Analysis Making the Top 4 and building to a flag. 4TH is IRRELEVANT, MAKE IT TOP 3

[RussellEbertHandball]

I frankly believe that our newcomers were supposed to help Robbie, Wines, and Wingard to become or getting closer to become that sort of player; while Rockliff could actually be one. Rockliff not being ready from the get-go was bad. When we lost Ryder, however, it became REALLY bad.

Correct me if I am wrong, but for 2018, our main:
a) forward line was supposed to be Dixon, Watts, and Marshall; and
b) midfield was supposed to be Ryder, Rockliff, Ebert, SPP.

Without Ryder, Rockliff's ability to win the contest would have come in hand; but that wasn't an option. So, when we tried to fix the midfield, it costed us either the forward line, the back line, or both.

Against Geelong, we didn't have Marshall, Ryder, Rockliff, and SPP. This means that were basically the 2017 Port with a worse midlfield. Meanwhile, players are trying to adjust for a change in the way we move forward. Under pressure, we saw them either reverting to 2017 kicking-to-the-pocket, hailmarying the ball into the F50 (regardless of whom was there), rushing the play, or slowing down to avoid those mistakes - which is a mistake in itself.

In brief, we saw NOTHING that was supposed to happen in 2018. No surprise, everyone has a feeling of déjà vu.

I will correct you slightly. I reckon we went into 2018
a) Dixon, Watts, Wingard and Robbie Gray as being our main goal kickers and hoping Marshall advances but being prepared to give him time and playing others as small forwards

b) Ryder, Wines, Ebert and SPP were our main guys in the midfield with Rockliff going in there once he fully recovered from his shoulder surgery. And we rotate Robbie, Chad, Boak, Motlop etc thru there

Rockliff was the big weekly accumulator type at Brisbane because teams probably didnt plan to stop him as hard as they do other Ports mids because he is more a distributor type than finisher type.

If Rockliff was racking up his Brisbane numbers for Port because his shoulder was 100% and he was fully fit and no calf issue like last wekkend we would be producing a different result.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Another article proving how good a recruiter Stephen Wells is, leading Geelong to continually find players to fit into their system almost seamlessly.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-24/the-stats-files-geelongs-latest-litter-of-kittens#/
GEELONG diehards still speak in hushed tones about Stephen Wells' remarkable hit rate in the 1999 and 2001 AFL drafts.Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright and Paul Chapman emerged from that 1999 crop, while Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett jnr followed two years later. They became 200-plus-game immortals in the Cats' most winningest period – premierships in 2007, 2009 and 2011 – despite only Corey (pick eight), Bartel (eight) and Kelly (17) being top-20 picks. That extraordinary draft haul two years apart, with a smattering of stars gathered along the way, is unlikely to ever be matched, but Wells looks to be at it again.

.......
But what these clever Cats are achieving almost two decades on, after further draft raids and targeted trading (with some luck in nabbing Patrick Dangerfield), is exceptional in its own right. They missed finals once in the past 11 years – finishing 10th in 2015 – yet have rolled out the equal-most debutants (12), with Fremantle and North Melbourne, since the start of last season. One veteran rival recruiter, who rates Wells the best at what he does, told AFL.com.au that not bottoming out was what separated the wheat from the chaff.



It continues on...

But how many of that era were recognised as future stars in their early years at the Cattery? Brandan Parfitt and Lachie Fogarty – Geelong's top picks in the past two drafts at No.26 and 22, respectively – are trending that way, as are mature-age selections Tim Kelly and Tom Stewart. Parfitt ranks seventh in the AFL for score involvements and rates elite in six statistics, Kelly is second for score assists, and Fogarty's intercepting as a forward also places him in elite company. Stewart's steep rise from local football drifter at South Barwon to placing fifth in the Cats' best and fairest last year is well told.


The same opposition recruiter sees similarities between the newest breed of Cats to the stars of yesteryear in the types of footballers Wells has brought in. They are real footballers who don't necessarily jump out for their athleticism, speed or size, but boast strong game sense, use the ball well and are fierce competitors. It's no coincidence that Parfitt wears Bartel's old No.3 on his back. "(Wells) hasn't been sucked in that often – he has a few times, like all of us – in choosing the athlete over a footballer," the recruiter told AFL.com.au. "To me, he mostly hasn't worried about getting super pace or great endurance athletes or whatever it might be, but he knows how to find 'true' footballers." The industry knock on Wells is, perhaps, his inability to consistently unearth big men. But in 197cm forward-ruckman Esava Ratugolea, a kid who arrived with seriously rough edges, he may even have ticked that box, too.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-24/the-stats-files-geelongs-latest-litter-of-kittens#/

 

[Adam Marrett23]

Another article proving how good a recruiter Stephen Wells is, letting Geelong to continually find players to fit into their system almost seamlessly.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-24/the-stats-files-geelongs-latest-litter-of-kittens#/
GEELONG diehards still speak in hushed tones about Stephen Wells' remarkable hit rate in the 1999 and 2001 AFL drafts.Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright and Paul Chapman emerged from that 1999 crop, while Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett jnr followed two years later. They became 200-plus-game immortals in the Cats' most winningest period – premierships in 2007, 2009 and 2011 – despite only Corey (pick eight), Bartel (eight) and Kelly (17) being top-20 picks. That extraordinary draft haul two years apart, with a smattering of stars gathered along the way, is unlikely to ever be matched, but Wells looks to be at it again.

.......
But what these clever Cats are achieving almost two decades on, after further draft raids and targeted trading (with some luck in nabbing Patrick Dangerfield), is exceptional in its own right. They missed finals once in the past 11 years – finishing 10th in 2015 – yet have rolled out the equal-most debutants (12), with Fremantle and North Melbourne, since the start of last season. One veteran rival recruiter, who rates Wells the best at what he does, told AFL.com.au that not bottoming out was what separated the wheat from the chaff.

View attachment 487505

It continues on...

But how many of that era were recognised as future stars in their early years at the Cattery? Brandan Parfitt and Lachie Fogarty – Geelong's top picks in the past two drafts at No.26 and 22, respectively – are trending that way, as are mature-age selections Tim Kelly and Tom Stewart. Parfitt ranks seventh in the AFL for score involvements and rates elite in six statistics, Kelly is second for score assists, and Fogarty's intercepting as a forward also places him in elite company. Stewart's steep rise from local football drifter at South Barwon to placing fifth in the Cats' best and fairest last year is well told.


The same opposition recruiter sees similarities between the newest breed of Cats to the stars of yesteryear in the types of footballers Wells has brought in. They are real footballers who don't necessarily jump out for their athleticism, speed or size, but boast strong game sense, use the ball well and are fierce competitors. It's no coincidence that Parfitt wears Bartel's old No.3 on his back. "(Wells) hasn't been sucked in that often – he has a few times, like all of us – in choosing the athlete over a footballer," the recruiter told AFL.com.au. "To me, he mostly hasn't worried about getting super pace or great endurance athletes or whatever it might be, but he knows how to find 'true' footballers." The industry knock on Wells is, perhaps, his inability to consistently unearth big men. But in 197cm forward-ruckman Esava Ratugolea, a kid who arrived with seriously rough edges, he may even have ticked that box, too.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-24/the-stats-files-geelongs-latest-litter-of-kittens#/

So like Hawthorn did when they were up and about and are about to be again or aren't far away Geelong draft footballers first and foremost. Blicavs being the obvious exception but he has thrived in their system.

Funny that it works so well, who'd ever have thought.

 

[Us against the rest]

The name of this thread, unfortunately is not for a club like ours with the current people running the show.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The name of this thread, unfortunately is not for a club like ours with the current people running the show.

That's why its a 9.5 year old thread. It goes thru the cycles.

 

[MrPortAdelaide]

lol, 10 years later and were still in the same position, will they ever learn?

notable highlights in the 10 years are
Boak will win a brownlow
Shaun Burgoyne is just about done
Carlisle & Chaplin will lead us to a flag
the recruitment of Hitchock, Marlon Motlop, Simon Phillips, Scott Harding,
Harvey & Shaw are the next big thing
Ryder is the missing piece, followed by Dixon is the missing piece
Lobbe's long term contract
giving GWS & GC their first AFL wins
Primus' coaching methods
you get what you deserve, followed by fast footy, playing more fast footy and still not taking the heat
10 years bad kicking
Hinkley's long tern deal

you have to laugh because it cant be taken seriously anymore

 

[GremioPower]

I will correct you slightly. I reckon we went into 2018
a) Dixon, Watts, Wingard and Robbie Gray as being our main goal kickers and hoping Marshall advances but being prepared to give him time and playing others as small forwards

b) Ryder, Wines, Ebert and SPP were our main guys in the midfield with Rockliff going in there once he fully recovered from his shoulder surgery. And we rotate Robbie, Chad, Boak, Motlop etc thru there

Rockliff was the big weekly accumulator type at Brisbane because teams probably didnt plan to stop him as hard as they do other Ports mids because he is more a distributor type than finisher type.

If Rockliff was racking up his Brisbane numbers for Port because his shoulder was 100% and he was fully fit and no calf issue like last wekkend we would be producing a different result.

Thanks for the reply!

On our midfield, I have meant with all players fully healthy — including Rockliff.

On our forward line, I didn't mean top scorers, but those who would play mostly there.

Gray, Wines, and Wingard would be the HF, moving back and forth between midfield and offense.

As I have said before, I see Watts (and Marshall) in a supporting role. I expect Dixon, Gray, Wines, and Wingard to lead.

Does it make sense?

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Thanks for the reply!

On our midfield, I have meant with all players fully healthy — including Rockliff.

On our forward line, I didn't mean top scorers, but those who would play mostly there.

Gray, Wines, and Wingard would be the HF, moving back and forth between midfield and offense.

As I have said before, I see Watts (and Marshall) in a supporting role. I expect Dixon, Gray, Wines, and Wingard to lead.

Does it make sense?

The guys i said would kick most goals is because they would play most of their time there in the forward line. Robbie and Chad wont be our main midfielders.

By midfielders I mean guys who go in at centre square for restart after goals and go in for play at stoppages be they for boundary throw ins and are around the ball in the middle third of the ground.

Wines I see as 65% true midfield time, 10-15% forward and the balance of time on the bench recovering.

 

[GremioPower]

The guys i said would kick most goals is because they would play most of their time there in the forward line. Robbie and Chad wont be our main midfielders.

By midfielders I mean guys who go in at centre square for restart after goals and go in for play at stoppages be they for boundary throw ins and are around the ball in the middle third of the ground.

Wines I see as 65% true midfield time, 10-15% forward and the balance of time on the bench recovering.

Our mids have Ryder, Ebert, and SPP in common. You have Wines; and I Rockliff. But you said Rockliff would get in healthy. So, Rockliff would replace whom? SPP?

 

[Hellgood]

Another article proving how good a recruiter Stephen Wells is, leading Geelong to continually find players to fit into their system almost seamlessly.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-24/the-stats-files-geelongs-latest-litter-of-kittens#/
GEELONG diehards still speak in hushed tones about Stephen Wells' remarkable hit rate in the 1999 and 2001 AFL drafts.Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright and Paul Chapman emerged from that 1999 crop, while Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett jnr followed two years later. They became 200-plus-game immortals in the Cats' most winningest period – premierships in 2007, 2009 and 2011 – despite only Corey (pick eight), Bartel (eight) and Kelly (17) being top-20 picks. That extraordinary draft haul two years apart, with a smattering of stars gathered along the way, is unlikely to ever be matched, but Wells looks to be at it again.

.......
But what these clever Cats are achieving almost two decades on, after further draft raids and targeted trading (with some luck in nabbing Patrick Dangerfield), is exceptional in its own right. They missed finals once in the past 11 years – finishing 10th in 2015 – yet have rolled out the equal-most debutants (12), with Fremantle and North Melbourne, since the start of last season. One veteran rival recruiter, who rates Wells the best at what he does, told AFL.com.au that not bottoming out was what separated the wheat from the chaff.

View attachment 487505

It continues on...

But how many of that era were recognised as future stars in their early years at the Cattery? Brandan Parfitt and Lachie Fogarty – Geelong's top picks in the past two drafts at No.26 and 22, respectively – are trending that way, as are mature-age selections Tim Kelly and Tom Stewart. Parfitt ranks seventh in the AFL for score involvements and rates elite in six statistics, Kelly is second for score assists, and Fogarty's intercepting as a forward also places him in elite company. Stewart's steep rise from local football drifter at South Barwon to placing fifth in the Cats' best and fairest last year is well told.


The same opposition recruiter sees similarities between the newest breed of Cats to the stars of yesteryear in the types of footballers Wells has brought in. They are real footballers who don't necessarily jump out for their athleticism, speed or size, but boast strong game sense, use the ball well and are fierce competitors. It's no coincidence that Parfitt wears Bartel's old No.3 on his back. "(Wells) hasn't been sucked in that often – he has a few times, like all of us – in choosing the athlete over a footballer," the recruiter told AFL.com.au. "To me, he mostly hasn't worried about getting super pace or great endurance athletes or whatever it might be, but he knows how to find 'true' footballers." The industry knock on Wells is, perhaps, his inability to consistently unearth big men. But in 197cm forward-ruckman Esava Ratugolea, a kid who arrived with seriously rough edges, he may even have ticked that box, too.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-24/the-stats-files-geelongs-latest-litter-of-kittens#/

I rate Wells and the Geelong system enormously too, but interestingly he has been at the forefront of being open minded to bringing in left field guys like:

Blicavs (athletics) - pretty amazing story and testament to their identification and subsequent development
O'Connor (Ireland)
Hayball (SANFL reserves)
House (WA amateurs) moved over and played a handful of games for their VFL side before being picked up)
Henry (decathlon) - did have pedigree through the Falcons U18's but was essentially a part time footballer
Luxford (basketball) - now gone back to his original sport, but was plucked out of absolutely nowhere

Rautoglea and Buzza both were marginal prospects in their draft years and considered a bit too rough around the edges talent and skill wise by most draft watchers, but clearly had the potential athleticism and physical attributes for AFL football.

They aren't successful in every instance, but goes to show that they aren't afraid to have a crack at unearthing talent from anywhere. Which paradoxically is at odds with his reputation for focusing on "pure" footballers (which he also seems to pick out at will).

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Our mids have Ryder, Ebert, and SPP in common. You have Wines; and I Rockliff. But you said Rockliff would get in healthy. So, Rockliff would replace whom? SPP?

I dont see our main mids as being restricted to just main 4 players. Its a bit of hourses for courses. SPP doesn't spend as long as Wines and Ebert in there as he doesn't have the tank/body yet to last as long. Lets see in 10 weeks time when Rockliff is fully fit - I hope.

 

[LFC2010]

Lock thread please, this isn't happening while Ken is in charge.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Lock thread please, this isn't happening while Ken is in charge.

This thread is about how others have done it as much as we are trying to do it and not succeeding.

 

[ibd77]

lol, 10 years later and were still in the same position, will they ever learn?

notable highlights in the 10 years are
Boak will win a brownlow
Shaun Burgoyne is just about done
Carlisle & Chaplin will lead us to a flag
the recruitment of Hitchock, Marlon Motlop, Simon Phillips, Scott Harding,
Harvey & Shaw are the next big thing
Ryder is the missing piece, followed by Dixon is the missing piece
Lobbe's long term contract
giving GWS & GC their first AFL wins
Primus' coaching methods
you get what you deserve, followed by fast footy, playing more fast footy and still not taking the heat
10 years bad kicking
Hinkley's long tern deal

you have to laugh because it cant be taken seriously anymore

Well since Richmond are no longer Richmond-ing things. We have now taken their mantle and are on track to finish 9th this season.

 

[MrChow]

The team I am suggesting will no doubt get criticised but Ken's game plan requires us to have speed. Without a dominating Paddy ruck who feeds it to our Bulls we are further exposed.

We have a number of slow midfielders/forwards - S gray, Boak, Ebert, Watts etc. Also our leadership group has been questionable for a really long time now, and they just don't get it done. Ken has kept rotating fringe players.

We must/need to inject speed- Pittard, Johnson, Barry, and Atley. Howard should play the spare defender, learn to mark, and have a license to run, and create. Jonas is too slow- and is a better one on one defender. Pittard and Bonner both need to play. I also think the three tall forwardline doesn't suit our gameplan - our gameplan requires fast speedy transition from the backline. Sadly I think its either Watts or Marshall. Marshall is faster.

While this team loses some grunt/experience with Boak/Ebo/S gray missing- It injects some speed/attack. Fast play, and creating space is easier done with speed, which might help our players to stop bombing the ball into the forwardline after slow play.

F: Johnson Dixon Neade
HF: Motlop Marshall Wingard
C: Barry Wines Polec
HB: Pittard Howard Bonner
FB: Hartlett Hombsch Jonas

R: Ryder R Gray Rockliff
I: Atley SPP Westhoff DBJ

While I doubt this will happen - our list management needs to keep prioritising speed.

 

[JUSTWORK]

The team I am suggesting will no doubt get criticised but Ken's game plan requires us to have speed. Without a dominating Paddy ruck who feeds it to our Bulls we are further exposed.

We have a number of slow midfielders/forwards - S gray, Boak, Ebert, Watts etc. Also our leadership group has been questionable for a really long time now, and they just don't get it done. Ken has kept rotating fringe players.

We must/need to inject speed- Pittard, Johnson, Barry, and Atley. Howard should play the spare defender, learn to mark, and have a license to run, and create. Jonas is too slow- and is a better one on one defender. Pittard and Bonner both need to play. I also think the three tall forwardline doesn't suit our gameplan - our gameplan requires fast speedy transition from the backline. Sadly I think its either Watts or Marshall. Marshall is faster.

While this team loses some grunt/experience with Boak/Ebo/S gray missing- It injects some speed/attack. Fast play, and creating space is easier done with speed, which might help our players to stop bombing the ball into the forwardline after slow play.

F: Johnson Dixon Neade
HF: Motlop Marshall Wingard
C: Barry Wines Polec
HB: Pittard Howard Bonner
FB: Hartlett Hombsch Jonas

R: Ryder R Gray Rockliff
I: Atley SPP Westhoff DBJ

While I doubt this will happen - our list management needs to keep prioritising speed.

Don't mind it, would like to see Farrel come in for Neade.. Looking good from what i've heard and Neade is tried and tested.

No way Watts, Ebert and especially Boak being captain get left out.

 

[GremioPower]

I dont see our main mids as being restricted to just main 4 players. Its a bit of hourses for courses. SPP doesn't spend as long as Wines and Ebert in there as he doesn't have the tank/body yet to last as long. Lets see in 10 weeks time when Rockliff is fully fit - I hope.

It is not, but there would still be a "First Line," that would play the most — even if not by much. That was my assumption.

 

[GremioPower]

Our 2018 schedule is early loaded. It gets a bit better after the bye. The fact that we started with 3 wins, it means that getting just one more before the break, it would still mean that our chances of finishing high on the ladder are good.

A 4-5 start would be within our expectations. In these first nine games, our task is getting our sh*t together — and that we will achieve by playing games, making mistakes, acknowledging and practicing to correct those.

There is no reason to panic yet. We need to strike hard AFTER the bye. Until then, Ryder will be already back; SPP and Rockliff have four games to regain form; Thomas is back from suspension and in time to play against North Adelaide on May 26th. Although it may look bad now, everything is still going within the parameters set for this year.

We have more than a month to make the necessary adjustments before the HUMONGOUS game against Hawthorn in Tasmania. Then, we have three consecutives home matches. If we are going to press the panic button, let's wait our game against Richmond for that.

 

[Del165198]

Whats with all the sucking off of geelong?

Yes we all know they were a great team when they won 3 flags. There's nothing much to get excited about since then. They've made finals most years but havent looked like going on with it.
Just as they started to drop down they get gifted the best player in the comp for nothing.

They play on a shithole home ground that together with corrupt umpiring, basically guarantees them a win every time. That means they only need to scrape 5 or 6 other wins across the season to make finals.

They haven't looked that great this year, and beating us is certainly nothing to write home about.

When selwood and danger fall off the perch they'll be in no mans land.

 

[B0ydmental]

lol, 10 years later and were still in the same position, will they ever learn?

notable highlights in the 10 years are
Boak will win a brownlow
Shaun Burgoyne is just about done
Carlisle & Chaplin will lead us to a flag
the recruitment of Hitchock, Marlon Motlop, Simon Phillips, Scott Harding,
Harvey & Shaw are the next big thing
Ryder is the missing piece, followed by Dixon is the missing piece
Lobbe's long term contract
giving GWS & GC their first AFL wins
Primus' coaching methods
you get what you deserve, followed by fast footy, playing more fast footy and still not taking the heat
10 years bad kicking
Hinkley's long tern deal

you have to laugh because it cant be taken seriously anymore

Add cant ever beat geelong and John butcher the future pretty good list

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Whats with all the sucking off of geelong?

Yes we all know they were a great team when they won 3 flags. There's nothing much to get excited about since then. They've made finals most years but havent looked like going on with it.
Just as they started to drop down they get gifted the best player in the comp for nothing.

They play on a shithole home ground that together with corrupt umpiring, basically guarantees them a win every time. That means they only need to scrape 5 or 6 other wins across the season to make finals.

They haven't looked that great this year, and beating us is certainly nothing to write home about.

When selwood and danger fall off the perch they'll be in no mans land.

You obviously have a sucking fetish.

Geelong win more than 70% of their games year in year out for more than a decade straight. They don't bottom out. they dug themselves out of a massive hole they fond themselves in, in 1999, when Costa came on board got Cook as CEO and other board members on board and have stayed out of that hole ever since.

You can come up with all the excuses you like, shithole stadium, umpires, Selwood and co. but this is a WIN - LOSS industry and they have a lot more W's than L's. That's what you have to do - WIN!

They keep winning means they make money, which means under free agency they will keep attracting very good players to go with their excellent recruiting by Wells and his team. And they have a system that means that average to good players going there under free agency end up improving.

I have been hearing they will fall off a cliff for 5 years with footy supporters hoping like hell so it supports their theory and hope their team replaces Geelong. It isn't going to happen soon, especially by a club who is so well run and made themselves near bullet proof by building a stadium that gives them a great stadium yield to reinvest in their football department year in year out.

 

[TeeKray]

You obviously have a sucking fetish.

Geelong win more than 70% of their games year in year out for more than a decade straight. They don't bottom out. they dug themselves out of a massive hole they fond themselves in, in 1999, when Costa came on board got Cook as CEO and other board members on board and have stayed out of that hole ever since.

You can come up with all the excuses you like, shithole stadium, umpires, Selwood and co. but this is a WIN - LOSS industry and they have a lot more W's than L's. That's what you have to do - WIN!

They keep winning means they make money, which means under free agency they will keep attracting very good players to go with their excellent recruiting by Wells and his team. And they have a system that means that average to good players going there under free agency end up improving.

I have been hearing they will fall off a cliff for 5 years with footy supporters hoping like hell so it supports their theory and hope their team replaces Geelong. It isn't going to happen soon, especially by a club who is so well run and made themselves near bullet proof by building a stadium that gives them a great stadium yield to reinvest in their football department year in year out.

At the end of the day they are still heavily reliant on the exploits of the 'Holy Trinity'. Dangerfield and Ablett are among the top handful of players in their generation and just so happen to be locals by total coincidence. Selwood they lucked out in drafting after he did a knee in his draft year. He is one of their very few top 10 picks in over a decade and they absolutely nailed it by pure luck basically.

And let's not forget their #1 key forward is Tom Hawkins who they got as a father son freebie in the third round. If the current rules were in place, they would've had to use pick 6 on him and would've missed out on Selwood.

So basically, the core of their team is based on good fortune that is unlikely to be repeated into the future. There is no evidence to suggest they are capable of attracting A graders down to Geelong, aside from local products. No doubt they are well run and would be competitive anyway. But their continual presence in the top 4 and top 8 is as much down to luck as anything else.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

At the end of the day they are still heavily reliant on the exploits of the 'Holy Trinity'. Dangerfield and Ablett are among the top handful of players in their generation and just so happen to be locals by total coincidence. Selwood they lucked out in drafting after he did a knee in his draft year. He is one of their very few top 10 picks in over a decade and they absolutely nailed it by pure luck basically.

And let's not forget their #1 key forward is Tom Hawkins who they got as a father son freebie in the third round. If the current rules were in place, they would've had to use pick 6 on him and would've missed out on Selwood.

So basically, the core of their team is based on good fortune that is unlikely to be repeated into the future. There is no evidence to suggest they are capable of attracting A graders down to Geelong, aside from local products. No doubt they are well run and would be competitive anyway. But their continual presence in the top 4 and top 8 is as much down to luck as anything else.

Keep telling yourself its all good fortune if it makes you feel better. In 10 years time if they are still doing well will that all be good fortune?

 

[TeeKray]

Keep telling yourself its all good fortune if it makes you feel better. In 10 years time if they are still doing well will that all be good fortune?

I never said it was all good fortune. I think they're a well run club and would be very competitive ala the West Coast Eagles who make finals 75% of the time and are more than competitive most of the other 25%. But their list composition at the top (ie 4 of their best 6 or 7 players) is undeniably a result of luck and circumstances that are not guaranteed to be repeated into the future.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Keep telling yourself its all good fortune if it makes you feel better. In 10 years time if they are still doing well will that all be good fortune?

In 10 years time they won’t still be doing this well. Or if they are it’ll because in 3 or 4 years time they bottomed out so hard that they couldn’t help but be doing well again in 10 years time with all the draft picks they’d be getting. Feel free to come back and quote me if I’m wrong.