Geelong - are they the AFL superpower and how can they be stopped?

[Yellow Paint]

Lots of talk about AFL equalisation methods finally working this year with lots of teams so close on the ladder, and no dominant teams or basketcase teams in the league.

I don't think there's any basketcase teams this year and Brisbane would beat any wooden spooner from recent years gone by. However one club stands out for me as being a tier above the rest and that's Geelong.

Carlton were a superpower back in the 70s and 80s and the modern day Geelong remind me of them in many ways. Bankrolled by heaps of billionaires. Arrogance from top to bottom with famous quotes like "we never rebuild" from club heirarchy.

Carlton were known for bringing in high profile recruits back in their day by opening up the chequebook. Geelong are much the same today with chequebook recruiting of their own.

Ironic how the wheel turns over time. Geelong were once known as a harmless vanilla club who were a second team for many people. This is exactly what Carlton are in today's game.

Meanwhile Carlton were once the most hated and envied club in the game. Today the most hated and envied club would be Geelong.

Do you agree that Geelong are the modern day AFL superpower?

 

[MotleyLemon]

No.

 

[Gavin Excell]

No

 

[juss]

They have had a great decade.
Not sure about "superpower" though.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

No

 

[Pessimistic]

One of them

Perth stadium will energise WA clubs like Adelaide oval has SA
Sydney due to bein AFL pets

 

[Art Vandelay_]

No.

No

No

You're all wron...... I mean No.
Just glad it wasn't cats fan OP. Phew.

 

[SilentHunter_]

USA, Russia and China are planning to invade Geelong or so I have heard.

 

[King Cold]

Nothing like the old Carlton. We're more like the San Antonio Spurs to be honest.

Collingwood are like the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

[STPer18]

Absolutely.

 

[Wojcinski]

Hated? No I wouldn't have thought so.
Envied? Maybe by some.

Superpower? That title belongs to Murica. **** yeah.

 

[Lithium]

They're just a very well run club. Don't really think there is to much arrogance about them.

Colloingwood still feels like the powerhouse. Regardless if their on field performance are good or bad, they just exude power.

 

[Deep]

We aren't a super club just because we've never sunk below 12th on the ladder in VFL/AFL history. Because believe me that time will come and it'll come faster than most Geelong fans would want to admit.

 

[SterlingArcher]

Very well run club, yes.

But 2 things - their chequebook is still the same as everyone elses. They got Dangerfield, Selwood and Tuohy, but have also lost a bunch of old players in that time freeing up space (and I don't think Selwood is that good anyway). There's talk of Motlop and/or Menzel departing. It's not really olden-day VFL chequebooking - it's targeting certain players and copping the loss or making the tough decision on a hero on another.

And secondly, I don't see how Hawthorn doesn't have equal rights to this billing if we are giving it out.

 

[Franko Armani]

Chris Scott is eerily similar to Jong Il in persona that's for sure.

 

[Bokonon_]

You're all wron...... I mean No.
Just glad it wasn't cats fan OP. Phew.

I kinda wish it was though

 

[redstarforever_]

almost but probably not

 

[Joey longshadow]

I can absolutely guarantee that Carlton will never be my second f@#kin team... And if you believe that Geelong is run anything like John Elliot ran Carlton you are dreaming
To be honest I think Geelong like alot of other clubs are maximizing everything they can and being ruthless and leaving no stone unturned because unlike a few other clubs they haven't been handed everything on a silver platter in recent years

 

[Benny78]

Of course we are. We have the highest winning percentage in the comp.

 

[Podsnap]

A bankrolled club who doesn't have to rebuild, hated and arrogant. Projecting, are you?

 

[Duskfire]

Not really. And I think if Geelong are, then Sydney and Hawthorn would have to be regarded as that as well. As a supporter though, the Cats only missing 2 finals since 2004 makes me pretty happy. Come a long way since the dark days of Ayres (which admittedly weren't even that bad compared to some.)

 

[Steven Toast]

They've always been a pretty successful club, albeit without premiership success until 2007. Late eighties and nineties they played in 4 grand finals in 7 years, losing them all. They've always been around the mark for playing finals, and regrouped in 2004, 05 before bursting out of the blocks from 2007 onwards.

Last year they weren't expected to do much after missing the finals in 2015, but they did everything right bar fluffing a preliminary Final. They'd have won the flag last year if they'd beaten Sydney.

They are a pretty successful club, and have been since 1989. Playing in 8 GF and winning 3 in 28 years is pretty impressive, not to mention finals appearances most years. They're a huge flag chance this year as well, and with the evenness of the competition, could very well make a GF at a minimum.

 

[PhatBoy]

We aren't a super club just because we've never sunk below 12th on the ladder in VFL/AFL history. Because believe me that time will come and it'll come faster than most Geelong fans would want to admit.

Haven't been hearing that since late September 2010.....

On the OP, I think it's harsh to call us a cheque book club just yet, the only star we've bought is dangerfield. Henderson has been great for us but was hardly doing a thing for Carlton and Tuohy was just a good solid player who has gone up a notch this year.

We don't have the bottomless well of support that Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond have had for years, and that Hawthorn has picked up in the last decade. That guarantees that we won't be a superpower.

The San Antonio analogy used earlier was a good one. We have a lot in common with the Melbourne Storm as well. Not necessarily a huge club but a loyal fan base, don't always win but always around the mark etc.

I think one thing that has changed a bit in our favour is that decent players do want to play with us. Before our golden era we were more of a 'who will have me when no one else wants me' sort of club.

 

[The Swert]

No.

They just happened to replace the best player of the 00s with the best player of the 10s.

No other club can match that.

Sydney the closest with Goodes and Franklin, and they have been up for a long time too.

 

[HaroLad]

They just happened to replace the best player of the 00s with the best player of the 10s.

No other club can match that.

Exactly, hence we are the superpower.

Just accept it.