much of a difference against another top team.

Yeh Geelong were easily the biggest side in the AFL this year I reckon (across all lines).

There midfield especially I reckon Selwood is the smallest and the rest are all 186cm to 190cm and 88kg to 92kg. Really we only have Duke who can compete with these big boys (I do not classify Nash as a true midfielder).

Playing country footy it was generally the bigger sides that won finals, AFL is no different really. Size and power is such a weapon in the contest.

Makes me question why our conditioning team has been so focused on turning our guys into middle distance runners in the off season.

Been some seasons recently they have appeared almost undernourished coming into round 1!

My only guess is that they wanted to create an elite running team but I don't think 22 elite runners will ever beat a team of powerful footballers like Geelong has.

 

[Hawker55]

Yeh Geelong were easily the biggest side in the AFL this year I reckon (across all lines).

There midfield especially I reckon Selwood is the smallest and the rest are all 186cm to 190cm and 88kg to 92kg. Really we only have Duke who can compete with these big boys (I do not classify Nash as a true midfielder).

Playing country footy it was generally the bigger sides that won finals, AFL is no different really. Size and power is such a weapon in the contest.

Makes me question why our conditioning team has been so focused on turning our guys into middle distance runners in the off season.

Been some seasons recently they have appeared almost undernourished coming into round 1!

My only guess is that they wanted to create an elite running team but I don't think 22 elite runners will ever beat a team of powerful footballers like Geelong has.

Strong early 2000s vibes

 

[Steven Tyler]

ha, very true. i think it was approx 10 years ago that i set the display pic.

So, after all those home and away wins by under a goal, but before the 2013 Prelim?

 

[Skeppersap]

So, after all those home and away wins by under a goal, but before the 2013 Prelim?

maybe??? couldn't tell you the date.....

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Strong early 2000s vibes

Yeh had a real Brisbane lions 3 peat feel about it. Replace Tom Hawkins with Alistair Lynch and Patrick Dangerfield with Michael Voss as an example.

Those Lions teams had some serious units, used to physically intimidate the opposition.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

leaving of all clubs hawthorn to "win premierships at the swans" is a stupid comment on so many levels

it got what it deserved with the advent of time

In fairness to him they have played off in three GF's since he moved. We have played in two, which we thankfully won.

He didn't just move for that reason too, it was a huge lifestyle change.

 

[Hawker55]

In fairness to him they have played off in three GF's since he moved. We have played in two, which we thankfully won.

He didn't just move for that reason too, it was a huge lifestyle change.

And they should (would?) have won 2016 if the umpiring hadn’t intervened. Then again the Dogs were only there because the umpires killed us in our Final again them.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I reckon we would've been good enough had we not lost Roughy for the season. With Hale retiring at the end of 2015 we just didn't quite have the depth to cover what Roughy brought up forward and in the ruck.

Langford’s form going from ‘he could be anything’ in 2014 to ‘wtf happened here?’ by 2016 really didn’t help as I think the club pinned a fair bit of hope of him revitalising our midfield. And we missed Lake down back - probably should have given him another run at it in retrospect. Was also frustrating that Spangher never overcame injuries as he was a handy swing man.

 

[cryptor]

Langford’s form going from ‘he could be anything’ in 2014 to ‘wtf happened here?’ by 2016 really didn’t help as I think the club pinned a fair bit of hope of him revitalising our midfield. And we missed Lake down back - probably should have given him another run at it in retrospect. Was also frustrating that Spangher never overcame injuries as he was a handy swing man.

Lake admitted in the years after that he was definitely cooked, and it was the right call for him to finish up after 2015.

 

[The hands of stone]

Yeh Geelong were easily the biggest side in the AFL this year I reckon (across all lines).

There midfield especially I reckon Selwood is the smallest and the rest are all 186cm to 190cm and 88kg to 92kg. Really we only have Duke who can compete with these big boys (I do not classify Nash as a true midfielder).

Playing country footy it was generally the bigger sides that won finals, AFL is no different really. Size and power is such a weapon in the contest.

Makes me question why our conditioning team has been so focused on turning our guys into middle distance runners in the off season.

Been some seasons recently they have appeared almost undernourished coming into round 1!

My only guess is that they wanted to create an elite running team but I don't think 22 elite runners will ever beat a team of powerful footballers like Geelong has.

Its comparing one of the youngest sides against the oldest . Will always be a large physical development difference .

Give a few of guys a few pre seasons and you'll see a difference .

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

For mine, it's the dramatic appealing as much as the ducking that makes me dislike him as a player.

Know a couple of people who have been involved with him off the field, and they have nothing but the highest praise for him as a person. Always feel it's good to separate criticism of the player from the person.

It's a win at all cost attitude onfield. Others go about it a different way. It's why the team and club is so driven to succeed. It's also why he will be a significant loss to them. More than people realise. They have good leadership behind him but not in the same league IMO. Expect a drop off across the board once he retires.

 

[The hands of stone]

It's a win at all cost attitude onfield. Others go about it a different way. It's why the team and club is so driven to succeed. It's also why he will be a significant loss to them. More than people realise. They have good leadership behind him but not in the same league IMO. Expect a drop off across the board once he retires.

Even though his playing level had dropped off a bit , he would still be the one who would give them a lift or get in the oppositions grill to get a spark .
Massive loss and irreplaceable for them

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Its comparing one of the youngest sides against the oldest . Will always be a large physical development difference .

Give a few of guys a few pre seasons and you'll see a difference .

I will hold off judgement untill I see what condition the boys come back from pre season training in.

If I hear more reports of them looking "super lean" instead of "bulked up" again though I will start to worry that we are in for a long season of getting smashed in contested ball again.

 

[Faithful Hawk]

My Pit is still better than Jeremey’s!!

 

[Sixpence]

Haha, a cow ran off with Jezza's medal!

 

[toomanysquibs]

Anyone else surprised how much physically bigger cats were? Their back 6 were all 90kgs plus for example - monstered Sydney around the contest but didn’t get exposed for run or pace. Yes geelong has big bodies but rarely see that much of a difference against another top team.

Not only are they big, they can also run.

The cats went out of their way to get upsized aerobic athletes - they even managed to put some size on Smith.

Size alone is obviously not an advantage, but the way they managed to bash Sydney around all day suggests that it's a bit more than just size. Hunger goes a long way, but it goes further if you're the bigger team.

Geelong has a tall, strong midfield. They have Elite endurance athletes who are quick in Blicvas, Smith, Holmes etc.

Plus runners like Danger who are powerful to boot. The weird way they turn up Harry Taylor/Egan clone key backs doesn't hurt either.

It all came together for them this year, but it would be hard for our side to compete with them when they're on just based on size alone. When we beat them earlier in the year they just weren't playing well.

 

[The hands of stone]

I will hold off judgement untill I see what condition the boys come back from pre season training in.

If I hear more reports of them looking "super lean" instead of "bulked up" again though I will start to worry that we are in for a long season of getting smashed in contested ball again.

Worpel came back from pre season looking like he had been shifting steel all summer on Venice beach .
And it really hampered him , his form and pretty much wiped out his season .

I wouldnt get too fixated on it . Young guys need 3-4 pre seasons to get the mix right . Its a patience game for most.

Have a look at the 08 GF , its a good excuse to watch again but Selwood isnt exactly a behemoth . Compare to the next season and 2010 and its a gradual size increase .

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Still can't believe how poor the Swans played on the day, as good as the Cats are the Swans really let themselves down.

Be interesting to see if the Cats vets motivation levels drop off slightly in 2023 are winning the ultimate and doing it in such dominate fashion winning the PF and GF by a combined 150 points or so.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Worpel came back from pre season looking like he had been shifting steel all summer on Venice beach .
And it really hampered him , his form and pretty much wiped out his season .

I wouldnt get too fixated on it . Young guys need 3-4 pre seasons to get the mix right . Its a patience game for most.

Have a look at the 08 GF , its a good excuse to watch again but Selwood isnt exactly a behemoth . Compare to the next season and 2010 and its a gradual size increase .

It's hard to express in words but I feel like the Cats players in general are bigger, but not bigger in an obvious way like Worps was this year? Players like Duncan, Touhey, Guthrie, Dangerfield etc aren't rippling with muscles like Worps was this year but they are big powerful men.

It's not just conditioning it's also drafting. I feel like going forward when we get a choice between two kids who are roughly the same talent level maybe we should lean towards picking the bigger, taller more developed player?

I mean look at what Newk has been able to do in just two years. The kid was built like a tank from the start and is already one of our top three players whereas our more lightly built draftees (DGB, Day, etc) are still finding their way.

 

[Cyril says]

Fair play to the Cats on the day - they smashed Sydney and ruined the spectacle.

I blame Melbourne. They have the tools and if they played like 2021, they’d have been lifting the Cup on Saturday, with Geelong looking at the grass.

Roll on 2023.

 

[KermitJagger]

It's hard to express in words but I feel like the Cats players in general are bigger, but not bigger in an obvious way like Worps was this year? Players like Duncan, Touhey, Guthrie, Dangerfield etc aren't rippling with muscles like Worps was this year but they are big powerful men.

It's not just conditioning it's also drafting. I feel like going forward when we get a choice between two kids who are roughly the same talent level maybe we should lean towards picking the bigger, taller more developed player?

I mean look at what Newk has been able to do in just two years. The kid was built like a tank from the start and is already one of our top three players whereas our more lightly built draftees (DGB, Day, etc) are still finding their way.

Are they bigger in the, older sort of way? Such as the three additional years (on average) of muscle density and maturity?

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Are they bigger in the, older sort of way? Such as the three additional years (on average) of muscle density and maturity?

Well compare their veterans players (Duncan, Dangerfield, Hawkins, Duncan, Touhey, Guthrie) to our veterans (Gunston, JOM, Mitchell, Bruest).

Clear difference in size in favour of the cats. A whole weight division in fact in boxing parlance.

Even the Cats younger players (SDK, etc) appear bigger than our younger players (DGB, Day, Morrison, etc).

Can't help but feel the Cats went down a path of prioritising size and we went down a path of prioritising lean endurance runners which I feel went against the trend of where AFL was going (contested ball).

 

[Kil Phearns]

Just like in 2007, Collingwood gave Geelong their hardest game in the finals by a considerable distance (2007 PF 5 pts, 2022 QF 6 pts).

 

[grumbleguts]

Can you really say you come in peace with that display picture?

This is more damning.

 

[KermitJagger]

Well compare their veterans players (Duncan, Dangerfield, Hawkins, Duncan, Touhey, Guthrie) to our veterans (Gunston, JOM, Mitchell, Bruest).

Clear difference in size in favour of the cats. A whole weight division in fact in boxing parlance.

Even the Cats younger players (SDK, etc) appear bigger than our younger players (DGB, Day, Morrison, etc).

Can't help but feel the Cats went down a path of prioritising size and we went down a path of prioritising lean endurance runners which I feel went against the trend of where AFL was going (contested ball).

You do realise you're comparing players in different positions and teams in two completely different stages of list development right?

As evidenced by the fact that you could only think of one young cats player.

I'm not disagreeing that they're bigger and stronger, but age is a big factor in that as well.