Opinion Geelong in the last 17 years. Best team of the 21st century?

[Lingsface]

We have the most consistent run of good performances and slightly behind on premierships, the overall performance would be very close to the best.07 09 11 premierships 08 21 Grand Finals multiple prelims and always in the finals in the last 15 years.

The 90s we where one of the best sides as well without any premierships. Grand finals 92 94 95 and a lot of finals. (Won’t count 89)

The start of the 21st century wasn’t great for us until 07 we where average at best.

 

[PhatBoy]

That's interesting, I don't follow NRL but that does sound like a way better sytem.

Question though, one of the things that stands out about the 7-11 Geelong side is a high proportion of players taken in the national draft, do you reckon you would have enjoyed the same success then, and have become the club you are now since, without them? If the draft could be abolished, but it had to start from the late 90s, would you go back and do it?

No doubt at all that the drafts and father sons helped build that side BUT we made finals still reasonably sporadically while we were building that list. There were a few top tenners but nothing that was extremely high end

 

[My Tilly]

If we could do the improbable and win the flag this year, that would certainly cement our standing as the best team of the 21st century.
2004-2005 A taste of things to come.
2007-2011 One of the most dominant teams we seen.
2012-2013 A kick away from another grand final.
2016-2022 The real deal or making up the numbers?

 

[Conan Troutman]

Is 17 yrs a Mathews criteria too?

Maybe pick the 17 yrs Michael tuck was playing for the hawks? Matthews in there too

17 years is no one's criteria.

The criteria for both the OP and Matthews, is this century.

17 years is referring the Geelong team over a 17 period. You could compare with 5 years of another team, 10 years of another, all within the criteria.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Early crow?
Still 77yrs to go.

 

[Pessimistic]

The AFL's equalisation measures mean it's very difficult to remain good for a long time. The AFL system is specifically designed so every club can compete for flags. And, generally that's what happens.

Draft, hard salary cap, restrictive free agency. These are the reason virtually every club has played in a GF this century (except Carlton who won the flag in 99, North who played a prelim 2 years straight, and Gold Coast who entered in 2011, and which seems to be a professional sports wasteland where teams either die (Blaze) or struggle (Titans, Suns)). They are also the reason clubs bottom out.

Geelong and Sydney have been the two clubs who have beaten the system consistently over a long period of time. Teams aren't supposed to be able to do what they've done

Geelong has managed to unearth and develop a stream of quality players from lower divisions - Podsiadly, Blicavs, Kelly Stewart etc

Geelong easily the most impressive club of this century for mine and its not even close.

Yes Hawthorn has one more flag but they got lucky winning the prelim 3 years in a row by a goal or less. They won 2 flags on their home ground against interstate opponents who had outplayed them over the 22 round season. They didn't earn home ground advantage in 2014 or 2015, it was gifted via a quirk in the AFL system. Quirky compared to most other sports where the playing field is more even (at least pertaining to finals fixturing).

Hawthorn has also been rubbish much of the time- missing finals 10 times this century (soon to be 11). Geelong's only missed 5.

Leigh Matthews is spot on. Geelong easily the most impressive club. By staying near the top for 15+ years, they've done exactly what the AFL system is designed tov

17 years is no one's criteria.

The criteria for both the OP and Matthews, is this century.

17 years is referring the Geelong team over a 17 period. You could compare with 5 years of another team, 10 years of another, all within the criteria.

You are only as good as your last 100 years

 

[Taper]

I know Leigh Matthews said we're the champion club of the 21st century but it's hard to split us and Hawthorn given we've both won 4 flags.

 

[BF Tiger]

I know Leigh Matthews said we're the champion club of the 21st century but it's hard to split us and Hawthorn given we've both won 4 flags.

What you do is look for other criteria.

Grand Final appearances.
Top four finishes.
Top eight (finals) appearances.
W-L records.

So Geelong.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

No not the best TEAM but have been the best CLUB.

But then when you take into account the whole history of the game they are middle of the pack.

 

[STPer18]

21st century absolutely. Zero debate needed, the flag last year sealed it.

 

[Reg Hickey]

No not the best TEAM but have been the best CLUB.

But then when you take into account the whole history of the game they are middle of the pack.

I thought this was about the 21st century, not the whole history of the game.

There is no realistic debate about this. They are clearly the best team this century. Equal most flags with Hawthorn, equal most GF appearances with Sydney, equal most finals campaigns with Sydney, by far the best W-L record of any team.

#1 on every conceivable measure.

 

[Black Haze]

I thought this was about the 21st century, not the whole history of the game.

There is no realistic debate about this. They are clearly the best team this century. Equal most flags with Hawthorn, equal most GF appearances with Sydney, equal most finals campaigns with Sydney, by far the best W-L record of any team.

#1 on every conceivable measure.

They don't hand out trophies to sides that have higher win percentages.

I'm sure we'd have a far higher win percentage if we still got to play our home games at Whitten Oval.

 

[STPer18]

They don't hand out trophies to sides that have higher win percentages.

I'm sure we'd have a far higher win percentage if we still got to play our home games at Whitten Oval.

That argument would hold at least a modicum of weight if any other team had more trophies than Geelong this century, which they don't.

 

[PhatBoy]

They don't hand out trophies to sides that have higher win percentages.

I'm sure we'd have a far higher win percentage if we still got to play our home games at Whitten Oval.

Just funny how 17 other teams still have a gargantuan gap in their away record to what Geelong have, isn’t it.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

I thought this was about the 21st century, not the whole history of the game.

There is no realistic debate about this. They are clearly the best team this century. Equal most flags with Hawthorn, equal most GF appearances with Sydney, equal most finals campaigns with Sydney, by far the best W-L record of any team.

#1 on every conceivable measure.

I addressed both.

And no they aren’t the best TEAM they are the best CLUB for the points you mentioned.

 

[PhatBoy]

I addressed both.

And no they aren’t the best TEAM they are the best CLUB for the points you mentioned.

Well when you win three flags and the core of that team played in the first and the last (13 players) and 4 other players in the last were at the club during the first), and at one point during that 5 year run you win 52 out of 55 games, overall you win 103 out of 117 at one point, including 3 grand finals, I think you can probably mount a compelling case that the team itself was fairly handy too.

 

[STPer18]

I addressed both.

And no they aren’t the best TEAM they are the best CLUB for the points you mentioned.

Best club and team, we're all on the same page here.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

Well when you win three flags and the core of that team played in the first and the last (13 players) and 4 other players in the last were at the club during the first), and at one point during that 5 year run you win 52 out of 55 games, overall you win 103 out of 117 at one point, including 3 grand finals, I think you can probably mount a compelling case that the team itself was fairly handy too.

In the tanking era though.

And only Selwood was in those 4 flags.

 

[Stabby McGee]

Yes from me. I've been waiting for them to fall off the cliff for 15 years, and the bastards still won't go away.

 

[PhatBoy]

In the tanking era though.

And only Selwood was in those 4 flags.

Oh right the tanking era. Yes because the teams who tanked would have otherwise badly stuffed up our win loss record if they instead aimed for 6-7 wins rather than 2-3.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

Oh right the tanking era. Yes because the teams who tanked would have otherwise badly stuffed up our win loss record if they instead aimed for 6-7 wins rather than 2-3.

Boosted the top few teams win loss records so they looked stronger. Um yeah mate.

St Kilda’s one freak season of 20 wins in 2009.

Dees get fined for tanking in 2009.

Bombers get in finals with a 10-11-1 record

 

[PhatBoy]

Boosted the top few teams win loss records so they looked stronger. Um yeah mate.

St Kilda’s one freak season of 20 wins in 2009.

Dees get fined for tanking in 2009.

Bombers get in finals with a 10-11-1 record

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No they didn’t.

The win loss record of teams at the top is rarely impacted by the deliberate losing of teams who’s best football would have them finishing no higher than the middle of the bottom 8.

You need to stop telling people how dumb they are in posts that suggest the same about you.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

No they didn’t.

The win loss record of teams at the top is rarely impacted by the deliberate losing of teams who’s best football would have them finishing no higher than the middle of the bottom 8.

You need to stop telling people how dumb they are in posts that suggest the same about you.

You don’t actually believe that do you? Of course it does. Upsets happen much more often today than they did back then.

I know it’s hard to stomach but it’s a fact. Teams were tanking so they could cash in their picks before the expansion teams came into the league. It made the comp weak and the W/L records shady.

 

[PhatBoy]

You don’t actually believe that do you? Of course it does. Upsets happen much more often today than they did back then.

I know it’s hard to stomach but it’s a fact. Teams were tanking so they could cash in their picks before the expansion teams came into the league. It made the comp weak and the W/L records shady.

Yes I do. Hence teams at the top very seldom lose to teams down the middle of the bottom 8 or below.

Cope harder.

 

[NetworkNerd]

How is this even a debate? Even in their poor years Geelong finish 7-10th and are always competitive. The only other club like that is Sydney but Geelong have had double the flags this century.

A much more interesting debate would be 'what is the best side of the 21st century (training, nutrition etc being equal)
Would it just be Essendon 2000 v Geelong 2007? or do Cats fans think 2009/2011 were better than 2007.