The worm is turning

[Catsace]

As a long time Cats fan, i and many others here would be fully aware of our record against Hawthorn over the last 30 years or so. Indeed i made a since closed thread about that around the time of the 2008 Grand Final.

But it's great to see that now after such a long time, we are beginning to win the close games against Hawthorn now. Four close ones in succession, with yesterday's game just a case of persistence and character, plus a little luck that seems to now be flowing our way.

Starting from the Rd 22 game in 1987 we have lost so many close games, of course several of these were finals ('89 GF, '91 2nd Semi and '00 Elim) and we all remember that infuriating sequence of close defeats to Hawthorn at Skilled from 1995-99, with '95 and '99 being losses that came after a bright 5-0 start to the year.

Yesterday's game, having watched it from the top deck of the Ponsford Stand was such an exhausting game even as a fan. The margin only once exceeded 10 points in the match for either side, and it was just a relief to hear the siren as Buddy's kick sailed out of bounds. But after so many years and so many times of seeing us being on the losing end of those type of games against Hawthorn, to be winning them now is a surreal feeling. Of course these games are so close, anyone could win them, but for us to do it four times in a row is possibly the karma bus finally stopping at our station, for past pain!

 

[geelong_boy]

I hear you, and if we beat them in a knockout final I'll completely agree with you.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

I hear you, and if we beat them in a knockout final I'll completely agree with you.

+1..

 

[randyzany]

Meh, redemption can only be attained in September.

 

[alfy!]

Meh, redemption can only be attained in September.

Exactly, I can't wait to play them next.

 

[Greg Brady]

Exactly, I can't wait to play them next.

Meh, redemption can only be attained in September.

+1..

I hear you, and if we beat them in a knockout final I'll completely agree with you.

These.

Anything else is just bittersweet at best.

 

[Turkey Tom]

Last time we beat them in a final was the 1963 GF.

 

[hamG]

Last time we beat them in a final was the 1963 GF.

So we have to beat them in every final for nearly 50 years to break even.

We gonna need some more Abletts.

 

[Archangel]

I hear you, and if we beat them in a knockout final I'll completely agree with you.

Hey if North can do it, surely we can.... assuming those flogs actually make it to us

 

[MachoRandySavage]

I recently travelled to 2037 in a modified delorian and got my hands on a sports result almanac. Good news! We beat them in the 2010 GF by 37 points. We also beat them in the 2011 Prelim by 12 points and then the 2012 round 22 game (which sinks them to 9th place) by 179 points. Pods kicked 19 that day...

The future is exciting.

 

[CatFan73]

i recently travelled to 2037 in a modified delorian and got my hands on a sports result almanac. Good news! We beat them in the 2010 gf by 37 points. We also beat them in the 2011 prelim by 12 points and then the 2012 round 22 game (which sinks them to 9th place) by 179 points. Pods kicked 19 that day...

The future is exciting.

love it!!!

 

[TheTimeCometh]

20 of those wins won't cut it.

 

[Partridge]

Last time we beat them in a final was the 1963 GF.

Yeah, but it's not like we've played them 20 times since in finals.

Compare that record to ours against either Footscray or St.Kilda. St.Kilda have NEVER beaten us in a final. If Footscray have it was a long time ago.

It's still irrelevant come September. Every game is different.

 

[muttonchops]

I recently travelled to 2037 in a modified delorian and got my hands on a sports result almanac. Good news! We beat them in the 2010 GF by 37 points. We also beat them in the 2011 Prelim by 12 points and then the 2012 round 22 game (which sinks them to 9th place) by 179 points. Pods kicked 19 that day...

The future is exciting.

Imagine the excitement when Pods was on 19. Surely we could have got him to 20. Byrnes probably had another selfish shot at goal instead of passing to the Pod.

 

[MachoRandySavage]

Imagine the excitement when Pods was on 19. Surely we could have got him to 20. Byrnes probably had another selfish shot at goal instead of passing to the Pod.

Wondering if you (like Biff) stole my almanac... Pods was in the square ALONE, and Byrnes blazed from 55 on the boundary. Should have had 20...

 

[Copernicus]

Yeah, it's nice to see we are returning the favour. Alas, it means stuff all unless we can crack them in a big final. THEN we will have some true redemption. Though really, nothing can make up for 2008. That is just a year that might as well have not happened as far as I am concerned.

 

[The rabbi]

Yeah, but it's not like we've played them 20 times since in finals.

Compare that record to ours against either Footscray or St.Kilda. St.Kilda have NEVER beaten us in a final. If Footscray have it was a long time ago.

It's still irrelevant come September. Every game is different.

I cannot remember the Dogs beating us and I am an old fart. The earliest I can remember is about 1975 or 76 when we played the Dogs at Waverley in an Elimination Final. It was a close game. I think the Dogs were in front in time on in the final term when Brian Cousins kicked the winning goal with only seconds to spare.

 

[Duskfire]

Slightly off topic, but the only final I've managed to get to is the 95' Qualifying Final against Footscary where we kicked 10 goals in the first quarter and Brownless ended up kicking six. That was a good night

 

[Catsace]

Geelong has played 34 finals since 1989, for 19 wins and 15 losses.

Of those 15 defeats, eight have come at the hands of two clubs, we are 0-4 each against Hawthorn and West Coast.

In this period we are though 6-0 against the Bulldogs and 3-0 against St.Kilda.

I am not particularly fussed if we meet Hawthorn or not in a final, as long as we can win a Premiership again it will be sweet for me as any would be. I was devastated of course after losing 2008, but last year's victory really did undo almost all the pain i felt that previous year. A flag is a flag, and it is great to say we have two now compared to the pain of the 80's and 90's.

But given we did lose 13 games by my reckoning against Hawthorn from late 1987 until Rd 4 2007 by less than 12 points, and we only had the Ronnie Burns inspired win in 2001 at the Dome as a counter to that stat all this time, i am just saying that it's beautiful to say that at game's end we have been ahead of the Hawks four successive occasions. And about bloody time too!

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Hope you dont mind me intruding, just a perspective on the rivalry from the other side... I remember your thread after the 08 GF Catsace, twas a ripper.

'87 was around the time I started following Hawthorn and for the majority of my life growing up, we just seemed to have a knack of nicking the close ones against Geelong. From 1992, the majority of my footy loving friends were Cats and my teenage years were littered with arguments with these plentiful Cats supporters at school (they're in here somewhere....)

In the 90s, as most of you would be aware, we were average at best whereas the mighty Cats led by Ablett were a very strong, albeit unlucky, team. So the hold we had over the cats was my small thread to hang onto in those all to common, 'bay-13' style 'discussions' in the playground. Was it 98 or 99 where we won a tight one at KP which sparked a 9-10 game losing streak or something? I still have a Geelong loss tally board commemorating that sitting at home somewhere...

These arguments and 'debates' about Dunstall/Ablett etc irreparably forged the rivalry for me and to this day, regardless of either teams form, the only thing I love more than beating Geelong is the anticipation prior to playing them.

So yeah, its been a wierd feeling losing all these close ones as has been the trend recently. As I say, Hawks/Cats games mean more than any other to me but it was strange on Saturday.... That game was the least upset I have been after a loss for a very long time.

Our other close losses to you lot in the past couple of years have been similar.

I guess it is because it takes me back to my teenage years, deep down and silently, I can always cheer myself up with thoughts of the 08 grand final, just as I would of done with gusto back in the day.

Nothing, NOTHING would make me more upset than to lose a final to Geelong on their way to flag. On that day, I've not doubt I'll go from a fond, brotherly 'hatred' of Geelong, to a much darker, much more unreasonable, detestation.

Till then, punch on pussies!

 

[SJ]

Geelong has played 34 finals since 1989, for 19 wins and 15 losses.

Of those 15 defeats, eight have come at the hands of two clubs, we are 0-4 each against Hawthorn and West Coast.

In this period we are though 6-0 against the Bulldogs and 3-0 against St.Kilda.

I am not particularly fussed if we meet Hawthorn or not in a final, as long as we can win a Premiership again it will be sweet for me as any would be. I was devastated of course after losing 2008, but last year's victory really did undo almost all the pain i felt that previous year. A flag is a flag, and it is great to say we have two now compared to the pain of the 80's and 90's.

But given we did lose 13 games by my reckoning against Hawthorn from late 1987 until Rd 4 2007 by less than 12 points, and we only had the Ronnie Burns inspired win in 2001 at the Dome as a counter to that stat all this time, i am just saying that it's beautiful to say that at game's end we have been ahead of the Hawks four successive occasions. And about bloody time too!

That was a good game, wasn't it? I think that was the day we wore the team of the century guernseys.

 

[Premiers2007]

Last time we beat them in a final was the 1963 GF.

We have played them 4 times in a final since that day. (In 47 years)

The stat that matters though our Grand Final history;

Hawthorn 2 (1989,2008) and Geelong 1 (1963)

Need one more to even the ledger.

 

[CATACK]

Whoever wins in the final Geelong or Hawthorn, it would be a ripping game

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Nothing, NOTHING would make me more upset than to lose a final to Geelong on their way to flag. On that day, I've not doubt I'll go from a fond, brotherly 'hatred' of Geelong, to a much darker, much more unreasonable, detestation.

So you'll cop a backyard circumcision to join Yarden's rukas krew and go on an Israeli settler-inspired orgiastic 'pay the price' rampage of death and destruction through Geelong?

Gotta love irrational hate, brother