Cats the Greatest?

[Badtemperedbadger]

Agree totally. you can only beat who you come up against.
It's a bit like the argument player x (substitute any Geelong players name) is only good because they play in such a good team. Well someone must be playing surreal football to make all these passengers look good.
As for the "Best Team of All" not at this stage. journos like to run with superlatives and Geelong still has a lot to prove to be compared with many other great side from different eras.
I love the theory our forward line is ordinary, and opposition fans like to pickout particular players (Mooney in particular who has kicked well over 100 goals in the past two seasons as a lead up forward).
As a "team" we have scored more than any opposition side for the last two years. i would suggest while we don't have individual leaders in goal scoring, that as a team we have no peer at present.
Give credit where it is due.

That's my point. If you've been in touch with the recent media hysteria, they are crowing that Geelong may very well be the best ever.

Relax pussy cats, I'm not saying you are not a very good team. But comparing percentage as an argument that you are the best, like some commentators is just DUMB.

You have to compare apples with apples. Geelong have come along at a time when not many sides have much to offer, bar a handful, if that.

So it's "the Greatest" tag that I'm disputing.

Boy, it's amazing how quickly cats fans get on here to sook. Maybe you do think you're the best ever. I'm just giving you a dose of reality. I've been following footy from the 70s....

Nobody's sooking bud and i'm not even arguing that we are the best team ever. because i don't beleive we are.
I am allowed to put my views forward as i have done so.
One last thing don't start "I have been following footy for (insert however long)) especially when you have no idea of others involvment.

 

[Badtemperedbadger]

Maybe the best season, yes. But the best ever team - definitely not. I could put up a strong argument for that too. Am just getting sick of these commentators crapping on as if they have just been following footy for a couple of years idiotic.

As good as we are we have no control over what commentators say/do!

 

[Hawkzzz]

you could go back over the years and say similar things, try 1990 and 1991, not much oppositon, teams on the up or good teams down. as a geelong supporter im not sooking just defending the fact geelong supporters dont say we are the greatest team of all. we play a great brand of footy (no defensive zones) thats great to watch. i htink most commentators enjoy the style we play

Totally irrelevent to what I'm posting. I enjoy watching the cats play. The cats run in waves much better than other sides.

But I am simply saying that the title Greatest Team of ALL is just tooooooo much. There have been some fabulous teams around.

 

[Vegas.]

The cats run in waves much better than other sides.

Anyone else totally hate this terminology, or is it just me?

 

[Partridge]

That's my point. If you've been in touch with the recent media hysteria, they are crowing that Geelong may very well be the best ever.

Relax pussy cats, I'm not saying you are not a very good team. But comparing percentage as an argument that you are the best, like some commentators is just DUMB.

You have to compare apples with apples. Geelong have come along at a time when not many sides have much to offer, bar a handful, if that.

Yeah but that's the football media, anything that happens now is the "greatest ever". Look at all the players who retire every season - almost every one is described as a great of the club or a champion. In reality very, very few are. The press, and footy fans in general - have extremely short memories for anything more than 5 years ago.

It was probably the 40 wins from 42 that prompted the recent hot air, but really it means absolutely nothing unless we win the flag. Essendon from 1999-2001 are testimony to that. For single season dominance there have been plenty of great teams - Hawthorn 1988, Carlton 1995, Essendon 2000, even Richmond 1980 for those who can remember. Some truly awesome sides. But to be described in any way as the "Greatest ever" you would need a few more bits of silverware. I might just wait a little longer. Let's get past St.Kilda on Sunday first.

 

[Alan_87]

Totally irrelevent to what I'm posting. I enjoy watching the cats play. The cats run in waves much better than other sides.

But I am simply saying that the title Greatest Team of ALL is just tooooooo much. There have been some fabulous teams around.

Well it's in the song and that has been played 40 out 42 times, so I can understand the line Greatest Team of All could get tiresome.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Brisbane>Essendon>Cats>Eagles

 

[NQlionnut]

I agree with the original thread that the competition at the moment bar the top three is pretty average, that said Geelong are in awesome form and as a lion fan i would love to watch cats 08 play the Lions 01-03 what a game that would be. 40 out of 42 is hard to argue with and as was mentioned earlier you can only play who you come up against. I will be going for the doggies come september but it will hard to topple the mighty cats

 

[The Casey Cat]

That's my point. If you've been in touch with the recent media hysteria, they are crowing that Geelong may very well be the best ever.

Relax pussy cats, I'm not saying you are not a very good team. But comparing percentage as an argument that you are the best, like some commentators is just DUMB.

You have to compare apples with apples. Geelong have come along at a time when not many sides have much to offer, bar a handful, if that.

So it's "the Greatest" tag that I'm disputing.

Boy, it's amazing how quickly cats fans get on here to sook. Maybe you do think you're the best ever. I'm just giving you a dose of reality. I've been following footy from the 70s....

Well we've won 40 of 42. That's never been done before. If it's extended to 43 of 45 and a 2nd flag in a row they will go down as one of the greatest teams ever. Weather pissy, jealous Hawk fans like it or not. Deal with it.

 

[Lensen]

They're probably the furtherest ahead of the other teams than any other team's been in history. There's Essendon in 2000 but they were only dominant for one year. But the quality of the competition - due to the continual obsession with having a team full of kids as well as the thinning of lists - is way down.

But in saying that, if in 2013 the competition is even worse than now but Collingwood were five games on top at round 22, coming off a flag the year before, I'm pretty sure supporters of other teams saying "yeah but your team's shit compared to Brisbane 01-03 and you're only good because every other team is shit" would mean zero when I'm out celebrating a second consecutive flag with 57 beers and three dozen daiquiris.

 

[peterWM]

Surely the measure of a great or champion team is the effect it has on the way the game is played. Essendon and Brisbane were very very good at playing the way football was played then by all teams, but didn't really contribute anything new. Sydney found a way of defeating that style, but it was not a new form of the game. Geelong has re-invented the way to play and everyone is trying to emulate that style. That is the mark of Geelong's greatness and why this current team will be remembered, even if they don't win the flag this year.

 

[magiceightball]

tthis happens alot actually whenever somebody wins a flag. oh there the greatest team of all time. well their not. you cannot compare teams now to teams in the past. but having said that. brisbane 01-03 is better than geelong as they dominated the competition for those well practiaclly four years.
geelong most probably will win the gf this yr but unless they can match that of which brisbane accomplished then no they are not the greatest of all time.
and can somebody get all these cocky geelong supporters to shutup. its finals footy. you havnt won yet.

 

[magiceightball]

another thing. how about the hawthorn team of the eighties i think it was. they appeared in 7 i think grand finals in a row and won 4 i think.
somebody please correct me if im wrong as im not sure.
but yeah thats another team that pretty much dominated their era

 

[Axle17]

There was always the lions of 01-03. Wasnt as dominate, but still got the job done and walked out with 3 premierships.
It would be like St.Kilda walking in and winning the GF this year.

That being said, Geelong are on the right path to becoming the greatest. Just win another year without fail, and the title is yours

 

[nathanfoley]

I think they are the greatest team in the competition at the moment.
But not all time Greatest.

 

[On the Boyle]

My god there are some strange things posted on this forum.
Why don't we have a "Every move that Mick Malthouse makes is the best and he's the best coach ever" forum or a "Hawthorn are the best team in the league and it's only a matter of time before the rest of the teams realize this and lie down when we play them"

For god's sake - let's look at the facts:
21 wins from 22 games
162% (If I remember correctly)
Current Rising Star
Current Norm Smith
Current Brownlow Medallist
Current Premiers
Have beaten all of their likely competitors once already this season, if not twice.

Geelong are the benchmark. It's only if other teams can be as good as Geelong or better that someone else will take out the flag.

For my money, the only team that can beat Geelong is Geelong - if they don't give 100% or spend it before they have it, then they MAY lose the back-to-back.

But looking at the intensity they show on the field and off, I don't think you'll hear too much from the Geelong team from now until the Sunday after the last Saturday in September. Those boys will be under lockdown - self imposed or club imposed - they're professional and they are the team to beat.

"Hawks will win it, we're the only ones..." Rubbish.
We CAN win it, but I don't even think we're the best contender for beating Geelong - Bulldogs are for my money.
Why? Our defence is built for tall, power forwards - we struggle against teams where they spread their goal kicking amongst multiple options and smaller, agile players. Need proof: Geelong, Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne.

We've got a midfield that can take it to Geelong. We have an offence that can take it to Geelong - but 2 out of 3 don't count.
Their defence will do a better job on our offence than vice versa - they play a similar defence to us - designed to stop tall power targets.

The Bulldogs are the closest team in the league to Geelong, and probably the only team in the league that will stretch them defensively by playing Geelong at their own game. They have a midfield to match Geelong but there are questions over their defence.

I think we all need to step back and take a breath - this is getting ridiculous!

I'll say this - If Mitchell, Sewell, Lewis, Ellis, Bateman and Osborne all turn up to play, we're a good start. If Ladson, Guerra, Birchall, Murphy and Gilham have the game of their lives, then we may just be able to beat Geelong.

But while they may be kicking the goals, it won't be Buddy, Roughy, Willo and Rioli who win the game. It'll be our half back and full back line who do. I can't recall who said it, but "It's not how your top 5 players play that wins you a premiership, it's how your bottom 5 play"

 

[paulige]

Maybe Essendon's percentage wasn't quite as high in 2000, because they didn't verse quality sides like this year's Geelong get to face, in Melbourne and West Coast?


Back to the point. They look capable of becoming one of, even maybe the greatest team of all time. But they'd have to notch up at least 3 flags to be considered. And seeing as how they're humming along quite nicely, they are looking more than capable!

Not the greatest yet, that's for sure, but do they have the potential? I'd say so.

 

[Rik E Boy]

Boy, it's amazing how quickly cats fans get on here to sook.

BWAHAHAHAHA GOLD.

I'm just giving you a dose of reality. I've been following footy from the 70s....

PMSL Again more GOLD.

I don't care if the media think we are the best or what anyone thinks, as long as we are the best team on the day on Sunday and see where we go from there. Geelong don't take it 'one week at a time' I reckon we take it one contest at a time and that is our secret.

regards,

REB

 

[Rik E Boy]

There's Essendon in 2000 but they were only dominant for one year.

Not quite Lenoard. Essendon were very strong for three straight years. Carlton knocked them off in 99 and in 2001 they had a lot of injury problems in end.

regards,

REB

 

[Mitchell Madness]

thjey are good, but until they make the Australian Sport Hall Of Fame, no, they are not

 

[caitsith01]

It never occurs to muppets like the OP that the rest of the top 4 (well, the Dogs and Hawks) are very good also, it's just that Geelong makes them look ordinary by comparison. Even a good team can get the wobbles when faced with a hiding by an absolutely dominant opponent (e.g. the Bulldogs this year after Geelong pantsed them).

If Geelong wasn't in the league, you'd all be talking about what a thrilling final round it was given that there was such an even, high-quality competition across the year.

Winning 40 out of 42 says that the current situation is a hell of a lot more about Geelong being good than everyone else being average.

Not many Cats fans talking about the team like it's the "greatest of all time", anyway. Let's review in two years time, shall we?

 

[Whiskers]

I got no hesitation believing we will win 3 in a row. It will be more dominant than lions ever were. I dont need to wait till time arrives to know we are the greatest. Watch a game or 2 of us, its obvious.

We dont need numbers and stats to reveal we are the greatest. Just watch us. Its inevitable we will break most records.

We may have not achieved the most ever yet but its gonna happen more likely than not.

 

[Axle17]

And talk like that is what will bring you crashing down
Nah i agree with caitsith01. I have thought this at times too. Geelong arent magical. Its just everyone else is pretty average..
Geelong have raised the bar though.

 

[Whiskers]

I can say what i want. Im not in the side and it wont affect us. If we lose a game or 2 it wont make me wrong.

Ild like to see someone say we wont win 3 flags in a row and have pure confidence in it.

 

[Duck Farmer]

Given that the level of athleticism and "standard" of footy rises over time, I think they have a fair claim to being the best side of all time if they win the premiership again this year.

Hoping they win the GF by 120+ points this year (bonus points if it's against Adelaide!)