Sun Article

[Sammy D]

Cats must seize the moment
03 March 2006 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan

THE full measure of Geelong's capabilities will remain a matter of keen interest and debate for up to seven months.

What is already apparent, though, is that Geelong is stronger than it has been for years.

Many years. Perhaps since the Grand Final year of 1989, when the Cats won 16 of 22 home-and-away games (percentage of 146.8) to finish third. They then won two finals by a total of 157 points to reach the big one.

That team lost the GF by six points. While the margin was flattering, Geelong ran into the best of Hawthorn's great teams of the 1980s.

Whether the class of 2006 is equally capable remains to be seen, but the Cats have an exciting two seasons ahead.

They have finished fourth and fifth in the past two years, and were unlucky or got stagefright in the final game in both years.

It's basically the same list this year, but a list that looks much healthier.

Charlie Gardiner, Tom Harley, David and Steve Johnson, Brad Ottens and David Wojcinski all missed at least nine of a possible 24 games last year. Skipper Steven King never seemed fully fit.

Harley remains a concern, but is being nursed into the season, which is wise thinking given his importance to the structure and the positive reinforcement he provides those who play in his vicinity.

A knee and hip continue to trouble him, but he will be kept in cotton wool until right. Probably Round 3.

The query on Geelong remains the top end.

Who are the matchwinners, the A-graders?

Matty Scarlett still is the team's best player, playing out of full-back.

The best players in premiership teams play forward or in the midfield.

Mark Thompson will be hoping Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly and Ottens can rise to the level.

Ablett isn't far away. He was a close-up third in the best-and-fairest last year and learnt plenty playing in the midfield and being mugged by opponents for two hours a week.

His skills aren't at issue and his work ethic is strong. If he gets the protection implicit in the new interpretations applicable to taggers, he will exert huge influence.

The Geelong midfield is loaded with talent and variety. If King can find fitness and form and give the smaller players a head start, they will run riot.

"If" is a little word with huge ramifications for the Cats.

If King can find fitness and form, if Harley can regain full mobility, if Steve Johnson's ankle ever will allow him to show his full repertoire of tricks, if Ottens can turn promise into productivity, if Cam Mooney can keep his talent and his self-control in balance, if Wojcinski can recover his pace and acceleration after a knee reconstruction, if Andrew Mackie and Kane Tenace are about to blossom?

That's a long list, yet there are queries at every club.

The Cats have been given a dream start to the season with home games against the Brisbane Lions, Kangaroos and Hawthorn.

It's a nice contrast to 2005, when they played their first game at home in Round 6.

They were good last year without being great, but finished the season in encouraging style: four wins in a row before a three-point loss to the Swans at the SCG in the second semi-final.

At the risk of sending Geelong supporters into a dark mood, the Cats led Sydney 6.11 to 3.12 at three-quarter-time and managed to lose.

Remember, though, no Paul Chapman, no Ottens, no Peter Riccardi, no Nathan Ablett, and no King when it mattered most.

They were so battered and bruised, they would have been easy pickings the following week, but it was a good lesson: you can't fumble your opportunities at this level.

All is in readiness for a genuine crack at the title this year.

The list is strong – the overs from the club's best team include several players who could step straight into the 22 if need be – and coach Thompson is heading into his seventh season.

Remarkably, he will become Geelong's second longest serving coach this year, replacing Malcolm Blight behind the legendary Reg Hickey.

The Cats have shown huge faith in him, and he has responded with two solid years that have produced 29 wins from 49 starts.

Given reasonable luck with injury, there can be no excuses for anyone at Geelong this year.

The Cats must finish top four and then it's down to personnel and nerve.

Anything can happen in September; the immediate target is to win two of the first three games on the way to at least 14 for the home-and-away series.

If they can't manage that, they will be a major disappointment.

I don't think they will disappoint.

 

[Prodigal Sons]

Cats must seize the moment
03 March 2006 Herald Sun
Mike Sheahan

I think this a very balanced article from the goose in the bi-focals.

I think it's now or never for this list (certainly the next 2 years). There are a few "if's" as Sheehan mentions but all sides have those. I'm starting to get more concerned over Tom Harley.....this seems to be more serious than the club first made out.

Time will tell - I bloody hope we end the drought this year. I'm starting to hurt !

 

[scottydeewah]

Its all about injuries and a dose of luck (which includes a good run with injuries). Take for example sydney, had a pretty good run plus two piece of "luck". One was a freak goal with 3 seconds left against us. Okay so it was a nice bit of skill and roving but left no place for error but they were also "lucky" that our Ruckman went down. The second and most important was the Hall TRAVESTY at the Tribunal. Any other week that was a dead set certainty to go. It was amazing and a blatent call from the top that this Sydney team was to be left alone, the AFL would have been rejoicing when Sydney won. Whether or not you wanted him to go or not he should have with the CURRENT rules and tribunal, it was LUCKY that he did not. They had a nice run. Not many teams can win a premiership without a large slice of luck, you have to be a truly GREAT team a DYNASTY team and I dont think this Geelong team is that just yet.

We are going to get injuries this year and they will be to key players. I think the club just has to bite the bullet and be conservative and hope that the key list of second stringers can stand up when it is there time and make a stand. The luck this year will be having the players at the business end, if we can do that bit for the most part we can hopefully make our own luck in the finals.

 

[Conan Troutman]

Charlie Gardiner, Tom Harley, David and Steve Johnson, Brad Ottens and David Wojcinski all missed at least nine of a possible 24 games last year. Skipper Steven King never seemed fully fit.

Good article. Didn't realize Gardiner missed that many last year. Pretty sure Enright and Sanderson also missed 9 or more games too.

 

[Ricketts]

I don't read articles, but i noticed that he had Rooke and Wojcinski as emergencies in our best lineup.

 

[ANT JESS]

I don't read articles, but i noticed that he had Rooke and Wojcinski as emergencies in our best lineup.

Yeah he got that wrong, he obviously didn't see much of Jarrod Rooke play last year as he surely is in our 22. And I would think the Bomber Wojcinski would be in our top 18 net alone top 22. Thoughts??

 

[catempire]

Yeah he got that wrong, he obviously didn't see much of Jarrod Rooke play last year as he surely is in our 22. And I would think the Bomber Wojcinski would be in our top 18 net alone top 22. Thoughts??

Wojcinski will need to prove himself again. At his best he is in the 22. Whether he still is remains to be seen.

 

[Sammy D]

Yeah he got that wrong, he obviously didn't see much of Jarrod Rooke play last year as he surely is in our 22. And I would think the Bomber Wojcinski would be in our top 18 net alone top 22. Thoughts??

Who knows due to his injury last season. The Bomber of old yes, but we are yet to see if he will fully recover from his injury and whether he will be able to get back to his best. No doubt Sheehan is taking this into account as Bomber will be nursed back as carefully as possible.

 

[Turbocat]

I think this a very balanced article from the goose in the bi-focals.

I think it's now or never for this list (certainly the next 2 years). There are a few "if's" as Sheehan mentions but all sides have those. I'm starting to get more concerned over Tom Harley.....this seems to be more serious than the club first made out.

Time will tell - I bloody hope we end the drought this year. I'm starting to hurt !

Maybe now but never? For a start every list changes every year, min. 3 changes most change more, so technically every list in the AFL has only the one year but I doubt thats what you intend. Were talking about core of our list and the core of our group probably comes from the 99 draft onwards. Scarlett,King,Ottens are all out of this group but mostly all the others have 5-6 years in them I'd say and considering the potential of NA and Tom Hawkins we may be looking further down the track.Thats far ahead but we have 4 years Id say, starting this year before Scarlett(our best player) probably starts down the wrong side of the hill.
Just like Port had 4 or so years at the to end, we too will have at least that. Although I hope for more, we MUST get at least one from this group. Im sick to death of the unmitigated crap, the regurgitation of the disapointments and the hollowing feeling lossing leaves in one for what seems like for ever.

 

[della]

agree no longer is close enough good enough, we have to win with this group regardless of injuries and bad luck, it's getting to painful to bear, these players need to relise how important it is and if some of them watched there efforts in the last qtr against sydney in that final that would be embarassed, as i have stated before, yes we do need to win home and away games to get in a god spot but i won't be raving on about how good we are until we actually deliver something of importance which is a flag cause unless we do that we r as good as Carlton and Hawthorn are at the minute.

 

[gregWAllan]

It was amazing and a blatent call from the top that this Sydney team was to be left alone, the AFL would have been rejoicing when Sydney won. Whether or not you wanted him to go or not he should have with the CURRENT rules and tribunal, it was LUCKY that he did not. They had a nice run. Not many teams can win a premiership without a large slice of luck, you have to be a truly GREAT team a DYNASTY team and I dont think this Geelong team is that just yet.

Not unlike 1997 and the Adelaide debacle.