Geelong for the flag in 2019?

[Lunchlady Doris]

You and me both.

Nothing more frustrating on-field as an Essendon fan over the last several years than watching us wipe the floor with good sides, only to drop games to the worst of the worst. There is ZERO chance we can challenge for a flag unless we correct that issue. Hence, I'd be prepared to write us off immediately if we lose to any of St Kilda, Carlton, Fremantle or Gold Coast - absolutely no excuse for it.

It's funny, because that's the thing Geelong does very well - they very rarely drop games to absolute dumpster fires of teams.

Actually, that's something Geelong has done a fair bit of. From 2013 - 2017 Geelong has played to the level of their opponent to a degree - being competitive and beating other top sides and dropping games to poor teams - see constant losses to Essendon, Bulldogs 2018, Gold Coast and Collingwood 2017, Collingwood, Carlton & St Kilda 2016.

 

[bzparkes]

Melbourne have all the ingredients to become a very powerful side. But they are not a 3 michelin star club like Geelong and others such as Hawthorn. They would need to get the best out of their list and change their standards as a club. They need a Gordon Ramsay type coach to really up their bar and get the best out of themselves on a consistent basis. Should've went with Malthouse over Goodwin. I think they have a great list and their weaknesses are with their coach and club culture.

They simply made the top 4 and the problem is that's almost as good as a flag to them. They need to dominate far more over the following seasons. 140%+ and no more than 5 losses. But mainly when clubs go to play the Dees they need to be written off before the match is even played.

This isn't bay 13 mate, stop trolling.

 

[JackFlash]

People said the same thing about the Eagles youth last season. The 'experts' coukdnt see where the improvement would come from. Eagles had no good kids and a weak midfield.

Cats need their young guys to step up. Talking about Ratugolea, Cockatoo, Parfitt, Narkle, Guthrie, Fogarty and older guys like Ablett and Scott Selwood.

Dahlhaus and Rohan will add some needed pace.

A kid like Meirs to come in and create some small forward excitment.

Too many negative doubters.

Clark and Constable will debut round one and most likely play every game...Nobody gave the Eagles a chance of making the 8 let alone winning the flag in 2018, it wouldn't suprise me if the Lions won the premisership in 2019? They will be far better off without Beams, so i give them as good a chance as any. The experts don't know anymore than we do on here, it only takes one bad game to stuff up your year (ask Tigers fans). IMO the pressure is on the Pies to maintain position, the Bombers to make top the 4 and the Demons to fulfil expectations. one of those teams is going to stuff it up! The Tigers will be more determined than ever after that humliating Prelim loss and the Eagles will still hang around thereabouts, but how are their ruck stocks? Geelong will make the 8 and get criticized for consisitently making the finals again... We're all clutching at straws in the first week of January living in hope...

 

[Obeanie1]

Clark and Constable will debut round one and most likely play every game...Nobody gave the Eagles a chance of making the 8 let alone winning the flag in 2018, it wouldn't suprise me if the Lions won the premisership in 2019? They will be far better off without Beams, so i give them as good a chance as any. The experts don't know anymore than we do on here, it only takes one bad game to stuff up your year (ask Tigers fans). IMO the pressure is on the Pies to maintain position, the Bombers to make top the 4 and the Demons to fulfil expectations. one of those teams is going to stuff it up! The Tigers will be more determined than ever after that humliating Prelim loss and the Eagles will still hang around thereabouts, but how are their ruck stocks? Geelong will make the 8 and get criticized for consisitently making the finals again... We're all clutching at straws in the first week of January living in hope...

I will be stunned if Clark plays round 1 never mind every game. Chris Judd didnt do that.

Clark is recovering from glandular fever which has aheld up going hard in his first preseason. I expect him to debut at some stage but how many games he plays is anyones guess.

As for the Lions winning the flag. No. You need hardened finals experience with a core of players to even reach as GF never mind winning one. Look at Melbourne last year.[/QUOTE]

 

[Brunswick Trap King]

No chance. Their best young mid desperately wants out and from all reports it's affecting team harmony. Won't make the top 8.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

Righto

You only missed 4 in the second, 2 were rushed. We missed 2. You missed 4 , we missed 3 in the third, we missed 1 each in the last.

Our backline was pretty solid considering how quickly you were able to get it in there from the centre, and how often.

What will you improve that attack with, you have lost Hogan, it's not a stronger forwardline?

Hogan didn’t really stand out when the heat was on, it was pretty obvious that our forward line worked exceptionally well with McDonald and Weidemann, particularly in two of the biggest games of our season in an EF and SF.

There’s a reason why we pushed so hard for the deal to get done to send him to Fremantle, it was about obtaining a selection to on trade for May.

 

[Niggles]

Or how wrong they've been for so long.

Yes, it's actually mind blowing how consistently wrong you Geelong supporters have been for the last 4-5 years. The Dank assisted era is over. Never have I seen such a huge group of delusional supporters, so confident of winning all the time, with such a s**t team and coach.

Imagine if your home ground got changed to the MCG or Marvel. Taking away your huge home ground advantage you have over all other Vic teams. You'd be lucky to snag 8-10 wins a year. That's the reality of the current team and granted, there's 2-3 Geelong posters smart enough to understand the reality

 

[Len Nicodemo]

It is your main argument against our young guys improving.

At least our forward line is getting stronger with Sav and Dalhouse/Rohan included. You are relying on... maybe... Weideman improving yours.

So, given your forward line was dysfunctional , as you say, against us and the Eagles in the finals, and is weaker post trade period - where are Melbourne going to bridge the gap in 2019?

And players such as Petracca, Neal-Bullen, Spargo, Melksham can’t improve? Melksham is grossly underrated for what he brings to our team from the outside supporter base.

How are we weaker post trade period? Statistically last year Tom McDonald had averages similar to Tom Hawkins. McDonald is an elite forward, and Weidemann in form presents a highly challenging match up.

You’re also forgetting we will probably push Gawn forward as well with Preuss in our side. Gawn is an elite contested mark.

You’re grossly underselling our forward line by overstating the Hogan absence as being cataclysmic to our attacking structure. I can tell you this, Hogan out of our side won’t make us worse.

 

[winty]

No chance. Their best young mid desperately wants out and from all reports it's affecting team harmony. Won't make the top 8.

What reports are those?

 

[Aramis]

They’re in a funny place. Theyve thrown a thousand eggs into the one basket of what looks like, on paper, to be arguably the best midfield ever assembled. But it hasn’t really come close to bagging a flag for them. Danger’s been there for 3 years now, no dice. Gaz is close to the end, even Sellwood’s well on the wrong side of 30. They badly need to bag one this year while that trio is still together, they could be in for some years of pain thereafter.
Only thing is, I can’t see it happening.

Not even close to the "best midfield assembled", Hell, its not even the best Geelong midfield in the last decade....... Just a massive media beat up that seemingly some people eat up and accept. Dangerfield is the only A1 jet in that midfield, Selwood is an overrated battler and Ablett is a has been, heck Duncan is the 2nd best midfielder at that club but gets no accolades because he isnt a "media superstar".

Its no surprise it hasn't worked, nor will it work... getting an injury plagued 34 year old Ablett back to the club as a top up to basically attempt to have an assault on the flag. Surprise, surprise once again shot blanks, Ablett was regularly playing on 1 leg and just shows this club was in desperation mode. More of the same next year.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Not even close to the "best midfield assembled", Hell, its not even the best Geelong midfield in the last decade....... Just a massive media beat up that seemingly some people eat up and accept. Dangerfield is the only A1 jet in that midfield, Selwood is an overrated battler and Ablett is a has been, heck Duncan is the 2nd best midfielder at that club but gets no accolades because he isnt a "media superstar".

Its no surprise it hasn't worked, nor will it work... getting an injury plagued 34 year old Ablett back to the club as a top up to basically attempt to have an assault on the flag. Surprise, surprise once again shot blanks, Ablett was regularly playing on 1 leg and just shows this club was in desperation mode. More of the same next year.

This isn't Bay 13.

 

[Aramis]

This isn't Bay 13.

Good to see you think an honest analysis of where your club is at is more fit for the bay than mb.

 

[Roddy]

Not even close to the "best midfield assembled", Hell, its not even the best Geelong midfield in the last decade....... Just a massive media beat up that seemingly some people eat up and accept. Dangerfield is the only A1 jet in that midfield, Selwood is an overrated battler and Ablett is a has been, heck Duncan is the 2nd best midfielder at that club but gets no accolades because he isnt a "media superstar".

Its no surprise it hasn't worked, nor will it work... getting an injury plagued 34 year old Ablett back to the club as a top up to basically attempt to have an assault on the flag. Surprise, surprise once again shot blanks, Ablett was regularly playing on 1 leg and just shows this club was in desperation mode. More of the same next year.

Just a question, are you aware of what the terms 'looks like', 'on paper' and 'arguably' mean? Do you think that means a) I think they are the greatest midfield ever assembled; or b) they have the appearance of being an incredible midfield but are far from performing like it?

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Good to see you think an honest analysis of where your club is at is more fit for the bay than mb.

Oh you were being serious.

 

[Aramis]

[1]Just a question, are you aware of what the terms 'looks like', 'on paper' and 'arguably' mean? [2] Do you think that means a) I think they are the greatest midfield ever assembled; or b) they have the appearance of being an incredible midfield but are far from performing like it?

1. yes, 'looks like', 'on paper' and 'arguably' are attempted uses of vocabulary to make a statement but not be so dedicated to it that you think it shields you from critical review.

2. It obviously means B in your context but I disagree they even have the appearance of being an incredible midfield.

 

[Dez!]

Oh you were being serious.

I get the feeling that 2019 is going to break you mentally and emotionally when they are nowhere near as good as you expect them to be.

 

[Roddy]

1. yes, 'looks like', 'on paper' and 'arguably' are attempted uses of vocabulary to make a statement but not be so dedicated to it that you think it shields you from critical review.

2. It obviously means B in your context but I disagree they even have the appearance of being an incredible midfield.

Well you don't know much about football then. When a midfield trio has 3 Brownlows between them, the other is their long time captain who has 3 premierships and 6 AAs to his name, features a player who is considered one of the greatest players in history, and two other definite future hall of famers, yes that is an incredible looking midfield. By anyone's estimations.

And I despise Geelong as much as the next raving Hawk supporter.

In fact, scratch that, I don't despise them, I think they're an insignificant plodder club who have massive delusions of granduer and happened to have the planets align for them for a few years a decade or so ago....

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I get the feeling that 2019 is going to break you mentally and emotionally when they are nowhere near as good as you expect them to be.

I get the feeling 2019 will be similar for you. We all know how much Geelong as a club eat away at you, you've admitted as much and your posting validates it.

I'm pretty comfortable knowing we're about to make fools of the general public again.

 

[Aramis]

Well you don't know much about football then. When a midfield trio has 3 Brownlows between them, the other is their long time captain who has 3 premierships and 6 AAs to his name, features a player who is considered one of the greatest players in history, and two other definite future hall of famers, yes that is an incredible looking midfield. By anyone's estimations.

And I despise Geelong as much as the next raving Hawk supporter.

In fact, scratch that, I don't despise them, I think they're an insignificant plodder club who have massive delusions of granduer and happened to have the planets align for them for a few years a decade or so ago....

Not agreeing with you on your mostly subjective points of view = I don't know much about football.... seems legit.

As it stands today, I think that midfield is overrated, reading off pages of accolades does nothing for the question at hand, Geelong flag 2019? not a chance.

 

[winty]

As it stands today, I think that midfield is overrated, reading off pages of accolades does nothing for the question at hand, Geelong flag 2019? not a chance.

As a matter of interest, what were your thoughts on the Bulldogs and Richmond around this time in 2016 and 2017 respectively?

 

[Dez!]

I get the feeling 2019 will be similar for you. We all know how much Geelong as a club eat away at you, you've admitted as much and your posting validates it.

I'm pretty comfortable knowing we're about to make fools of the general public again.

Eat away at me? Why? Because they're mediocre and no threat? I'm simply pointing out facts there.

You've got nothing on your list that's going to be able to compete with the likes of Richmond, West Coast, Melbourne, GWS, Collingwood.

Teams like Hawthorn and Essendon are also better and they recruited established talent in Shiel and Wingard (Scully as well if his ankle comes good) while Geelong topped up with Dahlhaus who is in a freefall and Rohan who can barely get on the park and he's not even good when he does.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Eat away at me? Why? Because they're mediocre and no threat? I'm simply pointing out facts there.

You've got nothing on your list that's going to be able to compete with the likes of Richmond, West Coast, Melbourne, GWS, Collingwood.

Teams like Hawthorn and Essendon are also better and they recruited established talent in Shiel and Wingard (Scully as well if his ankle comes good) while Geelong topped up with Dahlhaus who is in a freefall and Rohan who can barely get on the park and he's not even good when he does.

Preseason predictions are so easy.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Eat away at me? Why? Because they're mediocre and no threat? I'm simply pointing out facts there.

You've got nothing on your list that's going to be able to compete with the likes of Richmond, West Coast, Melbourne, GWS, Collingwood.

Teams like Hawthorn and Essendon are also better and they recruited established talent in Shiel and Wingard (Scully as well if his ankle comes good) while Geelong topped up with Dahlhaus who is in a freefall and Rohan who can barely get on the park and he's not even good when he does.

Opinions aren't facts. That's your first lesson learnt.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Preseason predictions are so easy.

Don't worry, I'm going to bump every single post this year.

 

[Aramis]

As a matter of interest, what were your thoughts on the Bulldogs and Richmond around this time in 2016 and 2017 respectively?

Both thought they had no chance, along with the majority.

Of course I could be wrong, as I've made clear its a subjective opinion. Could I be wrong? absolutely, will I be wrong? unlikely.