Opinion Most frustrating time as a Geelong supporter

[afl genius]

Not old enough to really feel the pain in the 90s so the 2012-2021 era hurts the most. 08 was really hard and if we didn't win 09 and 11 it would have hurt much more. The major pain with 12-21 is seemingly losing the same way every finals. You now expect Geelong to s**t the bed in the finals and anything else is a nice bonus. Bit hard to really compare today's team to 07-11 as that sides arguably the best team of all time.

 

[Vdubs]

The current Hawkins maybe…gimme a spell.

He's my replacement for SKing.
Keep Mooney.
Cameron for NAblett

 

[MacStradbroke]

He's my replacement for SKing.
Keep Mooney.
Cameron for NAblett

2007 team was a truly unbelievable team. Everyone getting antsy about the current team underperforming and Chris Scott blah blah blah, the 2008 team is one of the biggest underachieving teams of all time.

FWIW Hawkins & Cameron now are both better than Mooney and Nathan (And I love both of them). Nathan Ablett the biggest waste of talent in my whole time watching the game, a shame.

 

[Vdubs]

2007 team was a truly unbelievable team. Everyone getting antsy about the current team underperforming and Chris Scott blah blah blah, the 2008 team is one of the biggest underachieving teams of all time.

FWIW Hawkins & Cameron now are both better than Mooney and Nathan (And I love both of them). Nathan Ablett the biggest waste of talent in my whole retime watching the game, a shame.

2007 Mooney also AA, and 5 goals GF. Straightened us up. Can not replace him.

 

[Gogeelong]

this gives a clear indication of how far we have deteriorated.

 

[Spazz Cat]

When you think about it how many of Richmond's 3x flag team would make into our 2007 team?
Definitely Dusty and Rance. Riewoldt. But not many more. If any.
Even in just that 15 years or so the talent has been diluted so much and more athletes have come into the game.
You can't compare our team now to the 2007 team and say Oh we lost all those players so we're not as good.
The league itself has also deteriorated at even a greater rate.

 

[Partridge]

When you think about it how many of Richmond's 3x flag team would make into our 2007 team?
Definitely Dusty and Rance. Riewoldt. But not many more. If any.
Even in just that 15 years or so the talent has been diluted so much and more athletes have come into the game.
You can't compare our team now to the 2007 team and say Oh we lost all those players so we're not as good.
The league itself has also deteriorated at even a greater rate.

Maybe. A big part of that is on the coaches though. They want discipline and doing the percentage things, so individual flair is gradually squeezed out. There's probably no more than 1-2 players per team who have any license at all to get creative. Makes a huge difference.

I tend to see those who bemoan how far the standards have slipped - or that's "it's a weak comp" (how would they know?) seem to always support clubs who aren't winning premierships. Funny that. Must be a coincidence.

 

[Partridge]

An interesting exercise is to ask who from 2021 would get a game in the GF side of 2007:
View attachment 1220404

The biggest difference was the age profile - we had one, only ONE player who was 30 for that Grand final. Milburn. Couldn't be more different.

So most of those players were either in or about to hit their primes. We have very very few in that spot now.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Maybe. A big part of that is on the coaches though. They want discipline and doing the percentage things, so individual flair is gradually squeezed out. There's probably no more than 1-2 players per team who have any license at all to get creative. Makes a huge difference.

I tend to see those who bemoan how far the standards have slipped - or that's "it's a weak comp" (how would they know?) seem to always support clubs who aren't winning premierships. Funny that. Must be a coincidence.

Also really true. We're not allowed to actually see what they can do.
We were really lucky actually with the coach we had. Considering Paul Roos had already started the path to boredom.
But I still stand by my point. Blitz has won 2 best and fairests at a good club.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

Last 10 years under Scott, with a better coach we’d have another few flags.

Are you saying that the Hawks dynasty and Richmonds dynasty were not deserving??
I heard the same on the Swans, Eagles, Pies and Doggies boards... all have a point as they all think they could of pinched one or two.
But give credit where it's due.
Two Great teams/eras that we were privy to watch... just like our own dynasty of 07-11.
Richmond had everyones number for 4 years with a 10 minute purple patch from Mason Cox stopping what would've been a 4 year stretch.
As for the Hawks, they pretty much did the same. I thought the closest we got to them was the 2013 Prelim... when we had them with 7-8 minutes to go.
But alas some silly decisions that the pressure of the moment got to a few of our stars.
Other than 2013 i can't see where we would have pinched one flag though...

 

[Gee Class Loco]

When you think about it how many of Richmond's 3x flag team would make into our 2007 team?
Definitely Dusty and Rance. Riewoldt. But not many more. If any.
Even in just that 15 years or so the talent has been diluted so much and more athletes have come into the game.
You can't compare our team now to the 2007 team and say Oh we lost all those players so we're not as good.
The league itself has also deteriorated at even a greater rate.

Put in Edwards and Grimes best underrated players outside the walls of Punt Road.
Grimes has put to the sword many a good player. As for Edwards, he is the glue that makes a lot around him so much better.
With special mention to Nankervis & Vlaustin...
Hunt, Byrnes, King, Harley, Wojo and Nathan Ablett would be replaced by the players mentioned by you and me IMO.

Hunt-Grimes
Byrnes-Edwards
King-Nankervis
Harley-Rance
Nath Ablett-Riewoldt
Wojo-Vlaustin
Rooke-DUSTY

Interesting post. Enjoyed the look back to yesteryear.
Cheers.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Put in Edwards and Grimes best underrated players outside the walls of Punt Road.
Grimes has put to the sword many a good player. As for Edwards, he is the glue that makes a lot around him so much better.
With special mention to Nankervis & Vlaustin...
Hunt, Byrnes, King, Harley, Wojo and Nathan Ablett would be replaced by the players mentioned by you and me IMO.

Hunt-Grimes
Byrnes-Edwards
King-Nankervis
Harley-Rance
Nath Ablett-Riewoldt
Wojo-Vlaustin
Rooke-DUSTY

Interesting post. Enjoyed the look back to yesteryear.
Cheers.

Yeah I'd agree with those. Totally forgot about Nank.
Wojo-Vlaustin I'm a bit iffy on though. Wojo was more important than people thought IMO.

 

[caitsith01]

The late 80s/early 90s had a very inconsistent team with arguably the most freakish footballer of all time up forward. So the schizophrenic highs and lows were sort of predictable, although not managing a single flag through that period is pretty bad. Although of course, with hindsight, there must be questions about how West Coast were so good and it is an established fact that Carlton cheated in 1995.

I think the period after that was tough, especially the notorious 2005 Sydney final when it felt like we would never get anywhere. I think I enjoyed that era the least, because it felt directionless and pointless. Don't forget how bad Gary Ayres was, at least with Blight and Bomber you got some entertainment with your wins and losses.

I think Geelong has had better chances to win more flags in the 2012-2021 period than it had back then, though. To me 2013, 19 and 20 all stand out as years where we should have won at least one more. We were one kick from beating Hawthorn and I think we would have flattened Freo in the GF in 2013. And for all the mythology about Richmond, we absolutely coughed it up both times in 19 and 20 and could and should have won at least one of those. Last year probably the worst of them, because at least in 2013 you couldn't say Geelong left anything on the table. Last year the second half was unacceptable on every level and none of our players rose to the challenge.

My real fear is that the worst is yet to come. By holding on for a decade post-dynasty, topping up, without further success, we have robbed ourselves of draft picks and failed to develop a new generation of players. I know people predict the cliff all the time, but it feels closer than ever after Friday night...

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

Maybe. A big part of that is on the coaches though. They want discipline and doing the percentage things, so individual flair is gradually squeezed out. There's probably no more than 1-2 players per team who have any license at all to get creative. Makes a huge difference.

I tend to see those who bemoan how far the standards have slipped - or that's "it's a weak comp" (how would they know?) seem to always support clubs who aren't winning premierships. Funny that. Must be a coincidence.

How would you know? Don't think it's Rocket Surgery. You've got two extra teams which means 44 guys who were Dew kickers are now league footballers. We've also got a (perceived?) high injury rate due to nature of the game with current rules. It could be "old guy reminisces about old days" but I think it's pretty clear the standard has slipped and if we won the flag last year I would still think that.

 

[FredLeDeux]

How would you know? Don't think it's Rocket Surgery. You've got two extra teams which means 44 guys who were Dew kickers are now league footballers. We've also got a (perceived?) high injury rate due to nature of the game with current rules. It could be "old guy reminisces about old days" but I think it's pretty clear the standard has slipped and if we won the flag last year I would still think that.

Is Rocket Surgery related to salads, or to spaceships?

 

[catnutter]

Easiest question to answer. 1989 Grand final day. we lost all three finals that day by less than a goal.

 

[Warhorse]

I didn't find the 90s as tough as the current period. While we didnt win a flag we got to see some exciting football and Ablett Snr.

We don't play an exciting brand of football anymore.

 

[Whit3y]

So most of those players were either in or about to hit their primes. We have very very few in that spot now.

Why so few in that spot now? Has Wells underachieved for us to be in that position?.

 

[gaz love x]

I didn't find the 90s as tough as the current period. While we didnt win a flag we got to see some exciting football and Ablett Snr.

We don't play an exciting brand of football anymore.

Bingo. I would forgive so much if I enjoyed watching Geelong games for the spectacle.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

I didn't find the 90s as tough as the current period. While we didnt win a flag we got to see some exciting football and Ablett Snr.

We don't play an exciting brand of football anymore.

I reckon a bit of that, other than the excitement as you said, is because we now have tasted success. Back then only the oldies remembered Premierships so it simply was something we didn't really understand.
Ignorance in innocence I suppose.
Now however, we do. And we expect more.

 

[Pavlovs Cat]

I didn't find the 90s as tough as the current period. While we didnt win a flag we got to see some exciting football and Ablett Snr.

We don't play an exciting brand of football anymore.

Good call. Our attractive style of play was one of the reason I elected to follow the Cats.

 

[Gydafud]

Not frustrating anymore. This is just sad. 1995 revisited. Hard times ahead.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

This isn't so much frustrating as resigning to the inevitable result we've seen almost every year since 2013.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

Not frustrating anymore. This is just sad. 1995 revisited. Hard times ahead.

Yeah, I mean I barely watched these finals. I didn't get around to tuning into this one until late and then stopped after a few minutes. Us getting belted was the most obvious thing in the world.

You can see this stuff coming a mile off. I appreciate the dedication supporters have who could go into tonight's game and really feel we were a chance. To me, it's just been proven so many, many, many times that we'll keep doing the same thing. Nothing changes each year so why you would think there would be a chance all of a sudden is beyond me. Moreover, our group now is very old and, whatever you may have said about the coach, his playing group largely looks collectively finished.

6 prelim finals and 7 top 4 finishes for 1 poor GF performance isn't acceptable.

 

[Partridge]

Yeah, I mean I barely watched these finals. I didn't get around to tuning into this one until late and then stopped after a few minutes. Us getting belted was the most obvious thing in the world.

You can see this stuff coming a mile off. I appreciate the dedication supporters have who could go into tonight's game and really feel we were a chance. To me, it's just been proven so many, many, many times that we'll keep doing the same thing. Nothing changes each year so why you would think there would be a chance all of a sudden is beyond me. Moreover, our group now is very old and, whatever you may have said about the coach, his playing group largely looks collectively finished.

6 prelim finals and 7 top 4 finishes for 1 poor GF performance isn't acceptable.

Particularly when you factor in what the club voluntarily gave up in draft picks during that time.