Geelong 2008

[Bunk Moreland]

Watching the fantastic episode of Open Mike last night (highly recommend if you haven't seen it), I was very surprised about Bomber's honesty about one thing that is destined to be lost in all his comments about recent history at Essendon.

They spoke briefly about 2008 and Bomber was adamant that's when the Cats were at their best and really dominating games. He said if anything they didn't have enough close games which didn't serve them well in the GF.

He then made the pretty amazing comments that the club took its eye off the ball in grand final week and was more focussed on the post match celebrations and organisation than the game.

He said in 2007 it was single minded focus on the game and after the game everything just happened then. In 2008 he could sense during the week that the club wasn't focussed on the game but by that stage it was too late for him to do anything about.

Raw honesty as usual but pretty shocking. Not what you'd come to expect at Geelong and clearly not a problem in later GFs. Has it ever been acknowledged by others? Because winning that game could have made the Cats arguably the greatest team of all time.

 

[Jaeger]

 

[Buzzasto DaSilva]

2007 was all about "keeping a lid on it", but the lid well and truly came off in 2008.

 

[go you pups]

I hope he altered his tattoo the next year

However it will never be as bad as this

 

[Despair]

 

[Jaeger]

I hope he altered his tattoo the next year

However it will never be as bad as this

View attachment 126493

 

[Arc1]

2008 threads attract Hawks fans like flies to a large elephant poo. Such joy.

 

[SSSSSS]

I like that year.

I don't think we get enough credit though. We were by far and away the form side of the finals. Clarkson had us primed for the big finish.

 

[cammo78]

I like that year.

I don't think we get enough credit though. We were by far and away the form side of the finals. Clarkson had us primed for the big finish.

After the absolute belting you gave us in the QF, I had no doubt whatsoever you'd go on to win the flag comfortably.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Geelong had a cocky nature about them, it was still present after 08, especially in some of the senior players, but not to the extent of 08

That's why they weren't as good as Brisbane or Hawthorn

 

[Damon_3388]

I like that year.

I don't think we get enough credit though.

I don't think Collingwood get enough credit for bashing up the Cats with 85 tackles and winning by 86 points in Round 9 that year. It's one of the more remarkable unexpected results of the past decade (given the form both teams were in at the time, I expected the Cats to make absolute mincemeat of the Pies), but nobody ever talks about it.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Could of would of should of. If we hadn't imploded through drugs and injury we could have won 05, 06 and 07!

I have to say his comments actually reinforce some unflattering thoughts I have about Geelong and the team from that era (unrelated to playing ability)

 

[SJ]

I like that year.

I don't think we get enough credit though. We were by far and away the form side of the finals. Clarkson had us primed for the big finish.

Bit of a furphy that one.

Take the grand final out of it (a game in which Geelong had 62 inside 50s to 43):

Geelong defeated St Kilda by 58 points in the pouring rain (after being up by 77 points early in the last and letting the Saints kick the last 2.7 of the game) and the Bulldogs by 29 points.

Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 54 points and the Bulldogs by 51 points.

Sure on raw numbers Hawthorn had the bigger combined margin going in, but "far and away the form side of the finals"? Hard to back that up.

 

[SSSSSS]

I don't think Collingwood get enough credit for bashing up the Cats with 85 tackles and winning by 86 points in Round 9 that year. It's one of the more remarkable unexpected results of the past decade (given the form both teams were in at the time, I expected the Cats to make absolute mincemeat of the Pies), but nobody ever talks about it.

Probably one of the best Collingwood performances of the decade which is remarkable considering how good you were in 2010/2011.

 

[Cosmic Energy]

I like that year.

I don't think we get enough credit though. We were by far and away the form side of the finals. Clarkson had us primed for the big finish.

You were probably the form side but I wouldn't go so far as to say "far & away", while you won your two finals by 51 & 54, we still won ours by 58 & 29, and we'd won the previous 5 games leading up the finals by an average of 70 points (nothing under 5 goals) after we had a close one against the Hawks. So our form was pretty good. Perhaps some signs were there in the PF where we were a bit scrappy against the Bulldogs in the PF, but we still won by 5 goals.

 

[SSSSSS]

Bit of a furphy that one.

Take the grand final out of it (a game in which Geelong had 62 inside 50s to 43):

Geelong defeated St Kilda by 58 points in the pouring rain (after being up by 77 points early in the last and letting the Saints kick the last 2.7 of the game) and the Bulldogs by 29 points.

Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 54 points and the Bulldogs by 51 points.

Sure on raw numbers Hawthorn had the bigger combined margin going in, but "far and away the form side of the finals"? Hard to back that up.

You were probably the form side but I wouldn't go so far as to say "far & away", while you won your two finals by 51 & 54, we still won ours by 58 & 29, and we'd won the previous 5 games leading up the finals by an average of 70 points (nothing under 5 goals) after we had a close one against the Hawks. So our form was pretty good. Perhaps some signs were there in the PF where we were a bit scrappy against the Bulldogs in the PF, but we still won by 5 goals.

I honestly thought the Bulldogs played a better game than Geelong in the prelim. Had all the momentum in the third quarter just couldn't make the most of it. Kind of the opposite of our Grand Final performance. Had they took their chances I'm not sure if Geelong would have held on.

No doubt Geelong went in with some pretty good form (every team deserves to be in the big dance) but I remember going into that week thinking our month had been more convincing. Seven years maybe my mind is pretty hazy on games not involving Hawthorn.

 

[Belnakor]

Teams get cocky, it happens.

1993 West Coast had the best team, minimal injuries but barely made the finals because they got ahead of themselves.

 

[MrsEddieBetts]

My uncle has a similar tattoo...after the GF he got the 08 crossed out with 'oh no!' written next to it. Looks ****ing ridiculous. His brother got a Hawks tatt with 08 under it just to piss him off.`

 

[Procrastinator35]

Bit of a furphy that one.

Take the grand final out of it (a game in which Geelong had 62 inside 50s to 43):

Geelong defeated St Kilda by 58 points in the pouring rain (after being up by 77 points early in the last and letting the Saints kick the last 2.7 of the game) and the Bulldogs by 29 points.

Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 54 points and the Bulldogs by 51 points.

Sure on raw numbers Hawthorn had the bigger combined margin going in, but "far and away the form side of the finals"? Hard to back that up.

It was only in the last quarter that the game against the Dogs was sewn up by you blokes....Whereas, We had both the Dogs & Saints on toast by half time!

Suffice to say that the Cats did no heed the warning, nor pay us the due respect we deserved....As Bombers's comments have intimated....You thought all you had to do was turn up, shut down Mitch, Buddy & Roughy & the rest would just take care of itself.

You were wrong!....And we are still tired of hearing the same old shit about how we 'Stole' it from you....The Cats attitude going into that game stunk & you copped the result you deserved because of it!

We Hawks supporters would like you Cats supporters to finally admit that the best TEAM on the day won that game.

Take away Goo's 11 'rushed' behinds & the 6 Goals from soft Free-kicks & the Cats scored the grand sum total of 5.12 of their own volition....That is never going to win you a Premiership in modern football, EVER.

Without the umps that day, the Hawks would have murdered Geelong!

 

[wizzard400]

I wish they talked more about his time at Geelong in that period, would love to have known more about the players and what made that team so good.

In terms of the 08 GF, not surprised really. Could've played that game 100 times and 99 times Geelong probably would've won, but there-in lies that team's issue of complacency, and boy-oh-boy-wowwee did we pounce on the opportunity.

 

[fpm84]

You were wrong!....And we are still tired of hearing the same old shit about how we 'Stole' it from you....The Cats attitude going into that game stunk & you copped the result you deserved because of it!

Kind of like the attitude of Hawthorn players when they were three goals up at quarter time of the 2012 GF and let the Swans kick eight in a row after that?

 

[Tiger2709]

Watching the fantastic episode of Open Mike last night (highly recommend if you haven't seen it), I was very surprised about Bomber's honesty about one thing that is destined to be lost in all his comments about recent history at Essendon.

They spoke briefly about 2008 and Bomber was adamant that's when the Cats were at their best and really dominating games. He said if anything they didn't have enough close games which didn't serve them well in the GF.

He then made the pretty amazing comments that the club took its eye off the ball in grand final week and was more focussed on the post match celebrations and organisation than the game.

He said in 2007 it was single minded focus on the game and after the game everything just happened then. In 2008 he could sense during the week that the club wasn't focussed on the game but by that stage it was too late for him to do anything about.

Raw honesty as usual but pretty shocking. Not what you'd come to expect at Geelong and clearly not a problem in later GFs. Has it ever been acknowledged by others? Because winning that game could have made the Cats arguably the greatest team of all time.

You have to give Bomber his due he certainly doesn't like to lie obviously there are some things that are confidential but he really speaks his mind, hard not to like the bloke.

 

[Damon_3388]

Probably one of the best Collingwood performances of the decade which is remarkable considering how good you were in 2010/2011.

To be fair, the Cats were missing Paul Chapman, Tom Lonergan (was a forward back then), Brad Ottens (was the difference in that close 2007 Prelim) and Max Rooke that night (replaced by Ryan Gamble, Tom Hawkins, Trent West, and David Wojcinski respectively) when compared to their 2008 GF side, but that still doesn't account for being totally outworked and outplayed as they were on that evening.

I think it was a bit of a wake-up call for the Cats that season, showing them that commitment, application and fanatical pressure could still beat them on their day; They came out the next week and had 80 tackles in a 56-point win against Carlton.

 

[Catatonic Shock]

I wish they talked more about his time at Geelong in that period, would love to have known more about the players and what made that team so good.

In terms of the 08 GF, not surprised really. Could've played that game 100 times and 99 times Geelong probably would've won, but there-in lies that team's issue of complacency, and boy-oh-boy-wowwee did we pounce on the opportunity.

Pretty simple (and being far too generalised of course), the Cats got together a big group of talented competitive beasts who were natural footballers (as opposed to the "athlete who can play" attitude of the early 2000s) and put them all together with at the time the best run off field team in the game.
Throw in a few draft steals and some father sons who kicked on nicely and you have it.

 

[hawker11]

Thompson's admission hardly came as a surprise.

And as a result, Geelong were ungraceful losers in 2008.

You would think after the round 17 match against Hawthorn that they would go into the GF a little more wary of the Hawks.