Are we ruthless enough?

[geelong_crazy26]

Lost 4 games for the year, won 16 straight, finished 2 games clear on top and won 2 finals by a combined 150 points. Clearly the best team.

Funnily enough the Lions haven’t been the best team of the past 2 years. No way imo.
Just won at the right time and got lucky that GWS choked away a 50 point lead in a semi and us a 24 point lead in the prelim.
Then got lucky again when we brought out worst performance for the year in the GF this year.

Doesn’t matter though. History will show the Lions as back to back premiers.

You don’t fluke your way to 3 consecutive grand finals and B2B flags.

You have to also be a very good team to claw back deficits in a final like that. We always throw shit at the team who drops the margin, but not praise the team who claws it back. It’s a sign of a great team

 

[Vdubs]

I think last year they weren't the best side in it, but this year they were.

Which team was in 24?
They overpowered us, the "home" team, then smashed the GF against the #1 team.
If they don't 3-peat, I'll be very surprised.
All they needed was know-how, otherwise they'd already be a 3-peat team.

 

[iameviljez]

Which team was in 24?
They overpowered us, the "home" team, then smashed the GF against the #1 team.
If they don't 3-peat, I'll be very surprised.
All they needed was know-how, otherwise they'd already be a 3-peat team.

Sydney. But they just had a shocker on the day, like 2014.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

You don’t fluke your way to 3 consecutive grand finals and B2B flags.

You have to also be a very good team to claw back deficits in a final like that. We always throw shit at the team who drops the margin, but not praise the team who claws it back. It’s a sign of a great team

Luck always plays a part.
Even in the 2022 QF we were lucky Collingwood didn’t kick straight in the first quarter.
2024 they were very lucky in 2 finals.

 

[iameviljez]

Luck always plays a part.
Even in the 2022 QF we were lucky Collingwood didn’t kick straight in the first quarter.
2024 they were very lucky in 2 finals.

And lucky we didnt face them again.

 

[Vdubs]

Sydney. But they just had a shocker on the day, like 2014.

Swans dropped off mid- late 24, bit like Pies 25, although still finished #1.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Luck always plays a part.
Even in the 2022 QF we were lucky Collingwood didn’t kick straight in the first quarter.
2024 they were very lucky in 2 finals.

We played them twice and knocked them off both times.

The 22 QF we weren’t lucky… collingwood brought the game down to their level in a scrap heap fought on the Matt in a grappling style.. they never allowed open free play.

We adapted and kept with them for 3qtrs, then willed ourselves over the line with some brilliance and composure in the last qtr.

Probably one of the matches of the century so far.

You can go around claiming any close win as “ luck” but unless you get a bad bounce or a howler of a decision like Adelaide with the non poster or Hawkins hitting the post in the GF in 09, it’s unfair to take away the efforts and say “ oh well you got lucky”.

 

[Vdubs]

We played them twice and knocked them off both times.

The 22 QF we weren’t lucky… collingwood brought the game down to their level in a scrap heap fought on the Matt in a grappling style.. they never allowed open free play.

We adapted and kept with them for 3qtrs, then willed ourselves over the line with some brilliance and composure in the last qtr.

Probably one of the matches of the century so far.

You can go around claiming any close win as “ luck” but unless you get a bad bounce or a howler of a decision like Adelaide with the non poster or Hawkins hitting the post in the GF in 09, it’s unfair to take away the efforts and say “ oh well you got lucky”.

Sounds like the 09 GF.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Sounds like the 09 GF.

Yep agreed. In fairness regarding the whole luck discussion, we did get lucky with the Hawkins poster call. I still think we would have won regardless tho. We just had their measure that last qtr

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Sounds like the 09 GF.

Double quote-

Found Ross Lyon post game over the years interesting about that 09 grand final.

His claim ( and he is up there with Scott as one of the best tactical minds) is that geelong abandoned a zone and the +1 behind the ball in the last qtr and went completely man on man around the ground and he believes it win us the game, and it essentially took a lot of balls to do that an how it could have backfired.

He says geelong played to win and took risks and were hungry for it, more so than saints.

 

[Vdubs]

Yep agreed. In fairness regarding the whole luck discussion, we did get lucky with the Hawkins poster call. I still think we would have won regardless tho. We just had their measure that last qtr

That early Hawkins goal in 4th gave me real hope.
But we were very lucky indeed.
The post siren Rooke goal might/would not have happened if scores were level.

 

[Hinkley29]

Double quote-

Found Ross Lyon post game over the years interesting about that 09 grand final.

His claim ( and he is up there with Scott as one of the best tactical minds) is that geelong abandoned a zone and the +1 behind the ball in the last qtr and went completely man on man around the ground and he believes it win us the game, and it essentially took a lot of balls to do that an how it could have backfired.

He says geelong played to win and took risks and were hungry for it, more so than saints.

It is very interesting indeed.

The biggest criticism I have had of Ross Lyon as a coach when he had talented teams (which he clearly had in that saints era) was that he wanted to strangle other teams to death rather than kick scores and put them away. This always worked against bad, decent and very good teams, but didn’t always work against the elite teams. It always kept the opposition in the game and eventually the elite teams will find a way to put a score on the board.

The saints of that era were at their peak in 2009 and 2010 and they came up against 2 elite teams - Geelong and Collingwood. Their game plan against those teams were too conservative and it cost them at least one flag. The interesting thing was that in the second half of the 2010 drawn gf they finally tried to score instead of solely defending and it should have won them the game.

Having said all that, the saints were desperately unlucky that they were at their peak when two great teams were in their path. I would suggest that the 2009 or 2010 saints would have won any grand final from 2012 onwards.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

That early Hawkins goal in 4th gave me real hope.
But we were very lucky indeed.
The post siren Rooke goal might/would not have happened if scores were level.

So were the Corporate Betting agencies ,

They had a big promotional deal re that GF - if the team you backed lost by a goal or less you got your money back - so if Rooke in pure excitement just tossed the ball into the air in excitement , then it would have been a financial disaster , they would have had to pay out all the winning bets on Geelong , and refund all the losing bets on StKilda

But Max Rooke calmly going back and slotting that goal after the siren knocked that scenario on the head

So the poor old Ainters hey with their 20 plus wooden spoons , quite apt that anyone who backed them ended up doing their doe !!!

 

[geelong_crazy26]

It is very interesting indeed.

The biggest criticism I have had of Ross Lyon as a coach when he had talented teams (which he clearly had in that saints era) was that he wanted to strangle other teams to death rather than kick scores and put them away. This always worked against bad, decent and very good teams, but didn’t always work against the elite teams. It always kept the opposition in the game and eventually the elite teams will find a way to put a score on the board.

The saints of that era were at their peak in 2009 and 2010 and they came up against 2 elite teams - Geelong and Collingwood. Their game plan against those teams were too conservative and it cost them at least one flag. The interesting thing was that in the second half of the 2010 drawn gf they finally tried to score instead of solely defending and it should have won them the game.

Having said all that, the saints were desperately unlucky that they were at their peak when two great teams were in their path. I would suggest that the 2009 or 2010 saints would have won any grand final from 2012 onwards.

Good post.

He actually holds the record ( an unwanted one) as having a grand final twice in history either infront or scores level in time on of the 4th quarter, and never winning a flag.

He has gone agonizingly close on two occasions, you can’t get much closer without winning the damn thing than Ross has twice.

Is a great coach, but as you said, two champion sides pipped them on both occasions. In its own right that is bad luck… wrong place.. wrong time. It happens

 

[Vdubs]

Good post.

He actually holds the record ( an unwanted one) as having a grand final twice in history either infront or scores level in time on of the 4th quarter, and never winning a flag.

He has gone agonizingly close on two occasions, you can’t get much closer without winning the damn thing than Ross has twice.

Is a great coach, but as you said, two champion sides pipped them on both occasions. In its own right that is bad luck… wrong place.. wrong time. It happens

Yep, Cats 89, 94, 95.
Coming up against the brilliant Hawks, WCE and Blues- those 3 teams were just brilliant.
We werte very good, but just not good enough.
92- I think we lost our way, but even that WCE team was star-studded.

 

[Zouz Kitty]

To shit on our enemies! Skulls for Zouz Kitty's skull throne!!

You honour me, thank you dear Sicko

So tasteful

Does it have a gentle closing seat?


Moving right along. . .to Cats’ business. . .

Still, yet again, I appeal that someone either begin a GoFundMe or approach GFC, or both, to renovate my bathroom, so I’m kept warm while on the throne, to manifest GFC goals.

An ossuary throne of our enemies’ skulls*, especially Poos+Wees + Sam ‘what’s his name’ coach, Ross Lyon, Dermie, Port, GWS, Freo, BT + all Ch7 commentators.

Is that really too hard, or too much to ask?

I have the most bathroom GAs in GFC history!

I’m #1 in every sport for scoring while on the loo!


BTW Geelong_Sicko this ‘throne’ reminds me of crypt in "Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini" in Rome. At 16yo, I was utterly horrified by the ‘bone crypt”.

About 10 years later, I was fascinated, realising ossuaries were all over Europe + still used.


Without Prejudice:
Indulge me please? Yonks since GF, still licking my wounds, missing BF

Might be slightly refreshed from celebrating Ashes win

*Refuse to even fleetingly acknowledge Tuggers

 

[you pick one]

Yep agreed. In fairness regarding the whole luck discussion, we did get lucky with the Hawkins poster call. I still think we would have won regardless tho. We just had their measure that last qtr

The double goal to the Saints against Milburn evened that up.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

The double goal to the Saints against Milburn evened that up.

Shows what a magnanimous player Dasher Milburn was, do be so overcome by the injustice of that post-grazer being called a goal that he manufactured the incident.

 

[dazbroncos]

Think we’ve been as ruthless as our skill level has allowed since 2006.

Self evident when we’ve been fully ruthless.. we won flags…

Other times we’ve tried our best mostly but been outclassed..

Go Catters

 

[iameviljez]

The double goal to the Saints against Milburn evened that up.

No it didn’t IMO - Milburn was completely in the wrong and deserved the free kick.

 

[iameviljez]

Think we’ve been as ruthless as our skill level has allowed since 2006.

Self evident when we’ve been fully ruthless.. we won flags…

Other times we’ve tried our best mostly but been outclassed..

Go Catters

We have shot ourselves in the foot in the 2016 and 2024 PFs though.

That said, in a sport like footy, luck matters. Not as much as in cricket or low scoring sports like soccer, but it matters.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

The double goal to the Saints against Milburn evened that up.

Dissent is a genuine penalty tho

 

[geelong_crazy26]

We have shot ourselves in the foot in the 2016 and 2024 PFs though.

That said, in a sport like footy, luck matters. Not as much as in cricket or low scoring sports like soccer, but it matters.

2016 team was simply too slow and wouldn’t get much further. 24 Brisbane just had that extra class we lacked which got them over the line. Losing Holmes was disastrous as well

 

[Partridge]

Yep agreed. In fairness regarding the whole luck discussion, we did get lucky with the Hawkins poster call. I still think we would have won regardless tho. We just had their measure that last qtr

Precisely. No one ever wants to acknowledge that we kicked three goals in the last quarter and they were goalless. If you lead at three quarter time and don't kick a goal in the final quarter (as St.Kilda didn't), then it isn't luck - they just weren't good enough.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

We have shot ourselves in the foot in the 2016 and 2024 PFs though.

That said, in a sport like footy, luck matters. Not as much as in cricket or low scoring sports like soccer, but it matters.

How i loo0k at it is like - and that Geelong Premiership Net there is plenty of blooody holes in it

2013 PF - 20 pts up at 3qtr time - they kick the 1st goal in the last qtr Caddy immediately replies , that is Premiership number 1 that slipped through the net

2019 PF - Geel just shy of 4 goals up at h/t - and the lead should have been more like 6-7 goals if they had kicked straight , the Cats had totally dominated - and would have got GWS in the GF - a certain geel flag - that is Premiership no 2 that has slipped through the net

2020 GF - 22 pts up in the 2nd qtr in wet conditions at the Gabba , where the CATS played that ground sensationally that year , in fact as good as the galloper Chief De Beers had at the Doomben Race Track - that is Premiership no 3 that has slipped through the net

2024 PF - 4 goals up in the 3rd qtr , and it should have been alot more totally dominated the play to that stage - that is Premiership no 4 that slipped through the net

2025 - Geel could not have been more impressive in the 1st 2 finals - thumped Bris by 7 goals and it should have been more like 10-12 goals given the domination - then played the old foe Haw in the PF , and the Cats could not have been more impressive 6 goals all at h/t and then put them to the sword early in the 3rd qtr a real powerhouse display , then in the GF level at h/t , and given the Cats previous 2 wins and played 1 less game should have been fresher and over run them - that is Premiership no 5 that slipped through the net

And to all the Chris Scott worshippers - with his 1 flag in the last 14 years , in Parfitts last year , Scott was down on the boundary line being interviewed pre game and he said quote " Look Brandon is part of our A Grade midfield mix " what an utterly ridiculous thing to say , do you reckon Norm Smith Leigh Mathews or Ron Barassi would make a comment like that . And the proof is in the pudding , at the end of that season Parfitt got delisted , and at the ripe old age of 25 , not 1 AFL club picked him up , and he is now playing for Perth in the WAFL - because that is his standard as a footballer